Phuket Checkpoints | Entry Restrictions until Sept 15.2021

[Sundance2020]

Phuket extends tight entry restrictions until September 15.2021

Tight entry restrictions to Phuket have been extended until at least for the next two weeks, according to a provincial order imposed yesterday. Domestic entry onto the island province by land, water, and air is prohibited, with the exception of essential vehicles, residents returning home, and travellers entering under the “Sandbox” scheme. Those allowed to enter Phuket under the exceptions must also be vaccinated against Covid-19. The main checkpoint is closed from 11:00 pm to 4:00 am. Entry during the nightly hours is only allowed if travel is essential. During the normal hours, checkpoint officers will determine entry on a case by case basis.So who is allowed to enter Phuket?

Essential and emergency vehicles

• Ambulance, patients that require emergency treatment, lifeguards, rescue,
• Transporting drugs and medical supplies
• Transporting consumer goods such as agricultural products livestock animal feed
• Transporting cooking gas
• Bank money transport – financial situation
• Transport parcels and publications
• Transportation of construction materials, spare parts, and machinery
• Ship freight to import and export goods at Leek Phuket Seaport, oil terminal port, PTT Phuket and other cargo groups
• Transport tools, equipment, raw materials, products and part of basic maintenance from telecommunications, energy automotive, aerospace, and other industries

Phuket residents
Those returning home must have their “blue book,” or other proof of their residential address in Phuket.

Those with permission from government and health officials
Those who have been ordered from the disease control officials and have duty to protect Phuket and those ordered by government agencies to travel for urgent missions are allowed to enter Phuket.

Sandbox and “7+7” Travellers
“Sandbox” and “7+7 extension” travellers along with their drivers are allowed to enter Phuket. The drivers must also show relevant documents at the checkpoint. The “7+7” island hop scheme connects reopening projects in seven destinations.

Those with vaccine appointments or court hearings
Those with appointments with courts or for a second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine are allowed to enter Phuket. Those with court hearings or appointments can only enter if it is an urgent case and proof that missing an appointment could lead to consequences must be presented to checkpoint officers. People who have appointments to get the second shot of vaccine in Phuket will need to show a document with proof of their appointment in Phuket. These travellers must be tested for Covid-19 through an antigen or PCR test at least an hour before entering the province.

Students
Students who need to enter Phuket for educational purposes must show ID card to checkpoint officers. For those under 18, who are not eligible for a vaccination, a Covid-19 test must be done before entering.

Requirements to enter Phuket

• Vaccinated against Covid-19
  Those who are entering Phuket domestically, unless under certain circumstances, must be vaccinated against Covid-19. The vaccinations recognised by Phuket health officials include Sinovac, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. The last dose of the vaccine must have been administered at least 14 days before arrival. Those who have recovered from Covid symptoms within 90 days before arrival do not need to be vaccinated.
• Test Negative for Covid-19
  A Covid-19 test must be done before entering Phuket, either by the antigen test or the PCR method. The negative result must be presented to checkpoint officers.
• Registration
  Travellers entering Phuket must to register through www.gophuget.com and show QR code to checkpoint officers before entering Phuket
• Advance Accommodation Booking
  Those who visit Phuket as a tourist must show proof of hotel reservation with payment made in advance. If staying more than seven days, the traveller must be tested for Covid-19.
• Weekly Covid-19 testing for “7+7 extension” Travellers
  Travellers and others involved in the island hop “7 + 7 extension” project to the “Sandbox” must undergo an antigen Covid-19 test every week. Travellers a required to be fully vaccinated to enter Thailand under the “Sandbox” scheme. Boat captains, guides, and others involved in the extension project must also be vaccinated.
• Covid-19 Testing before arrival for Children and Teenagers
  Children and teenagers younger than 18 must undergo a Covid-19 test at least an hour before arrival.

[Nerd]

Phuket entry rules relaxed to allow residents to exit and return

A slight modification to the rules for entering and exiting Phuket will now allow people who live or work in Phuket to exit and re-enter the island more freely. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong explained that a special permission letter that was previously required in order to leave Phuket and gain re-entry after would no longer be needed.

With strict rules on who can enter and exit the island in order to attempt to keep the Phuket Sandbox as safe from Covid-19 infection as possible, a permission letter was previously required to be signed by an administrative officer for those wishing to leave and come back. Now the Vice Governor confirms there is no need for that paper.

Workers in Phuket will still be required to show documentation such as an employee card to confirm their work. Residents will need to show an ID card with their Phuket address or other documents that show their connection to Phuket under the new rules. The Vice Governor mentioned rental contracts or house registration documents as an example.

The exception to the rules comes as a relief as the latest Provincial provincial order continues to prohibit the majority of travel on and off the island, but now local residents will be able to leave the island if necessary and not be stranded away from home later.

But even for those with exemptions, strict Covid-19 rules apply and anyone entering the island must be fully vaccinated with two doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm, or one of those plus one AstraZeneca shot. One vaccine is permitted if it is Pfizer, Modena, or Johnson & Johnson. All vaccinations must be at least 2 weeks before arrival.

And the rules require everyone entering Phuket must have a recent negative test using an RT-PCR or antigen test done within 72 hours before arrival. The test must be administered by medical professionals and home test kits are prohibited.

Those who have had Covid-19 and been discharged from medical care within the last 3 months before arrival will be exempted.

[Sundance2020]

Phuket plans new screening measures for visitors, effective September 08.2021

Phuket is planning new screening measures for visitors starting Wednesday. The Phuket communicable disease committee announced the measures yesterday, which will require visitors who wish to see the island to provide evidence of where they are staying in Phuket with payment made in advance. Visitors will also be required to register through this website and show a QR code to officials at screening points. The measures will be enforced from Wednesday until September 14. 2021

The officials say there will be exceptions for public health professionals who work in Phuket, and patients who need medical treatment on the island. The Nation Thailand says that patients must show evidence of a doctor’s appointment and the patient must have been vaccinated with the required doses for at least 14 days, or the patient must have recovered from Covid within 90 days. Patients will still need to show a Covid test from an RT-PCR or antigen test within 72 hours of arrival.

Earlier today, the Thaiger wrote how the private sector is seeking a full reopening for the island by December 1 in order for the province to stay financially afloat. The island continues to see other woes as hospital beds are almost completely full. Last month, travellers from the UK opted to cancel their reservations and cut their trips short when the UK added Thailand to its “red list“.

[Sundance2020]

Phuket plans to set up 10 more Isolation Centres

The escalating Covid situation in Phuket has prompted officials to establish 10 more isolation centres. Phuket’s governor, Narong Woonsiew said yesterday that the rise in infections mirrors the Covid situation in Bangkok 2 months ago. Phuket has been averaging 200+ Covid cases a day for the past 13 days (between 206 and 258 new daily infections), which “represents a serious concern to residents that hospitals will be overwhelmed”, according to the Governor.

Earlier this week we wrote how 81% of the hospital beds on Phuket are now currently occupied with Covid-related cases. The governor says that there are around 300 infected people who are waiting to be admitted to a hospital, with that number is only expected to go up.

Governor Narong says he has given orders to local officials and community leaders to establish community isolation centres in every sub-district… a total of 10. The centres will serve to house asymptomatic cases and keep them segregated from their families and communities to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

8 hotels in Thalang and Muang will be converted into isolation centres and 2 more will be set up in Kathu. Health officials also plan to speed up the administration booster shots to residents and migrant workers.

The move to set up new isolation centres also mirrors Bangkok’s move 2 months prior when the capital set up 53 community isolation centres. Recently, there was a Phuket Provincial Hall meeting chaired by 3 advisors to Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow to discuss crucial issues currently affecting the island.

[Sundance2020]

Phuket relaxes checkpoint requirements to help tourists and health officials

Phuket is looking to bring in more domestic tourists and reduce the workload for healthcare officials who have to screen visitors, by reworking their health surveillance measures, says the provincial office. The measures are focused on the Chatchai checkpoint. Yesterday, Provincial governor Narong Woonciew announced that over 30,000 people have visited Phuket via the Sandbox programme that was launched 2 months prior. The Bangkok Post notes that the approach of the high tourism season that goes from November to February means many domestic tourists should arrive in Phuket soon.

This fast-approaching season has driven officials to modify public health measures in place at the Chatchai road checkpoint, a location that sees a good deal of traffic going in and out of Phuket. As many as 700 to 800 people go through the checkpoint a day. This has resulted in a heavy workload for health officials who must balance their duties taking care of Covid patients with testing incoming visitors.

Narong says visitors can now get tested at specific medical outlets in their provinces and then give their results to officials at the Chatchai checkpoint, rather than doing a swab test on the spot. Concurrently, Phuket plans to vaccinate 200,000 people with booster doses that use injections that go under the skin, sometime this month. Narong went on to say that the reason cases haven’t decreased in Phuket is because they continue to perform mass-testing in the province.

“We will be doing mass testing for a while longer because we want to tackle the spread of the virus”.

He adds that they hope to bring down the case numbers before October, or in 4 days. Narong continued on to say that there are now plenty of beds for patients who have limited symptoms and that patients will receive satisfactory medical attention if they get sick while vacationing in Phuket. Phuket residents can book an appointment to get their booster shot until the end of the month.

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