In an effort to boost tourism, Thailand will reduce its mandatory quarantine period for vaccinated travelers from 14 to 7 days.
Travelers must be fully vaccinated within three months of the travel period and are still required to take a COVID-19 test within three days before their arrival in the country, the Health Minister announced this week, according to Reuters.
Anyone who is not inoculated but able to produce negative test results will have to quarantine for 10 days.
Thailand's new quarantine rules will not apply to travelers from Africa. They must continue to quarantine for two weeks, due to concerns over other variants of the virus.
It's possible that the quarantine period will be completely waived after October, if Thailand is able to vaccinate at least 70% of its medical personnel and at-risk residents.
But for those who wish to travel to Thailand earlier, there may be a more glamorous way of spending your quarantine than seven days of staring at a hotel room wall. The Thai government has launched a new initiative, allowing foreign visitors to spend their quarantine period on a yacht.
Applications have already opened and about 100 yachts or small cruise ships are expected to participate in the program once it's fully launched, according to The BBC. Visitors with negative COVID-19 tests will be able to board their yacht in Phuket and spend their seven-day quarantine at sea.
Travelers will be required to wear a digital wristband that will monitor their vitals, including temperature and blood pressure, and track their location via GPS. The wristbands are capable of transmitting data up to six miles away, including while at sea.
The program is expected to begin in April or May.
Earlier this year, Thailand introduced a similar scheme that allowed foreign visitors to spend their quarantine period on a golf course. And some luxury hotels have been approved by the government as designated quarantine facilities.
Cailey Rizzo is a contributing writer for Travel Leisure, currently based in Brooklyn. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or at caileyrizzo.com.
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