Phuket to open to fully vaccinated, COVID-19 free foreign tourists without quarantine in July

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Travel outside of Phuket after 7 days to areas where people have not been vaccinated... Jeez

that'll pull them in.

129,000 in the 3rd quarter... must be on  some weird stuff?

Yes, that will pull people in who want to return to Thailand, and would rather stay for a week anywhere on Phuket and enjoy themselves than 7-14 days in quarantine elsewhere.

[Nanaplaza666]

3 hours ago, DUNROAMIN said:

TATs cup over flow with BS again. They are trying to justify their existance and feed propaganda to the people.

Mean while in reality, there will not be any tourists of numbers till maybe the middle of next year. 

Stop the BS about tourists and start thinking about how the country can get back on its feet without tourists. Most other countries have moved on planning their economy without international tourists.

Overall, Thailand has basically failed to manage this Pandemic from the beginning.

 

 

They managed it in the beginning but failed to keep on managing it when they thought they had everything under and heared the world talking that Thailand was managing it so well . That's when they started to !@#$ up . They should have ordered vaccines the moment they still had it under controle , then now the vaccine roll out would be far on it's way and things would be much better then they are now .

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, mannytoba said:

Fully vaxx does not prevent transmission. Rollout... for Thai prevention. ????

Vaccinations significantly reduce transmission.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

They blow like the wind changing every day their  statements on when and who will be coming to Phuket 

Why don't they put their hands up and admit nothing is going to happen until everyone is vaccinated first

 

This plan has been announced months ago, and all officials including the PM have been consistent with it,

[Nanaplaza666]

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

My friends/family in the UK have said AZ vaccine is used for older generation 50+ as they seem to have a stronger immune system and don' t get complications, the younger generation are getting Pfizer.

Thailand it's going to be AZ or nothing by the look of things.

??? If they have a stronger immune system then why older people are vaccinated first all over the world ?? 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, IamNoone88 said:

An ill conceived and poorly thought through and explained initiative. I cannot even travel from Phuket to supervise my project and workers in Isan. It is well known that even with vaccinations, you are open to infection and transmission to others - you are simply less sick. Just follow Singapore, which is well managed, has a superb vaccination program with the best vaccines and has a lengthy state quarantine - yet Covid still somehow penetrates this society and reaps havoc in the community through new clusters. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it and in my opinion the Hotel Association will have some explaining to do for pushing so hard if goes awry.

"It is well known that even with vaccinations, you are open to infection and transmission to others - you are simply less sick."

Your well known fact is not true, vaccination significantly reduces transmission.

[WingFat]

Well, I need to return to Phuket for some personal banking reasons. I have been fully jabbed with Moderna and had the antibodies before the two jabs. Plan return in May-June 2022. 2021 is still a bust near as I can tell.

 

If Thailand thinks they can achieve some form of herd immunity with the Chinese slapped-together-anti-freeze-<deleted>-a-vac-cine...good luck with that...even the senior Chinese medical officials admit their own vaccine is well, limp.

[WingFat]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

It's a shame that the Thais are taught not to question decisions, and lack any serious analytical capabilities. They should estimate what the economic cost of the latest outbreak has been to the country, with bars and clubs closed for weeks (and probably months yet to come), all attractions closed, reduced shopping hours, travel discouraged and restaurants reduced to serving only take-aways. Then compare the cost of the lost activity nationwide with the probable economic benefits deriving from the Phuket sandbox, and they wouldn't touch it with a barge pole. A shame they can't even do basic mental arithmetic.

 

On top of there being absolutely no economic grounds for opening Phuket to foreign tourists, they also seem to be very confused about what vaccination achieves. The latest study I've seen suggests that the Pfizer and AZ vaccines cut the likelihood of transmission by between 38% and 49%.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56904993

 

So if 10,000 fully vaccinated tourists are allowed to enter Phuket and then, after 7 days, to travel anywhere they like in Thailand, between 5,000 and 6,000 of them will still be carrying the virus and able to pass it on to the local population. And some of them will be bound to be carrying nasty variants that are not yet on the loose in Thailand. Here comes the fourth wave!

 

When this is over, they'll build a giant statue to Prayut, but it will be a statue of him wearing a dunce's hat, lol.

So is doom and gloom your mantra Guderian ??? A humble and sincere suggestion for you...in addition to getting fully vaccinated, take steps to strengthen your immune system, which includes a healthy lifestyle. And if you are obese; STOP being obese and lose the weight to benefit yourself as well as society Obesity is a main cause of a weakened immune system. So is smoking. We are not dealing with the black plague, ebola or some other truly hideous pathogen. Unless that's what you choose to believe.

[xylophone]

16 hours ago, madmen said:

Could care less about tourists but allows myself and thousands of expats a back door to slip in. 

I thought you'd given that up!

[Vientianeboy]

2 hours ago, mar zarych said:

I think the horse has left the barn for Thailand this year no matter what they do. Not everyone wants to visit Phuket. On my first visit there in 20 years a couple of years ago I declared it total  devastation, overdeveloped to the point of disgust. Full of rude money grabbers. You could not pay me to spend a week there. 

 

 

Interesting. My family and I have gone every year from 2014 until covid hit. We like it, do not find it overdeveloped and do not find the people rude at all. The only rude people are the drunk westerners. Of course we speak Thai, so that might make a difference.

[richard_smith237]

‘The Sandbox model’ was a great proposal for many of us who would be returning anyway - we can quarantine at a beach resort instead of being stuck in a hotel room.

 

If priced competitively these ideas are great for those wishing to enter Thailand. I doubt they will attract tourists. 

 

 

The Phuket Model is also a good idea and ‘may’ see an increase in tourism from those who live nearby, but that is also highly dependant on the need for quarantine on the tourists return to their home country.

 

The primary issue is flights. For those travelling from further afield, how many direct flights are there to Phuket (i.e. from Qatar or UAE etc) ??  The Phuket model doesn’t work if people have to ’transit’ in Bangkok and take regular domestic flights and no one wants to be in a van for 12 hours. 

 

 

 

 

[madmen]

10 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I thought you'd given that up!

Depends on the excluded details. Even if it's the same price as ASQ 14 day it might be worth it but could be double 

 

[Clive Vincent]

I want to travel to Phuket in July and help with the economy as a fully vaccinated tourist.  Oh.  Hang on.  I live in Pattaya and as a farang in Thailand wont be eligible for vaccination until August.  Oh well.  128,999 tourists will have to suffice.

 

[xylophone]

13 minutes ago, madmen said:

Depends on the excluded details. Even if it's the same price as ASQ 14 day it might be worth it but could be double 

 

I was being facetious; a little rude even!!

[Rampant Rabbit]

17 hours ago, stevenl said:

Wait and see. I seriously doubt the expats posting here have a better knowledge of the happenings than the Thai making the decisions.

Couldn't  be  any worse though????

[Cadan]

reminds me of song from queen - DREAMER ????

[IamNoone88]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

"It is well known that even with vaccinations, you are open to infection and transmission to others - you are simply less sick."

Your well known fact is not true, vaccination significantly reduces transmission.

That likes seat belts reduce road deaths.

[Uroller]

Will 100% of Phuket residents be vaccinated before this wishful thinking opening of Phuket take place? There is no science or evidence stating that vaccinated people cannot spread Covid???? Won’t happen anyway as what will these tourists do.........Phuket lockdown has driven more bars and restaurants to close forever.......are TAT providing Ghost Town tours???? Who in there right mind would come here on holiday this year........or next year????

[VBF]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

"It is well known that even with vaccinations, you are open to infection and transmission to others - you are simply less sick."

Your well known fact is not true, vaccination significantly reduces transmission.

Correct https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57102422

Scroll down to ""It will also significantly reduce your chances of getting infected and infecting others."

[terryofcrete]

7 hours ago, paahlman said:

No. You can stay wherever you like.. In a house or in a hotel.. You follow the same restrictions as the other locals, but you cant leave the province for 7 days.. Easy.

 

very big question for me me . Am I free to book ANY flights that do not transit through Bangkok ? … example for me… Dublin /Qatar/Phuket…. ? …If they … you know that crowd… pick the flights forget it … backhanders . 

Can my Thai friend  , who lives in Bangkok, travel to Phuket to meet me ? Obviously not  vaccinated yet as are most of the common people… Without this … forget it for me . I would be only to willing to pay for her vaccination prior to this imagined trip … but “they” will not allow the hospitals to buy and sell yet … because there is no benefit yet to their coffers … When AZ is in full production in Thailand one assumes the money machine will click into action .

I have had my 2 Pfizers … 

I did it My Way….… ‘OlBlue Eyes tune….and now I’ve had my two, 

and so <deleted> you I am protected 

I tried for some time now to to take good care  I’m not infected 

I planned each route I walked to whom I talked, and stayed at home so disenchanted 

But now, at long long last , my freedom’s granted 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Yes, that will pull people in who want to return to Thailand, and would rather stay for a week anywhere on Phuket and enjoy themselves than 7-14 days in quarantine elsewhere.

Return to Thailand being the operative word... come for a holiday doubtful.

[stubuzz]

4 hours ago, steevjee said:

21 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Another article states that it will cost 150-200,000bt per person for the pleasure.

Where would I find that article ?

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/tat-looks-forward-to-welcoming-129000-foreign-tourists-to-phuket

[Megasin1]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

My friends/family in the UK have said AZ vaccine is used for older generation 50+ as they seem to have a stronger immune system and don' t get complications, the younger generation are getting Pfizer.

Thailand it's going to be AZ or nothing by the look of things.

Yes I have heard this too, basically if you have been receiving the flu shot for a few years then you will have a higher immunity system and the higher your immunity system the less likely you are to have covid vaccination side effects.

[Megasin1]

Its all irrelevant to tourists really. Most people on this site are expats not tourists. You view things differently, devouring every post and comment. The real tourist wouldn't even know who TAT are, they are sitting at home and if they are British or American, they may be looking to travel somewhere exotic where their vaccination allows safety, they can have a good time and most importantly, they can return home hassle free afterwards. They do not care or know what foreign governments decide, publish or flip flop on they only care what their Government will allow. In UK, Thailand is currently amber, the chances of any real tourist risking going to Thailand is about zero.

[lkv]

5 hours ago, Guderian said:

The latest study I've seen suggests that the Pfizer and AZ vaccines cut the likelihood of transmission by between 38% and 49%.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56904993

 

 

 

"Those given a first dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines - and who became infected three weeks later - were between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus on than unvaccinated people, PHE found."

 

Pfizer reduces the risk of infection over 90%, and those that still get infected, have a reduced transmisibility between 60-70%, for fully vaccinated individuals.

[LosLobo]

7 hours ago, hotchilli said:

My friends/family in the UK have said AZ vaccine is used for older generation 50+ as they seem to have a stronger immune system and don' t get complications, the younger generation are getting Pfizer.

Thailand it's going to be AZ or nothing by the look of things.

People under 50 have more intense side effects compared to older folks, not because their immune systems are weaker but because they are stronger.

 

Older folks have weakened immune systems due deterioration from age and therefore have a weaker immune response to the vaccine  and therefore less side effects.

[LosLobo]

44 minutes ago, Megasin1 said:

Yes I have heard this too, basically if you have been receiving the flu shot for a few years then you will have a higher immunity system and the higher your immunity system the less likely you are to have covid vaccination side effects.

Interesting hypothesis! 

 

Do you have any scientific evidence that supports your theory?

 

[zhounan]

According to my calculations, in a fortnight' time we will see an increase in positive cases on the island.

[CLW]

9 hours ago, paahlman said:

No. You can stay wherever you like.. In a house or in a hotel.. You follow the same restrictions as the other locals, but you cant leave the province for 7 days.. Easy.

 

That is your interpretation. I'm wondering why there are circulating prices for tour packages between 150 and 200.000 Baht. If I book flights on my own and stay in my usual guesthouse in Patong, which costs 600 Baht per night I have my entry to Thailand much cheaper. 

I fear if you participate in this sandbox scheme you have to stay in certain hotels similar to ASQ. 

[CLW]

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

‘The Sandbox model’ was a great proposal for many of us who would be returning anyway - we can quarantine at a beach resort instead of being stuck in a hotel room.

 

If priced competitively these ideas are great for those wishing to enter Thailand. I doubt they will attract tourists. 

 

 

The Phuket Model is also a good idea and ‘may’ see an increase in tourism from those who live nearby, but that is also highly dependant on the need for quarantine on the tourists return to their home country.

 

The primary issue is flights. For those travelling from further afield, how many direct flights are there to Phuket (i.e. from Qatar or UAE etc) ??  The Phuket model doesn’t work if people have to ’transit’ in Bangkok and take regular domestic flights and no one wants to be in a van for 12 hours. 

 

 

 

 

You are right. There are not many direct flights to Phuket at the moment. Afaik only Qatar and Thai Airways. In another newspaper it was mentioned that there's also a possibility to change at Suvarnabhumi via sealed corridor and take a domestic flight, most likely from Thai smile (you know, because of corruption). But the article also said this would only be possible if all flights and timeslots directly to Phuket are fully booked.