Bangkok, 03 August, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to provide an update on Phuket’s newest round of COVID-19 control measures, including the upgraded screening measures for domestic travel into the island and the tightened rules for business and activities prone to the spread of disease.
However, international arrivals under the “Phuket Sandbox” programme can still enter and exit Phuket per the existing rules and regulations. These latest measures are aimed at containing local COVID-19 transmission as authorities are working to ensure the health and safety of both the tourists and local people.
Phuket Provincial Order No. 4202/2564: Screening for domestic arrivals
This order takes effect from 3 to 16 August, 2021.
- People and drivers of all kinds of vehicles are banned from entering Phuket via the Tha Chatchai mainland gateway, by water via every marina and pier, and by domestic air travel via Phuket International Airport, except for;
- Medical emergency vehicles carrying patient and medical personnel, or volunteers;
- Vehicles transporting medical supplies;
- Vehicles transporting consumable goods, agricultural products, livestock, and animal feed;
- Vehicles transporting cooking gas fuel;
- Banking and finance vehicles;
- Logistics vehicles for post and newspapers;
- People with an international air ticket out of Phuket on the actual date of travelling only;
- Personnel officially assigned in charge of communicable disease control;
- Any government officials with the necessity to travel to and from Phuket;
- People who are required to appear in courts;
- Vehicles transporting construction materials, for emergency projects of government agencies or state enterprises only;
- Any other cases with substantial reasons to enter Phuket, upon consideration of the officials at Phuket’s checkpoints.
*People and vehicles mentioned above will only be allowed to enter Phuket under the conditions that they must:
– Have received 2 doses of the Sinovac or Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before arrival,
OR
– Have received 1 dose of 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 before travelling.
- 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 2nd 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.
- All arrivals into Phuket must download and install the ‘Mor Chana’ application and turn on the share location function at all times.
- All arrivals into Phuket must be able to provide proof to the above-mentioned requirements to officials at the point of entry to Phuket.
- Travelling by land transport through the Tha Chatchai checkpoint CANNOT be done during the hours of 23.00-04.00 Hrs.
Phuket Provincial Order No. 4306/2564: COVID-19 Control Measures
This order takes effect from 3-16 August, 2021, and replaces the most recent Order No. 4203/2564 (30 July – 12 August, 2021).
Closure of businesses and venues prone to the spread of disease
- Extension of closure order for entertainment businesses and venues; such as, pubs, bars, karaoke, massage parlours, and bath venues;
- Extension of closure order for fighting cock/bull/fish venues, horse racetracks, and racetracks of all types;
- Snooker and billiard venues;
- Game stations, and games and Internet shops;
- Boxing stadiums, boxing gyms, and martial art gyms;
- Public and private swimming pools or other similar locations and all types of pools (SHA+ hotels are allowed to open their pools for guests only);
- Educational institutions of all types, except private schools where the number of attendees per class not exceed 5 people.,
Restrictions on the gatherings of people
- Gatherings of more than 50 people, except events organised by authorities
- Drinking liquor or alcoholic beverages in public areas, beaches, parks, playgrounds, roads along canals, roads around reservoirs, or public waterways.,
- Organising of parties, carnivals, housewarming and large celebrations except traditional ceremonies. which are unable to be postponed; such as, funeral ceremonies, ordination ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, religious days, or ceremonies.
Integrated control measures for businesses and venues prone to the spread of disease
- Department stores, shopping malls, community malls, convenience stores, and similar are allowed to open per normal hours, except for games machines and amusement parks;
- Restaurants and eateries are allowed to open per normal hours, and offer dine-in services without the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- Fresh markets, flea markets and walking streets can open under strict disease control measures, but must operate at only 1 customer per 4 square metres of the area capacity;
- Convenience stores can open from 04.00 – 23.00 Hrs. (must close from 23.00-04.00 Hrs.);
- Sports venues are allowed to open until 21.00 Hrs., but are not allowed to conduct any kind of sport with physical contact. Audiences and gatherings are also banned;
- All kinds of indoor sports venues, gyms, fitness centres, yoga centres, aerobic classes, and badminton clubs can open until 21.00 Hrs.
TAT would like to remind all travellers to continue with the 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.
