Phuket Sandbox - Allowed To Quit My 14 Day Quarantine Early?

[NotReallyHere]

Not sure where else to find this information.  Maybe someone here has an idea...

 

I entered the Phuket Sandbox on 29 September under the 14 day quarantine rules.  If I understand the situation correctly, as of October 1st, the quarantine period is reduced to 7 days.

 

May I end my 14 day quarantine on October 7th?

 

I have a cheap hotel in an unexciting area.  Would not mind eating the cost of the unused hotel days and leaving earlier for Bangkok.  Could I reschedule my third swab test to be on October 7th and, assuming a negative PCR test result, just leave the island?

 

If you have a reliable source, please provide a link or means of getting firsthand information.

 

Thanks in advance...

[richard_smith237]

I have no reliable source for this, but I can tell you what happened in April. 

 

Regulations changed from 14 to 10 nights ASQ quarantine. 

 

Those arriving at any time on March 30th had to quarantine for 15 nights (14 whole 24 hour periods)

Those arriving before 6pm on 1st April only had to quarantine 10 nights (before 6pm arrival day counted as day 1)

Those arriving after 6pm on 1st April only had to quarantine 11 nights (after 6pm arrival day counted as day 0)

 

 

AS you arrived on Sept 29th, it would make perfect sense that as the change in regulations overlaps with your stay that your stay could be adjusted to 7 days. But, your entry permission and condition of stay on your Certificate of Entry will state the following.... 

[Condition of Entry:  'In Sandbox Programme: Must stay in Phuket, Phangnga, Krabi, Surat Thani for at least 14 days prior to travelling to other provinces.The first 7 days must be in Phuket only.’]

 

 

Its definitely worth checking with your hotel because it would be extremely clumsy not to have considered this ‘7 days vs 14 days’ while the stay overlaps the rule change, but this is Thailand and one thing we all know there is not a great depth of thought that goes into these issues. 

 

 

Note: You need a release letter from your Hotel before travelling to Bangkok.

The airline will ask for this when you check in for your domestic flight.

 

[stevenl]

Your CoE requires a 14 days SHA+ hotel stay. So as things stand you're required to do that.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Your CoE requires a 14 days SHA+ hotel stay. So as things stand you're required to do that.

For the purposes of clarification:

 

Foor anyone arriving AFTER Oct 1st even if the CoE states 14 days, the decision will be made upon arrival and the duration will be stamped on an ‘entry paper / receipt’.

 

I suspect anyone who has arrived BEFORE Oct 1st is bound to the original conditions on the CoE.

 

 

--------

 

I have had 3x CoE issued over the last year - the latest one (Sept) stated duration of stay under conditions. 

Earlier CoE’s stated no duration of stay.

 

In April the regulations changed from a 14 days quarantine to 10 days.

While I’d applied for a CoE for 14 days, upon entry my ‘entry paper / receipt’ was stamped for 10 days. 

 

In September the CoE format had been modified to state duration of stay (as below). 

 

 

[zzzzz]

 cannot leave sandbox early. The 7-day quarantine applies only to new arrivals with COE issued with those terms. It’s weird, yes- the people arriving now and this week will leave before those arriving yesterday, but this is the only practical way. Imagine the nightmare if it was applied retroactively.

 

 

[London Lowf]

I am due to fly to the Sandbox tomorrow and my COE was issued on 21st September.

 

I have heard nothing from the embassy but, after reading this thread and out of curiosity, I downloaded my COE again. The boxes "Condition of stay" are no longer there!

 

I would suggest that anyone who had their COE issued in September for an October arrival should download again the day before they travel.

[ozfarang]

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1443804581075427329

 

[NotReallyHere]

On 10/1/2021 at 2:13 PM, ozfarang said:

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1443804581075427329

 

Hi ozfarang...

 

The column on the right looks promising, but I can't read Thai, so I'm not sure what you're quoting.

 

What document are you quoting?  Where might I find an official English translation?

 

Thanks in advance!

[ozfarang]

48 minutes ago, NotReallyHere said:

Hi ozfarang...

 

The column on the right looks promising, but I can't read Thai, so I'm not sure what you're quoting.

 

What document are you quoting?  Where might I find an official English translation?

 

Thanks in advance!

Go to the url below the graphic and read Richard Barrow's comment on the Thai article.

 

Apparently, if you arrived on any of those September dates to do 14 days quarantine you only had to do 10 days as the rules changed to 7 days on 1 October

[NotReallyHere]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:59 AM, ozfarang said:

Go to the url below the graphic and read Richard Barrow's comment on the Thai article.

Thanks, ozfarang, but the original Twitter tweet doesn't provide any source document information.  There is a picture of a source document, but no link or reference.  It's unfortunate that Richard Barrow didn't provide it.  It won't do us much good to go to the hotel staff and request to leave early by pointing at some random Farang's tweet.

 

Frustrating to know it's possible but to not have the tools to make it happen...  I've sent him a message on Twitter.  I guess there's a small chance he might respond.  If so, I'll post the original Thai document here.

[NotReallyHere]

Richard Barrow (Twitter @RichardBarrow)  is awesome!

 

He just sent me the original Thai document that approves the early release of those who arrived in the Sandbox in late September that were originally assigned a 14 day quarantine.

 

See attached...