PHUKET:–
Phuket International Airport officially re-opened at Midnight last night following an order issued late yesterday by Dr. Chula Sukmanop, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).
CAAT released an official order not long after the announcement, which was several days earlier than was previously rumored.
Due to the surprise re-opening, it is unlikely many scheduled flights will be arriving anytime soon. It is expected part of the reason for the early re-opening is to allow staff to fully prepare the entire airport for arrivals and get back to regular work.
The Pattaya News notes that all International inbound flights are still banned by the CAAT except for repatriation flights for Thai Nationals and a few minor exceptions, like medical flights or cargo. The re-opening at this time would be primarily domestic. Additionally, it is suggested to check with the province you are coming from as despite having no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in 20 days, as of today, the province remains a “red zone” based on Thailand’s system of not dropping the status of a red zone until they have gone 28 days without a single new confirmed locally spread case of the virus.
Some provinces, as a result, are requiring a fourteen day quarantine when arriving from Phuket. Phuket officials, however, confirmed they are not requiring quarantines for any internal domestic travelers coming to the island, but it is still best to double check before traveling due to mixed feedback from visitors and some officials.