Bus services to and from Phuket were initially set for relaunch on June 1, but were suspended again on Tuesday last week (May 26).
“Bus services to all previous destinations will be available from Friday (June 5),” Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Banyat Kantha has now told The Phuket News.
“We are just waiting to confirm three provinces, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala,” he added.
Chop Puttasupa, chief of Phuket Bus Terminal 2, explained that services will be limited on Friday.
“We expect about 20% of the full regular schedule to begin on Friday. We are still waiting on bus services to be confirmed by bus operators, as they were informed about the reopening only on Monday,” Mr Chop said.
On Friday two buses will depart Phuket for Ranong, two buses will depart Phuket for Nakhon Sri Thammarat, two buses will depart Phuket for Hat Yai, and one bus will depart Phuket for Samui, Mr Chop confirmed.
At this stage, the first buses to Bangkok will depart on Saturday (Jun 6), when three buses will depart Phuket for the capital.
“There will be more, we are just waiting on the operators to confirm,” Mr Chop assured.
“The full timetable is still being finalised,” he noted, adding that he expected the timetable to be finalised tomorrow (June 4).
“People can confirm any information [about bus services] by calling 076-373193,” he said.
Phuket transport chief Mr Banyat reminded travellers to plan their journeys to ensure they do not violate the nightly curfew, from 11pm to 3am.
“All inbound and outbound travellers must register through the Thai Chana [web platform] and PhuketSmartCheck-in app. Those who do not have a smartphone will have to fill out a form instead,” Chief Banyat said.
The bus terminal staff, all operators and travellers must comply with the ‘new normal’ health regulations set out by the Ministry of Public Health, Mr Banyat added.
State transport company Transport Co, better known by its Thai initials “BorKorSor”, which oversees all bus services in the country, previously announced that all touch areas on the buses are to be cleaned frequently, and buses are to be cleaned thoroughly and left open for one to two hours while parked in the sun after cleaning.
Passengers are to be spaced accordingly with one metre between each traveller, and all staff and passengers travelling on the buses must wear a face mask at all times.
All persons are to wear face masks at all times while at the bus terminal.
Any persons found with a body temperature above 37.5°C will not be allowed to board the bus. While en route, travellers should expect to have their temperatures checked every two hours.
Mr Banyat also recommended that people buy their bus tickets online. “Buying your ticket at the bus terminal may cause delays and may have to sit and wait for the bus,” he said.