Dr. Tares Krassanairawiwong, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support: "Alternative State Quarantine: ASQ, is an important mechanism that aims to benefit Thailand in two ways. The first factor is in the prevention and control of the spread of COVID-19, and the second is as a stimulus to help drive the economy by generating income for entrepreneurs. For these hotel entrepreneurs to be part of the ASQ program however, they must pass strict standard checks in six categories from the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Defense. These include safety protocols that ensures on-site personnel fully equipped with medical supplies and training, processes that minimise disruption to the wider community and have an environmental management system to protect and control guests, and thus prevent the spread of COVID-19. Along side these requirements are is the professionalism of our hospitals to support foreign travelers and Thai's repatriating. ASQ helps to promote the country's economy with the 113 hotels participating as ASQ properties generating 1.2 billion baht revenue for Thailand to date. ASQ facilities, which allow flexibility to choose where to stay for quarantine, can be one way to attract foreign tourists again from all over the world and generate income for the country."

Agoda has a team of over 1,000 tech engineers in Bangkok working around the clock on cutting-edge solutions for customers, businesses, and governments across the globe. The digital booking platform for ASQ is now live (www.agoda.com/quarantineTH), with more technology partners expected to join the program in the coming months.