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The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA) together with Thai yachting organisations in Phuket, as well as key public and private sector technology providers, are partnering to launch Thailand’s first ‘Digital Yacht Quarantine’ project.

The initiative is meant to stimulate yacht tourism to Phuket and allow visitors to conveniently complete their 14-day quarantine requirement in the comfort on their own yacht.

Digital Yacht Quarantine is based around smart watch health trackers using NB-IoT technology that will allow Thai medical officials to monitor the health of visitors up to 10 kilometres offshore. After arrival, visitors are to liaise with a representative from the Thai Yacht Business Association (TYBA), which will act as the coordinating agent between the Thai health authorities to arrange COVID-19 RT-PCR testing.

After testing, visitors will then be fitted with one of two smart watch health trackers, either the Active 10+ or the Smartwatch Active 30+ models, developed by PMH Holding Company Limited (POMO House).

The smart watch health tracker must be worn by visitors at all the times to measure the pulse, blood pressure, and body temperature. The information will be monitored in real time by relevant Thai health authorities via a dashboard at the Ao Po Pier. Both devises can also send out an emergency SOS signal if visitors need urgent medical assistance.

After the 14-day quarantine period is complete, all data will be analysed again before allowing visitors to embark and go ashore in Phuket.

Thailand first launched the yacht quarantine in October 2020, with no COVID-19 infections detected since then and expects the expanded digital project could attract more than 100 yachts and 300 to 500 visitors during 2021.

The Digital Yacht Quarantine project is led by Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), together with Advanced Info Service (AIS), PMH Holding Company Limited (POMO House), PMH-service providers, and the Thai Yacht Business Association (TYBA). The expanded project endeavours to build confidence in the Thai public health sector and create additional arrival and revenue streams for Phuket tourism operators as the destination gradually reopens to more international visitors.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office, in cooperation with Phuket’s public and private sector partners, is pleased to announce a series of new events and festivals, scheduled between now and November 2021.

Leveraging on Phuket’s outstanding beaches and charming Sino-Portuguese buildings as well as popular local delicacies, the events and festivals include:

Seafood festival: The first of the “Roi Rim Lay Phuket Festival” was held on 26-28 February, 2021, at Saphan Hin. The event featured more than 170 stalls, mostly offering renowned local delicacies, fresh and cooked seafood, as well as agricultural and tourism-related products at reasonable prices.

The next “Roi Rim Lay Phuket Festival” will be held at Patong Beach on 19-21 March, 2021, and at Laguna Grove in Cherng Talay on 10-12 April, 2021.

Sports event: The island’s first-ever Amazing Thailand Phuket Surfskate Series 2021 was launched on 20 February, 2021, at Phuket Old Town. Next events of this fast-growing street surfing sport are scheduled for 20 March at Kata Beach, 23 May at Karon Beach, 14 August at Patong Beach, and 13 November at Surin Beach.

Arts event: The Kata Karon Hotel Association has initiated the “Art Vasion” project featuring street art paintings by 35 artists from Phuket and Bangkok to create new ‘check-in’ points for visitors. The paintings can be found at five key locations: the canal-side area between Club Med Phuket and OZO Phuket; the beachside alleyway near The Boathouse Phuket; Kata’s beachfront wall near the Surf House Phuket; the wall in front of The SIS Kata, and The Pizza Company’s wall.

In addition, Laguna Phuket is staging the ‘Revive 555 Festival’, a series of events starting from 31 March to 18 April, 2021 (more details about the Revive 555 Festival here).

Tourism operators in Phuket are also offering special discounts and privileges at www.phuketgreattime.com. 
                                              

Bangkok, 12 September, 2020 – Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn has appealed to the Thai tourism industry to be patient, united, and confident in weathering the current crisis, which under a best-case scenario will almost certainly be over by 2021.

As of 3 September 2020, airlines operating domestic flights in Thailand are now allowed to resume their inflight food and beverage services as well as onboard sales. These activities, however, must adhere to the rules and regulations or measures on disease prevention as stipulated by the relevant authorities. Meanwhile, all domestic flight passengers are required to wear a surgical or cloth mask at all times, except when eating or drinking.

Bangkok, 29 July, 2020 – Thailand has ranked number one in the world out of 184 countries for its ongoing COVID-19 recovery effort, according to the Global COVID-19 Index (GCI).

Published on 28 July, Thailand received an index score of 82.06, putting it on top of the global chart as an example of best practices in tackling the ongoing global pandemic.

As of today, the number of confirmed cases in Thailand stood at 3,298, with 129 currently being treated, while 3,111 have recovered and 58 have died. South Korea ranked second with a recovery index of 81.09, followed by Latvia (80.81), Malaysia (79.37), Taiwan (78.94) and New Zealand (78.55). Australia, which used to be number one in previous months, fell to sixth, with a recovery index of 77.18.

In the previous GCI ranking published on 14 June, Thailand came in second for its COVID-19 recovery work among 184 nations across the globe. The GCI bases 70 per cent of its calculation on big data and daily analysis from 184 countries, while the other 30 per cent comes from the Global Health Security Index, an assessment of global health security in 195 countries prepared by the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security in the United States.

For more information visit: https://www.tatnews.org/2020/07/thailand-ranked-number-one-on-the-global-covid-19-recovery-index/

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Bangkok, 30 June 2020, at 10.00 Hrs. – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to share the latest announcement from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) that several groups of foreigners will be allowed entry into the kingdom from tomorrow, 1 July 2020, onwards.

• Traditional Thai massage parlours.
• Entertainment venues, theatres and playhouses.
• Entertainment venues and other similar venues not stated in Section 3 of the Entertainment Act 1966.
• All types of body massage establishments stated in Section 3 of the Health Establishment Act 2016, which includes spas, health and beauty massage establishments, excluding physiotherapy provided in hospitals or public health centres as stated in the law.
• Sports facilities; such as, fitness, yoga and aerobics centres or outdoor fitness classes.
• Boxing and martial arts schools (Wushu, Taekwondo, Thai boxing, boxing, judo, aikido, etc.)
• Children’s recreation facilities, including in any department stores, public parks or other places.
• Games and Internet shops.
• Some areas in department stores, shopping centres, large retail shops, hyper marts or stores which are of the same category, with the exception of supermarkets, pharmacies, and stores which sell miscellaneous goods necessary for daily use, banks, financial institutes, money exchange points, service centres for payment and mobile phone repair, or communication network systems of all concessionaires, and food outlets, which are permitted only to provide takeaway services.
• Restaurants, bars and food and beverage shops with the exception of food outlets or restaurants, which provide only takeaway services and restaurants in hotels for which service is permitted only for hotel guests.
• Fresh markets, flea markets and walking streets are only permitted to sell fresh, dried or cooked food for takeaway only or sell animal feed, pharmaceuticals, and other consumer goods, which are necessary for daily life.
• Seating areas in convenience stores, food shops, and supermarkets, which provide services to seated or standing clients.
• Tattoo and body piercing services, fortune telling, exorcising, horoscopes, worshipping establishments, or similar such activities.
• Amulet and small Buddha image centres or similar establishments.
• Snooker or billiard establishments.
• Golf courses and driving ranges.
• Pet services; such as, bathing, grooming, shelters, spas, or similar services.
• Beauty clinics, beauty institutes or shops or establishments, slimming establishments, barbershops and hair salons.
• Shrimp fishing and fishing ponds
• Public and private swimming pools, government operated swimming pools, and swimming pools in hotels including swimming pools in private hotel rooms.
• Dental clinics that are outpatient clinics.
• Public spaces that can be accessed for conducting group activities, including playgrounds, public parks, avenues alongside dams or reservoirs, the Saphan Hin Sports Centre, etc.
• Bike rental shops or similar services.
• All 24/7 convenience stores are to be closed nightly from 20.00 – 03.00 Hrs.