Speaking at a press conference at Government House today, Ms Traisuree explained very clearly that the "Phuket Model" for allowing tourists to enter the country was still under consideration.
“There will be a lot more steps to be approved, in order to ensure that a second wave of COVID-19 will not happen,” she said.
The measures still yet to be considered and decided on include which foreigners will be allowed to come, the steps to be taken to test the foreigners to make sure they are not infected, and the protection measures that will prevent any potential spread of the disease, she said.
“The Phuket Model will be tourism under the ‘new normal’. There will be 14 days of quarantine and limited areas where the tourists can go, before letting them travel to other areas,” she added.
“Importantly, the tourists must come from the countries that have low risk of COVID-19,” Ms Traisuree said.
“It may take time, but we must take as long as we need to be sure that opening the country to foreign tourists will not lead to a second wave of the pandemic,” Ms Traisuree said.
“Phuket people and other Thais do not have to worry… the government will prepare and work as carefully as possible, in order to prevent any second outbreak,” she added.
“During this period, the government invites Thai people to travel to stimulate the economy and help people in each area make a living,” she said.
The move to calm fears and dispel any understanding that Oct 1 will mark the reopening of mass tourism to the country as it was before the COVID-19 outbreak follows Phuket officials on Tuesday announcing their basic outline for their ‘5T’ policy for allowing tourists to arrive in Phuket.
However, in making that announcement, Phuket officials were very clear that the exact measures to be implemented had yet to be decided on, and that any measures to be implemented must first be approved by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) in Bangkok.
Jor12 | 30 August 2020 - 18:51:38