Photo: Royal Thai Government

 

PHUKET:-- The Phuket Sandbox plan has been officially approved by the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) to allow the island to reopen to foreign tourists by first reducing then eliminating mandatory quarantine requirements.

 

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced today (Mar 26) that tourists visiting Phuket who have been vaccinated and tested negative will now have the mandatory quarantine period reduced to seven days.

 

From July 1 quarantine will not be required for tourists visiting the island, on the basis they have been vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19. 

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-reopening-plan-approved-79476.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-03-26

 

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Quarantine reduced to 7 days, next sentence, quarantine removed for vaccinated tourists. It's still quarantine, all be it on one island.

Do they really think that international tourists will come to Thailand just to come to Phuket and not be allowed to come to other parts of Thailand?

You are free after 7 days.  Good deal.  Finally, I am in!

It'll be interesting to see how travel to other provinces by international tourists will be limited after July 1.  What would prevent a foreign tourist staying in Phuket for a few days, then hopping on a plane or bus to Bangkok or beyond?

36 minutes ago, Frank Abegnale said:

Do they really think that international tourists will come to Thailand just to come to Phuket and not be allowed to come to other parts of Thailand?

 

 

Yes.

The maximum duration I can stay in Phuket (or Pattaya), before I get too bored is 3 or 4 days. So definitely no go, if I can't leave the Island. 

1 hour ago, Petey11 said:

Quarantine reduced to 7 days, next sentence, quarantine removed for vaccinated tourists. It's still quarantine, all be it on one island.

<deleted> it's no quarantine at all for Phuket. Read it.

32 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

The maximum duration I can stay in Phuket (or Pattaya), before I get too bored is 3 or 4 days. So definitely no go, if I can't leave the Island. 

Well don't come to Thailand if that's too much of a hardship.

This is a welcome start, so long as Phuket residents are vaccinated as stated then opening up to international tourists who have also been vaccinated is the first step to getting Thailand back to normal.

 

There may be a few flaws currently in the plan and problems to iron out but if they are serious about this it can be done.

So they've evidently replaced the CCSA, which had doctors and scientists on it and did a great job of handling the outbreak, with a CESA?  No doubt, it's stuffed with crooked politicians and businessmen who couldn't care less about people's lives, only about making yet more dollars. If this has really happened then we're heading for a Covid disaster and I sincerely hope all those involved in this CESA will be among the first to fall seriously ill. 

If I've had a double dose and tested negative I wont want to be near any dirty unvaccinated untested Thais and banged up for a very expensive 7 days so what's the next plan????

4 hours ago, Frank Abegnale said:

Do they really think that international tourists will come to Thailand just to come to Phuket and not be allowed to come to other parts of Thailand?

Yes they believe this, why would they not ? The vast majority of international tourists visiting Phuket over the years did not visit other parts of Thailand, the Phuket authorities know this, but you clearly do not.

The OP contents in contradicting it self, in one paragraph it says 7 days quarantine (tourists visiting Phuket who have been vaccinated and tested negative will now have the mandatory quarantine period reduced to seven days) and just below, No quarantine, (From July 1 quarantine will not be required for tourists visiting the island, on the basis they have been vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19) so which is it?...

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

so which is it?...

 

“In the second quarter of this year, we will open for tourists who are fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine to some areas, but they have to face quarantine for seven days,” he said.

“The areas are Phuket, Phang Nga, Koh Smui, Pattaya, and Chaing Mai.

 

“For the third quarter, tourists will not face quarantine only in Phuket,” he said.

 

“Then, in the last quarter, we will open for tourists without quarantine in Krabi, Phang Nga, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. However, they still must follow disease control measures,” he added.

Vaccinating the local population will be the fault for this plan.  I cannot see that happening over the next 3 months.

11 hours ago, stuarty said:

Well don't come to Thailand if that's too much of a hardship.

Absolutely; advice taken by millions.

15 hours ago, Frank Abegnale said:

Do they really think that international tourists will come to Thailand just to come to Phuket and not be allowed to come to other parts of Thailand?

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Vaccinating the local population will be the fault for this plan.  I cannot see that happening over the next 3 months.

Or more...

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Vaccinating the local population will be the fault for this plan.  I cannot see that happening over the next 3 months.

 Such plan will very likely suffer many distributions, late deliveries and interference by powerful officials and business people who won't allow the process to proceed until they get their %, and more.  

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Vaccinating the local population will be the fault for this plan.  I cannot see that happening over the next 3 months.

 

But what do they consider 'local population' ?  There are so few registered residents in Phuket that 70% can easily be met. But what about all the itinerant workers coming back from up country. It's a joke.

 

So prepare in a few months for strong new lockdowns ,..... just prepare , and hope of no need to ....

19 hours ago, ezzra said:

The OP contents in contradicting it self, in one paragraph it says 7 days quarantine (tourists visiting Phuket who have been vaccinated and tested negative will now have the mandatory quarantine period reduced to seven days) and just below, No quarantine, (From July 1 quarantine will not be required for tourists visiting the island, on the basis they have been vaccinated and tested negative for COVID-19) so which is it?...

Be sure if the first few hundred new contagions appear they shall scramble again in total lockdown as before .... and it helped that time ...... to keep Thailand good as c19 free , but with the original Covid 19 , not the variants appearing now regular 

A relative of the wife, who has previously never had a problem jumping from job to job as front office staff in big resorts, has been out of work for many months because of the closures.

She has now been offered a job in a resort in Patong starting June.  I think the industry is starting to gear up for a re-opening.

8 hours ago, Old Croc said:

A relative of the wife, who has previously never had a problem jumping from job to job as front office staff in big resorts, has been out of work for many months because of the closures.

She has now been offered a job in a resort in Patong starting June.  I think the industry is starting to gear up for a re-opening.

And where are these tourists coming from?

Staycation seems to be the in word for many countries nowadays.

What happens when the bully shows up and kicks sand in the sandbox because someone would not pay for their scam.

On 3/26/2021 at 7:36 PM, TC17 said:

You are free after 7 days.  Good deal.  Finally, I am in!

free to stay in Phuket and make sure not to mingle with "unvaccinated" locals

10 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Just be sure to have the cuties cover their beers, so they dont get sand in their Schlitz!  ????  PBR me Asap (for yanks only)

Yes I do miss PBR fresh from a kegger.  One day maybe I will invest in a kegerator for the home like I had in the sports room at the house in the US.  Back on Topic, I talked with two friends who will now come to Thailand in July for their 2 week vacation and stay in Phuket.  Their only question was doing the transit in BKK with the airline.  They used to fly Thai Airways when they transited.  I told them I have no idea and to do some due diligence.  Their jobs only allow for 4 weeks of vacation a year but they can only take 2 weeks at a time, max of 16 days.  They have all 4 weeks from last year on the books as well as they could not use the time due to Covid.

On 3/26/2021 at 10:04 PM, Frank Abegnale said:

Do they really think that international tourists will come to Thailand just to come to Phuket and not be allowed to come to other parts of Thailand?

Absolutely. The couples and families I know who travel to Thailand from oz stay exclusively in Phuket. It's the perfect mix of good beaches and entertainment, up market accommodation. 

Direct flights makes it a very easy and attractive tropical resort island 

I'm heading back in July and am very much looking forward to it