The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) reports that the country is rethinking its reopening model as it will adopt the “One SOP, One System” (OSOS) policy, scrapping both mandatory quarantine and sealed routes for all pilot areas within this year and cutting COVID-19 test costs by half.
TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the reopening plans for Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Cha-am and Bangkok will be submitted to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) next week, seeking to receive inoculated tourists from October 1st, while “Samui Plus” will pivot to a quarantine-free destination.
He said, under this plan, every province will apply the same standard operating procedure (SOP), which will enable tourists to travel freely within designated areas in each province. Tourists are required to follow the guidelines, such as activating the Mor Chana app and being checked daily by an SHA Plus manager, instead of being kept in quarantine or only travelling under a tour program.
Mr. Yuthasak said the TAT has also discussed with health authorities a reduction in the price, to around 8,000 baht, for three RT-PCR tests, which is considered an obstacle for the reopening program in both “Phuket Sandbox” and “Samui Plus”. The package price should be universally applied to every province from October, including the “Phuket Sandbox”. (NNT)
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