Phuket: Three thousand tourists stranded on holiday island

[rooster59]

Phuket: Three thousand tourists stranded on holiday island

 

 

The head of Phuket's immigration department Pol Col Narong Chanaphaikul admitted there were 3,000 foreign tourists on the island that has been largely locked down amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

They have nowhere to go right now.

 

Up to midweek 200-300 per day had been seeking extensions at the Phuket immigration HQ.

Amnesties have now come into force.

 

Pol Col Narong also gave his estimation of the number of expats in Phuket who might be there working perhaps as teachers or be students from abroad.

 

Excluding migrant labor from neighboring countries the expat figure in Phuket is about 15,000, he said.

 

Source: Thansettakij

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-04-11

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[Boomer6969]

Wonder how many of these 3000 had planned to get stranded. And now some of them even manage to get a free lunch.

[bkk6060]

And, whose problem is that?

They don't read the news?

17 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

They have nowhere to go right now.

Same the cruise shippers.

Why? Stupidity.

[Somtamnication]

15000 expats in Phuket? April Fool's has passed!

[stephenterry]

Keep them there.

[RichardColeman]

Wait till their money runs out and the fun really starts

[Matzzon]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They have nowhere to go right now.

A problem created all by themself. They had the choice to go home when the pandemic started and during one or two month after. Alla that travelled here during the pandemic has also to blame themself.

 

Stranded????? ????

[J Town]

6 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

A problem created all by themself. They had the choice to go home when the pandemic started and during one or two month after. Alla that travelled here during the pandemic has also to blame themself.

 

Stranded????? ????

Out of morbid curiosity I looked at cruise prices beginning April. Costs were less than half the normal. With all the warnings then and since then, there was plenty of opportunity to beat feet. Sum num naa.

[Letseng]

In Europe many countries gave tourists a deadline e.g. leave within 3 days, hotels shut as well. Thailand should have done the same. Give a few more days as most have to fly out. 

[Deli]

I know quite a nbr stranded on purpose. Should be deported to North Korea

[Krataiboy]

6 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Wonder how many of these 3000 had planned to get stranded. And now some of them even manage to get a free lunch.

Even worse, they can't even enjoy a drink!

[tifino]

1 minute ago, Krataiboy said:

6 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Wonder how many of these 3000 had planned to get stranded. And now some of them even manage to get a free lunch.

Even worse, they can't even enjoy a drink!

but they get to spend the rest of their trip, lounging out in the holiday sunshine...  in the Immig queue

[natway09]

So Phuket is stuck with these dummies that could not see the writing on the wall?

 

[Tropposurfer]

10 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

And, whose problem is that?

They don't read the news?

Same the cruise shippers.

Why? Stupidity.

Right on ! bu..er them I say. Just stay the heck away from me with their crmad scooter riding, a..hole attitudes, arrogant western attitudes.

[grumbleweed]

Go easy on them, they obviously aren't that smart, or they wouldn't have gone there in the first place.

Come to Phuket and get it rammed up every orifice - okay where do I sign?

 

[Ron jeremy]

No one was stranded, governments told people to return home a sap a month ago. They stayed by choice. Good on them, as previously stated, wait till the cash runs out, then you'll feel the love!

[bbi1]

Looks like those tourists in the OP's pic are having a great time on Bangla Rd. Thought that Phuket was in 24hour lockdown and bars were closed, including Bangla Rd. Pic says otherwise!!

[stevenl]

13 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Looks like those tourists in the OP's pic are having a great time on Bangla Rd. Thought that Phuket was in 24hour lockdown and bars were closed, including Bangla Rd. Pic says otherwise!!

Picture is an old file photo.

[ICELANDMAN]

I suppose those who made the choice to stay have a lot of money left to spend, so why wonder, Thailand is more safer now that many western countries, help the economy of Phuket to survive but the Thais don't have it yet I got it.

[thaibutty]

I doubt that most of these people are actually tourists. At least not if we define tourist as someone coming to stay for a 2-3 week holiday. 

They are probably people who stay for several months, digital nomads, illegal workers and others who live here more or less long term but don`t have non immigrant visa for whatever reason.

Any sane tourist has hopefully long returned.

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, thaibutty said:

I doubt that most of these people are actually tourists. At least not if we define tourist as someone coming to stay for a 2-3 week holiday. 

They are probably people who stay for several months, digital nomads, illegal workers and others who live here more or less long term but don`t have non immigrant visa for whatever reason.

Any sane tourist has hopefully long returned.

 

Quite correct. A number of our guests preferred to hunker down in Phuket rather than go their home country. Might have no bar/restaurant income here. But none in home country and they don't want 14 days self quarantine. Most seem have flights  back home 6 May. 

[JohnTJ]

I came in Feb for a 2-3 month holiday, for the length of my tourist visa.  My visa doesn't expire till May (barring an extension) and I'm in no hurry to go back to the disease ridden sh*thole that's the NYC area or the US in general while Thai authorities are actually dealing with this semi-competently.

 

No money worries, it would be nice to get to the beach but c'est la vie.  Better than dying, what?

 

Now sod off from making assumptions about people you've never met and have no idea about.

 

[balo]

On 4/13/2020 at 8:48 AM, thaibutty said:

They are probably people who stay for several months, digital nomads, illegal workers and others who live here more or less long term but don`t have non immigrant visa for whatever reason

I would think many of them are Russians , and are dependent on Russian tourism.  The last thing they want to do is to go back to Russia.