The island has seen an influx of travellers because of the Phuket sandbox programme for fully vaccinated visitors. Tourism operators in sandbox areas are upbeat about the outlook for the high season after Thailand was removed from the UK's red list for travel, effective Oct 11. Removal from the red list means tourists are not required to stay at a quarantine hotel for 10 days upon their return. The country was added to the UK's red list on Aug 30, which caused a surge in hotel cancellations. Visitors to the Phuket sandbox programme must be fully vaccinated, but students aged 15-18 normally receive only one jab of Pfizer vaccine.
