Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing protocols for travel into what is being called the "Phuket Sandbox". This is the current initiative which is providing, basically you don't have to quarantine for as long by going into "Phuket Sandbox" but you have to remain on Phuket Island for 14 days; that is basically the gist of it. Currently, in Thailand everyone is required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival including Thai Nationals and the "Phuket Sandbox" mitigates this in a sense; it doesn't require one to be cooped up in a room for 14 days straight. Presently, travel inbound to any other place in Thailand for example Bangkok or Chiang Mai, yeah you are going to still have to go ahead and do quarantine but for Phuket they have created this, and I am sure regular viewers know exactly what I am talking about, but for anybody who is coming on to this video sort of cold or new, they have instituted a “Phuket Sandbox”. 

A recent article from the Phuket News, that is thephuketnews.com, the article is titled: Phuket Officials issue New Order for "Sandbox" Tourist Arrivals From July 1. "Phuket officials have issued a comprehensive provincial order including all of the key requirements and conditions for international tourists entering the province from July 1st." So to be clear, this is the issued order, this is what we are looking at, this is what we are going to be dealing with. There is a lot in here. I urge those folks to go to the Phuket News' website directly and read this article. There is lots of information in here. I am just talking about the bare bones if you will, the skeletal protocols, requirements associated with getting in. Now things like your travel plans thereafter in Phuket or rules regarding your stay in Phuket etc. there is a lot of information in this article. We are trying to make other videos to provide some insight to those slightly more nuanced or detailed issues. We will keep folks updated on this channel as best we can but for now, this again this is the basics of what we are looking at. To be clear what we are quoting from here is the full order issued yesterday and this was published Saturday 26th, June 2021. It was publicly posted online yesterday in Thai and the full order in English is as follows and many thanks again to the Phuket News, this is really useful information for folks. Again if you are watching this video go to the Phuket News' website and check this out directly.

Support the Opening of Phuket "Sandbox" City Effective from July 1 2021 Onwards. So that is just the title of the order. 

"Article 1. Measures for Travelers Entering the Kingdom at Phuket International airport for foreigners and Thai people. Travelers must have the following qualifications and practices.

1. Must be a traveler from a low risk or medium risk country according to the criteria set by the Ministry of Public Health and Tourism Authority of Thailand. In case of traveling from other countries, must reside in the country specified above for at least 21 days before entering Phuket. 2. Must have a Certificate of Entry to the Kingdom, (that is COE), must be vaccinated as recognized in Thailand: two doses according to vaccine time at least 14 days before traveling and have document certifying vaccination (that is also known as a Vaccination Certificate or Vaccine Certificate, we have discussed that in other videos on this channel) Children under six years old can travel with their parents. Moving forward, number 4. Must have a Medical Certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID-19 is not detected by RTPCR method up to 72 hours prior to departure. If you have been infected you must receive two scheduled injections according to the type of vaccine at least 14 days prior. Must have an insurance policy in the amount of not less than 100,000 US dollars that covers healthcare and medical expenses or any other collateral expenses in case of COVID-19 infection throughout the traveler's stay in the Kingdom. As we have discussed in other videos, that is the so- called COVID insurance. Quoting further: "Must have a COVID-19 test by RTPCR method three times (now this is once you have gotten in the Sandbox", this is what the protocols are) a RTPCR method three times. The first time will be on the date of arrival in the Kingdom, Day 0 at Phuket airport, the tourist must stay in the hotel room for one night to wait for the results. (Now that is a key point here. I don't know a lot of people are understanding, I don't know if people think they just get out of the airport and they can wander around Phuket. No. It appears that one of the requirements is basically not unlike how one is shuttled here in Bangkok, they are put on a van usually to their hotel, their quarantine hotel. In Phuket, yes, the first night I think that is what it is going to look like and then you have got to wait for your results. Then the next day, once your results come in, you are free to roam about the island I guess.) The tourist is to receive notification of the results on the second day through the COVID-19 manager. The second time will be on day 6 and 7 at the hotel or by laboratory, outside lab, by the contracting hospital assigned to provide COVID test services to the hotel where the tourist is staying. The third test will be on day 12 through 13 at the hotel, residence or laboratory, outdoor lab by the contracting hospital. Okay. Further. "Must stay at a hotel than has received SHA Plus certification in Phuket for a period of 14 nights before being allowed to travel outside of Phuket to travel in other provinces. In case of staying less than 14 nights, must travel outside the Kingdom only. (So you can leave again if you don't stay the full 14 nights but you can't leave the province and go to another province in Thailand.) Travelers can travel in Phuket and carry out tourism activities and visit services establishments that have received SHA plus standards under the DMHTTA measures. We are doing another video contemporaneously after I get done with this one but just to be clear what that DMHTTA stands for: Distancing Mask Wearing, Hand Washing, Temperature Testing and Application, and by application they mean installing the tracking app. Finally number 10, being redundant here I guess a little bit, “install the Thailand Plus application and the Mor Chana tracing application”; it looks like you have to install both Thailand plus and Mor Chana “and allow the geographic coordinate system GPS to be tracked through the application throughout the period of stay in Thailand.”

So that is what things are looking like as far as the basic protocols for those coming in. It does look like this is going to be coming online July 1. We are making other videos contemporaneously with this one to try and keep you updated. We will try to keep you updated on this channel as the situation continues to evolve.