Flying into Phuket via Bangkok (and International Flight) for Sandbox?

[flippety]

Dear all,

 

My apologies if this has been done to death already. Regularly visited this site in the past but it has been a while

 

I lived and worked in Phuket for several years and would love to be able to visit again with my family this Christmas.

 

It looks like we missed all direct flights from our current country but via Bangkok seems affordable right now. We have seen a couple of slightly dodgy looking websites saying that you can transit in Bangkok but it authorities are in process of setting it up. I'm suspicious and a little wary of what we are seeing online a tthe moment and do understand the economy is pretty dire and practicalities may be a bit blurred.

 

If we could even make it in it would be nice not to be putting money into the pockets of a hotel chain but spread around a little.

 

Any useful comments or advice are much appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[skatewash]

I don't believe it is possible at the moment to transit in Bangkok and be processed in Phuket.  If you cannot find a flight that lands in Thailand in Phuket first, then my suggestion would be to fly into Bangkok, participate in the Test and Go scheme there, and fly on to Phuket the next day as a domestic arrival.

[farang51]

1 hour ago, flippety said:

We have seen a couple of slightly dodgy looking websites saying that you can transit in Bangkok but it authorities are in process of setting it up.

Those are probably from before the Test & Go opening. Before that there were some talks about making it possible to transit in Bangkok the same way as the transit to Samui. That idea was killed when they opened up instead.

 

As skatewash says, if no direct flight to Phuket, take the test in Bangkok and then fly to Phuket. If you arrive early in the morning it may be possible to continue to Phuket the same day.

[flippety]

Thanks for your replies folks. Much appreciated

 

 

[DFPhuket]

There has been some confusion on "direct" flights. Your flight doesn't have to be direct/non-stop to Phuket. You could fly, for example, from London, transit in Doha, and land in Phuket. You can stop as many times as you'd like on your way to Thailand, but you must do your Test & Go at your first point of entry in Thailand. 

[skatewash]

14 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

There has been some confusion on "direct" flights. Your flight doesn't have to be direct/non-stop to Phuket. You could fly, for example, from London, transit in Doha, and land in Phuket. You can stop as many times as you'd like on your way to Thailand, but you must do your Test & Go at your first point of entry in Thailand. 

Yes, "direct" was a very poor choice of phrasing as it is confusing and doesn't actually convey any useful information.  In practical terms it means what you said.  In very basic terms it means you can't transit in Bangkok and be processed in Phuket as an international arrival.

[khunPer]

On 11/16/2021 at 4:06 AM, flippety said:

Any useful comments or advice are much appreciated.

To my knowledge Test & Go in Bangkok, then you are free to to use a domestic flight.

 

So far it's only Koh Samui that have had - a apparently still has - special international transit flights (two daily) from Bangkok as part of the Samui+ program.

[flippety]

Thanks for your replies everybody.

 

It seems the goalposts are continually shifting. I hear that the PCR test will be changed to an antingen from either the 16th or 1st December but the hotel we booked on arrival on Bangkok is constantly asking me to book a PCR through them with a total cost of 12,000 THB!

 

Obviously we are grateful and appreciative to get into Thailand but I'm a little dubious about this hotel...which had to be booked to get the test and go approval/QR code

 

[farang51]

17 minutes ago, flippety said:

It seems the goalposts are continually shifting. I hear that the PCR test will be changed to an antingen from either the 16th or 1st December but the hotel we booked on arrival on Bangkok is constantly asking me to book a PCR through them with a total cost of 12,000 THB!

The 16th; however, they agreed to that change before the news of omicron, so you should not be surprised if they delay the change to January or later.

The hotel is operating from the current rules; although, if that price is for test and go for one person or even two you can easily find a cheaper place.

[flippety]

Thanks.

The price was for two adults and my 3 year old daughter.

As the test and go was linked to that hotel i guess I should just pay

Good advice thanks