The tourism industry is important to Thailand's economy. So important that residents of the most popular tourist areas are now first in the vaccination queue. 

On the island of Phuket, the aim is for at least 460,000 people – the majority of the population – to be vaccinated before July 1, when they plan to welcome foreign travelers again.

This means that Phuket residents will receive the corona vaccine two months before the rest of the country, writes Reuters. Phuket also has its own international airport, which means that tourists will be able to move freely without the risk of spreading infection to the Thai population.

– If we can achieve immunity of 70-80 percent among the island's population, we can receive vaccinated tourists without quarantine requirements, says Phuket Deputy Governor Piyapong Choowong.

Total 95 deaths in the country

Thailand has been successful in keeping the country free of the coronavirus with the help of strict entry bans. The country has a population of almost 70 million but the number of confirmed virus cases is as low as just under 30,000. The number of deaths linked to Covid-19 is 95 people.

The first Thais to receive the vaccine are members of the country's parliament and healthcare workers. The fact that the population of Phuket is next in line shows how important the tourist island is to the country's economy.

In 2019, Thailand was visited by 40 million foreign tourists. In the pandemic year of 2020, that number dropped to 6.7 million, before restrictions were imposed. Now the government hopes to welcome at least 100,000 to Phuket in the third quarter of this year. This is what Yuhasak Supasorn, head of the country's tourism authority, predicts:

– It will be a challenge, but it will help to get the country's GDP moving again.

Source: svt.se