Phuket + Surat Thani, Krabi, Phang Nga Sandbox’ model gets approval
Mandatory stay in Phuket reduced to just 7 days, then allowing travellers to continue another 7 nights in selected areas in Surat Thani, Krabi, or Phang Nga effective from August 1st
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reported that the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) has approved in principle a proposal that would allow tourists to Phuket to extend their stay under new revised requirements.
The proposal seeks to allow tourists visiting under the Phuket Sandbox programme to extend their trip on a 7+7 basis. That is, they could stay in Phuket for 7 days and then visit another of the pilot destinations in which Thailand is reopening to tourism for at least 7 days, effective from 1st August, 2021.
The other pilot destinations proposed are Surat Thani (Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao), Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai, and Railay Beach), and Phang Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao).
Under the current Phuket Sandbox requirements, tourists must first stay in Phuket for 14 nights before they can travel to another destination in Thailand. Tourists wanting to stay less than 14 nights in Phuket can do so, but from Phuket they must leave Thailand for another country.
The new proposal would reverse the existing requirement that states tourists cannot stay in Phuket for only 7 nights and then move to another destination; such as, Samui or Phang Nga.
Each respective pilot destination is to prepare the necessary rules and regulations along the same standard as those for the Phuket Sandbox programme to ensure health and safety and to curb the spread of COVID-19 in these areas.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and TAT are to submit full details of the plan to link tourism routes between Phuket and other pilot destinations for approval by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Moving forward, they are also to prepare plans to open other potential destinations for approval by the CESA and CCSA.
