Local Tourist Leaders Urged to Add Phuket to UK’s Green List

According to local tourist leaders, Phuket should be deemed a separate green list travel destination from the rest of Thailand.

As Bangkok battles an outbreak of Covid, KP Ho, executive chairman of the Banyan Tree Group, said it was critical that Phuket be designated as a “green” destination.

He urged European and international policymakers to support Phuket as a separate green zone.

However, rather than lumping it in with the rest of Thailand, governments should recognize it as a safe, self-contained destination.

At a summit on the resort island, European envoys, airlines, senior officials, and business leaders received this message.

A Phuket ‘Sandbox’ program has been established, allowing fully vaccinated overseas guests to fly directly to Phuket and remain quarantine-free on the island.

Hotels must ensure that at least 70% of their employees have been vaccinated, the same as Phuket’s population, in order to create herd immunity against Covid-19.

Ho continued, “What’s really important is that EU countries – the national governments, spurred on by travel agents, the media and other people – recognize that it’s necessary to disengage the perception of Phuket from the rest of Thailand.

“It should be a situation where Thailand could be a red alert zone but Phuket could be a green zone.

“It could be possible to create a series of ‘sandboxes’ in other destinations, such as Koh Samui, Bali and Phu Quoc. As long as that ‘sandbox’ is well-organised, as it is in Phuket, it should be separated from the rest of the country.”

Thailand’s Tourism Authority backed him up on his claim (TAT).

Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for foreign marketing in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, said: “We are trying to propose Phuket to the UK government to be on the green list of destinations, even though Thailand is on the amber list.

“Phuket is safe and we will never compromise anyone’s safety.”

He confirmed there were almost 300,000 hotel rooms booked until the end of August.

The top markets are the US, UK, Israel, Germany, France, the UAE, and Switzerland with an average length of stay of 11 days.