Thailand’s best-known resort and others like it across Southeast Asia have been brought to their knees by border control measures to contain the COVID-19 virus, shutting out the foreign tourists who were once the lifeblood of the local economy. Without them, businesses are slowly dying.
But if everything goes to plan, Phuket may once again welcome tourists – albeit in a new and some say risky way. From 1 July, Thailand is set to conduct a ‘sandbox’ experiment, using Phuket as a testing ground to welcome vaccinated foreign visitors with no quarantine period.
Coming at a time when the pandemic shows little sign of loosening its grip on the region – indeed, cases are rising in many areas due to new flare-ups and variants – some think the initiatives are a step too far. But the chance of making money again is strong.
If it is successful, Phuket could become a model for other vacation hot spots in Asia to open their borders and bring in visitors as strategies such as travel bubbles falter.
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