The Phuket Sandbox model makes safe travel to the favourite destination easier
Thailand is gradually reopening for international travellers. In Phuket a "Sandbox" model is now in place and enables fully vaccinated tourists to visit the city without quarantining. The scheme has clear guidelines for visitors to follow before and during their stay.
The Sandbox model enables fully vaccinated travellers to come to Phuket but requires them to remain in the Phuket area for the entire stay, or in some cases the first 7 or 14 days. The idea is to create a travel bubble that will keep both visitors and locals safe.
To be able to travel you must apply for a travel permit (Certificate of Entry) and wait for your application results. There are clear regulations that travellers must commit to. Pre-arrival the travellers must check that they are coming from a country that is approved by Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and have stayed there for a minimum of 21 days. You must also have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months.
A booked and purchased return flight and accommodation for the duration of the trip are required. The accommodation for the first 15 days must be in a health and safety approved SHA Plus-certified hotel of which there are over 500 in Phuket. To keep the travel bubble intact the flights to Phuket must be direct, although there might be a possibility for transiting via Bangkok soon.
You must also book and pay for RT-PCR tests (done on day 6–7 and on day 12–13 depending on the duration of your stay) and purchase a medical insurance to cover potential Covid-19 treatment. Before you travel you must also receive a negative test result, that is no older than 72 hours.
7+7 extension makes travel to other destinations possible
When travelling you should keep all relevant documentation in English with you. Upon arrival all travellers will go through health screening including a Covid-19-test before proceeding to their hotel with prearranged transfer to wait for test results. The results should be available within the first day.
If you test negative you are free to start your holiday in Phuket, keeping in mind all relevant safety precautions, including distancing and mask wearing. There is also a list of Safety and Health approved tour and transport operators as well as restaurants that are recommended, but travellers can choose freely which businesses to use.
If you wish to visit other destinations in Thailand, you must complete a 14-day visit to Phuket first and complete the required series of RT-PCR tests. However, the new 7+7 extension enables travellers to visit certain destinations for 7 days, after only 7 days spent in Phuket. The extension areas are in Krabi, Phang-Nga, and Surat Thani.
Make sure that you check all travel requirements before booking, as they are subject to change. The updates can be found on https://www.tatnews.org/
Fly to Phuket with Finnair
Finnair operates direct flights to Phuket from Helsinki:
- 1st–5th of November 2021, Friday and Saturday
- 6th December 2021 – 20th of March 2022, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
- 21st–27th of March 2022, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Finnair operates direct flights to Phuket from Stockholm:
- 18th–31st of October 2021, Sundays
- 1st—28th of November 2021, Thursdays and Sundays
- 29th of November 2021—17th of April 2022, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays
- 18th—24th of April 2022, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Book your flights here.