Koh Samui Sandbox: Transit in Bangkok and on-arrival testing experience

While it’s possible to fly non-stop from Singapore to Koh Samui on Bangkok Airways (PG962), this service only runs 3x per week (on Sunday, Monday and Thursday), and puts you in Koh Samui at 8.35 p.m. 

I figured that was a waste of the first day (although in retrospect, it didn’t make much of a difference given the time it took for our on-arrival test results to come out- see below), so I decided instead to leave Singapore early in the morning and reach Koh Samui around lunchtime.

✈ Sandbox Game: Flights
To Koh Samui	To Singapore
SQ706 Depart: 0715 Arrive: 0840	PG132 Depart: 1155 Arrive: 1310
PG5125 Depart: 1200 Arrive: 1330	SQ709 (VTL) Depart: 1540 Arrive: 1915

This Singapore Airlines/Bangkok Airways joint itinerary involved a 3 hour 20 minute transit in Bangkok- not ideal, but inevitable if you’re flying in from any country other than Singapore. Koh Samui’s tiny airport means it’s unable to accommodate any widebody aircraft (and many narrowbody ones too), so most international arrivals have to transit in Bangkok. 

Here’s what you can expect from the time you leave home till you’re set free in Koh Samui. 

Departing from Singapore

Upon checking in at Changi Airport (or wherever you’re originating from, really), you’ll be asked to present the following documents:

• Vaccination certificate
  • List of accepted vaccines found here
• Thailand Pass QR code
  • Apply here at least 7 days before departure
• Negative pre-departure PCR test result
  • Taken within 72 hours of departure, only nasal swabs accepted (i.e. saliva PCR tests not an option)
• Confirmation of prepayment for 2x RT-PCR tests
  • Contact the hotel to arrange this; a certificate will be issued upon payment (THB 2,200 per test, per person)
• Travel insurance certificate
  • With a minimum of US$50,000 coverage for COVID-19 medical expenses

It’s advisable to have physical printouts of all these documents, since some Sandbox travellers report that Thai officials can be picky about soft copies.

If you’re flying on a Singapore Airlines/Bangkok Airways itinerary, the two airlines interline so your bag can be checked all the way through. In any case, that has to happen, since you’re not allowed to claim your bag in Bangkok and then recheck it to Koh Samui (all your flights must be on a single itinerary). 

Before boarding your flight, you’ll receive a Thailand TM6 immigration form. You will clear immigration in Bangkok before heading on to Koh Samui, so be sure to fill this out on the plane.

Transiting in Bangkok

On arrival in Bangkok, you’ll be met at the aerobridge by someone holding a sign for the Koh Samui sandbox. Remember: international travellers transiting in Bangkok must take “sealed route” flights to Koh Samui, and it’s exactly what the name suggests. From the time we stepped off the plane to the time we were deposited in the boarding gate area, we were kept on a strict route away from everyone else. 

The first stop was a nearby row of socially-distanced chairs, where we filled out a Health and Quarantine undertaking form and showed officials our Thailand Pass QR code and confirmation of prepayment for 2x RT-PCR tests. 

These documents, along with our pre-departure PCR test certificate from Singapore and boarding pass to Koh Samui, were inspected at a Thailand Pass checkpoint. Interestingly enough, no one asked to see my travel insurance certificate (but I guess the Thailand Pass application captures that information already). 

The next stop was immigration, where you get to use the fast track lane (I suppose they’re trying to whisk you through the airport as quickly as possible and minimise contact with other passengers, which makes sense).

And finally, you’ll reach boarding gate D4, where you’ll clear security and wait until your flight to Koh Samui departs. 

In case you were wondering: no, you’re not allowed to visit any lounge while transiting in Bangkok (at least on the inbound leg to Koh Samui). It doesn’t matter if you’re a Business Class passenger or a Priority Pass member; everyone gets escorted straight to the boarding gate to wait. 

So what can you look forward to while waiting?

Food & Beverage

Don’t expect table service and fine linen here. F&B comes in the form of two vending machines, both of which accept credit cards (Mastercard & Visa) or Thai QR payment, as well as bank notes and coins. 

Given how most airports are in the habit of price gouging, the cost was very reasonable indeed. Some indicative pricing:

• 500ml bottled water: 35 THB
• Instant noodles: 41 THB
• 500ml Coca Cola: 45 THB
• Kit Kat: 50 THB
• Pringles: 54 THB
• M&Ms: 55 THB
• Espresso Illy: 60 THB
• Cafe Latte: 66 THB
• Cashew nuts: 84 THB

A hot water dispenser is available for you to cook your noodles. 

A drinking fountain and water bottle refiller are also available. 

Power outlets

There’s two tables for charging personal electronic devices, each with Type B sockets- don’t forget your travel adapter. No USB charging ports are available. 

Wi-Fi

Complimentary Wi-Fi is available via the Free Airport Wi-Fi by NT network. The login portal prompts you for a name and mobile number, but you can enter WirelessMcWiFiFace and 420696969 and you’ll get access nonetheless (there’s no OTP required).

One minor annoyance is that you’ll need to reconnect every hour by watching a short advertisement. It’s 30 seconds in duration, but a button appears to skip it after 5 seconds. 

Wi-Fi speeds clocked in at an impressive 44 Mbps down and 52 Mbps up. 

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are located within the boarding area. The men’s bathroom had two urinals and Western-style toilets (no bidet hose), and was kept clean the whole time I was there. 

That’s basically it. I hope you have a book or some movies to watch, because never have three hours of my life passed so slowly. 

But eventually boarding will be called, and since sealed flights are operated by smaller turboprop ATR 72s, you’ll take a bus to the plane on the tarmac. 

There isn’t an awful lot of social distancing on the bus, but hey, you’re all going to be in a pressurised metal tube soon anyway. 

On arrival in Koh Samui

Upon landing in Koh Samui, enjoy the short tram ride to the open-air terminal. Passengers then line up to go through a temperature screening machine…

…and then to have their passport, Thailand Pass and boarding pass inspected. 

There’s no need to clear immigration here, because you’ll already have done it in Bangkok. The next step is to reclaim your bags at the baggage carousel. 

You can also purchase SIM cards here, with reasonable tariffs. All three mobile network operators (dtac, AIS, true) provide the same options:

• Unlimited calls & internet (7 days): 299 THB
• Unlimited calls & internet (30 days): 399 THB

The last stop before heading to the hotel is to do your on-arrival PCR test (there’s a second one waiting for you on Day 5-6, see below). You’ll have paid for this before coming to Thailand, so all you need to do is show your passport and get issued a swab vial. 

There’s a total of three swab stations, and it doesn’t matter which one you use. I’d say they were fairly robust with the swabbing, though thankfully it’s single nostril only. 

And that’s it! Now all that’s left to do is head to your hotel and isolate until a negative result is received. You won’t be allowed to rent a car or take any ordinary taxi; transport for arriving Sandbox travellers must be arranged through the hotel, or an SHA+ approved transportation company. 

I arranged my transfer through the Conrad Koh Samui for 1,500 THB- which I suspect is really overpaying, since I see alternatives online starting from 850 THB. I was hoping they’d at least give us a nicer vehicle or something, but no dice. All the Sandbox transfer vehicles are the same minivans- comfortable, but a luxury ride it ain’t. 

Am I the only one who finds the setup a little…wayang? The main modification made to the vehicle was to put up a tarp between the passengers and driver (which wasn’t even properly secured in some areas). Besides, if the air-conditioning system is on, well…

Once we reached the hotel, we were immediately driven by buggy to our room, bypassing the check-in area. The host apologised for the rush, but said that under Thai law, she wasn’t allowed to stay in the room for more than five minutes. She also said that none of the staff were allowed to enter until we had received a negative result, which meant that all service items would be left at the door.

How long do on-arrival results take to come out?

Sandbox guests must stay in their room until they receive a negative on-arrival test result. 

I did my swab at 1.47 p.m, and was really hoping the results would be out by dinnertime. Unfortunately, I only got them the following morning at 8.27 a.m. 

It seems that Samui Airport batches its tests, which means there’s little to be gained by arriving earlier. From what I understand (and correct me if you have data points that say otherwise), all swab results for a given day are sent out to hotels by 9 a.m the following morning.

That means that even if I took PG962 and arrived at 8.35 p.m, I’d probably have got my results around the same time. There are far worse places to isolate than the Conrad Koh Samui, of course, but if you intend to choose more modest accommodation, you’re better off arriving later in the day. 

Day 5-6 PCR test

Under the terms of the Sandbox arrangement, travellers are required to do a second RT-PCR test on Day 5-6. As a reminder:

• If your flight arrives from 12.01 a.m to 6.00 p.m, the day of arrival counts as Day 1
• If your flight arrives from 6.01 p.m to 12.00 a.m, the day of arrival counts as Day 0.

Since I entered Thailand in the morning of 22 January 2022, Day 5-6 would be 26-27 January 2022. 

The Conrad Koh Samui partners with Koh Samui Hospital for its Day 5-6 testing. Testing hours are from 8.30 a.m to 4 p.m, though it’s advisable that you visit as early in the day as possible as queues build up quickly (no appointment bookings are accepted).

If you want to use the Day 5-6 test as your pre-departure test for travel back to Singapore,  your results certificate must have the following information:

• Full name
• Date of birth or passport number
• Negative COVID-19 test result
• Date and time the test was taken
• Name of testing institution 

Koh Samui Hospital can provide this for a 700 THB top-up per person (which, when added to the 2,200 THB you already paid prior to arrival, becomes 2,900 THB), and you’ll need to return to the hospital to collect the certificate. 

However, the hotel concierge advised me of a superior option: for a 600 THB top-up per person (i.e. 2,800 THB total), a third-party service called Three Medical Solution (I can’t find their website, but you can email them at samui-tms@airmadeagency.global) would come to the hotel, swab me in the room, and email a fit-to-fly certificate. Naturally, this was the option I chose.

We were swabbed in our villa at 9.30 a.m (they were late by about 30 minutes) and the results came via email at 8.30 p.m that evening. The swabbing process took less than 10 minutes. 

Unlike the revised Test & Go scheme, there is no need to isolate after your Day 5-6 test. You can go on with regular activities. 

The email containing my results also included the following information about what to do if you tested positive (bad English inherent from source):

Conclusion

Travelling to Koh Samui isn’t nearly as frictionless as before, and that 3 hour layover in Bangkok was painful. But it’s hard to argue when you have views like this waiting at the end. 

Any questions about the Sandbox arrival or transit process?