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Home  >  thailand  >  Thailand Restricts Domestic Flights As COVID-19 Cases Surge
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Thailand Restricts Domestic Flights As COVID-19 Cases Surge

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 22, 2021July 22, 2021 11 Comments

A new wave of COVID-19 hitting southeast Asia has prompted the suspension of most domestic flights in the Kingdom of Thailand. Vietnam is also restricting domestic flights.

Thailand Restricts Domestic Flights

In Thailand, less than 5% of residents are fully vaccinated. With the number of countrywide cases now exceeding 10,000 per day, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has restricted airlines from serving “dark red” COVID-19 hot zones. So called “dark red” zones are regions in which the daily new COVID-19 case count rises above 100.

That now includes:

  • Bangkok
  • Chachoengsao
  • Chonburi
  • Nakhon Pathom
  • Nonthaburi
  • Narathiwat
  • Pathum Thani
  • Pattani
  • Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
  • Songkhla
  • Samut Prakan
  • Samut Sakhon
  • Yala

Flights that do remain will be limited to 50% capacity.

There are exceptions to this flight ban, including:

  • Cargo flights
  • Vaccinated international traveler programs, including:
    • Phuket Sandbox
    • Samui Plus
  • Emergency landings
  • Technical stops with no passenger disembarkation permitted

The Samui Plus program involves vaccinated travelers arriving in Bangkok and transiting on “sealed” flights to Koh Samui (USM). While those flights will continue to operate, the number of booked hotel rooms is trending downward, with alarming signs for autumn.

The Phuket Sandbox program involves international flights directly to Phuket (HKT), currently a trio of Thai Airways flights and flights from Emirates, Singapore Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

Beyond those exceptions, the new restrictions effectively ground the vast majority of domestic flights. Thai Lion Air, Nok Air, and Thai VietJet Air have suspended all domestic flights through the end of July.

Vietnam Restricts Domestic Flights

Meanwhile, in Vietnam only 0.3% of the population is fully vaccinated. As cases rise (currently about 2,000 new cases per day), Vietnam has suspended domestic travel to its southern provinces.

Vietnam has also limited the number of available seats between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to 1,700 per day, which will represent a 56% drop from the same period in 2020 according to FlightGlobal.

Starting in September, only fully-vaccinated pilots will be allowed to operate flights in Vietnam.

CONCLUSION

Without widespread vaccinations, nations like Thailand and Vietnam are entering critical phases in their battle against COVID-19. As the more contagious Delta variant spreads, expect more shutdowns and border closures in the days ahead.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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11 Comments

  1. Paolo Reply
    July 22, 2021 at 8:07 am

    The very latest fiasco involves a doctor in a very famous ‘connected’ hospital threatening to throw out a media figure being treated as an inpatient for Covid, because he had criticised the military government’s handling of the crisis. Although the doctor has since been fired , this highlights the extent and nature of the problem: the current outbreak started via upscale pubs serving ‘hiso’ types, including cabinet members. They had continued to trade, with impunity, despite restrictions on gatherings. It’s now totally out of control, at least in Bangkok. Thailand could quite easily descend into complete chaos.
    At least they’ve been forced to abandon Sinovac in favour of AZ and potentially other vaccines. Hundreds of doctors and nurses were falling ill; many have died.
    The sandpit thing is just a PR exercise: it keeps a few people in jobs but it’s a drop in the ocean in the context of the national picture.

  2. Jan Reply
    July 22, 2021 at 9:06 am

    Yeah, no one should be planning a Southeast Asia trip until late 2022/2023. The whole region is a mess when it comes to handling the pandemic

  3. George Reply
    July 22, 2021 at 9:28 am

    I thought masks stopped the virus, and Asian countries had lots of mask wearing, so, that’s why they didn’t have ‘cases’ in 2020

    What happened, everyone in asia took off their masks during a pandemic?
    Or, maybe masks aren’t the holy grail the media makes them to be?

    • monopod Reply
      July 22, 2021 at 2:24 pm

      Delta variant happened.

  4. Batchcaloupe Reply
    July 22, 2021 at 11:20 am

    Thailand is a basket case due to gross incompetence and rampant corruption. They were smug last year when they weren’t hit hard. Predictably one of the higher up in the health ministry blamed dirty farangs who don’t shower much.

    Between the semi fascist out of his depth mr bean prime minister and the huge piece of shit king the country is suffering greatly. As usual it’s the most vulnerable that are hit the hardest.

    I have deep connections to Thailand and it’s sad and disgusting what has gone in there. I can only wish the powers got hurt and hurt badly….

  5. Paolo Reply
    July 23, 2021 at 3:12 am

    Now a crematorium at a major temple ( Wat Bang Namchon) had exploded after operating continuously trying to deal with Covid victims.

    • Batchcaloupe Reply
      July 23, 2021 at 6:39 am

      Got news for you paolo, many temples not burning bodies as there are too many. Deaths grossly under reported.

    • cargocult Reply
      July 23, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      Where did you see that the explosion was a result of overuse of the furnace?

      https://thepattayanews.com/2020/07/24/update-creamatorium-explosion-in-pattaya-likely-caused-due-to-gas-leak-say-investigators/

      People like you screamed that the truck plowing into the gay pride parade in Fort Lauderdale was an anti-LGBTQ terrorist attack when it was actually an accident with a member of a gay men’s chorus at the wheel.

      https://nypost.com/2021/06/20/pickup-truck-moments-after-deadly-florida-pride-parade-crash/

      Am I the only person on the interwebs who actually looks things up to try to find out the real story? Get your facts straight. I’m sure there is plenty to criticize the Thai authorities for without spreading falsehoods.

      • cargocult Reply
        July 23, 2021 at 1:09 pm

        @Matthew

        Apparently I was incorrect. You can delete these.

        https://thethaiger.com/?p=413353

        Where did you see that the explosion was a result of overuse of the furnace?

        https://thepattayanews.com/2020/07/24/update-creamatorium-explosion-in-pattaya-likely-caused-due-to-gas-leak-say-investigators/

        People like you screamed that the truck plowing into the gay pride parade in Fort Lauderdale was an anti-LGBTQ terrorist attack when it was actually an accident with a member of a gay men’s chorus at the wheel.

        https://nypost.com/2021/06/20/pickup-truck-moments-after-deadly-florida-pride-parade-crash/

        Am I the only person on the interwebs who actually looks things up to try to find out the real story? Get your facts straight. I’m sure there is plenty to criticize the Thai authorities for without spreading falsehoods.

      • Paolo Reply
        July 23, 2021 at 6:57 pm

        https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2153783/crematorium-needs-to-be-rebuilt-due-to-heavy-use
        You must be the only person on the planet to be apologising for the way the pandemic is being handled, other than those with a direct vested interest in doing so…
        I don’t recall making any comments at all about a truck crash at an LBLTG event ( in fact I never heard of it…)

        • cargocult Reply
          July 23, 2021 at 9:36 pm

          I am not apologizing for the way governments are handling the pandemic. I am apologizing for my error. I am honest enough to admit when I am wrong. Still, the crematorium we are discussing was already damaged and so to blame overuse from the pandemic is rather disingenuous. As for the truck running people over in Florida, my point was that people ascribe fault erroneously before knowing all the facts of a situation. I didn’t say you specifically jumped to this conclusion.

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