Five domestic airlines join Thai AirAsia that had earlier signalled it was grounding flights in July. CAAT banned airlines from transporting passengers to or from cities and provinces identified as “dark red” zones as part of the latest surveillance measures to slow the acceleration of Covid-19 daily infections that exceeds 10,000 and the escalation in daily fatalities that passed the 100-mark on Sunday. Some essential flights such as cargo or medical evacuation will continue, but commercial airline travel in Thailand halts for all intents and purposes. There are just two commercial exemptions. Bangkok Airways’ three daily bubble flights from Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok to Samui Island and a daily flight from Phuket to Samui remain. It’s a concession to keep the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus projects alive. Travellers arriving on Phuket Sandbox flights were told they could travel anywhere in Thailand once they completed 14 days on Phuket Island Covid-19 free. However, the flight lockdown means Phuket Sandbox travellers have just one flying option to Samui for the remainder of July.