Thailand’s popular beach destination, Koh Samui, plans to allow quarantine-free entry to vaccinated foreign tourists from October 1.
“The island’s economy and infrastructure were built around foreign tourism, and businesses here have been struggling without foreign visitors over the past year,” Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Koh Samui joins Phuket to push for quarantine-free entry for vaccinated tourists
“We need to reopen as soon as possible to be able to compete for visitors with other countries.”
According to the report, Ratchaporn said vaccinated travellers arriving on Koh Samui will also be able to travel quarantine-free to its neighbouring islands of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. About 160,000 vaccine doses are needed to cover at least 70 per cent of the current residents on these three islands, he added.
Koh Samui’s reopening plan follows Phuket’s proposal for the popular Thai island to reopen to vaccinated travellers by October 1, exempting them from the 14-day quarantine requirement. In line with that vision, Phuket industry associations are planning to carry out a private vaccination drive to inoculate at least 70 per cent of the island’s population to create herd immunity prior to its targeted reopening date.
Thailand’s popular beach destination, Koh Samui, plans to allow quarantine-free entry to vaccinated foreign tourists from October 1.
“The island’s economy and infrastructure were built around foreign tourism, and businesses here have been struggling without foreign visitors over the past year,” Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, said in an interview with Bloomberg.
“We need to reopen as soon as possible to be able to compete for visitors with other countries.”
According to the report, Ratchaporn said vaccinated travellers arriving on Koh Samui will also be able to travel quarantine-free to its neighbouring islands of Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. About 160,000 vaccine doses are needed to cover at least 70 per cent of the current residents on these three islands, he added.
Koh Samui’s reopening plan follows Phuket’s proposal for the popular Thai island to reopen to vaccinated travellers by October 1, exempting them from the 14-day quarantine requirement. In line with that vision, Phuket industry associations are planning to carry out a private vaccination drive to inoculate at least 70 per cent of the island’s population to create herd immunity prior to its targeted reopening date.