superal

I for one ( and a few others ) would like to know the same . The " Sandbox rules " state that you are free to travel around Thailand after your 14 days free of covid tests but How the xxxx are you supposed to travel without provincial flights , buses or trains . This must also be hurting Thai business people who use the interprovincial flights on a regular basis . As long as every passenger has proof of compliant vaccinations , there should not be a problem because there are still international flights coming to Thailand , with many more passengers than local flights , and lots of returning expats wishing to join their families . I wonder if they know about the lack of internal Thai flights . Imagine , sandbox in Phuket and after 14 days then want to get to Chiang Mai to your family etc . TAXI ? joke

In the UK I asked a guy waiting to be served in a pharmacy " Why are you not wearing your mask ? " ( shop poster requested all who enter to wear a mask ) , he chuckled and fobbed me off . The assistant asked him for proof of non conformity , he then pulled a mask from his pocket and put it on . This was a senior man who must have seen the large notice outside of the shop but chose to ignore it and my polite reminder , So no excuse , should the police be called and have him fined ? None of us like wearing masks but why be an antagonist ?

If you have had the correct course of the vaccine you may still catch the virus but you are much less likely to be seriously ill or hospitalized . In other words your immune system is given a boost to help protect you , not 100% protection but not far off at 70-80% . The unvaccinated are fully exposed to the dangerous covid virus . It has been rumoured that the unvaccinated should be made to pay for any covid treatment in the UK . There is no scientific or medically proven reason to reject the vaccine , in fact quite the opposite with realms of medical data . The non vacs have only conspiracy theories to argue their side . Why are there so many of these so called conspiralists around today ? Sure that vaccinated people will still get the virus but they will not be the same burden on the medical services as the unvaccinated .

You have all but got the plot . I think it goes without saying that the remaining 10% of the population are the well heeled and the first to be considered ( I choose my words carefully ) . Why on earth do expats living in Thailand even think they will get treatment anywhere near to that of their western mother country ? I for one cannot understand why those expats who could afford it , did not return to their mother country to receive the approved jabs but instead keep on barking about the underperformance of an emerging country .Whatever happened in the past , ref; vaccine procurement , is long gone and for the time being those that remain in Thailand will have accept the Thai ways and bite the bullet .

Is the pisser manufactured by Pfizer ?

Just out of curiosity I went to the Thai Air web site this morning to see the cost of a one way ticket from Bangkok to London before the 30th August deadline ( only Friday & Sunday available ) . 52765 baht economy . So about £1200 or 3 times the normal fare . Or half the cost of the London quarantine hotel .

Exactly . It is well known that the covid testing in Thailand has been mostly concentrated around the Bangkok areas with the outlying districts sparsely tested . Then there is the performance from the government on its lack of communication with the nation via TV for regular covid updates and social behavior instructions . ( social distancing and chin level masks need addressing ) . Finally there is the mismanagement and non procurement of proven vaccines . If the Thai baht strengthens then I will know there is something dodgy going on cos it should now plummet .

As per title , does anyone know when the interprovincial flights will resume with some normality in Thailand ?

You are right when saying that you have to get the covid insurance up front , just to apply for pre-approval . Plus there seems to be a preferred ins; company . However I did my own thing and used another company at at least a third saving . Seems a bit unreasonable asking for covid ins; up front . Similarly you have to risk paying for flights ( in these uncertain times ) and covid tests before the final approval . All a bit stressful though I have to say my 3 applications went smoothly ( I delayed the trip twice by a couple of weeks ) . The only snag was the tiny upload button that I missed on my first application .

Actually , the jury are out on the third " booster jab " cos some meds are saying the body will become totally reliant on getting jabs , as opposed to your body being in sync with the vaccine and building up its own immunity . Being debated at the moment in the UK & USA . Also saying that there is a massive need to vaccinate poorer countries that up to now have very few with a single jab . The cliche being " Were not safe till were all safe "

A big spanner has just gone into the works in the form of fake covid vaccination certs which are being sold on the dark web in Europe . Also in the UK the government are reviewing contracts with 85 companies who are providing pcr covid testing for 72 hour pre-flight travellers . Apparently many are not conforming within the guidelines . Also the suppliers of the fake certs are even managing to get you into the computerised registered NHS system . So where will this end up ? Maybe drop the proof of vaccinations and take our chances knowing that we have some protection if vaccinated and sod the circumstances for the unvaccinated ? Or maybe there could be blood test checks by way of a finger <deleted> as per diabetes test ?

The country of origin is well known but was it from a lab or jumped from an animal to human ? Those involved need to come out with their hands held high to the benefit of mankind unless they had more sinister reasons to defend .

Recording infections and death rates is one thing but just as important is the rate of those suffering with long covid which as we know can ruin your life in some cases . There are reports of sufferers who were athletes prior to getting long covid . The virus has left them unable to walk or without muscle mass maybe for the rest of their lives .

This covid event is new to the world and it will be dealt with by means of vaccine laboratories in every country , eventually . I firmly believe that normal times will return but not for a couple of years . There will be permanent jab centers in every country and the covid virus will be on a parallel to the flu . Poor countries will have to be given aid by the richer countries . What needs to be established , beyond doubt , is the origin of the virus , because the source needs to be plugged .

There may well be other reasons for this announcements inasmuch the financial world does not like economic uncertainty , nor government actions that may have a negative effect on their countries currency . However a positive move can at least maintain the currencies value and may well give it a boost .

Rules ? The original sandbox scheme did not state the closure of bars or restaurants , nor the cancellation of interprovincial flights . Indeed the whole concept of the sandbox was to retain the norm of entertainment venues in order to attract tourists to Phuket which as an island could be capable of isolation from the covid virus as all workers and tourists would have been vaccinated . I believe the majority of tourists were compliant but as for the workers , I am not so confident .

The number of daily Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the UK has hit a record high for a third consecutive day. A combined total of 844,285 first or second doses were given on Saturday, up from 711,157 on Friday.

Your post will have helped many people applying for the COE and all because of the "upload " button feature that also tripped me up . If the "upload " button had been prominent , say 3 times the size , then it would have been more obvious . The fact that you got pre-approval on Sunday night suggest to me that maybe the Thai embassy workers are working weekends ? Finally , I just wish that the London Thai embassy call center could employ more agents to answer their phones as being told you are number 22 in the queue is frustrating and one such time after waiting 45 minutes to speak to an agent I was cut off when I said " Is this the Thai embassy express service " and chuckled ( true ) .

For sure we are all differ when it comes to our hobbies / entertainment / enjoyment but I reckon the majority of tourists to Thailand are males who enjoy the bars and company of some beautiful Thai ladies . Maybe Scott should run a survey on what attracts you to Thailand ?

Not sure how the Thai government intended the " sandbox " to work because it is definitely not made for tourists as most entertainment venues are closed and the remaining hotels operating under the SHA plus system are offering minimal services . Previous reports from posts on this forum are not exaggerating when they say that Phuket is dead and boarded up . So for potential Thai tourists who have been to Thailand previously and enjoyed the entertainment / bars , forget it cos it has vanished and you will be wasting your money , go to the mediterranean places where everything is open . However if the Thai government have set up the "sandbox " to allow expats to return to their families & friends , then it is a welcome gesture but I am intrigued to why more places are being added to the "sandbox " scheme when the Phuket guinea pig island is all but empty . Hint to TAT , have SHA + type bars where all workers are double jabbed with AZ or Pfizer ( not Chinese WHO unapproved ) vaccine and same for patrons , all controlled by government approved staff and then watch the tourists arrive . One of my concerns is that some proof of vaccination paperwork from certain countries may not be authentic , I have recently read . Any arrival testing positive should not be sent to a crowded covid hospital but should be quarantined in their SHA + hotel room until well again or transferred to a hospital using the covid insurance policy . Countries suspected of faking vaccine certs should be banned from the "sandbox " scheme .

Hi James , Please tell me how you plan to travel to your home in the north east as the Thai government have suspended interprovincial flights till the end of August ?

Interprovincial travel by air needs to open a.s.a.p. . Is a major inconvenience to business people and returning farangs . Why stop air travel when mini buses , cars and heavy goods vehicles are still allowed ? The one covid rule that is often ignored is social distancing which is probably the quickest way of spreading the covid virus . Gotta get the basics right first or all else that is newly thought up is pointless .

Closing bars is a soft target and when you see the masses at markets and even vaccination stations without any social distancing the mind boggles . Controlled bars where the entrance is by way of an official who can view your vaccine cert could work especially if a qr app were used similar to the UK NHS register that is almost impossible to fake . Maybe the government should introduce prohibition then we can all decide if we want to stay . This was once a fun country but sadly approaching its sell by date .

Double jab cert or single J&J is important and if you aint got it your not going to Thailand . Pre flight 72 hour covid test and 3 tests in Thailand are also necessary . C.O.E. is given to you to confirm you have made a compliant application . A SHA hotel booking not a problem and there are many choices with big discounts . The covid insurance has to be included but general health insurance not so sure as this will stop many older tourists because of the high costs . If the TAT are reading , please take heed of previous posts that rightly state , there is nothing to go to Thailand for accept beaches and the same and some better are available in the mediterranean . Thailand is bordering on moving to the red list and that will seal the complete halt of any tourism . A true sandbox is where all who will work there are fully vaccinated ( not just one jab ) as are the tourists and the area is completely isolated . Controlled bars and restaurants where vaccination certs must be shown should be open cos they are the main attraction for the majority of tourists . In the case of the Phuket sandbox the Thai government have reneged cos although they say that after a 14 night stay you are free to travel around Thailand but the reality is there is no transport , accept expensive taxis or the occasional tour bus . I hear of flight companies taking bookings for interprovincial flights and not giving refunds only offering re-bookings where a refund is the legal option .

Is a messy job and better left to those who do it regularly . Not cost much to have a pro do it . From someone who has done it and wish I never started it .