A Mercer Island man said he was able to pass through customs at Sea-Tac Airport in about two minutes after returning from Asia.

SEATTLE — Simon Hamlin planned to spend a year working abroad in the far east and traveling around when possible. But when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) became a global pandemic, he tried to return home to Seattle just a month after he departed.

Hamlin, 46, said he bought plane tickets twice only to have the flights canceled. The third time was the charm.

He finally returned home to Seattle on April 5 after a 35-hour journey. But Hamlin said when he arrived at Sea-Tac International Airport, no official seriously questioned him, let alone tested him for any COVID-19 symptoms.

Hamlin said he passed through customs in “about two minutes.”

The Mercer Island-native said he was saddened that there seemed to be no coronavirus protocol, especially compared to what he had to do in Asia.

“It was crazy. At this tiny island [in Thailand] that has half the population of Mercer Island, I get off the ferry ride and they’ve got someone checking my temperature, checking my passports," explained Hamlin. "At every stop along the way [at two airports in Thailand and one in Seoul], I went through that same type of protocol, but I get off the plane in Seattle and there was almost nothing. I literally stopped and asked an official, ‘Don’t you need to check my temperature or anything?’ And he said, ‘No, there is only so much Americans put up with.’”

While Hamlin is showing no coronavirus symptoms, he is still self-quarantining for two weeks as a precaution. He said despite it all, he has no regrets about traveling to Thailand in the first place.

Officials at Sea-Tac Airport told KING 5 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only requires testing for passengers before they depart South Korea.

The protocols for international passengers entering the U.S. have changed since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the Port of Seattle website, there can be screening process variations at each airport, but all international passengers are subject to a three-step screening process.

To identify passengers requiring enhanced health screenings, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers use a combination of traveler history records, officer questioning and observation, and passenger self-declaration. International passengers also complete a self-reported health screening questionnaire, which is completed by on the plane before arriving at Sea-Tac Airport to speed up the customs process. CDC officers also monitor international passengers as they arrive to look for physical symptoms of the virus.

"If passengers do not report or demonstrate any symptoms of coronavirus, they will not be screened," the website reads.