The Thai government will fully back the 'Phuket Model' travel regime to welcome foreign tourists back as soon as it is finalized.
08/09/2020
BANGKOK-
DEPUTY PM CONFIRMS GO-AHEAD FOR 'PHUKET MODEL' TRAVEL REGIME
The Thai government will fully back the 'Phuket Model' travel regime to welcome foreign tourists as soon as the plan is finalized, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed Tuesday September 8.
The Deputy Prime Minister was responding to reports that the plan had been postponed or cancelled following a recent local covid-19 infection, the first in over 100 days, and the opposition by a group of Phuket residents who were concerned over a second wave of Covid-19 in the area.
Following an informal meeting between local residents and the sports and tourism minister during the long weekend holiday, Phuket was divided in their opinions of the plan. While most of them want the province to be opened for tourists under strict health measures, another group, primarily not involved in the foreign tourism industry, called for the promotion of Thai domestic tourists instead.
Therefore, an official public hearing in the province to get local residents’ approval is expected to be organized in the near future by the Ministry of Interior before the government could potentially step in and implement the tourism plan.
The Deputy Prime Minister further stated that it cannot be confirmed if the plan can be implemented by October 1. as originally scheduled but the government would attempt to launch it as soon as possible.
All those who met the visiting dignitaries from Bangkok were told that a report on the situation was being made to the Prime Minister, Prayut Chan ocha.
He told associated press “We cannot say if the plan will be implemented by this October but we will support Phuket tourism to welcome foreigners the best we can for locals to generate income and stimulate the domestic economy.”
The current plan is to open the country to international tourists with a limited number of arrivals and locations. Arrivals have to comply with strict safety and health measures and the same screening and surveillance procedures as Thai returnees.
If the pilot model succeeds, Thailand will allow more tourists and more destinations to join the scheme.
Above; Patong Beach Rd. Phuket.
TAT- THAILAND WILL HAVE TOLERATE THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES:
Thailand will have to tolerate the possibility of new coronavirus cases when it reopens its borders to international tourists, but the country can minimise the impact and avoid a bruising level of unemployment with risk management, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
"We have to bring in tourists by the last quarter as the domestic market alone cannot keep tourism workers employed. If we keep delaying their entry, around 2.5 million jobs out of 4 million will be at risk," said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.
Mr Yuthasak said hotels should count on an average occupancy rate of 30% to stay afloat, with the nationwide figure now at 28%.
But if domestic tourists increase their trips to 100 million next year, and the inbound plan runs smoothly from the end of this year, paving the way for 20.5 million international tourists in 2021, the average occupancy rate may increase to 50%, he said.
To reopen the country to tourists, the government should implement a careful plan and improve communications to avoid local opposition, said Mr Yuthasak.
"We cannot avoid new cases, but the most important thing is to have risk management in place. If there are five cases among 5 million tourists, and we can contain those infections with stringent measures, that would be a good balance between public health and business survival," he said.
Meanwhile, the TAT plans to propose to the cabinet next week a special tourist visa scheme for long-stay visitors that costs around 2,000 baht and can be extended up to 270 days.
THE THAI HOTELS ASSOCIATION
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said zero infections is an unrealistic target for the tourism industry. The country should find a balance between risk and gain, she said.
The Public Health Ministry must inform the public alternative state quarantine (ASQ) hotels in tourism destinations will have the same standards as those in Bangkok, said Mrs Marisa. If certified hotels operated with no problems the past few months, the plan to welcome tourists to those ASQ properties will not trigger new cases, she said.
PHUKET-
PHUKET AIRPORT DRESS REHERSAL
Phuket International Airport has run a dress rehearsal SEP 8, on handling health measurements before welcoming any potential international tourists who might be traveling under the government’s ‘Phuket Model’ program.
The rehearsal covered every step following procedures of communicable disease control, starting from the arrival of tourists and health screening to filling documents and delivering tourists to the quarantine facility.
Above; Phuket International Airport staff reherse for inbound foreign tourists.
Foreign tourists will pass through a thermo-scan once they are landed. The authorities will then check their papers, including the visa, Certificate of Entry (COE), Covid-19 testing, fit to fly verification, quarantine booking and health insurance that has coverage of at least 100,000 USD and covers covid-19. The tourists will also be assisted to install a mandatory AOT (Airports of Thailand) app used for tracking as well as registering the individual into the Department of Disease Control database to verify the accuracy of documents before passing through to the Immigration Bureau and the Customs. The tourist would then have an in depth review at Immigration of their paperwork and health status and conduct interviews.
After this, hotel staff in full hazmat style suits will stand by at the gate and will take them to the pre-booked Government approved Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotel/resort. Additional health checks and tests would take place upon arrival at the quarantine.
PHUKET GOVENOR REVEALS FOUR VIP TOURISTS ARRIVED AND DEPARTED ON PRIVATE JET IN RECENT WEEKS:
The formal rehersal was followed by a revelation from Phuket’s Governor, Narong Woonsiew, that a VIP tour group from France had already been allowed into Phuket on a private jet and had stayed on the island under the Alternative State Quarantine Scheme.
The group of four people from France were accommodated at one of two hotels operating within the Alternative State Quarantine Scheme, run in conjunction with the state, and stayed for an extended stay, beyond 14 days, before flying on again to Cambodia.
The news came after Governor Narong had overseen the preparations at the airport practising the procedures to be applied to future tourist arrivals under the proposed new 'Phuket Model' travel regime.
‘Sooner or later, Phuket will have to receive foreign tourists to the area in order to revive the economy and the tourism industry in Phuket, because the Phuket economy cannot be driven without foreign tourists’, the Governor said.
REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER THAILAND UNDER THE 'PHUKET MODEL' TOURISM REGIME:
The proposed new tourism regime requires that a Covid 19 test be passed and certified within 72 hours of the flight to the kingdom, that the tourist presents a medical certificate and health insurance and is willing to undertake and pay for 14 days alternative quarantine under state control but at a hotel or resort in Phuket before being allowed access to the island. For those seeking to visit the rest of Thailand, a 21 day quarantine period will be required.
The Minister of Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, is understood to be pushing this proposal and plans to extend it fairly quickly initially to Ko Samui and to more than five other key tourist hotspots including Pattaya.
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