Anyone "on the ground", Phuket Sandbox scheme

[Felt 35]

US friend ready to go first week of July with all documentations and fully vaccinated and only in need of a confirmed hotel booking. Previously lived in Phuket so he already have in mind where to stay....but have the local Government said "go gates open" and are hotels, condos, ready for customers and bookings and the people in hotel business/accommodation rentals informed and ready to welcome tourist from overseas?

 

Thanks

Felt

[pagallim]

Not as yet.   The local vaccination milestone (70% of population) hasn't been reached, and new cases are still being detected every day (though numbers dropping).   Domestic tourism has dried up in this latest wave of infections so accommodation availability is again unknown.   With so many businesses being closed either temporarily or gone forever, probably best to choose an area that at least has a significant resident expat population thus ensuring that some facilities at least would be open.

[madmitch]

From what I've seen and heard, many businesses that have been closed during much of the pandemic are not going to open on July 1st in anticipation of the rush trickle of travellers that may or may not arrive. So definitely follow Pagallim's advice.

[Peterw42]

OP, how can your friend have "all documentations" when the requirements haven't been defined yet ?  In theory, if there will be no quarantine requirement, there will be no hotel confirmation requirement.

If/when the sandbox model comes about, the embassy in home country will have more information than expats living in Phuket.

At the moment, you cant enter Phuket without a vaccine or test, the only hotels open are mostly ASQ hotels, and until the requirements are announced, the local hotels know as much as you know.

[zzzzz]

there tons of hotels open currently NOT ASQ ones, more than 1 dozen in Kamala alone>

 

Living here, i see whats going on,   businesses in Patong, Karon, Kata , Bang tao are in terrible shape

Kamala, Chern Talay, phuket town, Chalong, Rawaii.... its a slow low season.

 

They have given shots to less than 25% of the 465,000 local population,

NONE to the many migrant workers, none to expats unless their teachers or working for big companies/resorts

 

I would NOT be booking anything for july 1st unless it was fully refundable

 

FYI; reports new infected cases are averaging less than 9/day in Phuket still 

they wont open till there is a week of ZERO cases

 

weekly flights into phuket from Singapore

 

[Felt 35]

Thanks for the replies. Accommodation is already in box pr. today (no prepayment needed)....but when the landlord mentioned that they was ready but not so sure if he could enter Thailand my eyebrows raise and got me to check this https://thaiembdc.org/2021/04/29/regulatory-updates-on-the-quarantine-period-for-travelers-entering-thailand-since-1-may-2021/ and I should be but are not surprised that the "Sandbox" package not are mentioned there at all, Phuket are after all a separate Country in the Kingdom???? Well will inform my friend and then he will have to take it from there and most likely start over again. I know he can change his flights but for sure he will be disappointed.

Felt.

 

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

8 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

OP, how can your friend have "all documentations" when the requirements haven't been defined yet ?  In theory, if there will be no quarantine requirement, there will be no hotel confirmation requirement.

If/when the sandbox model comes about, the embassy in home country will have more information than expats living in Phuket.

At the moment, you cant enter Phuket without a vaccine or test, the only hotels open are mostly ASQ hotels, and until the requirements are announced, the local hotels know as much as you know.

Edit.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Both the local Phuket government and the national leaders in Bangkok are committed to their "Sandbox model" for opening Phuket on July 1. If it really happens and under what exact conditions we probably won't know until shortly before the 1st. The beaches are open but most businesses in the towns on the tourist oriented western side of the island are closed. However, there are plenty of hotels open and most are practically giving rooms away. 

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

govt position was clear upon original 1 July opening notice.

nobody should be “waiting” for further subject govt notices

most people comingwould have already made their plans by now

[stuarty]

1 hour ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

govt position was clear upon original 1 July opening notice.

nobody should be “waiting” for further subject govt notices

most people comingwould have already made their plans by now

You're joking, right?

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

ok, ok, I mean “ anybody” coming ....... anybody...... hello ? ...........

[sammieuk1]

Expect the worst case scenario and treble it multiply it x20 and add two sacks one for the money one for your newly required paperwork is the way I'm currently looking at it ????

[habuspasha]

Thailand Elite informs me that "the vaccinated tourist program in Phuket is pending the official announcement from the Government" and that they should be updating quarantine requirements every month.  So I should stay tuned.

I have booked changeable flight through Doha direct to Phuket mid-July, but can't book hotel until sure I don't need ASQ.

[DFPhuket]

It is not possible to apply for a quarantine free COE for travel to Phuket. The Royal Thai Consulate in Chicago told me two days ago that they they are awaiting official information from the Thai government. Other embassies have suggested they expect that in the first half of June.

 

There is a lot of speculation and airlines are now selling seats for direct flights to Phuket beginning July 1. But right now there is no official information about what will be required to get a COE and travel there.

[xtrnuno41]

13 hours ago, habuspasha said:

"You are from New York, do i need to say more? No one would like to meet you."

Wow! I am so shocked at this antediluvian prejudice, I lost the ability to respond.  For that I apologize.  But I don't apologize for being, or for being from New York.

See the date when i mentioned it and that was also in another article, another time.

Go back tot hat time.

[Jaggg88]

18 hours ago, habuspasha said:

I have booked changeable flight through Doha direct to Phuket mid-July, but can't book hotel until sure I don't need ASQ.

I booked the same mid July with Emirates via Dubai (it includes free Covid travel insurance btw) but they have just notified me that my flight has been cancelled so perhaps they are better informed than we are. ????

[habuspasha]

5 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

See the date when i mentioned it and that was also in another article, another time.

Go back tot hat time.

Sorry.  You're right.  I don't know how that fell into this topic.  We were scary then.

[habuspasha]

2 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

I booked the same mid July with Emirates via Dubai (it includes free Covid travel insurance btw) but they have just notified me that my flight has been cancelled so perhaps they are better informed than we are. ????

It is Qatar that flies through Doha and they haven't cancelled.  My guess is that Emirates and Qatar cancel some flights but only to trim their schedules.  I enjoyed a Qatar flight back from BKK last month.  The advantage of this one in July is that it goes straight to Phuket.

[Maha Sarakham]

Absolutely zero chance this takes off in a little over 2 months time.  Things change by the week in Thailand, don't book anything that isn't refundable.  

[stuarty]

4 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

Absolutely zero chance this takes off in a little over 2 months time.  Things change by the week in Thailand, don't book anything that isn't refundable.  

It’s a little over one months time. Refundable yes. Zero chance no

[Maha Sarakham]

Yes, you're correct.  I change my prior stance to less than 0% chance.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

good lord, so thai govt has made no final decision re 1 July phuket sandbox yet..just five weeks away !

even if its a go by mid June, virtually nobody at this time would fly long haul for 1 July at such short notice ? unless flexible & nowhere else to go ? move expectations to 1 Oct ? yes, I am a intl rental pool villa owner in Phuket ! 

ready for business re- start..... with open but empty booking calendar.........

[Uroller]

I think TAT are still working out the details and have some fine tuning to do????

[connda]

On 5/18/2021 at 9:13 AM, pagallim said:

With so many businesses being closed either temporarily or gone forever, probably best to choose an area that at least has a significant resident expat population thus ensuring that some facilities at least would be open.

With places like the US starting to completely open up, why would anyone from an "open" country wish to travel to a "closed" country that requires a ton of paperwork and expense to enter the closed country only to arrive and find that they are again under Covid restrictions, required to carry a monitoring app, required to mask-up, and unable to have any fun because the place is essentially closed.  And why go to that expense to simply be stuck in a "sandbox?"  Not to mention that they may be required to enter an expensive quarantine when they return home.
Maybe the Chinese will come, but now "open" countries?  I doubt the average tourist will have any interest in Thailand unless it returns to what use to be Normal.  And we are assured by "experts" that there is no going back to Normal - so..........

[pagallim]

49 minutes ago, connda said:

With places like the US starting to completely open up, why would anyone from an "open" country wish to travel to a "closed" country that requires a ton of paperwork and expense to enter the closed country only to arrive and find that they are again under Covid restrictions, required to carry a monitoring app, required to mask-up, and unable to have any fun because the place is essentially closed.  And why go to that expense to simply be stuck in a "sandbox?"  Not to mention that they may be required to enter an expensive quarantine when they return home.
Maybe the Chinese will come, but now "open" countries?  I doubt the average tourist will have any interest in Thailand unless it returns to what use to be Normal.  And we are assured by "experts" that there is no going back to Normal - so..........

 

Couldn't agree more.   However, regardless of how closed Phuket is, there will still be some who for whatever reason are willing to return.   These won't be in any substantial numbers however.

[lavender19]

When I read the headline I thought the U.S had invaded Phuket.

Sounds like a military operation.

Feet on the ground

[PDP11]

I understand the skepticism for general tourism starting July 1 in Phuket. But, if this happens, it will be a dream for those fully vaccinated that would otherwise go through 15 nights ASQ in Bangkok (or the other usual spots in Thailand).

 

Behind door number one I have 15 nights in a Bangkok hotel with most of the furniture removed and plastic sheeting nailed to the floor. Cold rice with prik nam pla under your day 3x per day, no room cleaning, slow Internet. Behind door number two is the hotel of your choice in Phuket for (presumably) 7 nights, food that you pick, and a beach you can relax on. Additionally, if you have a Thai spouse / family, they can join you for a vacation day one.

 

Am I the only one thinking the entire volume of ASQ traffic will switch overnight from BKK to HKT (assuming you are fully vaccintated) on July 1?

[BritManToo]

13 minutes ago, PDP11 said:

I understand the skepticism for general tourism starting July 1 in Phuket. But, if this happens, it will be a dream for those fully vaccinated that would otherwise go through 15 nights ASQ in Bangkok (or the other usual spots in Thailand).

Who would dare book such a trip, as it's likely to be cancelled with no notice.

You'd lose your leave, and maybe your money.

Are the airlines even offering any flights?

[DFPhuket]

18 minutes ago, PDP11 said:

Am I the only one thinking the entire volume of ASQ traffic will switch overnight from BKK to HKT (assuming you are fully vaccinated) on July 1?

I just changed my Qatar flight. Instead of landing in BKK, I'll be landing in HKT on July 2 - unless the sandbox doesn't happen and then I'll change it back to Bangkok where there are more ASQ options.  

 

Airlines are anticipating what you are suggesting. Beginning July 1 you can book almost daily flights directly to Phuket on Emirates, Qatar, Cathay Pacific, Malaysian, and Singapore Air. Obviously you would be wise to only book a fully flexible/changeable/cancellable flight. 

[PDP11]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Who would dare book such a trip, as it's likely to be cancelled with no notice.

You'd lose your leave, and maybe your money.

Are the airlines even offering any flights?

 BritManToo, totally agree with you. My assumption was you needed to return to Thailand and go through ASQ. If you are on “leave” you wouldn’t consider Thailand at all. 
 

And yes, everything would need to be refundable.