Phuket welcomed its first group of Test & Go travellers entering the island province by sea and tourism officials say more visitors travelling on cruise ships and yachts will be entering under the quarantine exemption scheme.
On March 1, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration eased travel restrictions, allowing Test & Go travellers to enter Thailand by land and sea, not just air. Under the entry scheme, travellers must undergo an RT-PCR Covid-19 on arrival. Those travelling by air must stay at an approved hotel or resort for a night while they wait for their results while those travelling by sea must isolate on the yacht or cruise ship.
Yesterday, Phuket provincial authorities and relevant departments welcomed the first group of tourists who travelled from Singapore by the Malaysian yacht named “The Maggie.” The ship had docked at Ao Por Grand Marina, which was developed to be a so-called “smart pier” equipped with auto gates, CCTV with temperature detector, and passport scanner.
The Director of Phuket’s TAT, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, office shared that tourists from yachts and cruise ships are a target market as they have a high spending potential. She added that most groups came from European and Mediterranean countries, and some came from neighbouring countries.
Nanthasiri shared that Phuket was a destination for yachts and cruise ships because the province has more than 30 state and private piers and a deepwater port. She revealed that 91 ships with 323 passengers visited Phuket in 2021, and 27 ships with 92 passengers visited from January to March of this year. Aside from that, there would be more cruises requested to travel to Thailand under the Test & Go programme.