Hua Hin aims to vaccinate 70% of local residents in time for October re-opening
Tourism officials in Hua Hin say the vaccination of local residents will be ramped up to ensure a planned October re-opening can go ahead. Krot Rotchanasathian from the Hua Hin Recharge project says the plan is to inoculate at least 70% of local residents, and 100% of those in the tourism sector. He adds that at this stage, over 30% of local residents are vaccinated. According to a Bangkok Post report, he is hopeful that if the October re-opening goes ahead, Hua Hin should receive around 100,000 visitors, generating over 1.2 billion baht in tourist revenue by the end of the year.
Krot says local tourism operators from the Hua Hin Recharge project are liaising with local hospitals and health authorities, as well as state organisations and tourism officials to ramp up the vaccine rollout.
The Bangkok Post reports that international tourists visiting Hua Hin from October will need to meet the same criteria as those visiting Phuket under the southern island’s sandbox scheme. Itsara Sathapanaset from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says tourists will have to be fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19 prior to flying to Thailand. They will also be required to spend 14 days on Hua Hin, during which time they will be tested for the virus twice.
Meanwhile, the governor of Surat Thani, Witchawut Chinto, has instructed officials on Koh Samui and Koh Phang Ngan to ramp up security on the islands following the recent murder of a Swiss tourist on Phuket. The authorities have been ordered to check isolated tourist spots on both islands, and to increase police patrols in crime hotspots, in order to restore tourist confidence.
Surat Thani has re-opened to foreign visitors under the Samui Plus model, welcoming 264 tourists since it launched on July 15, in addition to 257 sandbox visitors from Phuket. According to Witchawut, only 2 foreign tourists have tested positive for Covid-19 to date and they have been admitted to hospital for treatment.
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SOURCE: Bangkok Post
