27/08/2021
We are concerned about the economy of Samui, and greater Thailand.
Expats & Samui:
Expats represent an important income source for Koh Samui. As employers or simply “walking ATM’s,” expats contribute millions of baht every month to Koh Samui. Our primary concern is that the current expats on Samui are leaving and not returning soon due to having to be in a hotel quarantine. We also wish to welcome back the many resident expats / foreigners who have left but do not wish to have to do a hotel quarantine.
The Samui Plus arrangement could accommodate resident expats who wish to quarantine at their own homes, while following safety guidelines of the Samui Plus protocol.
1. Expats pay for the home quarantine option, as if they were booking a Samui Plus hotel.
2. Monitors are assigned to incoming expats.
3. Healthcare workers test expats like they do tourists in hotels.
We recommend at most a 10,000 baht fee per expat, which should cover all costs and payments.
We also would suggest a 10,000 baht fine for any breaking of the home quarantine.
Thus, for example, a couple returning to their home on Koh Samui would pay THB 20,000 in fees.
We recommend that this model be considered very soon, to stop the steady exit of expats. Many expats have left, but many still remain, and many wish to return. But most of the expats we have spoken to have no interest in being forced to do a hotel quarantine when they already have a home here on Koh Samui.
