It’s official, sort of. After months of kicking sand around debating if it will really happen, the Centre for Economic Situation Administration has officially approved the Phuket Sandbox plan, an important step forward.

A few key questions seem to be clarified in the announcement. This approval appears to state that transit via Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) WILL be permitted on your way to Phuket. This opens up more options for flights into Thailand. Also, travellers arriving in Phuket will need to stay a minimum of 2 weeks before travelling on to other parts of Thailand, doubling the original 7 days that had been expected.

Tourists will not be permitted to take excursions like Koh Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay day trips. In fact, the only option to leave the island within those 14 days is if they are flying out of Phuket airport.

The official rules of the Phuket Sandbox reopening state that international travellers must be vaccinated for at least 2 weeks before entering Thailand. But the vaccination can’t be more than 1 year old either. Passengers must be from a low-to-medium risk country. If all these conditions are met, the travellers will be permitted to enter Phuket without any quarantine or self-isolation.

During your 14 days you can travel anywhere on the island of Phuket, the largest island in Thailand (about the same size as Singapore).

Grand reopening hopes fade. As his company focuses on tourists from Asian countries, most of whom generally don't plan to stay for more than five days in Phuket, Mr Wichai said he hasn't seen any new bookings. Some golfers from Singapore had expressed interest in spending three days in Phuket, but that's it," he added