Tourism Ministry presses ahead with "Phuket Model” as other areas of Thailand may also be opened to tourists

[webfact]

Tourism Ministry presses ahead with "Phuket Model” as other areas of Thailand may also be opened to tourists

 

Picture: Manager

 

Thailand's ministry of tourism and sports is pressing ahead with what it is now calling the "Phuket Model".

 

This is how to start opening up Thailand to foreign tourists - a move that is slated for an October 1st start.

 

If all goes well and the locals don't object, the plan is to expand the model to the north, Isaan, east, west and elsewhere in the south.

 

While many online have said that the Thai plan is a "pipe dream" the Thais believe that foreign tourists will be prepared to follow draconian restrictions in their millions just to be able to visit Thailand.

 

In fact the Thai media makes it sound like a mini-invasion; Manager called October 1st "D-Day" referencing the Normandy landings during World War II.

 

Under the scheme tourists would have to stay within a ONE KILOMETER radius of their quarantine hotel and be limited to a province for THREE weeks. 

 

This all comes after Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha called for caution in Thailand's approach to reopening.

 

Picture: Manager

 

Tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn is now bigging up the term "Phuket Model" as the answer to Thailand's tourism woes.

 

Manager even said that the Phuket Model is the "New Normal" combining two of the buzzwords.

 

So what are the "Phuket Model" regulations that the Thais hope to bring in TWO MILLION tourists by the end of March? 

 

Here are the facts:

 

1. Potential visitors must first of all have all the documentation and checks so they are fit to fly in the first place.

 

2. Then they must go to Phuket and stay in Patong for a 14 day quarantine. They will have to stay within a one kilometer radius of their hotel for the entire two weeks.

 

3. After that if they want to stay in Thailand they must have more Covid-19 checks. Then they will be permitted to travel elsewhere on the island of Phuket for the next seven days. 

 

4. If they still want to remain in Thailand and travel further afield they must then have yet another Covid-19 check before they are allowed to leave the province. 

 

Of course, if after all this they then return to their home countries they might face further quarantine and restrictions there.

 

If the locals don't object to having foreigners in their midst - and Manager made it clear that the Phuket Model will be dead in the water if surveys indicate they don't want them - the Phuket Model will be expanded. 

 

In the north it would include Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, In Isaan Ubon or Udon, on the eastern seaboard Chantaburi and Rayong, in the west Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi and elsewhere in the south in Krabi and Surat Thani (presumably Koh Samui though this was not specified in the Manager story).

 

Exactly when the locals would be surveyed about their opinions was unclear.

 

But Thaivisa notes that while many in tourist areas have expressed their desperation at getting foreign tourism up and running again the feeling in the general population has been much less accommodating. 

 

Some surveys have suggested that the vast majority of Thais want the country sealed off at least for now.

 

Source: Manager

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-08-27

 

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[YetAnother]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

the Thais believe that foreign tourists will be prepared to follow draconian restrictions in their millions just to be able to visit Thailand

pure pipe dream

[madmitch]

If gambling were legal, I would make a bet that this scheme, at least in the form outlined, does not happen on 1st October.

 

 

[Somtamnication]

Well, we follow draconian rules to live here. We are all sheep to this govt and their rules. The falangs will come for the sun.

[steelepulse]

3 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Well, we follow draconian rules to live here. We are all sheep to this govt and their rules. The falangs will come for the sun.

Yes, tourists will come for the sun, but whether it will be to Thailand and jumping through all the hoops and extra expense vs other countries, is a different story.  

[2 is 1]

6 minutes ago, steelepulse said:

Yes, tourists will come for the sun, but whether it will be to Thailand and jumping through all the hoops and extra expense vs other countries, is a different story.  

Tanning bed more nice! You can smoke and take beer also! Can go outside also to eat what ever you want!

[Shuya]

2020 will be the year many "snowbirds" spend the winter in Greece, Spain or Portugal and will never come back to Thailand in the future. 

[Yorkshire Tea]

So, it's gone from "14 days in hotel room". to "14 days in resort"  & now "14 days within a km of resort".

 

Slowly, they're getting there...

[tomazbodner]

I have a question on this:

If Phuket becomes... let's call it a "quarantine island", would it then not make sense to get the area blacklisted for the Thais?

 

With nearly 0 foreign tourists taking the offer for the fear of flying in pandemic and lack of flights and quarantine on return and such, would this not do more to harm the income of islanders than aid it?

 

Phuket can largely survive without foreign tourists. But it would be dead without both foreign and Thai tourists.

 

Would this scheme not work better on some small island like Phangan or Similans or... you know, where they could ferry people to live in their own paradise, and make that off limits to locals?

 

Above proposal is as stupid as quarantine hotels allowing regular guests at the same time and letting quarantined ones roam around the place.

[herfiehandbag]

3 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I have a question on this:

If Phuket becomes... let's call it a "quarantine island", would it then not make sense to get the area blacklisted for the Thais?

 

With nearly 0 foreign tourists taking the offer for the fear of flying in pandemic and lack of flights and quarantine on return and such, would this not do more to harm the income of islanders than aid it?

 

Phuket can largely survive without foreign tourists. But it would be dead without both foreign and Thai tourists.

 

Would this scheme not work better on some small island like Phangan or Similans or... you know, where they could ferry people to live in their own paradise, and make that off limits to locals?

 

Above proposal is as stupid as quarantine hotels allowing regular guests at the same time and letting quarantined ones roam around the place.

Follow the money, let us see who owns the "suitable quarantine hotels".

[Wiggy]

Another question is how are they going to get there? I’d think it is pretty unlikely that any airline would want to set up a scheduled service to/from Phuket. And even if they did, it would be very expensive IMO. 

[Hayduke]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

If the locals don't object to having foreigners in their midst - and Manager made it clear that the Phuket Model will be dead in the water if surveys indicate they don't want them

 

Yes, conduct a survey announce the results of a survey.....that's the answer.

 

Government surveys (especially 'super' surveys) always produce unfailingly precise, accurate, comprehensive and objective data.

 

And repeated surveys of those surveyed prove that Thai people support and trust surveys.

 

A survey it is...

 

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by Hayduke

[tomazbodner]

40 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

Another question is how are they going to get there? I’d think it is pretty unlikely that any airline would want to set up a scheduled service to/from Phuket. And even if they did, it would be very expensive IMO. 

S7, Qatar, TG, Emirates, Firefly, Silkair, and many more ... had international flights to Phuket before pandemic. I think airlines would pick any route they can make money on.

 

I took 8 am HK to BKK flight on TG before... which flew over Phuket. The view out of the window before it did 180 degree and landing was spectacular.

[Oldie]

"They will have to stay within a one kilometer radius of their hotel for the entire two weeks."

 

How do the tourists know where the radius ends and how does the government want to check it. Interesting times are ahead... 

[Oldie]

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

 

Would this scheme not work better on some small island like Phangan or Similans or... you know, where they could ferry people to live in their own paradise, and make that off limits to locals?

Yes - they could start with a small island like Koh Larn next to Pattaya. But I would advise to use islands without any population.

[JusticeGB]

Only rich people could afford the price of a holiday such as this and face a further two weeks of quarantine on return to their home country. Rich people can choose multiple destinations which don't have such ridiculous red tape. Who will be surveyed and how will the questions be framed. Most Thais have gone through extreme lockdown and likely won't want to squander that for the benefit of rich hotel owners. No local establishments will earn any money until the quarantine period is over.

[tomazbodner]

39 minutes ago, Oldie said:

"They will have to stay within a one kilometer radius of their hotel for the entire two weeks."

 

How do the tourists know where the radius ends and how does the government want to check it. Interesting times are ahead... 

I saw movie where prisoners had explosive necklace on them and if they were separated by more than x km, they would both blow up. Maybe the tourism minister saw the same movie...

[GeorgeCross]

its going to end up like a leper colony down there, one giant petri dish. locals, with means, will want out, domestic tourists will cancel their visits and anyone unfortunate enough to work there will be given a wide berth if they can leave.

 

1 km radius? more like 2 km infection zone.

 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2020 by GeorgeCross

[Travelanimal]

Every day new statements from these departments can't they just stick on one statement .

If you have strict arrangements the virus situation will be under control. Comparing with world war I don't understand why are they so scared when your already have heavy strictness

 

[Wiggy]

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

S7, Qatar, TG, Emirates, Firefly, Silkair, and many more ... had international flights to Phuket before pandemic. I think airlines would pick any route they can make money on.

 

I took 8 am HK to BKK flight on TG before... which flew over Phuket. The view out of the window before it did 180 degree and landing was spectacular.

True, but that was in normal times with 1,000s arriving and leaving daily. There might be enough for a couple of flights a day maybe. 

[CapeTown]

It is not obvious why anyone looking for a break would put up with this extreme cost and inconvience.

Even if such people could be found, it is not obvious that grounding them within a 1 km of rheir govt hôtel would stop them from passing on infection. It puts local Thais who're servicing the facility "in harm's way". Public Health would need to prepare.

Every Thai I have met wants foreigners back in their community, and for many reasons, not just money.

 

[Krungbin]

I will be very happy when they will decide that I have to stay 14 days

within a km of my apartment in Bangkok.

•  

[CapeTown]

With this complicated, expensive and impractical scheme, the government is making life very hard for itself and damaging the country's reputation for welcome.

 

There is an immediate need to do something. Big Business needs the money and ordinary people cannot hang on any longer either. The government risks its own position by continuing this policy of  isolation. The hopes that the West maybe finds a free vaccine may prove false, or too late.

 

Much easier to bridge with clean countries. China is 1/3rd of foreign tourists, the high-end of visitors, and China is covid-free. It may even be possible, if all this fear can be overcome, to get ready now for the coming high-season. There'll be so much disappointment if nothing's done.

Edited August 27, 2020 by CapeTown

[CLW]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

I have a question on this:

If Phuket becomes... let's call it a "quarantine island", would it then not make sense to get the area blacklisted for the Thais?

 

With nearly 0 foreign tourists taking the offer for the fear of flying in pandemic and lack of flights and quarantine on return and such, would this not do more to harm the income of islanders than aid it?

 

Phuket can largely survive without foreign tourists. But it would be dead without both foreign and Thai tourists.

 

Would this scheme not work better on some small island like Phangan or Similans or... you know, where they could ferry people to live in their own paradise, and make that off limits to locals?

 

Above proposal is as stupid as quarantine hotels allowing regular guests at the same time and letting quarantined ones roam around the place.

Another news article today mentioned that hotels in Phuket have already received cancellations of worried Thai nationals to catch Covid from foreigners. Aren't those nice folks? Land of smiles my ass...

[Berti]

Nobody of the officials answers the obvious question: What happens if there is an outbreak in the resort you are in?

4 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 weeks cut off from the rest of Phuket and Thailand? Not allowed to leave?

 

Thailand's people are mentally not prepared to handle covid outbreaks in a reasonable way like it is done in Europe now. Even one case would cause a mass hysteria costing xx% of GDP.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Berti

[Pattaya Spotter]

2 hours ago, Oldie said:

"They will have to stay within a one kilometer radius of their hotel for the entire two weeks."

 

How do the tourists know where the radius ends and how does the government want to check it. Interesting times are ahead... 

Quite easy to geo-fence people today with smartphones or just set up roadblocks...there are only a few roads in/out of Patong Beach and the other main tourist beaches in Phuket, where the quarantine hotels are likely to be located.

[GeorgeCross]

23 minutes ago, CLW said:

Another news article today mentioned that hotels in Phuket have already received cancellations of worried Thai nationals to catch Covid from foreigners. Aren't those nice folks? Land of smiles my ass...

i've decided not to risk my families health and future prosperity over a 1 week holiday as well - does that make me a not nice thai too? or a careful, responsible ADULT who can holiday anywhere else in Thailand risk-free.

 

(not just the infection risk, imagine getting caught on the wrong side of an island lockdown again.. aaaaaagggghhh)

 

not worth it.

 

[Thailand]

They may build it but they will not come.

 

Nonsensical and totally impractical!

[Deli]

What happens to the people these "tourists" will be in contact with during their 1st 14 days ?

If they fail the test during or at the end of their quarantine, they had contact with multiple people who might have traveled allover the country in the meantime...

No, this does not work and remains rubbish.

[FarFlungFalang]

54 minutes ago, Berti said:

Thailand's people are mentally not prepared to handle covid outbreaks in a reasonable way like it is done in Europe now. Even one case would cause a mass hysteria costing xx% of GDP.

Strange how they accept 1000 road deaths each month but none from covid-19 yet 3000 die in Thailand of the flu each year yet not a single peep!

Edited August 27, 2020 by FarFlungFalang