Due to the improving Covid-19 situation in Thailand in the last couple of weeks, many regions in the kingdom are planning to reopen to tourism next month.
After the largest islands of Phuket and Ko Samui, the famous seaside resort of Hua Hin on the mainland is expected to welcome tourists again from October 1st. And many other provinces will open themselves to tourists again.
3-step Plan to Reopen the Country
The plan of the government is to reopen the country by mid-October with a three-step plan. The first phase began in July and August and included the above-mentioned Phuket with its so-called sandbox program.
The second stage is scheduled for October 1, and it will concern Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi, the already mentioned Huan Hin and Chiang Mai, while the third stage, scheduled on October 15, includes 21 provinces of the country.
The idea is to allow fully vaccinated travelers to enter Thailand quarantine-free, which has already been the case in Phuket for some time.
Fully vaccinated holidaymakers from 70 countries have been able to travel to the island quarantine-free since July 1, subject to strict conditions. The aim was to at least partially revive the tourism industry, which has been struggling for a year and a half but is extremely important for the country.
Travel Bubbles with Neighboring Countries
Moreover, from the beginning of next year, the government is also looking to implement travel bubbles between border provinces and four neighboring countries. These are Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia.
Specifically, the regions involved will have to have a vaccination rate of 70 % and receive mutual approval from local administrations and local health authorities before their reopening.
Generally speaking, the government is confident that the pandemic situation will improve from October onwards. The reason for this is that the country is expected to have 13 million additional doses of the Covid-19 vaccine this month, followed by 24 million in October and 23 million more in both November and December.