Phuket Ready for Foreign Tourism in July Despite Thai Covid Wave
- Thailand panel affirms island reopening date for travelers
- No quarantine for vaccinated; 9 other place ready in October
Chalong Pier, the center for day trips to surrounding islands around Phuket on April 21.
Photographer: Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images
Thailand is sticking to its reopening plan for its resort island of Phuket even as the country struggles to contain its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began amid slow vaccinations.
The national tourism panel met Friday and affirmed the timetable for Phuket to be back in business on July 1, when the mandatory two-week quarantine will be dropped for vaccinated visitors, according to government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. The committee also endorsed Oct. 1 openings for nine other popular destinations, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with restrictions eased in the rest of Thailand in January, she said.