Phuket’s ‘safe and sealed’ plan does nothing for the majority of the island’s hospitality sector

[webfact]

OPINION

 

Phuket’s ‘safe and sealed’ plan does nothing for the majority of the island’s hospitality sector

By The Thaiger

 

 

Damned if they do and damed if they don’t. Thailand is now taking a decisive step towards reopenits its borders to tourists with a pilot project in Phuket this October. The pilot precedes the annual high-season, and if successful, then will form the basis of a wider push for re-opening the country’s borders to the lucrative tourist market.

 

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says there are risks, whatever they decide.

 

“There is a risk in the new tourism model, but if we don’t open there is a bigger risk for the economy.”

 

But the restrictions put on the ‘experiment’ are still considerable and Phuket tourism and hospitality players wonder just how many ‘tourists’ will be wanting to, or even able, to participate. We’ll soon know.

 

Firstly, you’ll need to be visiting for a minimum of 30 days. Secondly, almost half that time will be in ‘quarantine’. But the quarantine will be bigger than staring at the walls of your hotel room and will include a radius of 1 kilometre. During the mandatory 14 day quarantine, each tourist will be required to pass two Covid-19 tests. After the 14 days, tourists will be free to travel within Phuket. After another week, and another test, they’ll be allowed to travel anywhere in Thailand.

 

Add to this, inbound flights during the trial period starting October 1, will most probably be chartered services only, as tourists are required to register with the Foreign Ministry and jump through additional paperwork hoops before entry.

 

In other words, you’ll REALLY want to be coming to Phuket to have go through all this fuss.

 

But the TAT and Tourism Ministry are confident that Thailand will be ready to seize the long-stay market seeking a warmer climate as the northern autumn and winter kick in. By the way, Phuket’s wettest month, by far, is also October.

 

Yuthasak says each guest may spend a minimum of 30 days in Thailand to make a worthwhile trip, since 14 days must be spent in quarantine. TAT staff visited the Phuket hotels that have been registered for the scheme, particularly the capacity of the healthcare services, and discussed conditions with hotels that will be in place in the ‘safe and sealed’ area for their new guests.

 

All this will, of course, push up the cost of a tourist’s stay – the hotels WON’T be cheap. And the tourist will likely be under some sort of ‘microscope’ 24/7 as the government will want to keep track of their movements, even inside the 1 kilometre radius. Ankle bracelets? If not, how are the movements of the tourists ‘tracked’?

 

And will locals be able to mingle inside the 1 kilometre radius area? Will there be shops open within the 1 kilometre radius and do those staff have to ‘register’ or have regular health checks? If you’re a 3-star, or lower, or a guest house in Patong, good luck!

 

The Tourism and Sports Ministry’s “Phuket Model” will be the first location to try the new “Safe and Sealed” plan, where a group of alternative state quarantine hotels can jointly provide a 1 kilometre safe-space for guests during the first 14 days.

 

Phuket, whilst catering well for the high end tourist market, also has a long list of 3 star, and lower, hotels plus an entire tour and travel segment for the mass tourism market. Nothing in this plan will assist the vast majority of Phuket hotels and tour operators.

 

Source: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/phukets-safe-and-sealed-plan-does-nothing-for-the-majority-of-the-islands-hospitality-sector

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2020-08-24

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[from the home of CC]

don't bother, you just can't trust most folks to do the right thing as evident in many countries world wide..

[Oldie]

I really don't see this approach negative. For sure it is a big compromise for everyone. And it will not put Phuket or other areas to a state like without Corona. If anybody has a better idea please post it here. 

[JusticeGB]

All these half baked ideas ignore the difficulties of even getting through all the hurdles of entry and that most countries will require a further two weeks of quarantine on arrival back in the country of departure. Yet alone that many people are out of work or furloughed abroad and worried about their finances. 

[sammieuk1]

What is this madness ????

 

[SteveK]

Nobody will be willing to go through this rubbish to come to a dirty, overpriced island where everything is closed.

[ChipButty]

32 minutes ago, Oldie said:

 For sure it is a big compromise for everyone. 

Everyone? where do you get that from?

[DrTuner]

Hmmmmmm. A decade ago I was looking at the sea in Karon and saw a lot of boats flying the Swedish flag go by. I remember thinking "This must be a Swedish colony". Dear vikings, I think here's an opening now. Remember to keep it sealed from the natives.

[ChipButty]

9 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Hmmmmmm. A decade ago I was looking at the sea in Karon and saw a lot of boats flying the Swedish flag go by. I remember thinking "This must be a Swedish colony". Dear vikings, I think here's an opening now. Remember to keep it sealed from the natives.

You used to get a lot of Swedes in that area somebody told me they moved out because of the Russians

[Hayduke]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Phuket’s ‘safe and sealed’ plan does nothing for the majority of the island’s hospitality sector

 

TAT seems quite unable to grasp the fact that there is a difference between optimism…and delusion.

 

 

[ukrules]

Well it sounds like a good first step along the way to opening up a bit more.

 

Making people jump through all the existing hoops is complete overkill but I guess they need to stem the numbers while it's still very limited.

 

For people who want to come for many months over the winter if they play it right then they could get many 1000's back into the country using this method.

 

Plenty of people would come for between 4 and 6 months over the winter season, they already have holiday homes here and come every year.

 

If they keep the 90 day maximum stay limit then it will fail miserably, things have to change to make something like this viable. That's a big change as the 90 day thing is enshrined in law but laws can be changed easily - it just needs the government to 'act'.

 

[from the home of CC]

I see Bali shutdown 2020 tourists, Indonesia playing it smart...

[Oldie]

6 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Everyone? where do you get that from?

Sorry that I wrote that the solution is a comprise for everyone. I didn't take into consideration people like you. But people like you will be the most helpful in this situation. Please book your holiday and help Thailand. 

[DrTuner]

6 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

I see Bali shutdown 2020 tourists, Indonesia playing it smart...

There are still ongoing outbreaks in Indonesia, they are smart not get tourists infected, that would give bad press fast. 

[Deli]

A handfull of wealthy snowbirds with a gik in the country might take the bait. But definitely not a rescue for the starving tourism industry. Not even worthwhile the try.

[eezergood]

so far only 3 hotels are available 

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, eezergood said:

so far only 3 hotels are available 

Which 3 might I ask?

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

Firstly, you’ll need to be visiting for a minimum of 30 days. Secondly, almost half that time will be in ‘quarantine’. But the quarantine will be bigger than staring at the walls of your hotel room and will include a radius of 1 kilometre. During the mandatory 14 day quarantine, each tourist will be required to pass two Covid-19 tests. After the 14 days, tourists will be free to travel within Phuket. After another week, and another test, they’ll be allowed to travel anywhere in Thailand.

 

Add to this, inbound flights during the trial period starting October 1, will most probably be chartered services only, as tourists are required to register with the Foreign Ministry and jump through additional paperwork hoops before entry.

Best of luck... 

[Psimbo]

20 hours ago, SteveK said:

Nobody will be willing to go through this rubbish to come to a dirty, overpriced island where everything is closed.

Oh dear, where did the nasty man in Phuket touch you?

 

Phuket-Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[hotandsticky]

10 minutes ago, Psimbo said:

Oh dear, where did the nasty man in Phuket touch you?

 

Phuket-Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

 

I thought it was a fair assessment............

[FarFlungFalang]

This seems to a bit open to interpretation to me it seems they are suggesting I can pick any hotel on Phuket and I have to stay within  1km of that hotel for 2 weeks and then for one week I can go anywhere on Phuket before being able to travel anywhere in Thailand?Yet returning Thais and other repatriation customers must be locked up for 2 weeks in a room?Am I missing something?

 

 

"Firstly, you’ll need to be visiting for a minimum of 30 days. Secondly, almost half that time will be in ‘quarantine’. But the quarantine will be bigger than staring at the walls of your hotel room and will include a radius of 1 kilometre. During the mandatory 14 day quarantine, each tourist will be required to pass two Covid-19 tests. After the 14 days, tourists will be free to travel within Phuket. After another week, and another test, they’ll be allowed to travel anywhere in Thailand."

Edited August 25, 2020 by FarFlungFalang

[stuarty]

16 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

This seems to a bit open to interpretation to me it seems they are suggesting I can pick any hotel on Phuket and I have to stay within  1km of that hotel for 2 weeks and then for one week I can go anywhere on Phuket before being able to travel anywhere in Thailand?Yet returning Thais and other repatriation customers must be locked up for 2 weeks in a room?Am I missing something?

 

 

 

They are not suggesting you can pick any hotel in Phuket.  They never said that. And the 1Km if that eventuates in some kind of form (e.g. visit to hotel beach/pool), will come with strict conditions.

[Goinghomesoon]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Which 3 might I ask?

Reporting a couple of weeks ago in the Phuket News and Thaiger indicated the Anantara and Trisara had both been approved, with 12 others still under consideration.  The 12 weren't named but presumably one more has now passed requirements.

 

I guess this all relies on commercial flights re-starting.  No messaging on whether passengers will need to arrive on direct flights into Phuket.  Perhaps they will have some secure transit arrangement through Bangkok.

 

[FarFlungFalang]

1 hour ago, stuarty said:

They are not suggesting you can pick any hotel in Phuket.  They never said that. And the 1Km if that eventuates in some kind of form (e.g. visit to hotel beach/pool), will come with strict conditions.

So not any hotel but from a selection of hotels and if 2 million want to come to Phuket and they have 10 hotels to choose from?Thais returning still have to stare at the walls for 2 weeks while falang get to wonder around outside with strict conditions for up to 2km if it's a 1km radius.

[from the home of CC]

16 hours ago, DrTuner said:

There are still ongoing outbreaks in Indonesia, they are smart not get tourists infected, that would give bad press fast. 

I'm of the opinion this is to protect their own people from pox carrying tourists.. 

[yokat]

If tourists can roam free outside of their room, even within a 1km 'restricted' area there's no way they can prevent the virus to find its way out and spread through the country again.

 

Also why would the minimum stay be 30 days if movement is only restricted for 21 days ?

[Felt 35]

23 hours ago, ChipButty said:

You used to get a lot of Swedes in that area somebody told me they moved out because of the Russians

Someone told me they moved out because of Phuket had gone from tropical to concrete???? 

[madmitch]

I really don't get the 1km part and how this will work. Does this mean if you are in a hotel in Patong you'll have access to Bangla and Jungceylon? Or will they restrict it, for example, to a one km stretch of beach where only quarantinees (it is a word!) are allowed. But currently any contact with staff in quarantine hotels is minimal and they wear hazmat suits (or so Ive been told). I can't see this type of protection being relaxed by a Government and population paranoid about this virus.

 

I suppose we'll find out sooner or later. Though maybe we won't!

[Shot]

I can appreciate TATs effort in this very difficult time. I sometimes get irritated at the different government agencies, throwing out this or that idea, many times and seemingly without much thought. In the sales world, we would call that “spit-balling.” Throw anything out there, and see what might stick, what might work, even if it seems crazy at the moment.

 

Unfortunately, this is not one of those times, there is no gray area, it’s all or nothing.

 

There is a very small chance you will die from covid, unless you are old or have underlying conditions. Protect yourself if you are in that category. 

 

Covid, isn’t going away anytime soon. Learn to live with it. 

 

Protect the vulnerable. If you get sick, you get sick. If you die, you die. It’s part of life.

 

Open it up. All of it. Now.

 

IMHO

Edited August 25, 2020 by Shot

[DrTuner]

9 minutes ago, madmitch said:

I really don't get the 1km part and how this will work. Does this mean if you are in a hotel in Patong you'll have access to Bangla and Jungceylon? Or will they restrict it, for example, to a one km stretch of beach where only quarantinees (it is a word!) are allowed. But currently any contact with staff in quarantine hotels is minimal and they wear hazmat suits (or so Ive been told). I can't see this type of protection being relaxed by a Government and population paranoid about this virus.

 

I suppose we'll find out sooner or later. Though maybe we won't!

I guess you'll be hunted down by the army using live ammo, tanks and firing ballistic missiles at the public enemy #1, the escaped farang.

 

Some will try and succeed escaping the usurpers, though.

 

 

FREEDOM!!!!

 

Or they could cut the <deleted>, it's free or forget it all.