The islands of Southeast Asia are reopening to visitors — one small step at a time.
The region is home to countries, such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, that kept Covid rates low throughout 2020.
That changed with the arrival of the delta variant, which forced many Southeast Asian nations to contend with big outbreaks for the first time.
Plans to reopen popular hotspots such as Phuket and Bali were put on hold. Singapore, too, recorded a spike in cases and kept its borders largely sealed to tourists.
Until now.
Thailand
Many Southeast nations are cautiously opening to travelers. One appears to be throwing its doors wide open.
Thailand pioneered Southeast Asia’s tourism reopening on July 1 with its first-of-a-kind “sandbox” scheme.
Thailand announced this week plans to reopen its popular tourist destinations and large cities by the year end.
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Under the plan, vaccinated travelers who test negative for Covid-19 before and after arriving can enter Phuket without quarantining. The island welcomed 26,400 vaccinated visitors and generated tourism revenue of 1.63 billion Thai baht ($48.5 million) in July and August, according to a report by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Now vaccinated travelers can visit other parts of Thailand, including the island of Koh Samui and parts of the provinces of Krabi and Phang-Nga.
On Monday, Thai authorities announced plans to open a large swath of the country in the next three months. Authorities approved a four-phase reopening timeline that prioritizes popular tourist destinations, including Bangkok.
Thailand’s reopening plans
Phase | Starting date | What’s happening |
---|---|---|
Pilot | Oct. 1 | Continue reopening of Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phang-Nga; more places opening in Krabi |
1 | Nov. 1 | Reopening of 7 more provinces, including popular spots like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Hua Hin |
2 | Dec. 1 | Reopening of 20 more provinces, including Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Trang, Trat, and Yala |
3 | Jan. 1, 2022 | Reopening of 13 more border… |