Thailand needs a better Covid-19 strategy if it wants tourists to return

As of August 3, Phuket has shut down all domestic travel to and from the island due to the rising number of mainly Delta variant Covid-19 cases in Thailand. New daily infections have topped 18,000 nationwide.

The severity of this second wave, alongside lockdowns in Phuket, Bangkok and surrounding provinces, casts doubt on the feasibility of the “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus” tourism reopening programmes.

The Thai government has been lambasted for its inefficacious Covid-19 response, which is believed to be a reason for the rise in vaccination hesitancy. The plan is to inoculate 50 million people, or about 70 per cent of the population, by the end of the year to achieve herd immunity. But to date, fewer than 6 per cent of the population have been fully vaccinated.

A YouGov poll of Thai respondents found that the percentage of those willing to be vaccinated fell to 63 per cent in May. Though it has recovered since to 70 per cent, it remains well below the high of 83 per cent at the start of the year. A Suan Dusit Poll in late May found that only 57 per cent of respondents believe the vaccines offered by the government would help develop immunity against Covid-19 and its effects, with 59 per cent worried about side effects.

Vaccine hesitancy comes in part from uncertainty over the effectiveness of Sinovac, one of two main vaccines distributed in Thailand, leading many to question the Thai government’s decision to buy more Sinovac vaccines.

Such concerns had led Singapore to at first exclude Sinovac vaccine recipients from the national tally of vaccinations, with its health minister Ong Ye Kung explaining on July 7: “We don’t really have a medical or scientific basis or have the data now to establish how effective Sinovac is in terms of infection and severe illnesses on Delta.” The city state has since reversed its stance, announcing on Friday that it would from August 10 accept all Covid-19 vaccines under the World Health Organization emergency use list, including Sinovac, in the tally.

In Thailand, however, public dissatisfaction over the slow vaccination roll-out and vaccine supply delays persists. Many feel the government was shortsighted in not securing more vaccines from more sources before the latest outbreak. This lack of preparation has delayed the resumption of local businesses and livelihoods, particularly in the tourism-dependent economies of Phuket, Koh Samui and other places.

The government faces the twin challenges of convincing people that the Sinovac and the locally-made AstraZeneca vaccines are safe and effective, while working to procure more vaccines before the next Covid-19 wave.

Mass vaccination is crucial because the Thai economy is highly dependent on tourism. With no herd immunity in sight, the government can hardly assure the world that Thailand is safe to visit – hastily reopening more provinces via the “sandbox” scheme will only hamper efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Yet vaccine hesitancy is profound. More than 600 medical workers who had received two Sinovac doses have since been infected by Covid-19 and at least one died. A better strategy is needed if Thailand wants to realise herd immunity this year.

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The government is reportedly considering booster shots from different vaccine makers in response to the more contagious Delta variant. It is also looking at buying different and more effective vaccines such as by Moderna, and plans to order 20 million Pfizer-BioNTech doses to be delivered by the end of the year.

But even with better or more desirable vaccines on the way, Thai nationals cannot afford to wait to get vaccinated. This is because Thailand’s public health and economic well-being are tied together. Reaching herd immunity as soon as possible should remain the priority. The government must continue to push its vaccination programme.

Vaccine hesitancy and government disorganisation are Thailand’s public health tumours. If these are not removed, the country should be pessimistic about the future of any tourism “sandbox” scheme.

Jason Hung is a PhD in Sociology candidate at the University of Cambridge