Phuket province has welcomed its first batch of Test & Go tourists arriving by sea, as future travelers arriving on cruise ships and yachts will benefit from the quarantine exemption scheme.
Phuket provincial authorities and representatives from related agencies were seen greeting the first group of tourists who arrived from Singapore on the Malaysian yacht “The Maggie” on Tuesday (Mar 8). The ship docked at Ao Por Grand Marina, which was designed to be a “smart pier” with auto gates, CCTV with a temperature detector, and a passport scanner.
The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) relaxed travel restrictions on March 1, allowing Test & Go travelers to enter Thailand by land and water rather than only air. Each visitor must submit an RT-PCR Covid-19 test upon arrival under the scheme. Those traveling by air must spend the night at an approved hotel or resort while waiting for their results, while those traveling by sea must stay aboard the yacht or cruise ship.
According to Phuket’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, passengers from yachts and cruise ships are a target market with large spending power. The majority of them are from Europe, Mediterranean countries, and a number of nearby countries.
Phuket has been known as a popular destination for yachts and cruise ships worldwide. The island province boasts more than 30 state and private-owned piers as well as a deepwater port. As many as 91 ships carrying 323 passengers visited Phuket in 2021, while 27 ships and their 92 passengers have been scheduled to arrive in the province by the end of March.
The TAT Director added that the government and related organizations are now mulling a plan to further promote tourism in Phuket and to invite boaters from around the world to visit the island province, as well as other regions in Thailand. (NNT)
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