Wat Arun, the royal temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
Sompop Srinophan
Thailand is allowing five Bangkok hotels to offer luxury isolation packages as an alternative to the government-funded 14-day quarantine for returning travelers.
International passenger flights have been banned from entering Thailand until the end of June, but the government has chartered flights to repatriate citizens who have been stranded abroad amid the coronavirus crisis.
Anyone returning to the country is required to spend 14 days in state-designated quarantine facilities, most of which are hotels, with local media reporting that around 80,000 people have been quarantined to date.
Now, the Thai government has approved five hotels in the capital to provide packages for anyone wanting to self-fund a more premium isolation period.
Ranging from 32,000 Thai baht ($1,016) to 60,000 baht ($1,904) for a two-week stay, the resorts are offering perks like doctors’ consultations and meals to Thai citizens and expat workers who return to the kingdom from overseas. It’s currently unclear whether the offer will be extended to regular tourists when, and if, international passenger flights resume.
Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok
The 14-day “Health Watch” package offered by the Mövenpick BDMS Wellness Resort costs 50,000 baht and offers luxury accommodation in a single-occupancy “Wellness Suite.”
As well as being provided with three meals a day, guests will receive an initial consultation with a doctor, daily health monitoring under a nurse’s supervision, “immune system enhancing supplements” and a Covid-19 test at the end of their stay.
The package was initially only available until June 30, but has been extended until July 31.
Qiu Hotel
Bangkok’s Qiu Hotel is offering the most wallet-friendly package at 32,000 baht per person, which covers a 16-day, 15-night stay that includes three daily meals and a ride to and from the airport.
Qiu’s package also includes two Covid-19 tests and round-the-clock access to ambulance services, hospital visits and video consultations with local doctors.
The Idle Residence
A two-week quarantine in the Idle Residence ranges from 50,000 baht for a superior room to 60,000 baht for a junior suite.
The hotel has drafted in nurses from private health-care chain Samitivej Hospital to provide 24-hour care for guests in quarantine, and is also offering a “virtual hospital” to put them in touch with health-care professionals without going to a clinic.
Grand Richmond Hotel
The Grand Richmond is offering a 15-night quarantine package for 55,000 baht per person, with nurses from nearby Vibhavadi Hospital on 24-hour standby for guests.
Guests will be put up in executive deluxe rooms on the 29th to 34th floors of the hotel, and are provided with three meals a day and a free minibar on their day of arrival.
Royal Benja Hotel
Quarantining at the Royal Benja comes with a price tag of 45,000 baht per person for a two-week stay.
The hotel’s package includes three meals a day, discounted room service and a shuttle from the airport.
Nurses will be on hand to care for guests in quarantine at the hotel, and the package also includes two Covid-19 tests as well as an ambulance service and video calls with local doctors.
