Phuket Sandbox: dos and don’ts for ‘no quarantine’ reopening of Thai resort island An unusually quiet Karon beach in Phuket. The Thai holiday island reopens to fully vaccinated travellers from July 1. Photo: AFP
After 15 long months, quarantine-free holidays in Phuket are on the horizon, courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand s (TAT) pilot Phuket Sandbox plan, which will see the resort island open to vaccinated foreign travellers on July 1. But before you book your stay in the sun (or rain - it is monsoon season, after all), consider these dos and don ts.
Do ensure that you have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 at least two weeks before your departure date with one of the vaccines approved by Thailand - currently Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna - or one certified by the World Health Organisation, which adds Pfizer-BioNTech to the list.
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Politicians push Beijing Winter Olympics ‘diplomatic boycott’ across 11 Western countries Finbarr Bermingham finbarr.bermingham@scmp.com The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach (left), during the handover ceremony of the Olympic flag to the mayor of Beijing, Chen Jining, in 2018. Photo: AFP
A group of politicians across Europe and North America launched coordinated legislative actions on Monday, calling for a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Spanning 11 countries and parliaments, the actions look to pressure governments, elected officials and heads of state to decline invitations to next year s Games, citing gross violations of human rights by the Chinese government.
No to nightlife, yes to vaccinations: can Thailand’s Pattaya rebrand and reopen? A solitary man sits on the Pattaya beach. Photo: Xinhua
The city of Pattaya has for decades been one of Thailand s top tourist draws, but the Covid-19 pandemic has proved catastrophic to local businesses. Wellness entrepreneur Chairat Rattanopas puts it best: We ve hit rock bottom.
Mass vaccinations appear to be the only way forward for Thailand s battered tourist industry, which before the pandemic accounted for a fifth of Southeast Asia s second largest economy - likely more, if businesses in the informal sector such as tuk-tuks and food stalls are included.