Fifty-nine wealthy foreign tourists arrived at the Sri Panwa Hotel on Sunday night in this southern island province and went into "villa quarantine"
On a chartered Garuda Airlines flight from Indonesia to Phuket International Airport, the first group of 13 arrived at about 8.20 pm.
Deputy Governor Pichet Panapong, Dr. Muanprae Boonlom, director of Patong Hospital, and officials of disease control welcomed them.
The second group, about two hours later, arrived on another chartered flight from Indonesia.
Mr. Pichet said the 59 tourists came from the United Kingdom, France, Finland, and the United States. In Indonesia, they had converged before proceeding on chartered flights to Phuket.
They are all staying at the Sri Panwa Hotel in the quarantine villa. Visitors have to stay in their accommodation for the first five days of their 14-day quarantine. After that, within the grounds of the hotel, they can use the facilities.
Their arrival marks the villa's quarantine debut.
The tourists went via immigration and then customs before leaving the air terminal through Gate 1 on the arrival at Phuket airport.
They were taken from there to the X-Terminal building inside the airport complex for the screening of Covid-19, before heading to the hotel.