Yacht owners looking to step away from their home countries now have the opportunity to visit Thailand in comfort, as the Southeast Asian country is preparing to allow visitors to spend their mandatory 14-day quarantine aboard their luxury yachts. After completing quarantine, yacht owners can moor their yachts and proceed to travel domestically without interruption.
In an effort to boost tourism, Thailand is targeting a small but deep-pocketed set of international travellers to kickstart what hopes to be a return to normality for Thailand’s tourism sector. This special programme will initially be limited to 100 yachts and has been named the Digital Yacht Quarantine project.
Thailand hit the news during the pandemic for being one of the safer countries in the world to be in. Thanks to strict adherence to social distancing, lockdown measures, and mask-wearing protocols, Thailand effectively snubbed out any active cases of COVID-19 in 2020.
Phuket, in particular, is taking advantage of its status as an island, and as a tourist destination with an international airport, to create special tourism schemes that bring in international visitors. One such proposal is for vaccinated tourists to enter Thailand via Phuket International Airport and complete their 7-day quarantine on the island; however, rather than stay in a hotel room, tourists will have access to the entirety of the island.
Phuket is able to consider such a drastic tourism scheme thanks to its provincial government working hard to vaccinate the local population. In addition, they can easily restrict movement on and off the island since there is only one road that connects Phuket to the mainland.
Phuket will be the first location for yacht owners after completing their at-sea quarantine. The island will be a safe haven for yacht owners to visit the many tourist attractions and stunning beaches, such as Kamala, Bangtao and Kata beaches. Phuket is well known for its natural beauty, electric nightlife, and rejuvenating wellness and spa centres. The island is also the centre of the Andaman sea, providing accessibility to stunning islands like Koh Phi Phi, the Similan Islands or the small islands in Phang-Nga Bay.
Details for Yacht Quarantine
The Thai government has made it quite easy to follow the rules of the Digital Yacht Quarantine. After arriving at Phuket international airport, yacht owners can coordinate with Boat Lagoon Yachting or with the Thai Yacht Business Association (TYBA) to organise a COVID-19 RT-PCR test.
Once the test has been completed, and assuming all tourists are free of the virus, each visitor will be given a mandatory health tracker to wear on their wrist for the duration of their quarantine. This health tracker will monitor vital signs such as body temperature and blood pressure. Health authorities stationed at Cape Panwa will monitor the data received from these health trackers.
Image source: https://www.thaiyachtingbusinessassociation.com/
From there, visitors will be taken to their yachts, where they will begin their 14-day quarantine. Whilst at sea, yachts are required to stay within 10km of the shore so that authorities can monitor their position and their health trackers. Once out at sea, guests have the freedom to do what they please from the comfort and sanctity of their own yacht.
Your Yacht, Your Freedom
Spending 14 days on the pristine waters of Phuket aboard your own yacht and isolated from others sounds like a dream. Fully on your own schedule, you can make the most of your time in quarantine by participating in a host of luxury leisure activities.
Typical quarantine sees guests cooped up in a hotel room with limited space, but in yacht quarantine, you have the whole ocean at your disposal. It is easy to weigh anchor and go for a refreshing swim in Phuket’s clean waters, splash about on float toys or enjoy fresh seafood dinner.
With ample space aboard your yacht or superyacht, you’ll have lots of options for exercising. Whether it’s running around the perimeter of your boat or exercising in your home gym, yacht quarantine will give you plenty of time to get active and tone up for your upcoming holiday in Thailand.
The scenery in Phuket is also ideal for practising yoga. Work your body and mind surrounded by the crystal blue ocean and the beautiful rolling mountains of Phuket and Phang Nga Bay.
For those who need to attend to work while in quarantine, your work-from-yacht experience will be second to none.
Liaise with Boat Lagoon Yachting for Exceptional Service
As Phuket’s leading marina and yacht service provider, Boat Lagoon Yachting is ready to help you set up your yacht quarantine, as well as liaise with local authorities to ensure that protocols are strictly adhered to.
Boat Lagoon Yachting is also able to assist with mooring and servicing your yacht and superyacht while you are exploring Phuket or other parts of Thailand. For more information about our yachting services or about the Digital Yacht Quarantine project, visit our website or contact us at +66 7623 9739.
