Golf ASQ facilities to be announced next week – green alternatives to mandatory quarantine

Now golfers will be able to come to Thailand, and presumably non-golfers, if they want to wander around large patches of manicured lawn during their 14 days of mandatory quarantine instead of the confines of a hotel room. The golf quarantine alternative could be used in conjunction with any of the visas allowing travellers back into Thailand at the moment, including the Special Tourist Visa and the extended Tourist Visa.

Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is about to announce the list of golf resorts that have qualified as ASQ (alternative state quarantine) facilities. And everyone’s waiting to see if the Anutin’s very own golf course in Nakhon Ratchasima is going to be on the list.

The director-general of the Department of Health Service Support says that the new golf quarantine will provide an alternative to the hotel room-bound ASQ where travellers have to remain during their quarantine time, with only short visits to the hotel’s rooftops or pools.

The new golf quarantine is being limited to travellers from low-risk countries… “who must also make arrangements in advance with certified golf courses, provide certificates showing they are virus free 72 hours before travelling and have Certificates of Entry issued by the Thai embassy in their countries”.

Just like in the hotel ASQs, travellers will have to take 3 Covid-19 tests “but will be allowed to both play golf and enjoy health-related activities”. If the travellers test positive during their 14 day stay they will be treated at the partnering hospitals. Travellers are responsible for all additional hospital costs if they test positive for Covid-19 during their ASQ.

6 golf courses had applied to be part of the scheme. The names of the golf course that have successfully registered with the CCSA as Gold ASQs will be announced by the end of next week.

The cabinet announced its approval of the Golf ASQ scheme last week and is hoping the scheme will attract golfers from Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea. It could also entice travellers that are seeking an alternative to the hotel room ASQ whether they play golf or not.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post