Thailand welcomes back quarantine-free tourists under ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme

Thailand has welcomed its first quarantine-free tourists back to the island of Phuket in an attempt to reboot its tourism industry.

Under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme, fully vaccinated visitors will be allowed into the island without having to isolate for two weeks, provided they submit to a Covid-19 test before flying and two after arrival.

Passengers from Qatar, Israel and Singapore were amongst the first to arrive on Thursday, offering a big boost to the island, which relies on tourism to drive its economy.