Netherspite

Got an official reply from the Embassy. They said it's still technically impossible to transit to Phuket in Bangkok even though some airlines may sell such tickets. Even when it will be available, if a connecting flight from Bangkok to Phuket gets cancelled (if there are not enough passengers that may happen), you will be forced to undergo a standard 14-day quarantine in Bangkok. I wonder if it's the same for the Samui Plus flights... Probably it is.

Just checked the COVID-19 rules on IATA website (they source the information from TIMATIC so it should be quite official). They have been updated on 2nd September and they now state that transit in Bangkok to Samui and Phuket is now allowed if it's not more than 12 hours. I wonder how to confirm that...

So as far as I can see, the rules haven't changed and you need to have a direct international flight to Phuket without a Bangkok stop-over. The weird thing is that Lufthansa offers flights to Phuket with a connection in Bangkok (the flight to Phuket is operated by Thai Smile). How can they offer a connection that nobody can use? I had a return flight by Lufthansa to Bangkok, but considering the current situation with the prison-like ASQ stays I'd like to change it to Phuket Sandbox instead. However, the only way to get a direct international flight to Phuket is apparently cancelling my ticket and booking one with another airline... Which would cost quite a lot. I'm quite puzzled by this connection offered by Lufthansa and wonder if the rules actually have been changed so that a connection in Bangkok is now possible? I'm not even quite sure who can I contact to get some official information on this...

I decided to go with AXA insurance. It costs 28.5k and appears to be more or less the same as others (tipinsure, tune) at a lower price (yes, if you come from a "proper" country, tipinsure is cheaper, not my case). Both Tune and AXA have it in their FAQ that asymptomatic cases are covered but I couldn't find it in the policy wording so... Can't be sure about that. What's different though is that AXA doesn't offer a refund if your CoE is rejected while Tune does. AXA offers a refund only if your visa is rejected.

So I am preparing the paperwork for getting back to my family using Samui Plus to fulfill the mandatory quarantine. I have a 5.5 hour stopover in Suvarnabhumi and wonder what food/drink service is available in the transit area for the "Sealed route" passengers. Bkk Airways told me that it's only vending machines. So I assume only snacks? Anyone been there and saw what does it look like?