August Newsletter

Are the Thai Borders Open to International Tourists?

Currently, entry to Thailand is still limited to citizens and certain categories of specific visa holders only. International tourists are not yet allowed to enter Thailand, and inbound commercial flights are still not operating.

The following visa holders are currently allowed to enter: Foreigners with work permits, incl. spouses and children; those with permission to work in Thailand; D, F, O visa holders; those with a permanent residence; students of formal educational institutions. Medical tourists (excluding for Covid-19 treatment) and Elite visa holders may also be allowed to enter. We recommend checking with your local Thai Embassy for official up-to-date and detailed entry requirements.

However, there are currently several proposals being discussed to gradually open the borders. This includes the idea to open Phuket in October for international tourists. Any tourist would need to obtain several Covid-19 tests prior and during the stay, and complete a mandatory 14-night quarantine at an approved hotel.

You can follow our Facebook page to stay up to date. We hope tourists can soon enjoy the beauty of Thailand again, keeping in mind a safe and reasonable approach given the situation.

On our side, we keep closely monitoring the situation, in order to best plan for our service launch date, as well as discuss with the relevant authorities. In the meantime, in order to gear up for launch, we are excited to provide an opportunity for interested domestic and international investors that may offer both capital as well as expertise or passion for high-standard seaplane operations in Thailand. Please get in touch with us directly should this be of interest to you.

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This Month’s Dream Destination — Samui

The most marvelous sunset reflects on the horizon of one of the most recognized destinations for beach lovers in Thailand. Samui would be the one to come across almost everybody’s mind. The island itself is located off the east coast as part of the Chumphon archipelago. It can easily be reached by a direct flight from Bangkok or a combination of transport modes. The island itself is the second largest after Phuket.

Our team recently had the great opportunity to visit Samui for site inspections. We often provide ‘behind-the-scenes’ insights on our Instagram and Facebook - so head on over there and follow us if you’re curious about what that looks like!

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‍A Special Offer from Our Partner

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If you’re lucky to be based in Thailand, we’d love to recommend the W Samui and have a special offer for you:

The W Samui is a luxury resort with elegant designs like nowhere else. It is just a perfect place to leave all exhaust behind. No worries, just sit back and enjoy, from the start: the Welcome Ambassador will warmly greet you at the airport then transfer to the 24-hour Welcome Desk with multilingual staff. Many more services, stunning villas, and exquisite fine dining cuisine await you in this dream destination...

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The Summer Dreaming Staycation includes — 

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A one-night stay in the spacious private pool villa, breakfast for two, set dinner for two at NAMU, THB 1,000 resort credit for food & beverage or the spa, and an additional 5,000 Marriott Bonvoy points! We’d love to help you reserve and you can contact us at destinations@siamseaplane.com, or contact the W reservations directly at: reservations.wkohsamui@whotels.com or +66 77 915 999. Don’t forget to mention Siam Seaplane.

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Can Planes Fly & Land Anywhere?

Aircraft are a regular sight to be spotted on airports around the world. However, some aircraft undergoing specific missions may have configuration that is very different from regular ones, making them quite unique.While a regular plane will be equipped with landing gear (wheels), additions to the aircraft such as amphibious floats will allow them to take off and land on usual land runways but also water. But there are also skis for airplanes, or tundra tires (bush wheels), allowing planes to access remote areas that conventional aircraft wouldn’t be able to!

For our operation, alongside our partner Tropic Ocean Airways, we selected the Cessna Grand Caravan EX Amphibian, a reliable and versatile amphibious seaplane. Amphibious aircraft are widely used across the US or Canada for their capacity in accessing remote areas and water bodies, connecting communities and enabling transport ways that would otherwise be hardly achieved.