Chiang Mai seeks Aug 1 reopening

[reader]

From Bangkok Post

The province's Sandbox programme would limit foreign tourists' sightseeing itineraries to "sealed routes", which would only take them to pre-approved local attractions. They would not be permitted to travel independently.

Officials in Chiang Mai have been hard at work learning from Phuket's "Tourism Sandbox" model so the northern province can also reopen to fully vaccinated tourists.

Phuket is preparing to open its doors to vaccinated visitors on July 1 and tourism-dependent Chiang Mai wants to follow suit a month later.

The Sandbox model requires foreign tourists to remain on the island for 14 days, increased from seven, before they can move on to other destinations.

Narong Tananuwat, deputy chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's economic development committee in the North, said Chiang Mai could ill afford to allow its fortunes to slide further.

The situation is particularly dire for those which rely heavily on foreign tourists; of the 80,000 hotel rooms available in the province, only 3% are still being made available.

However, he said that for the plans to work a high number of local people must first be vaccinated and he lamented the slow rollout of the vaccine programme to date.

Mr Narong said stakeholders in Chiang Mai agreed the province should push for its own version of the Sandbox model to be launched on Aug 1 in four districts -- Mae Rim, Mae Taeng, Doi Tao and Muang -- ahead of the entire province being reopened to fully vaccinated tourists on Oct 15.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2128419/chiang-mai-seeks-aug-1-reopening

==============================================

From Tourism Authority of Thailand

[vinapu]

a lot may change in either direction between now and Aug 1 so I'd not be too excited nor too gloomy. Wait and see is best approach

[Guest]

12 hours ago, vinapu said:

a lot may change in either direction between now and Aug 1 so I'd not be too excited nor too gloomy. Wait and see is best approach

Yes.  Wait and see the "Sandbox" in action for a few days. 

Then if you fancy a trip, get to work on the visas, bookings and so on.     The one thing I can almost guarantee is that availability of hotels and so on will not be a problem, so last minute planning works.