The Phuket “sandbox” has attracted more than 330,000 international travellers since July 1^st, 2021, and has generated 43 billion baht for Thailand.

Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said that the prime minister is pleased with the “sandbox” scheme, which will help revive the country’s economy.

There have been 333,784 international arrivals on Phuket since the start of the scheme, which has generated 18 billion baht in income for locals on the island.

The spokesperson said that it is the success of all sectors which collaborated to gain the confidence of international tourists. He added, however, that the prime minister insists that all parties comply and reinforce COVID-19 preventive measures.

Meanwhile, the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved changes to the COVID-19 screening requirements for foreign travellers today (Wednesday), in which the second RT-PCR test, initially required for foreign travellers on the fifth day of their stay, will be changed to a self-administered rapid antigen test, effective March 1st. This means that foreign travellers will no longer have to book a hotel room for the fifth day of their stay, merely to wait for RT-PCR COVID-19 test results.