The resort island of Phuket in Thailand says it plans to welcome vaccinated tourists by October - and travelers would be able to bypass the country's mandatory two-week quarantine, Randy Thanthong-Knight reported for Bloomberg.

Thailand reopened to foreign travelers in October with a new special tourist visa program, but tourists are still required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

Phuket, one of Thailand's biggest tourism destinations, plans to make it easier for tourists who've gotten their COVID-19 vaccines to vacation on the picturesque island, which is known for its beaches, nightlife, and luxury resorts. The island plans to buy enough vaccine doses to inoculate 70% of its roughly 400,000 residents by September 1 to reach herd immunity in the local population.