If you need to be quarantined, you might as well place quarantine in style.
The Thai government is testing a program that allows tourists to complete their mandatory quarantine periods on sailing yachts off the coast of Phuket. Previous guidance has stipulated that visitors must stay on their yachts for 14 days before completing an additional 14-day quarantine on land – at their own expense – before exploring Phuket Island.
During this time, tourists are allowed to swim from their boats, but they are not allowed to visit the shore, Phuket News reports.
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The new guidelines are aimed at helping the country’s tourism industry recover from a drastic decline in tourism, and even a brief ban on all visitors, amid the global pandemic. Phuket Post has lost an estimated $ 10 billion in tourism revenue over the past twelve months.
Thailand’s new test program has already accepted 100 yachts for the trial run, which according to the Bangkok Post is expected to yield up to 500 tourists.
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Those taking part in the test will also have to wear smart wristbands to send data from up to ten kilometers from abroad, including information on their temperature and blood pressure. The Royal Thai Navy will also monitor the ships and visitors from a base in Cape Panwa, according to Business Insider.
Yachts anchored from the Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club Nai Han Bay Phuket Thailand. (Andrew Woodley / Education Images / Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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The news of Thailand’s new sailing guidelines comes amid relaxed regulations for foreign visitors. From April, tourists to Thailand will only have to be quarantined for ten days after, according to Reuters, they provided proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within three days of leaving their homeland.
Visitors with proof of vaccination will meanwhile only need to be quarantined for seven days after providing documentation of negative COVID-19 tests taken within three days of departure.