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.

SOURCE: The Phuket News