An official announcement by the Thai government has put an end to speculations around the proposed Phuket Sandbox plan. Phuket will indeed open in July to vaccinated foreign travelers, yet passengers arriving in Phuket will need to stay on the island a minimum of 2 weeks before traveling on to other parts of the country, doubling the original 7-day stay proposed in the plan.
The Phuket Sandbox plan allow international travelers to enter the country if they have been vaccinated at least 2 weeks before entry. Children under 6-year-old travelling with parents who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter without restriction. Those between the ages 6-18 will have to do a rapid antigen test as soon as they arrive at Phuket International Airport.
During the mandatory 14-day stay in Phuket, tourists will be allowed to travel anywhere on the island, the largest in Thailand, but taking day trips to places like Koh Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay will not be permitted.
As noted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Israel, the stay in Phuket was doubled to 14 days to better safeguard both tourists and Thai citizens. And to celebrate the return of tourists to Thailand, TAT will launch a new campaign called My Thai Dream.
