First tourists arrive in Phuket under Sandbox scheme First tourists arrive in Phuket under Sandbox scheme PHUKET: Twenty-three tourists arrived at Phuket airport on Thursday morning (July 1) as the island reopened to vaccinated foreign tourists under the quarantine-free scheme. Friday 2 July 2021, 09:24AM An airport official holds a ’Sandbox’ sign as she leads passengers to the arrivals lounge at Phuket airport. Photo: Government House / Bangkok Post Tourism makes up almost a fifth of the Thai economy, and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to its worst performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, reports the Bangkok Post, citing a report by AFP. The country is pinning high hopes for a much-needed revival on the so-called “Phuket Sandbox”, a model that allows vaccinated travellers to visit without quarantine, the report explained.