THAILAND'S devastated tourism industry - which normally accounts for up to 20 per cent of the country's gross domestic product - is expected to take baby steps towards recovery when it welcomes foreign travellers from July 1.

That is the start date for the island's reopening plan, known as Phuket Sandbox. It is open to fully vaccinated visitors from countries that have a low or medium risk of Covid-19 transmission, and the incentive is that there is no need to undergo any quarantine upon arrival.

On June 16, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced his government's intention to reopen the entire country to international tourism within 120 days, making the Sandbox experiment a bellwether for the industry.