Slow start to Thai island tourism plan
KOH SAMUI: The reopening of three resort islands under the Samui Plus model yesterday is expected to see a slow start due to rising number of Covid-19 cases and also delays in approvals.
The Samui Plus, which covers Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao resort islands, marks the second area in the kingdom that is being reopened to tourism.
However, unlike the Phuket Sandbox, tourists here will be required to stay in a quarantine centre for the first seven days.
The Bangkok Post reports that there are delays in the Certificate of Entry (COE) registration process, while travel agents also want clarity on the regulations before they market the islands.
Koh Samui Tourism Association president Ratchaporn Poolsawadee said more time was needed to promote the reopenning of the islands, and tourists must also attest their experiences on their stay there.
To cater for tourists, Bangkok Airways will fly from Bangkok and Phuket to here.
The airline plans to fly between Koh Samui and Singapore starting Aug 1.
Tourism Authority of Thailand said international media would be arriving on the island to experience the holiday destinations.
Ratchaporn said they do not expect an influx of foreign tourists immediately as there were concerns over the high number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
He said 177 hotels and 8,629 rooms have been reopened in Koh Samui out of 671 hotels and 25,000 rooms.
Nineteen hotels with 400 rooms will serve as tourist quarantine centres.
The cost of the seven-day quarantine will be between 35,000 and 100,000 baht, including 16,000 baht in medical fees and three swab tests.
Ratchaporn said the average occupancy was expected to be about 20 to 30 per cent, with more marketing campaigns.
Authorities have decided that if more than 20 Covid-19 cases are recorded at hospitals in two weeks, the tourists will have to remain in quarantine.
If the number of cases rises to 40, more stringent measures will be implemented, including terminating the Samui Plus programme.
The authorities also announced that the seaside resort town of Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province would reopen on Oct 1.
The announcement comes even as more Covid-19 infections were reported in the province.
Provincial governor Prompiriya Kitnuson said there were 71 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, with 54 of them being employees of a pineapple canning factory.
The province has recorded 3,658 Covid-19 cases with 11 fatalities.