Phuket reopening up for discussion

The plan to open Phuket to international travellers on Oct 1 must win public consensus to avoid the snags of the previous Phuket model.

Tourism operators in the Andaman province have started a reopening plan called “Phuket First October” to prepare for a fast recovery within this year.

Under this scheme, Phuket must build up herd immunity by having 70% of its residents inoculated against Covid-19, starting from June.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said while the agency agrees with companies trying to welcome back foreign tourists as soon as possible, even earlier than October, the main concern remains mutual understanding in the local community.

Next week the Tourism and Sports Ministry and TAT plan to visit the province to follow the development of the reopening plan. Phuket was designated one of five target destinations to reopen…