Thailand has opened its doors to fully vaccinated international tourists with the launch of the 'Phuket Sandbox' program.

Phuket, the most popular island in Thailand, has welcomed back international travelers for the first time in 15 months as the country cautiously reopens to vaccinated visitors.

A flight with 25 passengers from Abu Dhabi (AUH) landed at Phuket International Airport (HKT) on Friday morning, greeted by a celebratory "water tunnel". This marks a significant moment as these are the first international tourists allowed on the island since the pandemic began. Officials from Thailand anticipate around 100,000 international visitors to Phuket in the first three months of reopening, according to CNN.

The Thai government is banking on the "Phuket Sandbox" initiative to revitalize its crucial travel industry. This program enables vaccinated international travelers to visit without quarantine. Those fully vaccinated can enter Phuket from a selection of 67 countries, including the U.S. and U.K., avoiding the standard 14-day isolation, provided they take a COVID-19 test prior to departure and two additional tests upon arrival.

All international travelers must download a location-tracking application and are prohibited from traveling to the Thai mainland for 14 days after arrival.

TPG is planning to send a reporter to Thailand to cover the reopening. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.

For over a year, nearly all resorts and beachside businesses in Phuket have remained closed due to the absence of travelers. To illustrate the pandemic's impact, over 10 million visitors came to Phuket in 2019, marking a record high.

There are concerns that reopening the island might trigger an increase in COVID-19 infections, a possibility acknowledged by Thailand's Minister of Tourism, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. However, in an interview with CNN, he noted that Phuket is managing COVID-19 better than other regions in Thailand.

"When considering the nationwide infection rate, one might say we aren't ready. But focusing on Phuket, where we've prepared for over three months, I can confidently say that Phuket is fully ready," he stated.

A comprehensive list of requirements can be found on the official website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The reopening strategy hinged on achieving a 70% vaccination rate among the island's residents. As of June 30, over 80% of Phuket's population had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, with around 65% fully vaccinated, according to local public relations officials.

"The primary message will focus on herd immunity and eliminating quarantines," stated Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourism Association, in an interview with the Financial Times. "Our goal is to find a new equilibrium between controlling the virus and revitalizing the economy."

Officials are optimistic that the "Phuket Sandbox" will serve as a successful model for reopening other major tourist destinations in Thailand, with October 1 being the proposed date for this expansion, according to government officials. Key locations include Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Petchaburi, Prachuap Kiri Khan, Phang Nga, Krabi, Surat Thani, and Buriram.

However, Bangkok and five other provinces remain under a 30-day COVID-19 restriction, implemented on June 28 due to a spike in cases. On Thursday, Thailand reported 57 deaths related to COVID-19 and 5,533 new infections, primarily in Bangkok.