70% of people to have first dose of Covid-19 vaccine by September – Health Minister

As the clock ticks down to the much-anticipated re-opening of Phuket on July 1, tourism officials are anxious to separate the southern island from parts of the country currently experiencing higher Covid-19 infection rates.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is emphasising the safety element of Phuket and the other areas that will follow the “sandbox” model of re-opening. In a fortuitous development, Phuket recorded no new infections yesterday and TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, says tourists need to be convinced of the island’s safety.

“As the timeline for the country’s reopening via the so-called Phuket sandbox remains the same – July 1 – we have to make sure that the destination, which is currently building herd immunity, is safe for tourists.”

The Bangkok Post reports that yesterday, the TAT met with the Thai Hotels Association and representatives from 50 – 60…