Phuket introduces Amazing Thailand SHA Plus certification

The ‘SHA Plus’ Certificate means that at least 70% of staff at the venues and businesses have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Voice of Chandigarh | Travel Trade Reporter

Phuket Province opened an online registration platform for the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus Certificate, as the island is preparing to welcome back fully vaccinated visitors without quarantine requirements from 1 July, 2021.

All Amazing Thailand SHA-certified venues and businesses in Phuket, where at least 70% of staff are inoculated, are encouraged to register for the ‘SHA Plus’ Certificate at the www.ภูเก็ตต้องชนะ.com (Phuket Must Win) online platform.

The website utilises digital technology to develop a smart data system that can track the vaccination record of staff at each venue and business. It can analyse the large amount of aggregate data and provide insights as to which establishment already has at least 70% of staff inoculated and can be awarded the ‘SHA Plus’.

Currently, there are 1,389 venues and businesses across Phuket that have received the Amazing Thailand SHA certificate. These include 882 in the hotel, accommodation and homestay category; 169 in the restaurants and diners’ category; 157 in the travel agency category, and 181 in other categories.

These Amazing Thailand SHA-certified establishments are encouraged to apply for the ‘SHA Plus’ Certificate. This is because one of the proposed conditions under the Phuket Sandbox model is that fully vaccinated foreign visitors are required to stay in a ‘SHA Plus’ accommodation and must show proof of the booking at such establishment when applying for the ‘Certificate of Entry’ or COE.

More information on the Phuket SHA Plus initiative is available at https://www.facebook.com/Shaplusphuket/ (mostly in Thai language).

Introduced in May 2020, the Amazing Thailand SHA is used to assess 10 types of business; namely, restaurants and diners; hotels, accommodation and homestays; recreational activities and tourist attractions; transportation; travel agencies; health and beauty; department stores and shopping centres; sports for tourism; activities and meetings, theatres and entertainment, and souvenir shops and other shops. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) recently certified the Amazing Thailand SHA certification in alignment with the WTTC SafeTravels protocols. For more information, click Amazing Thailand SHA.

The TAT Newsroom (www.tatnews.org) will continue to provide regular updates on Phuket’s preparations to safely reopen to foreign tourists ranging from entry requirements and public health procedures to local vaccinations and hygiene standards.