Pattaya and Sattahip officials began finalizing the steps and procedures needed to reopen Chonburi to foreign tourists on Oct. 1.
Chonburi Deputy Public Health Director Wichai Thanasopon chaired the Aug. 27 meeting with Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome, Watcharapol Sansorn, deputy director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Pattaya office, Chairat Rattanopat, president of the Eastern Spa & Wellness Association, and Sattahip District officials.
The only agenda item was agreeing on a “standard operating procedures” manual for government and the private sector to follow before and after Oct. 1.
The group agreed that the reopening would depend upon 70 percent of the two districts being fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Currently, only 33 percent are.
A regular coronavirus testing regimen for tourism-industry workers, using rapid antigen test kits, will be needed, as well as a clearly defined list of qualifying hotels and tourist destinations.
While reopening the city could bring 100,000 Thais back to the area, don’t expect things to look like 2019 when October arrives.
Package tourists are the prime target, with tour operators taking the lead on where visitors will go and what they will do.
Despite being fully vaccinated, foreign arrivals will be confined to their hotel grounds for the first six days of their stay and subjected to three coronavirus tests – at their expense – during the first two weeks.
Tour operators will organize activities at the hotels during that first week and only on Day 7 will visitors be allowed to leave the hotel or change to another SHA+ hotel. But when they do, it will only be to “low-risk” tourist attractions.
Only after 14 days will tourists get free reign to go where and when they like.
None of this will happen, however, if Chonburi doesn’t knock down the number of daily coronavirus cases. The province on Saturday reported 972 more cases, 156 of which were found in Banglamung District, which includes Pattaya.
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