Lockdown continues as flights from dark red areas are prohibited

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A new announcement said all domestic airlines must cease operating all passenger flights departing from dark red areas, including Bangkok and Pattaya, from July 21. The decree comes as Covid-19 infections continue to rise in Bangkok and surrounding provinces as daily Covid cases hit 5 digits and daily deaths hit triple digits, both for the first time. The restriction also limits the capacity of all domestic flights throughout Thailand.

An exception should be made for emergency landings, medical flights, as well as Phuket Sandbox and Samui + reopening flights, although details are unclear on how they will work and whether they will work in the city. both ways as expected.

Domestic flights will be capped at 50% occupancy to allow social distancing for the safety of Covid-19. This applies to all flights outside of the dark red zones, which moved from the original 10 provinces which include Bangkok and its 5 surrounding provinces and another 4 in the Deep South to now add 7 more provinces to the list yesterday and Ayutthaya today.

Bangkok Airways is suspected of starting to cancel flights following the new restriction. Others may follow suit as they struggle to afford the cost and burden of operating one-way flights as they are allowed to fly in dark red areas but not exit them. Essentially, they’ll have to fly back and forth with a completely empty leg in order to have planes available for the next departing flights, creating a huge financial drain on an already struggling industry.

It is currently unclear whether VietJet, operating as an international airline, might be able to bypass the restriction that would be placed on domestic airlines and continue to operate flights outside of the dark red areas.

The ramifications of how the new rule will affect the Phuket Sandbox and Samui + international reopening programs, but travelers who have completed their 14-day soft quarantine on arrival may find it difficult to get to the rest of the country by the following.

Public buses from Bangkok to the south have already suspended their services, but some sort of ground transportation may be the only way to get around the country in the coming weeks, though authorities are asking people to refrain from traveling for non-essential reasons.

The provinces of the dark red zone directly affected by the new regulations are:

  • ORIGINAL 10 PROVINCES
    • BANGKOK AREA
      • Bangkok
      • Nakhon Pathom
      • Nonthaburi
      • Pathum Thani
      • Samut Prakan
      • Samut Sakhon
    • DEEP SOUTH
      • Narathiwat
      • Songkhla
      • Pattani
      • Yalla
  • NEWLY ADDED DARK RED ZONES
    • IS A
      • Surin
      • Ubon Ratchathani
      • Udon thani
    • EASTERN THALAND
      • Chonburi
      • Chachoengsao
      • Rayong
    • WESTERN AND CENTRAL THALAND
      • Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
      • Ratchaburi

For more information on Covid-19 insurance for Thai residents, CLICK HERE.

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