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Economy

Thai resort welcomes 1st quarantine-free tourists in over a year

Country's experiment starts on Phuket with flight from Abu Dhabi

Phuket gives a water cannon salute to the first plane arriving with foreign tourists who do not have to be quarantined as the Thai tourist island on July 1 begins a crucial experiment to rescue its economy.   © Reuters

BANGKOK -- Thailand's ambitious quarantine-free tourism experiment began on Thursday morning as an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi carrying fully vaccinated passengers landed on the island of Phuket.

After clearing immigration, the visitors were taken straight to their hotels, where they will wait for the results of PCR tests COVID-19. If the results are negative, the tourists are free to roam the entire island.

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