Branded as “proactive action on visa extensions for tourists”, the move is being promoted as a “convenience that builds trust and takes care of tourists”.
“In the overall picture at the moment, Omicron is still spreading abroad quite high, and some of the tourists who travel to Thailand may be carriers,” Col Thanet said.
“But Phuket has a screening system that checks tourists on Day 0 at the airport. If they test negative, the visitors can travel as usual in the Sandbox system [allowed to leave their hotel rooms but not allowed to leave Phuket],” he added.
“But during the second [COVID] test on Day 5 or Day 6 [of their stay] many tourists are testing positive.” Col Thanet noted.
“Therefore, they have to be brought under the treatment process according to public health measures, either in ‘Hotel Quarantine’ or ‘High Risk Contact’ quarantine. But during the quarantine period, the tourist visa period may be nearing its expiration and the tourists are unable to travel [to the Phuket Immigration Office] to extend the visa by themselves.
“Therefore, Phuket Immigration is proactive in providing visa extension services, which is convenient for tourists by coordinating with accommodation operators where tourists have been detained for a period of one week,” he said.
“This takes care of tourists who are infected and staying under the health system at more than 200 hotels, and includes explaining and clarifying [the measures] to tourists who do not understand the overall picture,” he added.