Phuket Sandbox Guide

              After the Thai government has confirmed that The Country’s reopening Plan will go on despite the increased number of COVID 19 cases around the country, additional details on a how the travelers’ journey will be like when visiting Phuket under the Sandbox Program has been announced.

Who is Eligible to travel under the Phuket Sandbox Program?

• Starting from 1^st October 2021, Thailand warm welcome all of the travelers around the world without level of Covid-19 risk countries and have to staying at state quarantine only 7^th days before travel to another region of Thailand .
• Travelers will have to be vaccinated 14 days to 1 year before the date of arrival. The vaccine type has to be accepted by either the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand or the WHO (World Health Organization).
• For children under 6 years old and traveling with their parents, they will not need to present a vaccine certificate upon arrival.
• For children and teenagers aged between 6 and 18 years old (under 18), they will need to undergo a Rapid Antigen test upon arrival at Phuket International Airport at their own expense.
• People traveling by air or sea are eligible for Phuket Sandbox.

What happens when you arrive at Phuket and during Your Stay?

Before traveling, travelers must have the documents below ready to be able to travel:

• Negative PCR test result within 72 hours before departure
• Insurance covering at least 100,000 USD against COVID-19 treatment expenses
• Vaccination proof
• SHABA confirmation letter with QR code from a SHA Plus hotel
• COE (Certificate of Entry)
• Visa (if required)

Below is a sample of what a SHABA confirmation receipt from a SHA Plus hotel looks like:

Click Here to Download our Free Phuket Sandbox Documents Checklist.

Upon arrival at Phuket International Airport

The AOT (Airports of Thailand), took clear photos that clarify how the international arrival process to Phuket will be like. The photos below explains the whole process:

After finishing this entire process as explained in the photos above, including downloading and activating the Thailand Plus mobile application, you will be allowed to go to your hotel (with SHA Plus certificate). Transfer from Phuket International Airport to the hotel must be operated by a SHA Plus approved tour/ bus operator

During your stay

Required COVID-19 tests:

Guests will undergo a maximum of 2 COVID-19 tests during their stay (depends on duration of stay). The first test will be conducted at the airport upon arrival as mentioned above, the second test will be conducted on day 6.

Activities and Sightseeing during the stay

Guests are allowed to do activities and tours only with a SHA certified tour operator. (All tours must be inside Phuket province). When traveling within Phuket, guests must behave in accordance to the standards of DMHTT (Distancing – Mask Wearing – Hand Washing – Testing – Thailand Plus). Phuket has also eased and unlocked restrictions on 10 different tourism related activities. So tourists can enjoy experiencing them during their stay.

Requirements during and after the Stay

1. Tourists must report daily on the Thailand Plus mobile application.
2. The owner of the hotel has to report the guest’s names to immigration during their stay at the property.
3. Guests must stay at least 14 nights in Phuket before traveling to any other province around the country. They will need to do a RT PCR test 72 hours prior to departure. In addition, they must present with the COVID-19 vaccination certificate to the checking point at this destination.
4. Tourists are allowed to stay less than 7 nights in Phuket and travel back to their home country or any other country of their choosing. However, they are not allowed to travel to another province in Thailand before finishing the 7 nights in Phuket.

Phuket’s Target & Preparations for Sandbox

Opening Phuket under the Sandbox project is planned based on the 4Ts model. This 4Ts model is designed to make sure that the island is well prepared to receive international tourists with no risk. (4Ts model: Targeted Segment – Testing Protocol – Tracing Application – Treating Capacity).

Testing Protocol

To enter Phuket from October forward, the below Testing rules will be applied:

A) International Travelers:

• Vaccinated adult (over 18 years), will need a RT PCR test on day 1 and day 6 during stay.
• Non vaccinated adult (over 18 Years), will need to stay at ALQ (Alternative Local Quarantine) hotel for 7 days.
• Youth aged between 6 and 18 years, will need to undergo a Rapid Antigen test at Phuket International Airport upon arrival at his/her own expense.
• Children under 6 years, can enter Phuket with their parents without the need for tests.

B) Domestic Travelers:

• Vaccinated adult (over 18 years), can enter Phuket without the need for any tests.
• Non vaccinated adult (over 18 years), will need to do a Rapid Antigen test at the check point at his/her own expense.
• Youth aged between 6 and 18 years, will need to do a Rapid Antigen test at Phuket International Airport upon arrival at his own expense.
• Children under 6 years, can enter Phuket with their parents without the need for tests.

Tracing Application

(Thailand Plus Application)

All travelers must download and activate the Thailand Plus application on their phones. This Application will keep you updated on your current situation by changing the QR code color that appears on the App. Green means safe, yellow means low risk and red means high risk. The application will be able to track whether during your journey you have been in contact with a COVID-19 patient or not. In case you have been in contact, then you will receive a message on the application recommending you to be investigated and be tested by a surveillance Rapid Response team as soon as possible.

Treating Capacity

The island is well prepared for receiving patients in case of any COVID-19 infections. Total of 9 hospitals are operational, 5 public hospitals and 4 private hospitals with a total of: 20 beds for ICU (Intensive Care Units), 40 beds at cohort wards, 300 beds in field hospitals, 120 beds for hospitals, and 500 beds for local quarantine centers.

The risk of infection should be very low during operation of the Phuket Sandbox project for multiple reasons. Firstly, all international arrivals will either be vaccinated or in quarantine. Secondly, most of Phuket’s population should be vaccinated by that time and herd immunity should have been achieved.

Thank you for the detailed information from: Royalvacationdmc.com