UPDATE: Phuket extends current Covid restrictions from June 1 “until further notice”

UPDATE: Today’s planned vaccination of foreign staff and teachers at Phuket Headstart International School was cancelled last night at 9pm without explanation. Also information about kids travelling to Phuket with parent from July 1 HERE.

ORIGINAL STORY: On one hand Phuket officials are extending restrictions to control the Covid situation, and on the other hand the TAT is talking up the July reopening of the southern Thai island. On Friday the CCSA and PM gave permission for the island’s “no quarantine” reopening to go ahead. The plan has not yet been included in the Royal Gazette.

But, as the Thai government and local hospitality providers start to get ready for the much-needed arrival of world travellers, Phuket’s Governor has signed an extension to the current restrictions from June 1 “until further notice”. But he’s also announced the relaxation of some of the restrictions.

The announcement of an extension of the restrictions is also accompanied by some relaxation of the current stringent regulations. We can expect further relaxation over the next 4 weeks approaching the July 1 deadline to reopen to international travel. Here are some of the relaxtions announced by Phuket Provincial office on Friday…

• Spa business establishments, massage businesses for health or beauty
• Venues for providing tattoos or piercing any parts of the body
• Venues for fortune telling or other similar activities
• Amulet sales
• Venues where customers can fish for shrimp or fish
• Scuba diving businesses, including tourism-related businesses, as well as businesses that operate snorkelling activities
• Walking street markets, flea markets, retail stores, wholesaler venues, community malls and markets may open but the consumption of liquor or alcoholic beverages at the venues remains prohibited
• All private nurseries and kindergartens may reopen
• Food or beverage shops that allow customers to consume food or beverages at the venue may reopen within their normal permitted hours
• Stadiums or venues for outdoor exercise, such as parks, courtyards and open-air public activity areas, may open but there must be no spectators or congregation
• Venues for indoor exercise, such as sports courts, gymnasiums, fitness centres, badminton courts are allowed to reopen
• Golf courses or golf driving ranges are allowed to reopen without crowds or competitions
• Beauty clinics, centres, salons or places that provide specialised services for beauty treatments, including nail salons and venues selling slimming products may reopen
• Beauty salons, hair cutting and styling shops for men and women can open but only for hair cutting and hairdressing activities
• Pet care and grooming venues can reopen.

(SOURCE: The Phuket News)

For people older than 5 years old, you will need to be fully vaccinated, or have recovered from a bout of Covid-19 (but no more than 90 days). Or you will have to produce a Covid-free test from a PCR or Rapid Test. Those tests will need to be no more than 7 days old.. Or will need to do a full 14 day quarantine.

Everyone is required to have the Mor Chana or Thailand Plus application tracking apps on their phone during this time .

With a month left to the official reopening of Phuket (it’s technically been ‘open’ already but with restrictions, insurance requirements and red-tape to sort through) the island of Phuket has much to sort out…

• There are restrictions on opening and closing times for shops, shopping centres and convenience stores. Cinemas and gyms are also closed at this time (full list below)

• Groups of people gathering (more than 30) is still not permitted. Recently, the provincial government has tightened that restriction to stop people inviting friends around to their homes for ‘gatherings’, specifically aimed at foreigners after a few highly publicised raids on private homes and private businesses. Specifically ‘no parties’

• Alcohol cannot be served in restaurants and bars are closed

• Restrictions remain for people arriving on the island, by road, air or sea

• Officials have maintained that 70% of the local population must be vaccinated before the reopening but only around 25% have been fully vaccinated whilst the flow of vaccines promised for the island appear to have been diverted to current ‘hot spots’ (Bangkok) at this time

• Expats and other foreigners on the island still have no concrete measures to register for a vaccine and private hospitals are still being refused permission to import vaccines-for-sale

• Specific details and restrictions, if any, are still not clear about people arriving in Phuket post-July 1.

Here are the restrictions that were in place until the ned of May, but set to be modified (loosening some restrictions) from tomorrow…

SOURCE: FRB