Business owners in Thailand have been urged to join the SHA and SHA Plus initiative to improve safety standards and boost confidence throughout the tourism industry.
Miss Ratchada Thanadirek a Deputy Spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that with the country’s opening on November 1, 2021, a significant number of tourists from all over the world are expected to visit Thailand. As a result, the Thai tourism industry must adjust to the New Normal of tourism that will emerge.
As of October 29, 2021, 18,722 establishments across the country that have passed the SHA standard, while 4,396 have been awarded the SHA Plus+ safety certification.
As a result, the government is now urging enterprises who have not yet joined the project to do so at www.thailandsha.com.
Entrepreneurs registered for SHA Plus+ must meet the SHA criteria and must have at least 70% of all employees in the establishment having received 2 doses of vaccination, while 100% of frontline staff who come into contact with tourists must be fully vaccinated.
The SHA and SHA Plus initiative, or the Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration (SHA), to give it its full name, is a collaborative project between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Department of Disease Control, Department of Health, Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health, and many other related agencies.
Under the project, businesses must have met a series of criteria to be awarded an SHA certification.
As well as a high level sanitisation, other measures designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 must be implemented including, screening for body temperature, a history of recording people entering the premises, wearing masks and gloves at all times, providing hand washing facilities and alcohol service points, having a system to carefully manage waste and sanitary waste, social distancing and increased cleaning.
The same requirements apply for the SHA Plus certification with the additional requirement that at least 70% of employees have been vaccinated against COVID-19 for the entire organization and 100% of their customer facing employees having also been fully vaccinated.
There are 10 categories of businesses that can apply for SHA and SHA Plus+ standards: 1. Restaurants, 2. Hotels/lodges and meeting locations, 3. Attractions and recreation, 4. transport service, 5 Travel companies, 6. health and beauty shop, 7th. Department stores and shopping malls, 8. Tourism-related sports, 9. Theaters and event planning, 10. Souvenir shops and other shops.
