Koh Samui plans for 1000 tourists in July

On July 1, Koh Samui plans to reopen to the first batch of 1,000 foreign visitors who have earned Covid-19 vaccines.

Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Koh Samui Tourism Association, said efforts are being made to entice tourists back to the island, with a plan to vaccinate at least 70% of the island's population in preparing for a safe reopening.

Before entering the island, foreign tourists must receive two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, he said.

They'd have to stay in alternative local state quarantine (ALSQ) facilities once they arrived, but they wouldn't be confined to their rooms.

Local tourism operators and government agencies, according to Mr. Ratchaporn, devised a campaign to promote the reopening of Koh Samui, called "Wonder Island," which has been approved in principle by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.

According to the plan, from July 1, Bangkok Airways will provide flights to Koh Samui for inoculated foreign tourists from Singapore, the United States, Europe, and Australia.

In the first week of July, Koh Samui expects to receive about 1,000 foreign tourists, with 10 ALSQ facilities ready to host them, he said.

Tourists would be escorted from the airport to their hotels once they arrived.

They would be tested for Covid-19 on the second day of their visit.

If the results were negative, they would be permitted to participate in activities on "sealed routes" from the third to the seven days of their stay.

Sunset viewing, dinner cruises, and outdoor activities such as yoga and spa treatments on private beaches on the nearby Koh Tan and Ang Thong islands, which are isolated from other tourists and residents, will be among the activities.

They would be allowed to travel around Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao on the 8th-14th days.

They'd be tested for the virus again on the 15th day.

They would be allowed to travel to other provinces if no virus is detected, according to Mr. Ratchaporn.

The 14-day travel program on Koh Samui, he said, was designed to make tourists feel relaxed rather than confined.

Meanwhile, Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew said that 100,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine would arrive in Phuket on Thursday, with the administration planning to vaccinate the first 50,000 people within seven days.

Before foreign visitors are allowed in on July 1, he said, 80 percent of Phuket's population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity.

For foreign visitors who have been vaccinated against Covid 19, Phuket will be the first province to waive quarantine requirements.

However, the plan is contingent on vaccine availability.