Measuring risk perception and risk compensation among local residents toward COVID-19 in the tourism sandbox islands: comparative evidence from the Phuket sandbox and Samui plus model in Thailand

Since Thailand is a tourism-dependent country, its economy suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 lockdown. In a pioneering effort to re-open the country, two islands (Phuket and Koh Samui) began to welcome fully vaccinated international visitors in July 2021 under the “Phuket Sandbox”1 and “Samui Plus Model.” Even though the sandbox programs were found to create more income and some benefits for tourism businesses, they also generated concern among local people about contracting such an infectious disease as COVID-19. The aim of this study was to measure perception of COVID-19 infection among local residents due to contacts with international tourists. Using secondary data from a survey of 400 local residents living on the two islands, monetary compensation under the contingent valuation methods (CVM) and risk perception scale of 0-10 were analyzed to get an indication of the level of local residents’ risk perception toward COVID-19 possibly being transmitted by international tourists. Our results show that the risk perception was found to be higher among those who believed that the coronavirus could possibly result in death. Older individuals, especially females, and those with higher incomes seemed to have a higher risk perception. Residents who were working in the tourism sector were found to have a lower risk level than those who were working in other branches. There were also discordances in terms of education level and risk perception between residents in two islands. The paper suggests that awareness of residents’ risk perception and effective communication regarding such risk perception should be put in place to ensure appropriate practices that affect local residents in such sandbox areas in the future.