A new initiative by the Thai government will allow visitors with a negative coronavirus test to spend their mandatory two-week coronavirus quarantine aboard a yacht or small cruise ship.
A trial run is already underway around Phuket, an island off the south west coast of Thailand. Once the initiative gets going, around 100 private yachts are expected to take part, catering for up to 500 tourists.
Travellers will be required to wear a smart wristband with a sensor that will monitor their temperature, blood pressure and pulse. The wristbands will also track their location via GPS. The wristbands work within a 10km radius of the coast and have a battery life of four days.
After banning foreign tourists in March 2020, Thailand has been slowly reopening its borders since October 2020. In December 2020 Thailand gave the green light to a scheme to allow visitors to quarantine for two weeks on approved golf courses. Thailand’s tourism minister is also considering allowing travellers to quarantine in resorts particularly around Phuket, Krabi and Chiang Mai from late spring.
