Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park in Surat Thani has welcomed fully vaccinated international tourists to visit. It aims to support the Samui Plus tourism scheme.
The park consists of 42 islands. Its headquarters is located on Koh Wua Ta Lap where accommodation and a restaurant are located. The island also has popular attractions including the viewpoint over a hilltop where visitors can have a bird's-eye view of the islands and islets of the park, Bua Bok Cave and Hat Tham Rang, which is a 220m sandy beach.
Tourists can visit the island and its vicinity for a day trip. Activities include swimming, sunbathing, kayaking or snorkelling. Tourists from Koh Samui can take a tourist boat to visit Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park. A one-way trip is about 90 minutes.
The government launched the Samui Plus scheme on July 15. The reopening campaign is the next step after the Phuket Sandbox model was introduced on July 1, allowing fully vaccinated foreign visitors to visit the island without quarantine.
Tourists to Koh Samui must have a Certificate of Entry (coethailand.mfa.go.th), and a medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating the negative result of a RT-PCR test for Covid-19 within 72 hours before travelling. They also need to have proof of vaccination and medical insurance covering Covid-19 treatment worth at least US$100,000 (3.3 million baht).
The tourists will have their first Covid-test upon arrival. They must spend their first seven nights at one of Samui Extra Plus hotels (asq.locanation.com). They need to pass a second Covid-19 test if they extend their stay. If the result is negative, they can move to stay in any SHA+ certified hotel (thailandsha.com). SHA stands for Safety and Health Administration. It is issued by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and supported by the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Public Health Ministry to assure the public about safety and hygiene standards.
They can also travel to SHA certified sites such as restaurants and attractions on Koh Samui or stay in SHA+ hotels on nearby islands including Koh Phangan and Koh Tao for another seven days. After completing 14 nights and passing the third Covid-19 test, they can travel to other places in the country.
For more information, visit tatnews.org or call Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park at 077-286-025 and 077-280-222.
