PHUKET (NNT) - Phuket’s communicable diseases committee has agreed to lift entry restrictions on October 1st, allowing travelers to enter the resort island via air, sea and land.

 

Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew said passengers arriving by air will be required to show proof that they have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations, or recovered from COVID-19 within six months of their date of arrival. They must also show a negative coronavirus test result, using the RT-PCR or antigen test method, taken no more than seven days before arriving on the island.

 

He added that those who arrive via the Tha Chatchai checkpoint or seaports will also be required to show a negative test result, using the RT-PCR or antigen tests taken no more than seven days prior to arrival. All incoming travellers must download the “Mor Chana” application for contact tracing.

 

Meanwhile, Phuket’s Chamber of Commerce honorary chairman Urachai Chaiwat said the Phuket “sandbox” program attracted around 300 tourists each day, well below the target of 1,000 daily foreign arrivals. From July 1st, when the program started, to September 20th, only 34,880 foreign tourists have visited Phuket.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-09-23

 

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Which restrictions have been lifted?  Double vaccinated and PCR test still in place? The 'within 7 days' of departure is a good amendment as the 2 day turnaround was causing chaos even with the very low numbers travelling

6 minutes ago, Paul Christian said:

Which restrictions have been lifted?  Double vaccinated and PCR test still in place? The 'within 7 days' of departure is a good amendment as the 2 day turnaround was causing chaos even with the very low numbers travelling

Currently, PCR/ATK tests cannot be more than 72 hours old on entry to Phuket.   That becomes 7 days from 1st October.

Yes I read that - I was wondering more about whether the 2 weeks in an SHA hotel in Phuket is a restriction no longer required - I'm waiting for Bali or Bangkok really but at some point I'm going to have to head somewhere in S E Asia

11 minutes ago, Paul Christian said:

Yes I read that - I was wondering more about whether the 2 weeks in an SHA hotel in Phuket is a restriction no longer required - I'm waiting for Bali or Bangkok really but at some point I'm going to have to head somewhere in S E Asia

2 weeks SHA+ is a requirement for international tourism, this easing of restrictions is for domestic visitors.

Why bother Phuket is a covid hotspot anyway

The restrictions should be for Thais leaving such a covid island factory.

5 hours ago, Paul Christian said:

Yes I read that - I was wondering more about whether the 2 weeks in an SHA hotel in Phuket is a restriction no longer required - I'm waiting for Bali or Bangkok really but at some point I'm going to have to head somewhere in S E Asia

this is for domestic travel only I believe but Could be wrong - I understand your confusion because all the rules change by the day - a sure sign they not playing with a full deck

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

All incoming travellers must download the “Mor Chana” application for contact tracing.

are they handing out free smartphones to those that don't have them and also paying for data network connections for those that do

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

only 34,880 foreign tourists have visited Phuket.

that number doesn't seem to have changed since the start of Sept

 

seems the sandbox has revealed itself as nothing more than a slightly better ASQ and not the tourism success certain players would have us all thinking - it failed, the key now is working out why, not sure any of them have the ability - they could read these forums as it was worked out for them months ago

Phuket... last place I'd go to for a relaxing week at the moment.

16 hours ago, pagallim said:

Currently, PCR/ATK tests cannot be more than 72 hours old on entry to Phuket.   That becomes 7 days from 1st October.

What a complete joke. Covid cases still on the rise and because the thai government screwed up and the desperation for money is so noticeable they decide to change the goalposts again but no reasoning behind it 

Does this meant that if you were vaccinated in March you could not enter?

12 hours ago, smedly said:

are they handing out free smartphones to those that don't have them and also paying for data network connections for those that do

It woud be very cheap to do that if they so decided, since finding a Thai traveller without a smartphone and flat broadband is more difficult than finding a white fly.

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Phuket... last place I'd go to for a relaxing week at the moment.

I agree. But some of us "have" to go there. For example, I have been waiting 6 months, two trips paid and cancelled, to visit my second condo there and dust off the cobwebs. Personally I welcome these news. I will go asap and for sure they won't see me much while I am there.

I arrived in Phuket on the 22. nd driving  own car for a holiday on the island with my wife.

On the road from Sisaket, 1500 km, we only met one checkpoint before Phuket it was short off Chumphon. 

 

At Tha Chat Chai checkpoint they first asked if I was vaccinated which I am, then shown to a queue where I waited 1 hour to get a form only in Thai.

My wife helped me to fill it in it had 2 halves to fill in with the same data with ID nr./passport nr., name, the  date I was born, age and phone nr.

Then to a new queue waiting where a person noted down the data from the form and then to get tested with the ATK I brought myself.

About 15 min after the test I was handed back one half of the form with negative result which is valid for 7 days and could leave after almost 1,5 hour.

 

No one asked for the hotel reservation I had for a SHA+ hotel. My wife asked at the checkpoint for how many days you had to book a hotel and the answer was 1 day and it could be at any Phuket hotel.

They did not want to see and scan the www.GoPhuget.com I had fillled in.

They did not want to see my vaccinate certificate in Morprom or any other proof of vaccination.

They did not want to see that I had the Thaichana or the Morchana Apps.

But I guess they could look me up in GoPhuget and find almost all the above data if they wanted.

 

So it looks like they already have lifted the rules.

 

At check in the hotel wanted to see and copy the ATK test results, the vaccine certificates from Morprom and of course my passport and the ID card of my wife.

 

So now we are enjoying the sunny Phuket.

We're enjoying our stay in Phuket. Good weather, cheap 5* hotel, very friendly staff, empty clean beaches and sea, many special deals... Has there ever been a better time to visit? Not in the last 28 years since I came here first!