Updated: 15 June 2021
Phuket Sandbox scheme will start from July 1 as a model to safety reopen Phuket. Recently, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has provided initial information as following:
ELIGIBILITY
- Travelers from countries / regions with low to medium risk of SAR-CoV-2 virus. The type of virus variants present in each country will serve as criteria to determine low to medium-risk countries.
- Only direct international flights to Phuket International Airport (HKT) are applicable to ‘Sandbox’ travellers. However, it’s possible to access Phuket via aviation gateways in the Middle East and Asia. Click here to the last update of airlines with direct flight to Phuket.
- Travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no less than 14 days, but no later than 1 year before the travel date. Approved vaccines include: Pfizer; Moderna; Johnson & Johnson; AstraZeneca; Sinovac, Covishield and Sinopharm.
- Applicable for children under 6 years old travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians.
- Applicable for children between 6 and 18 years old travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians. They will undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival at their own expense.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BEFORE TRAVELING
To board flights to Phuket, travellers must present:
- Valid visa to Thailand
- Certificate of entry (COE)
- Valid negative PCR test result within 72 hours of boarding the flight
- Medical insurance with a minimum of 100,000 US dollars (or equivalent in other currencies) coverage including COVID-19
- A confirmation of booking for 14 nights in a SHA Plus-certified accommodation (click here to see the list of SHA+ hotels in Phuket). The duration of stay can be less than 14 nights, but travellers must leave Phuket on or before the permit to stay date.
- Registration via mobile application ThailandPlus
Read more here for required documents before traveling to Thailand.
Upon your arrival at Phuket’s Airport, you will undergo a COVID-19 screening, including RT-PCR tests.
DURING THE STAY
During the whole stay in Phuket, travelers can go anywhere, but they must observe standard protocols of DMHTT (distancing, mask-wearing, hand washing, testing, Thailand Plus).
On day 5, travelers will undergo a COVID-19 test using an RT-PCR or a rapid antigen method. If they test positive, they will be transferred to the hospital. If they have no symptoms they may be taken to a field hospital instead.
After 14 nights in Phuket, visitors are allowed to visit other places like as Koh Phi Phi, Phang Nga or other provinces around the country. They will need to do an RT PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure. In addition, they must present it with the COVID-19 vaccination certificate at the checkpoint of their destination.
Tourists can stay less than 14 nights in Phuket and travel back to home countries or any other country with a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure.
We will update the full and final Phuket re-opening entry requirements over the next few days, including a list of medium to low-risk nationalities eligible for the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ experiment.
To be continued…
