Phuket reopens to foreign travellers for first time in over a year

Thailand's resort island of Phuket has welcomed international travellers for the first time in more than a year. Hundreds have arrived under a quarantine-free programme for vaccinated visitors. The Phuket Sandbox is seen as a trial for Thailand to begin reopening its borders later this year. Thailand is grappling with its worst COVID-19 outbreak, but Phuket has remained relatively unscathed. Thailand lost some $50 billion in tourism revenue in 2020, and the government is expecting some 100,000 foreigners to visit Phuket in 3Q2021.