Saturday, March 20, 2021
Spending 14-day quarantine in a tiny hotel room before your real holiday starts is barely a tempting prospect! However, what if you could spend your two-week quarantine on a yacht instead?
Thailand is now offering this option to international arrivals, with its Digital Yacht Quarantine initiative. The plan was announced earlier this month by the Thai government’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), in association with telecom group Advanced Info Service (AIS) and the Thai Yachting Business Association.
Via this program, tourists can now spend their quarantine on a yacht or small cruise ship in Phuket, provided they can show proof of a negative Covid-19 test. At the moment, travelers to Thailand require 15-day quarantine in a state-designated hotel.
Travelers going for the Digital Yacht Quarantine will have to wear a smart wristband that sends information within a 10 kms radius. During their time on the yacht or cruise ship, the device would monitor their health like temperatures and blood pressure and also track their location via GPS.
The Thai government hopes that the Digital Yacht Quarantine will entice more travelers to book holidays in Thailand with its borders gradually reopening since December.
It is also estimated that the scheme will generate 1.8 billion baht (£42 million) in revenue, with 300-500 tourists expected to take part, and is very much aimed towards the luxury travel market.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has said that the first tourists choosing this option have completed their quarantine, and are now free to explore the rest of the country.
“The success of the Villa Quarantine [project] provides a working blueprint for area quarantine tourism operators who are ready to follow and enforce a strict set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP),” said Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor. “It will create both direct and indirect income in each province and start the rehabilitation of Thai tourism.”
Tags: Thailand
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
