Travel to Phuket (sandbox) - 72 hours FIt to Fly

[oporhatch]

Has anybody travelled to the Phuket Sandbox with KLM to Swannie Airport and then onto Phuket ??   or do you have to travel to Phuket Direct .  I am from the UK  and it is easier and cheaper for me to travel from my home town than travel to Heathrow .(for instance)

Also does anyone have experience of the Fit to fly  procedure as I have concerns about the timing of this , without have to pay the extra £100 to get a 24 hour test.

(ie  Take test  up to 48 hours  -  then travel to Heathrow (or local airport) and then fly 12 hours to Thailand and potentially on to Phuket -   all looks a bit tight timewise to me !!)  

 

I did contemplate staying in a Heathrow friendly lodge and getting the test done in Heathrow  ,as it would be cheaper than paying the extra £100 (thats £200 with the wife !!) and then I could reduce my travel timings in the 72 hour period available to me , by being at heathrow already - for instance

 

Any thoughts     - as I am just starting to review the process to possibly return mid/end September 

[Greenwich Boy]

Couple of things.

Don't confuse fit to fly with Covid RT PCR test. You no longer need the former and the latter is 72 hours before your first flight.

For info I stayed at a Premier Inn near Heathrow. It was fine, free bus to terminal and not much more than £30.

Currently you can not transit via BKK. You have to fly internationally in to Phuket. Your options include Thai, Singapore, Emirates and Qatar at the moment but be careful of Red Listed Countries for your return.

 

[ubonjoe]

Wrong forum. Moved to here.

[oporhatch]

Greenwich boy 

 

Thanks for you answers I meant the PCR test .  just for clarification , did you get your PCR test done at or near Heathrow  -   if you have been through this process 

 

regards

Richard 

[ubonjoe]

You have to fly direct into Phuket. As far as I know there are no connecting flights to Phuket from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) that are continuation of a international flight.

I think Thai airways have flights to Phuket from London.

The covid 19 test requires the test result has to be issued within 72 hours of arrival not the day the test was done.

Info about the requirements are here on London embassy website. 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

[Greenwich Boy]

11 minutes ago, oporhatch said:

Greenwich boy 

 

Thanks for you answers I meant the PCR test .  just for clarification , did you get your PCR test done at or near Heathrow  -   if you have been through this process 

 

regards

Richard 

I got to Thailand end May and did ASQ in Bangkok so have jumped through all the hoops. I am not great with computers but if you plan ahead and get things organised before applying it is not really that bad.

The advice from the Thai Embassy is it is the time of the results not the time of test that matters so I got my done locally. I believe the important bit is that is says RT PCR.

Good luck

[rickthailand]

the pcr test must be 72 hours BEFORE your FIRST flight departure

[ubonjoe]

33 minutes ago, rickthailand said:

the pcr test must be 72 hours BEFORE your FIRST flight departure

Only the test certificate has to be issued 72 hours before your departure.

This from the COE website. 

From number 4 here:  hhttps://coethailand.mfa.go.th/regis/step?language=en

[oporhatch]

Thanks for all your inputs as always.

 

I have another question about health insurance but I will post that separately 

 

thanks again for for sharing your knowledge

 

regards

[bluezircon]

On 7/26/2021 at 11:17 AM, oporhatch said:

Greenwich boy 

 

Thanks for you answers I meant the PCR test .  just for clarification , did you get your PCR test done at or near Heathrow  -   if you have been through this process 

 

regards

Richard 

In case it helps. I used the at home PCR test kit from Boots. Results next day and no problem with Airline or Thai immigration showing the certificate they'd emailed me.

[BritTim]

In case you are as happy using the Samui sandbox as the Phuket sandbox, note that it is possible to arrive in Suvarnabhumi and transfer to Samui for the sandbox there. There are three special transfer flights a day to facilitate this.