“Thailand has announced its major plans to reboot tourism and is now welcoming foreign-flagged yachts to a reduced quarantine, with more reductions to come soon”, enthuse Gordon Fernandes and Tanyuta Singhmanee (Jojo), co-owners of Asia Pacific Superyachts, adding: “We have a few superyachts currently in Singapore that want to come to Phuket. This is great news for them!”
“In other good news for yachts, the Thai Customs Department has extended a temporary entry exemption from 1 (one) year to two (2) years, with owners allowed to fly in and quarantine on yachts”, notes Khun Jojo, also representing the Thai Yachting Business Association.
Quarantine reductions began when the Thai cabinet approved a progress plan starting April 1, 2021, with quarantine for visitors cut from 14 days to 10 days for all arrivals (with exception of visitors from some African countries).
Next – Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and, of keen interest to yachts, Phuket, will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists with a reduced seven day quarantine requirement.
Then, as of July 1, 2021, vaccinated tourists and yachts will be able to travel to Phuket with no quarantine requirement (this still needs to be approved by the cabinet).
As of October 1, 2021, if the plan proves successful, the quarantine requirement will be scrapped for vaccinated tourists in Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Phang Na, and Phuket. Thus both the western Andaman Sea (Phuket) and eastern Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui) will be open to yachts.
Thailand plans to lift all quarantine requirements for foreign visitors in 2022. Phuket will be the first Thai destination to open to vaccinated tourists and the government plans to make Phuket the first place to open to vaccinated travelers. Focusing vaccination efforts on Phuket, government hopes to vaccinate 70% of Phuket’s population before July. Phuket’s governor has this week stated that he hopes to vaccinate as many as 50,000 people with the first dose within seven days of vaccines arriving on the island.
Phuket will be the first Thai destination to open to vaccinated tourists. The bottom line is the Thai government has approved a reopening plan that as of July 1, vaccinated travelers will be allowed to visit Phuket quarantine-free, and as of October 1, vaccinated travelers will be allowed in select other destinations in Thailand as well (this still needs to be approved by the cabinet).