In a move to keep Phuket’s reopening operational, hotel owners in Phuket are planning to offer hotel isolation for asymptomatic guests.
Some tourists refuse hospital stays when they see that their symptoms are not severe, as explained by Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern chapter, detailing the problem in transferring guests to hospitals.
Unlike the other variants of the coronavirus, some Omicron cases are asymptomatic. This draws a concern with some travel insurance schemes as being asymptomatic does not cover medical costs. Kongsak added that because of this, tourists being admitted to the hospital have to pay a deposit of around 100,000 baht.
During the hotel isolation, operators can create a monitoring system to prevent early checkout before the isolation period ends. Currently, more than 50 hotels have offered in excess of 500 total rooms that could serve as isolation facilities. Hotels with more than 100 rooms will spare 10% of capacity for guests who opt for hotel rooms rather than field hospitals.
Because of the tighter possible restrictions against the Omicron variant, Kongsak said that an occupancy rate of 30-40% is expected in January after small cancellations. They are more concerned with bookings in February and March, with occupancy at only 10%.
The Thailand government suspended the applications for the Test and Go and other Sandbox programs in December. Currently, Phuket is the only sandbox program open for international travelers.
SOURCE: BANGKOK POST