First post-lockdown tourists land at Phuket airport - Phuket News

First post-lockdown tourists land at Phuket airport

PHUKET: The first international tourists to land at Phuket International Airport since the COVID-19 lockdown began eight months ago, arrived in Phuket today (Dec 18).

Without any fanfare before the historic event, the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) announced the news with a Facebook post at 5:49pm this evening with the headline "Ministry of Foreign Affairs Facilitates Qatar Airlines to Phuket".

The 30 passengers arrived on Qatar Airways Flight QR 978 direct from Doha, touching down in Phuket at 11:45am today, said the report.

The 30 passengers comprised 25 foreign tourists and five Thai nationals.

The report noted that the passengers arrived on a "regular flight" (scheduled) and that "all passengers entering the province will go through the quarantine process (ALQ)."

"Previously, the Phuket Passport Office under the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has facilitated the easing of visa measures for foreigners who wish to travel to Phuket to help stimulate and revitalise the Thai economy, especially in tourism, which has been affected by the COVID-19 crisis," the report said.

"There will be other commercial airlines flying directly to Phuket in the near future as well," the post concluded.