Innovative Covid yacht quarantine in Thailand

For travellers that can afford it, the quarantine requirements that would usually be a deterrent for booking a holiday to Thailand might not be so unappealing. Travellers will now be able to will be able to spend the mandatory two-week Covid quarantine period aboard a yacht.

Thailand’s tourism industry has been struggling and the initiative is aimed at reviving the sector which is crucial to the economy.

Visitors with a negative Covid-19 test will be permitted to spend the period of their quarantine on a yacht or small cruise ship in Phuket. A smart wristband that tracks the wearer’s location via GPS and monitors their temperature and blood pressure will be mandatory during the quarantine period. Information will be transmitted by the device from sea within a 10km radius.

100 yachts are expected to participate in the new scheme and the programme has already commenced accepting travellers for a trial period. A hotel quarantine plan is due to start in April or May in popular provinces including Phuket, Krabi and Chiang Mai.