PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has confirmed that Phuket residents no longer need a special letter of permission in order to leave Phuket and then be allowed to return to the island.

The lifting of the requirement applies equally to Thai and foreign residents in Phuket, Vice Governor Pichet told The Phuket News today (Sept 2).


People who live or work in Phuket are listed among the exemptions in the latest provincial order defining who is prohibited from coming onto the island, which came into effect yesterday (Sept 1).



Under the order, all people who are allowed to enter Phuket must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by having received two doses of the Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccine, or one injection of the Sinovac vaccine and one injection of the AstraZeneca vaccine, or at least one injection of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before arriving.


They must also present results of an RT-PCR test or antigen test performed by a medical facility within 72 hours of arriving at the checkpoint to prove that they are not infected.

Alternatively, arrivals must have been discharged from medical care for recovering from COVID-19 no more than 90 days before arriving to re-enter the province.


Regarding local residents being allowed to re-enter Phuket, the latest order notes, “People who have been registered on a house registration document or work in the Phuket area on a regular basis (must have documents as proof).”




However, the order did not stipulate exactly which documents were needed for Phuket residents to be allowed back onto the island.


To that, Vice Governor Pichet told The Phuket News this afternoon, “People who are registered in Phuket with a Phuket address and people who work in Phuket are allowed to return to Phuket by presenting their ID card showing their Phuket address, employee card identifying where they work in Phuket, or other documents that shows the relationship between holder of the document present and Phuket.

“If they do not work here, they can present documents confirming where they are staying, such as rental contracts or similar papers,” he said.


Asked whether the permission letter signed by an administrative officer is needed, as previously required, Vice Governor Pichet confirmed, “There is no need to use it. People just need to present the documents as I have explained.”


The Tha Chatchai Police, who coordinate the officers on duty at the checkpoint, which remains closed from 11pm to 4am each night, have posted an announcement for any persons with queries about exiting or leaving Phuket to call them at 076-530258-9.

Special permission letter no longer needed for Phuket residents to re-enter the province