Bangkok, 12 June, 2020, at 18.00 Hrs. – The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has announced that Phuket International Airport will be allowed to resume operation from 00.01 Hrs. of 13 June as Thailand has seen improvement in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation including recording zero new local cases for over two consecutive weeks.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will provide further updates once we know which airlines will resume domestic flights to Phuket.
The CAAT’s latest relaxation has added Phuket to a list of airports that are authorised to handle domestic and international flights, which also include Chiang Mai, Don Mueang, Hat Yai, Hua Hin, Krabi, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, Samui, Surat Thani, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao.
However, the CAAT’s current ban on all international flights to Thailand remains in place until 30 June, 2020. The ban was in place from 00.01 Hrs. of 04 April, 2020, with the landings of state or military aircraft; emergency landing; technical landing without passenger disembarkation; humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights; repatriation flights, and cargo aircraft. The passengers on board the aforementioned exempted aircraft will be subject to the measures under the communicable disease law; such as, 14-day state quarantine, and the regulations under the Emergency Decree on the State of Emergency.
In addition to the aforementioned 11 airports that are allowed to operate for domestic and specially authorised international flights, a total of 25 airports up and down Thailand can also handle domestic flights during 06.00 – 20.00 Hrs. daily. These airports are Buri Ram, Chumphon, Khon Kaen, Lampang, Loei, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sot, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Pai, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Phrae, Ranong, Roi Et, Sakhon Nakhon, Sukhothai, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani.
Travellers are recommended to follow the COVID-19 control measures by airports and airlines as well as the provinces they are travelling to. Under the current ‘new normal’, travellers are reminded to continue to adhere to health and safety routines to protect themselves, as well as others from the COVID-19 infection. These include keeping social distancing, wearing a mask or cloth mask, and frequently washing hands.
