Coronavirus: Thailand’s luxury quarantine offers wealthy tourists private pools, gourmet meals

After barring visitors for six months, Thailand is reopening to a small number of holidaymakers from China and Scandinavia

But the upmarket isolation does not come cheap: confinement at Phuket’s The Senses runs to a hefty US$18,700 for a family of four

Reading Time:3 minutes

An empty pool at the luxury Vijitt Resort in Phuket. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:24pm, 5 Oct 2020Updated: 8:37pm, 5 Oct 2020

A private infinity pool, gourmet meals – and two temperature checks a day. Welcome to five-star quarantine in Thailand, where well-heeled tourists can live in luxury while obeying some of the world’s strictest anti-coronavirus measures.

After barring visitors for six months, the tourism-reliant country is reopening to a small number of holidaymakers, with the first batch arriving in Phuket, a popular resort island, in the coming weeks.

But before enjoying the beaches, the 300 tourists from China and Scandinavia will have to complete 14 days of compulsory quarantine, including two coronavirus tests, overseen by a “war room” of doctors and security guards.

“It will be comfortable but I am afraid I might be anxious because of the confinement,” said Jean-François, a French retiree living in Sweden who hopes to escape the winter in the kingdom. “I do wonder if Thailand is doing a bit too much.”

At The Senses Resort overlooking Phuket’s Patong Bay, 16 villas have been specially prepared for quarantine guests.