Samui tourism firms suggest faster vaccination schemeHealth screening procedures and thermal scans are mandatory for tourists upon arrival at Samui airport following the outbreak. Tourism operators in Koh Samui are urging the government to speed up mass vaccination programmes to improve hopes for a tourism recovery by the third quarter. "Even though domestic cases are not that numerous, the slow start of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout in Thailand will affect the confidence of tourists," said Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui. Last year Koh Samui welcomed 400,000 tourists, with the number pre-pandemic peaking in 2019 at 2.5 million, of which 17% were locals. Koh Samui has worked on health and safety measures for international travellers, including additional screening points run by officials of sub-district hospitals and provincial public health offices.

Source: Bangkok Post February 12, 2021 23:37 UTC