Phuket Sandbox - is it working, will it be rolled out?.

[Butch]

Depending upon what and where you read  it, the Phuket sandbox has been either a huge success or a bad idea:

This website seems to have a very positive spin on things:

https://royalvacationdmc.com/blog/thailand-tourism-updates-august-2021/

We've read some pretty damning reports of how it is managed, and many saying it has failed, but realistically I can't see anyone admitting that it has and losing face over it.

What do the BM's here think?

Do you think it'll be rolled out on a provincial level in the coming months?

or maybe it'll be abandoned as a bad idea and experiment that ultimately didn't work?.

 

[Glasseye]

29 views with 1 reply....🤓. Probably gives you an idea.

 

I don't think it's working out very well down there. The murder of that Swiss lady sure won't help to improve things anytime soon. 

[Jambo]

I would hazard a wild guess that MOST individuals logging into this forum would not see visiting Phuket currently as an attractive proposition.

The bars are shut; the restaurants don't sell alcohol; the choice of hotels greatly reduced; the main shopping center shut; your stuck in Phuket and girls have all gone home. Just to mention a few "attractions"

You can sit on a beach.................................I believe?

Except.............................................................It is the rainy season. 🤣

Why would anybody book a trip to Phuket right now given the above and the associated administration rigmarole of actually getting there and back?

Edited August 9, 2021 by Jambo

[Horizondave]

As many keep telling me the only reason to go to Thailand is for beer and pussy; now if they are not available or heavily restricted then what is the point.

Also as a family why go somewhere where the entry requirements in getting there are complex, the possibility is real that you could get stuck in a quarantine hotel due no fault of your own and at your own cost with no help or interest from the government.

Hell, why go unless you need to for work or to live. As a tourist it isn't even on my radar.

[Butch]

Question being, do we think despite everything the Govt will continue to roll it out, success or not?.

Maybe  in typical Thai style it will be deemed as a success, and rolled out but with tougher restrictions (so as to make it even more discouraging), but the official line will be that they eventually "got something right".

I think it was a daft idea to begin with, as @Jambosaid, too much bloody rigmarole.

 

[john luke]

 

Bearing in mind that the scheme manifested itself before the Covid 19 Delta variants did, I think in principle it was a good and innovative idea and an alternative to ASQ. 

Ignoring the effect of the Delta variant there were risks associated with it as follows

1. There are very few direct flights into Phuket from Europe and probably less from USA.  They did allow tourists to transit through BKK however the leg from BKK to Phuket involved flying on a relatively small and compact plane where close contact with other passengers would be difficult to avoid.  Added on to that the small plaines do not have a separate business class cabin so no opportunity to distance one's self from other passengers.

2. The direct flights into Phuket included flights from UAE (Dubai) and Qatar (Doha).  Both were UK red list countries with a high level of Delta varient Covid 19. 

3. Although scientific evidence supports the wearing of masks as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid 19, there has always been a reluctance by some to wear the mark properly.  It is also impossible to police mask wearing on a flight and would require cabin crew to continually march up and down the cabin to ensure all passengers were wearing a mask covering both mouth and nose. 

4. It was always a possibility that visitors would be moved from Sandbox to ASQ based on close contact and due to the above avoiding close contact was always going to to be difficult.

5. Potentially difficult to avoid forged or altered documents relating to PCR test and vaccinations as no internationally agreed format.

6. With ASQ anyone coming into Thailand was quarantined in a hotel; whether or not they had close contact during the flight they remained isolated in a hotel room and would only be hospitalized following a positive PCR test.

I do not address the value or reasons for anyone wanting or not wanting to visit Thailand as everyone's personal circumstances and motivations are different.

 

[Glasseye]

I believe the one big thing offered was as a way to get in without having to be stuck in a hotel on a 14 day quarantine. A key element of the scheme was (in theory) that for those who were able to jump through all the hoops and gain entry, that they would be allowed to then travel on to other providences within the country (following their 14 day stay on the island).

Well, that option is now just about impossible, as all transport throughout the Kingdom has been virtually terminated - due to the Delta variant and government restrictions. No end in sight on that now. So, I would think that what remains leaves much to be desired. As a result the once wished for entry numbers will most likely be small percentages of what they were once hoping for, and what the potential international travelers were expecting.

[lazarus]

Saw this post on a foodie blog. It's from July but does convey how things can go wrong -- and be straightened out -- if the right people are around to do it.

Escape from Phuket Airport

https://bangkokglutton.com/2021/07/09/escape-from-phuket-airport/

[Glasseye]

LOL ----

 

What a cluster !

 

But, if you have ever had those biscuits well worth the ass fucking !

[Stillearly]

I don't see how it can be rolled out , success or not ... the idea is to be in an isolated area with a high proportion of the population vaxed  ... so perfect for Islands like Phuket and Samui , but not Bangkok or Chonburi 

[Jambo]

15 hours ago, Stillearly said:

I don't see how it can be rolled out , success or not ... the idea is to be in an isolated area with a high proportion of the population vaxed  ... so perfect for Islands like Phuket and Samui , but not Bangkok or Chonburi 

Except it is not proving to be "perfect" for Phuket as irrespective of how many locals have been vaccinated the daily positives keep increasing.

[Jambo]

On 8/9/2021 at 9:39 AM, Horizondave said:

As many keep telling me the only reason to go to Thailand is for beer and pussy; now if they are not available or heavily restricted then what is the point.

Also as a family why go somewhere where the entry requirements in getting there are complex, the possibility is real that you could get stuck in a quarantine hotel due no fault of your own and at your own cost with no help or interest from the government.

Hell, why go unless you need to for work or to live. As a tourist it isn't even on my radar.

I resemble that remark!

I sometimes played golf during the day. 

[Krapow]

I seen it as a start, at least there was some movement apart from the 14 days quarantine hotels. 

But then Thailand started getting hit much harder. 

Then read about a child testing asymptomatic positive, removed to a Thai hospital via people in hazmat suits. 

Still too many variables beyond your control, it could get pretty bad, pretty quick.

Still keeping an eye on it, but the thought of doing the required time there, then moving on in Thailand, as was a possible plan, is too dodgy as it at the moment. 

That said, from reading online, at least the Thai vaccine roll out seems to be gathering pace. As that's the only way out of this, for the world, not just Thailand  

[boydeste]

7 hours ago, Krapow said:

I seen it as a start, at least there was some movement apart from the 14 days quarantine hotels. 

But then Thailand started getting hit much harder. 

Then read about a child testing asymptomatic positive, removed to a Thai hospital via people in hazmat suits. 

Still too many variables beyond your control, it could get pretty bad, pretty quick.

Still keeping an eye on it, but the thought of doing the required time there, then moving on in Thailand, as was a possible plan, is too dodgy as it at the moment. 

That said, from reading online, at least the Thai vaccine roll out seems to be gathering pace. As that's the only way out of this, for the world, not just Thailand  

That pretty much sums up my current take on the situation.

[Glasseye]

5 hours ago, boydeste said:

That pretty much sums up my current take on the situation.

 

Diitto....

 

Those officials that miscalculated, misled, dropped the ball - basically f***d up big time, will surely regret.

[Jambo]

I watched a new video on UTube yesterday presented by an almost hysterical English speaking Thai female who appears to have been given the thankless task of promoting overseas visitors to come to Thailand (not just Phuket) right now.

Her central theme was that Thailand is currently looking forward to welcoming visitors from 69 countries and she listed the whole 69. They included Australia, Myanmar, Cambodia, USA, UK, France etc, etc

Good luck teerak. 

[Glasseye]

12 hours ago, Jambo said:

I watched a new video on UTube yesterday presented by an almost hysterical English speaking Thai female who appears to have been given the thankless task of promoting overseas visitors to come to Thailand (not just Phuket) right now.

Her central theme was that Thailand is currently looking forward to welcoming visitors from 69 countries and she listed the whole 69. They included Australia, Myanmar, Cambodia, USA, UK, France etc, etc

Good luck teerak. 

Did she happen to mention if they are offering discounts for purchases of gas masks and body armor upon arrival at the airport ?

[Stillearly]

 

[boydeste]

25 minutes ago, Stillearly said:

 

Very surprised he did that for just a couple of weeks.

[Jambo]

8 hours ago, Glasseye said:

Did she happen to mention if they are offering discounts for purchases of gas masks and body armor upon arrival at the airport ?

Well not going to get too many visitors from Oz given they are imprisoning all their athletes returning from the Olympics for 28 days .

Or was that for getting less medals than GB?