After state quarantine (ASQ) in Thailand, where to go? Koh Samui, Krabi, Phuket…
Good news! Right after leaving state quarantine (ASQ), you can go anywhere in Thailand.
Be aware that some regions are stricter than others, and currently (June 2021) they require a PCR test less than 72 hours old from those coming from red zones (Bangkok, where there are many Covid cases).
So if you go there on the very day you leave quarantine, and even if your PCR test is more than 72 hours old (since it was done on the 12th day of your quarantine), that’s not a problem, you can still go. The regions requiring this PCR test include, but are not limited to:
- Phuket
- Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan)
We were able to go to Koh Samui on the day we left quarantine. Even though they talk about isolation measures upon arrival in Koh Samui, in reality, there are none, at least not for those who have just come out of ASQ like us. So there was no quarantine after quarantine.
That said, rules and restrictions change from day to day, so you have to keep an eye on the news and ask your hotel for advice. Currently in Surat Thani, for example, you cannot swim in pools. Restaurants and beaches remain open.
ASQ – Koh Samui
At the airport entrance, a thermal camera takes our temperature and we are given a red sticker to stick on our chest to prove we don’t have an abnormal temperature.
Check-in is very quick, just showing our quarantine certificate obtained on the day we left.
We have to fill out a form on our phone to generate a QR code that we will have to present upon arrival in Koh Samui (NB: don’t come to Thailand without a smartphone!). This form doesn’t accept the name of our hotel. So we just select “stopover” and there will be no hotel name to enter (that’s what we were advised).
Before boarding the plane, another temperature check with a system we discover for the first time: simply pass your hand in front of a sensor to see your temperature instantly. Very convenient!
The flight lasts only an hour, it is almost full. Roughly, we must be a third Westerners, most of whom, like us, are just out of quarantine. Koh Samui airport is tiny and cute, it reminds me a bit of Easter Island airport. A little train, like those used in city tours, picks us up right at the bottom of the plane steps.
New health check:
- temperature taken again
- QR code presentation
- paper form given to us to fill out (the “certificate of necessity”)
- quarantine certificate (given by the hotel on the morning of our departure)
- most recent negative PCR test (given by the hotel on the morning of our departure), which is more than 72 hours old (exactly 75 hours) but accepted anyway
Some travelers are only in transit and will take the boat to Koh Phangan (which we really enjoyed and we don’t rule out joining in the coming weeks)
We show our documents to an officer, we pick up our luggage and this time, WE ARE HERE!
- Vlore –> Tirana –> Belgrade –> Paris –> Amsterdam –> Bangkok –> Koh Samui
- 5 PCR tests
- 15 days of quarantine
It took some motivation to reach our new home for a few months!
We easily find a shuttle to get to the hotel we booked for a week (250 baht/person). The rest of our adventure in Koh Samui, is right here
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