COVID screening and tracking for Phuket yacht visitors

Thailand’s Marine Department launched measures in Phuket on Sunday (27th June) to screen travellers arriving and departing by water transport in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Foreign-flagged yachts planning to visit Thailand will be subjected to this process, which came about after the Cabinet approved the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)'s proposal to reopen Phuket on 1st July and three islands in Surat Thani – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao – on 15th July.

The measures, reported by yacht agent Asia Pacific Superyachts in Phuket and Koh Samui, are as follows:

• Three piers - Ao Chalong, Rassada and Ao Po - will be checkpoints for screening travellers' arrivals and departures via water transport
• Foreign travellers can leave Phuket by yacht at five yacht piers - Yacht Haven Marina, Ao Po Grand Marina, Phuket, Royal Phuket Marina and Marina Ao Chalong - but they must inform the officials at least six hours before departure
• Foreign travellers must comply with COVID-19 preventative measures, use a tracking application on their smartphone and vessel (if any) and contact officials before arrival and departure
• Thai nationals and foreign expats (except children aged below six years) who wish to enter Phuket must have received two jabs of COVID-19 vaccines, or an AstraZeneca jab, at least 15 days before travel, or must have recovered from COVID-19 at least 90 days before travel, or test negative not more than seven days before departure. Also, they must use a tracking application
• Transport operators and their officials must disinfect vessels regularly, provide hand-sanitising gels on the vessel, wear a face mask, arrange seats in line with social distancing principles and limit the number of passengers. If using air-conditioned vessels, they must improve the air ventilation system as well
• Pier operators must disinfect piers regularly, provide hand-sanitising gels, wear a face mask, and arrange seats in line with social distancing principles and screen officials and passengers' symptoms

Also, they must report information related to passengers' arrivals and departures to related government agencies every day. To ensure safety and gain confidence among travellers, officials have been instructed to perform duties stricter than usual, said deputy transport minister Athirat Rattanaset.

Foreign travellers must comply with COVID-19 prevention measures, use a tracking application on their smartphones and vessels (if any) and contact officials before arrival and departure.

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