Phuket Ready for Foreign Tourism in July Despite Thai Covid Wave

[stevenl]

On 5/8/2021 at 2:27 AM, baansgr said:

As it's predominantly the old and at risk that have been vaccinated....it's unlikely many of this group would want to travel..May receive a few hundred tourists a month...but the tens of thousands they expect just isn't going to happen

Your perception of who is being vaccinated is not correct. Plus don't forget, that for many who want to return to Thailand traveling via Phuket would be a great way to avoid quarantine.

[zzzzz]

17 hours ago, kimamey said:

Thanks for that.

 

I know that Qatar and possibly Emirates fly to Phuket but I've recently been flying Gulf Air and because I went mad and flew with my wife in business class in 2019 I'm now up to Gold Tier and I can use the business class check in and the lounges. 

 

I think Gulf Air have been transiting through Singapore recently either in bound or outbound. Possibly I could use that to get to Singapore and then another flight to Phuket. There may be other options as well to use Gulf Air.

 

 

wont work:

 

Transfers are only allowed between airlines within the SIA Group (Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot). Singapore Airlines also has interline agreements with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air Niugini, Garuda Indonesia, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and Turkish Airlines which allows their customers to transit through Singapore Changi Airport from approved cities to destinations in the SIA Group network currently operated by Singapore Airlines and SilkAir. Transfers to and from flights operated by other airlines, that do not have an interline agreement with SIA, are currently not allowed.

 

 

 https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/transit-through-singapore/

[bloodyholly]

On 5/8/2021 at 3:56 PM, billythehat said:

Your previous note on the state of Patong implies a very serious question post-covid. Who, in your opinion, is going to provide the cash investments to revive the town?

Spot on

[kimamey]

8 hours ago, zzzzz said:

wont work:

 

Transfers are only allowed between airlines within the SIA Group (Singapore Airlines, SilkAir and Scoot). Singapore Airlines also has interline agreements with Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air Niugini, Garuda Indonesia, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines and Turkish Airlines which allows their customers to transit through Singapore Changi Airport from approved cities to destinations in the SIA Group network currently operated by Singapore Airlines and SilkAir. Transfers to and from flights operated by other airlines, that do not have an interline agreement with SIA, are currently not allowed.

 

 

 https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/transit-through-singapore/

Thanks for that. It's a bit difficult at the moment trying to plan based on situations that may not even happen. I know Gulf were transiting through Singapore to Bangkok on either the inbound or outbound flight but not both. That would depend on demand and where it was greatest. Obviously whilst that wasn't a problem it wouldn't help either as I'd still end up in BKK. Singapore is a Gulf Air destination but when I looked for flights there around the time I was thinking of there weren't any anyway. I know Gulf don't fly to Phuket so I may have to use Qatar or someone else. The only option might be another transit other than Singapore but I'll have to wait until things are clearer.

 

I think airlines are reacting to changes as they happen so until this sandbox idea actually looks more like a plan than a wish there's no way of knowing what flights will be available and of course restrictions at transit airports are changing all the time as well.

 

Exciting isn't it?  ????

[BestB]

Phuket bitches now when they see 1 foreigner riding a bike without a mask, what will they do if there is an influx of foreigners who are vaccinated and do not wear masks 

[xylophone]

On 5/8/2021 at 3:56 PM, billythehat said:

Your previous note on the state of Patong implies a very serious question post-covid. Who, in your opinion, is going to provide the cash investments to revive the town?

You make a good point BTH, and I have thought about this in recent times, however I think the answer is in the fact that how small businesses operate here.

 

Most of the smaller businesses, including bars, lease the premises from the landlords, and the landlords have been raking it in for decades, so they should have some spare cash somewhere whereby they can repair the scungy premises which they wish to lease/rent out.

 

Remember also that there are some very wealthy people here who bought up land and buildings many years ago, even before Patong took off as a tourist destination, and their wealth would have only increased, so it would not be difficult for them to put their buildings in order.

 

I know of premises here which have been left vacant because the landlord would not reduce the rent for the occupants/businesses, so they have walked, thereby ensuring that the landlords get no income whatsoever, when at least they could have had some.....perhaps they are so flush that they can do without the income for now?

 

Simple really, because if the landlords want to get back to the status quo, then they're going to have to have premises which are attractive enough to be leased/rented.

[zzzzz]

2 hours ago, BestB said:

Phuket bitches now when they see 1 foreigner riding a bike without a mask, what will they do if there is an influx of foreigners who are vaccinated and do not wear masks 

why would they be exempted from not wearing  a mask if its law>
there is nowhere that it says if ur vaccinated u dont need to mask up ( currently)

[DFPhuket]

I live in Phuket, but came to the US two weeks ago to see the family and get my Pfizer jab. I get my second one in a week. At the time I was planning the trip, I thought I'd face a 7 day quarantine upon my return in mid-June. Quarantine is now 14 days even though I'll be fully vaccinated. 

 

If travel to Phuket was truly going to be quarantine free beginning July 1, I'd extend my trip and return then. But we all know the government will likely change and re-change the sandbox model making it complicated to get the correct COE, change flights, cancel my BKK quarantine hotel,, etc. I am flying Qatar and they (plus Emirates) are scheduled to fly into Phuket beginning July 1. 

 

Since we're advised to apply for COE two weeks in advance, one would hope the government would made a decision on Phuket's July 1 opening in mid-June. But I have no expectation that will actually happen. 

[Travis179]

13 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Ive always done EVA...how was China Air compared to Eva?  I imagine what the floor looks like after a 13 hr flight from Lax to TPE..what a mess!

Actually it wasn't bad! Too few passengers this time for there to be much of a mess. But agreed on EVA. Even though their fares are often comparable, EVA is clearly a step above on every level.

[Patong2021]

On 5/7/2021 at 7:25 PM, Flying Saucage said:

If they open for vaccinated tourists, this will be a good decision for Thailand.

 

Vaccinated people pose very little risk to others, less risk than locals without inoculation pose. And, they are also not at risk themselves. But they help the Thai tourism industry to survive. 

 

Vaccination alone is not effective, especially when the  host region is unvaccinated. I think it is recipe for disaster.  We know that only some vaccines reduce likelihood of transmission and we also know that some vaccines are not high level effective or even effective against all variants.  In a perfect world, everyone would have the protection of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, but that is not the reality.

 

Remember too that the often quoted efficacy of mRNA vaccine 94-95%  is an average. Within that number will be people who are at 100% and others at 50% or at 0%. No one knows unless antibodies are measured like they do for hepatitis.  What was already reported for Thailand was that Samui was place where infected French and Italian tourists mixed with other tourists who brought the infection back to their countries.  It is conceivable that we will see locals infected and tourists exposed to new variants if they come to an unvaccinated Phuket. Sorry to say, but it is too soon to have the tourists return. It would be madness to allow the home countries to allow their re-entry without quarantine.  I do not see this happening. 

 

[BestB]

11 hours ago, zzzzz said:

why would they be exempted from not wearing  a mask if its law>
there is nowhere that it says if ur vaccinated u dont need to mask up ( currently)

What apples got to do with oranges ? How does your post addresses mine other than to increase your post count 

[poskat]

what exactly does ready mean?

I was last in kata in oct and there were about 5 restaurants open and no shops.

most of the places there will need a certain critical mass of tourists before it is profitable to re-open, re-staff and re-stock.

 

so is it fair to assume that in typical thai style, they will allow tourists in but not have much for them to go to?

 

a few reports by people when they get back home will not encourage more people to take the covid plunge in an unvaccinated location.

[billythehat]

1 hour ago, poskat said:

what exactly does ready mean?

I was last in kata in oct and there were about 5 restaurants open and no shops.

most of the places there will need a certain critical mass of tourists before it is profitable to re-open, re-staff and re-stock.

 

so is it fair to assume that in typical thai style, they will allow tourists in but not have much for them to go to?

 

a few reports by people when they get back home will not encourage more people to take the covid plunge in an unvaccinated location.

Agree with all the points made.

However, it could depend on the demographic of potential mugs, I mean tourists. In this instance, it could be termite mounds of Chinese tourists to help alleviate some of the business pain. The rub being that most of their all-in-packages may include hotel, grub etc., so little pouring into the local economy in real terms.

This is gonna all take time and Phuket will need to find a path to reinvent itself as a safe and beautiful destination you want to take your family to. This is not going to happen in 2 months.