Press Release: Phuket adjusts COVID-19 controls and travel screening in September 2021

The following is a press release from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Their statements and opinions are entirely their own.

Bangkok, 01 September 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to provide an update on the new Phuket Provincial Order No. 5139/2564, which extends the existing COVID-19 controls and travel screening for two more weeks, from 1-14 September 2021.

Phuket continues to welcome international tourists under Sandbox & 7+7 Extension programs.

Fully vaccinated international tourists visiting under the Phuket Sandbox and 7+7 Extension programs can still enter and exit Phuket per the existing rules and regulations. While in Phuket, those traveling to the extension areas or taking day-trip cruise excursions or shore trips along with a boat driver, guide, and crew are allowed to re-enter Phuket provided that they meet the vaccination requirements and undergo a weekly COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

Domestic tourists will be allowed entry from 8 September 2021.

In addition, starting from 8 September 2021, domestic travelers will be allowed to visit Phuket for tourism purposes. However, they must have documentation proof including a copy of the payment confirmation for hotel accommodation. If the stay is more than 7 days, each visitor must undergo a COVID-19 test on Day 5 at their own expense.

Who can enter Phuket, domestically?

For the next two weeks, Phuket continues to limit entry via the Tha Chatchai mainland gateway, by water via every marina and pier, and by domestic air travel via Phuket International Airport, only for the following people and drivers:

1. Medical emergency vehicles carrying patients and medical personnel, or volunteers;
2. Vehicles transporting medical supplies;
3. Vehicles transporting consumable goods, agricultural products, livestock, and animal feed;
4. Vehicles transporting cooking gas fuel;
5. Banking and finance vehicles;
6. Logistics vehicles for the post and newspapers;
7. Vehicles transporting construction materials, engine and spare parts for maintenance;
8. Shippers of import-export products at the Phuket Deep Sea Port, oil depot port (PTT Phuket), and other cargo areas;
9. Vehicles transporting materials, raw materials, telecommunications, energy, automotive, aircraft, and other industrial basic maintenance components;
10. Residents and permanent workers in Phuket (must have documentation proof);
11. Personnel officially assigned in charge of communicable disease control;
12. People traveling under the Phuket Sandbox and their vehicle driver (must have documentation proof);
13. Any government officials with the necessity to travel to and from Phuket;
14. People with an international air ticket out of Phuket on the actual date of traveling only (must have documentation proof);
15. People who are required to appear in the courts;
16. Domestic travelers to Phuket for tourism purposes, starting from 8 September 2021, as mentioned above.
17. Any other cases with substantial reasons to enter Phuket upon consideration of the officials at Phuket’s checkpoints.

Requirements for people who are allowed domestic entry to Phuket.

*People and vehicles mentioned above will only be allowed domestic entry to Phuket under the conditions that they must:

– Have received 2 doses of the Sinovac, Sinopharm, or Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before arrival,

OR

– Have received the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine as the first dose and AstraZeneca as the second dose at least 14 days before arrival,

OR

– Have received 1 dose of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before arrival,

OR

– Have recovered from COVID-19 for less than 90 days,

AND

– Have received a negative test by an RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test no more than 72 hours from the test date.

Children and adolescents aged 6 to under 18 years who are unable to be vaccinated must have received a negative test by an RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test no more than 72 hours before arrival.

Students under 18 years old, who are unable to be vaccinated but need to commute in and out of Phuket for education, must have an identification card as proof. They are required to contact the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office for a COVID-19 test by an RT-PCR method. The certificate for the test result can be used up to 1 month from the test date.

People with a valid appointment certificate for the 2^nd dose of inoculation in Phuket must have received a negative test by an RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen test no more than 72 hours before arrival.

Self-protective measures and distancing efforts

All travelers into Phuket must register their entry in advance via the website www.gophuget.com and be ready to show their registration to a disease control officer before entering Phuket.

Traveling by land transport through the Tha Chatchai checkpoint CANNOT be done during the hours of 23.00-04.00 Hrs., except for emergency only.

As usual, people are asked to continue abiding by the health and safety measures in place; such as wearing a face mask at all times while outside of their residence, regularly washing hands with soap and water/cleaning alcohol, and avoiding unnecessary close contact with others.

TAT would like to remind all travellers to continue with D-M-H-T-T-A precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19: D – Distancing, M – Mask wearing, H – Handwashing, T – Temperature check, T – Testing for COVID-19, and A – alert application.

For regular updates on the tourism-related COVID-19 situation in Thailand, visit the TAT Newsroom via www.tatnews.org; Facebook (tatnews.org); and Twitter (Tatnews_Org).

For additional information and assistance relating to Thailand’s tourism, contact the TAT Contact Centre 1672 or Tourist Police 1155.