Phuket is on track to reopen quarantine-free in six weeks, according to officials.

Phuket’s health officials have restarted previously paused vaccinations as marketing prepares to promote the island’s reopening as a quarantine-free, global destination for vaccinated tourists.

Local health officials reported that they got an additional 200,000 Sinovac doses over the weekend and want to resume increased distribution via mass immunization centers in order to meet their aim of vaccinating the whole community. Vaccinations came to a halt earlier this month, with only roughly 100,000 inhabitants, or 22% of the population, having received both Sinovac jabs as of Tuesday, a figure that remained unchanged from earlier this month.

This leaves six weeks to inoculate the remaining 300,000+ residents, or approximately 7,500 each day. Attaining what has typically termed herd immunity at 70% would need to reach an additional 210,000 or more people, or approximately 5,000 every day from now until July 1.

Thailand’s plans are based upon the timely production and distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is scheduled to begin next month.

Around 50 island hotels are prepared to welcome people who have received complete vaccinations beginning July 1, tourism authority Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said today. While concerns persist about how tourists will prove they have been vaccinated, Thai travelers will just need to produce recent negative test results.

Yesterday, no new cases were reported on the island, one of the program’s needed goals.

Promotional campaigns have already commenced. Yuthasak stated that they have brought in hundreds of people, including influencer groups, to demonstrate how Phuket has transformed in preparation for a relaunch of  “Amazing Thailand” campaign. Success on the island, where livelihoods have been deeply affected by the travel ban, will bolster plans to expand the concept to Chiang Mai, Krabi, and Buriram.

As part of the communication effort, the travel destinations will be separated from the rest of the country in the COVID-19 task force’s daily briefings, as Yuthasak stated that too much information could “scare” passengers.

Visitors will be able to stay at any hotel of their choice without being quarantined. The only catch is that they must remain on the island for seven days before continuing on to other parts of Thailand.

Related: https://www.thailandelitevisas.com/news-events-post/phuket-open-to-foreign-tourists-on-july-1/