A tiger park in Phuket, Thailand is preparing to welcome back foreign visitors this week. The re-opening is part of a plan to bring back foreign visitors with proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the island. The visitors do not have to follow lockdown restrictions. After 14 days, as long as they have no coronavirus infection, they can travel elsewhere in Thailand. Chadarat Taodaeng is the general manager of Tiger Kingdom in Phuket. He said the park had put safety measures in place before Thursday's reopening to help foreign visitors feel comfortable. We have vaccinated more than 90 percent of our staff and also trained them about the 'new normal' tourism, the manager said. The park has more than 50 tigers and a cheetah, and visitors can get close to them. Since the pandemic lockdowns, visitor numbers have dropped from nearly 1,000 a day to fewer than 20. Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism money when foreign arrivals fell to 6.7 million last year. In 2019, the country had nearly 40 million visitors. And Phuket suffered from a large number of job losses and business closings. I'm happy that finally there will be people visiting the tigers, and Phuket city will be bustling again, said the park's assistant manager, Phonphawit Ton-od. She added that the reopening would help with both tigers' and the staff's mental health. There has been an increase in the popularity of parks like the Tiger Kingdom, even though conservationists criticize them. There are concerns over safety after some attacks by the animals. Bringing back visitors is important to Thailand’s economy. But government officials also have to deal with a recent increase in coronavirus infections. The government hopes Phuket's pilot program will bring 129,000 visitors to Thailand from July through September. That number is still far below the average 3.3 million monthly arrivals in 2019. Abdulrahim A-waekechi cares for the animals in the park. He said, "I'm happy about the park reopening because our cheetah Gregor loves being around tourists and staff."
Title: Thai Tiger Park Hopes Foreign Visitors Return
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Thai Tiger Park Hopes Foreign Visitors Return' data-article-id='5728'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='8063'>A tiger park in Phuket, Thailand is preparing to welcome back foreign visitors this week.</span> <span data-start-time='8063' data-end-time='20271'>The re-opening is part of a plan to bring back foreign visitors with proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the island. </span> <span data-start-time='20271' data-end-time='25479'>The visitors do not have to follow lockdown restrictions. </span> <span data-start-time='25479' data-end-time='36083'>After 14 days, as long as they have no coronavirus infection, they can travel elsewhere in Thailand.</span> <span data-start-time='36083' data-end-time='43438'>Chadarat Taodaeng is the general manager of Tiger Kingdom in Phuket. </span> <span data-start-time='43438' data-end-time='53583'>He said the park had put safety measures in place before Thursday's reopening to help foreign visitors feel comfortable.</span> <span data-start-time='53583' data-end-time='66875'>We have vaccinated more than 90 percent of our staff and also trained them about the 'new normal' tourism, the manager said. </span> <span data-start-time='66875' data-end-time='75938'>The park has more than 50 tigers and a cheetah, and visitors can get close to them.</span> <span data-start-time='75938' data-end-time='87708'>Since the pandemic lockdowns, visitor numbers have dropped from nearly 1,000 a day to fewer than 20.</span> <span data-start-time='87708' data-end-time='101083'>Thailand lost about $50 billion in tourism money when foreign arrivals fell to 6.7 million last year. </span> <span data-start-time='101083' data-end-time='108000'>In 2019, the country had nearly 40 million visitors. </span> <span data-start-time='108000' data-end-time='116792'>And Phuket suffered from a large number of job losses and business closings.</span> <span data-start-time='116792' data-end-time='132146'>I'm happy that finally there will be people visiting the tigers, and Phuket city will be bustling again, said the park's assistant manager, Phonphawit Ton-od. </span> <span data-start-time='132146' data-end-time='142563'>She added that the reopening would help with both tigers' and the staff's mental health.</span> <span data-start-time='142563' data-end-time='153417'>There has been an increase in the popularity of parks like the Tiger Kingdom, even though conservationists criticize them. </span> <span data-start-time='153417' data-end-time='160688'>There are concerns over safety after some attacks by the animals. </span> <span data-start-time='160688' data-end-time='166792'>Bringing back visitors is important to Thailand’s economy. </span> <span data-start-time='166792' data-end-time='176667'>But government officials also have to deal with a recent increase in coronavirus infections.</span> <span data-start-time='176667' data-end-time='189604'>The government hopes Phuket's pilot program will bring 129,000 visitors to Thailand from July through September. </span> <span data-start-time='189604' data-end-time='198667'>That number is still far below the average 3.3 million monthly arrivals in 2019.</span> <span data-start-time='198667' data-end-time='204958'>Abdulrahim A-waekechi cares for the animals in the park. </span> <span data-start-time='204958' data-end-time='218229'>He said, "I'm happy about the park reopening because our cheetah Gregor loves being around tourists and staff."</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/C.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17686 data-hint-location='43438' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/what_does_comfortable_mean.wav'>What does comfortable mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='providing ease and relaxation'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/unpleasant_or_unwelcome.wav'><span>unpleasant or unwelcome</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/providing_ease_and_relaxation.wav'><span>providing ease and relaxation</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/_having_a_full_distinctive_taste.wav'><span> having a full, distinctive taste</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/moisture_diffused_through_the_air_or_a_solid_substance_or_condensed_on_a_surface.wav'><span>moisture diffused through the air or a solid substance or condensed on a surface</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17687 data-hint-location='66875' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/what_animal_is_the_park_in_the_story_known_for.wav'>What animal is the park in the story known for?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='tigers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/tigers.wav'><span>tigers</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/bears.wav'><span>bears</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/turtles.wav'><span>turtles</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/birds.wav'><span>birds</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17688 data-hint-location='153417' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/there_are_concerns_over__blank__after_some_attacks_by_the_animals_.wav'>There are concerns over <span class='blank'>safety</span> after some attacks by the animals. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='safety'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/safety.wav'><span>safety</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/emails.wav'><span>emails</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/flooding.wav'><span>flooding</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5185/grapes.wav'><span>grapes</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button 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