Thailand has welcomed SLOTXO its first quarantine-free tourists back to the island of Phuket as the country tries to reboot its tourism industry.
About 250 people, mainly from the Middle East, were expected to arrive on four flights on Thursday as part of the "Phuket Sandbox" scheme.
None of the arrivals need to quarantine, but they cannot travel to the mainland within 14 days.
It is hoped the scheme will bring in $278m (£201m) in the next three months.
But that is still far short of Thailand's pre-pandemic revenue from tourism, which accounts for about a fifth of the country's economy. According to news agency Reuters, Thailand lost around $50bn when visitor numbers plunged following the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.
If successful, the country will roll out the scheme to other islands, with borders scheduled to open more fully in October.
"We know that there is a risk," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters after arriving on the island himself. "But we have to accept the risk so Thai people can make a living."