Here’s What it’s Like to Visit Phuket, Thailand as It Slowly Reopens Its Borders

Thailand’s party-heavy destination of Phuket is uniquely quiet these days. Having just opened its borders to foreigners, travelers are seeing what this gorgeous island was like before mass tourism arrived.

Before receiving news that Phuket had opened its borders for international travelers in early July, my assumption of Thailand’s southern province was that it was either a place to lose yourself (through means of partying) or to relax on the beach at one of the nearby smaller islands. No concept of what life was like on Phuket had ever entered my mind outside of what media portrayed it to be, and when arranging travel, I left with little to no preconceived assumptions.

Arriving after more than a day of travel via the extremely comfortable Qatar Airways Qsuite, I was shuffled through Phuket International Airport. I was examined…