Thailand to Kunming via Xishuangbanna
When: 12 March 2020
Quarantined: no
Asked for self - quarantiaine : no
I can share the following from my own experience on 12.03.2020, flying from Chiangrai, thailand to Xishuangbanna and then on to Kunming same day. I stayed only a few days in Thailand as it was a transit from Indonesia. My nationality is Dutch.
Before boarding
- No secial arrangements except careful passport checking as my residence permit was about to expire.
- Both the check in desk as well ad the depature gate was ont the far end of the airport.
- Temperature was checked
- Qr code had to be scanned and registered. You out your phonenumber and validate it by a code.
On board
- Ruili airlines, handing out the two forms that needed to be fill in. Convenient to fill in on board.
The forms:
A. Covid 19 personal health declaration form
B. Exit/Entry health declaration form
- Plane was about 50% full
On arrival in Xisguangbanna
- while all passengers were waiting to disembark, 2 persons in protection suits entered the cabin and everybody was asked to take their seat again. They came straight to me (the only foreigner as far as i could judge) and at least one other person few rows behind me. I guess we were selected based on nationality and probably travel history.
I was ordered to leave the plane first and brought to a seperate area for investigation by two people in protection suits, gloves, glasses. I do not know if all passengers had their tenpersture checked as well in the plane after.
Another temperature check was done under the arm. There was about 10 other staff around. One guy, translated where needed and the same forms were filled in once more but in Chinese. Basically my whole travel history of the past month was collected and more in detail my travels within Thailand before my flight.
Eventhough i was allowed to go to passport control two times , still there were minor changes twice and they hold me longer. Later 3 more girls were checked. Apparently one of them was coughing or used to cough or maybe she declared that on the paper, not sure. They told me i had to wait so she was cleared. She got extra checks, also by an additonal nurse arriving by ambulance.
All in all it took about 1 hour before moving on to passport control, and I have to mention that the Xishuangbanna staff was extemely friendly and pleasant and keeping me up to date on the "why's" all the time.
My phone number was verified and i was asked to be reachable for follow up call(s).
Passport check was normal except that my complete passport was checked from first to last page - every visa, every stamp. And this twice. Explanations were given by me where necessary.
After this, i could proceed and got the entry stamp.
I was NOT told or asked to keep self-quarantaine at any point in time. Nor was I taken to quarantaine at arrival.
Before boarding to Kunming
- temperature check
- scanning the QR at the gate or filling out forms. I was told in the plane, but I never saw them.
On board
- plane was full
- no service
On arrival in Kunming
- after desembarking scanning the QR again or fill our the form.
- after telling that i did all of it in Xishuangbanna, there was no need to do again.
- after receiving luggage, and before exiting, one guy was collecting the health forms. After i said again that i did it in Xishuangbanna , I could go.
- Should you fly into Kunming straight from abroad, i guess you get the form either in the plane or after landing and hand it in before leaving the terminal.
Then , in Kunming, metro was working and you have to register with the QR core again or have a lady write down your name and telephone. Or take a taxi :).
I hope this experience is useful for future incoming travelers. However, regulations can change quickly, obviously.