05 Jul, 2021
Surat Thani governor Witchawut Jinto, along with related provincial agencies, today, July 4th, announced the preparation of the three islands to reopen for foreign tourists on July 15th, under the “Samui Plus Model” project after more than 70 percent of the overall population of all islands have been vaccinated, according to the requirements of the Department of Disease Control.
All tourism and hospitality agencies are ready to welcome all arrivals at Samui Airport and at all ports. Similar to the Phuket Sandbox, all health screenings will be conducted to inspect if the tourists have been vaccinated and have met all qualifications, according to the requirements issued by Public Health Ministry. All of the procedures, from entering the accommodation to the departure from the island, have been practically planned.
Under the “Samui Plus Model”, which is slightly different than the Sandbox, foreign tourists must stay in Koh Samui during their first to the seventh day. On the 1st-3rd day, they are required to stay in the area of their quarantine-styled accommodation but will be allowed to use various amenities at their resort or hotel and are not locked in their rooms. On the 4th-7th day, they are allowed to travel to designated destinations under a sealed route system, visiting popular tourist attractions and destinations. In the 2nd week of their stay, they can travel freely to travel to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
A total of 3 RT -PCR tests will be performed three times, on Day 1 of arrival, on Day 6-7, and on Day 12-13, according to the authorities. This is at the tourist’s own expense.
Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association president Ratchaporn Phoonsawas added that the islands also planned to welcome Thai tourists to travel with safety without having to conduct a quarantine once they returned to their hometown.
“We will make sure that ??Thai nationals who are vaccinated can travel to Koh Samui normally once they present a certificate of vaccination. The scheduled reopening timeline is also the best season of travel to the Gulf of Thailand, so we have to make sure that everything can proceed according to the plan,” he concluded.
