Fully vaccinated travellers from any country can now book holidays in Phuket and other provinces taking part in the quarantine-free Sandbox scheme, as the Thai government looks to further bolster its tourism-reliant economy.
The move comes after authorities reduced the mandatory quarantine period from 14 days to seven days for fully vaccinated foreign visitors.
Under the Sandbox scheme launched on July 1, fully vaccinated travellers from destinations considered low-to-medium risk are allowed to visit Phuket for a fortnight, before travelling to the mainland sans quarantine.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced on Friday (October 1) that from October 1, the scheme will no longer be limited to the current list of around 80 eligible countries, based on Covid-19 transmission risk.
“This means Thailand is now welcoming travellers from any country in the world to the Sandbox programme,” it said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said unvaccinated children would be able to travel with their vaccinated parents.
The shortened quarantine time applies to those visiting Phuket, Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao), Phang-Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao), and Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai and Railay Beach).
Fully vaccinated tourists can now also travel straight to the designated areas of Phang-Nga and Krabi upon landing in Phuket, and stay there for seven days.
To date, the Sandbox programme has attracted more than 38,000 visitors to Phuket, generating an estimated 2.3 billion baht (US$68 million) in revenue.
