Coronavirus: Thailand woos tourists back to Phuket with ‘Safe and Sealed’, but is it worth the risk?

Pilot project ‘Safe and Sealed’ could see small numbers of travellers return to Thailand for the first time since borders were closed in April

But some question if it is worth risking a strong record in containing Covid-19 for a scheme that may have only a small impact on the industry’s bottom line

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Locals question whether it is worth risking an enviable record in containing Covid-19 for a few travellers that may have only a small impact on tourism’s bottom line. Photo: Handout

Published: 8:00am, 1 Sep 2020Updated: 9:38pm, 1 Sep 2020

American writer Mark Weyant had been planning an extended getaway to Thailand’s sun-soaked tourist island of Phuket for over a year, aiming to finish writing a screenplay and complete a diving certification over a three-month period.

But then Covid-19 hit and the 53-year-old figured he would have to scrap his plans and forfeit his 150,000 baht (US$4,800) deposit on a villa rental in Tri Tang Beach, Phuket.

But a Thai government plan to grant visas for foreigners who want to stay in Thailand for up to nine months could mean he could travel to Asia as planned, rather than be forced to look elsewhere.

Thailand’s borders have been closed to most foreigners since late March as the kingdom battled the Covid-19 pandemic but it is now finalising a scheme rumoured to start on October 1 called Safe and Sealed, which would confine tourists to a particular resort or area with a defined perimeter for a 14-day quarantine, allowing them to leave their rooms.

Those who complete three weeks on Phuket and test negative after several tests would be allowed to travel to other Thai regions, offering a potential lifeline for a tourism-reliant economy that is tipped to contract by a record 8.5 per cent this year.

“It would probably save my trip,” said Weyant, who is based in Philadelphia.

Empty chairs on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. Photo: Reuters