"Some" foreigners will visit Phuket in July, says ATTA chief

[webfact]

REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

Thai business media spoke to the chief of the Association of Thai Travel Agents or ATTA on Wednesday with little more than a month to go until until the much hyped "D-Day" of July 1st.

 

That's the day the so-called Phuket Sandbox begins with the hoped for arrival of foreign tourists.

 

And "hoped for" was the order of the day for ATTA chief Sittiwat Chiwarattanaporn who sounded less optimistic than the Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor or the Tourism Minister have been in recent weeks and months. 

 

Sittiwat said that studies had been done in places like Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya and other cities trying to ascertain market demand. 

 

These indicated that just "some foreigners" were likely to arrive in the third quarter (that is to say from July).

 

Those that do come will be an indicator of who might make the journey to Thailand in the fourth quarter.

 

He noted that this was of course the usual high season and tourists would not normally be flocking to Thailand's shores in July even in a good year. 

 

The key for the ATTA chief was the Covid situation around the world and in Thailand with all its variables. 

 

But one thing that Thailand could and should control is the rollout of the vaccines.

 

He stressed that the vaccination of people in Thailand was one of the key priorities for inspiring tourism confidence among potential foreign visitors from October to the end of the year. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-05-28

 

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[sammieuk1]

How easy will it be how cheap will it be end of questions ????

[Geoffggi]

22 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

How easy will it be how cheap will it be end of questions ????

I think "NOT VERY" answers both questions

[MasterBaker]

i cannot wait to see how many

[LivinLOS]

People will come.. On some FB groups set up for the sandbox people are booking july 1st flights etc (despite a lack of clarity, answers to questions, even final confirmation that its on) so no doubt 'some' will come. 

The issues are more, is this 10s 100s or 1000s.. One person who is involved with the program nd dealing with Phuket authorities said they are expecting 28,000 July and 47,000 August. I think even those low numbers are ambitious.. almost 1000 per day in July ?? 

[SiamRead]

Let's give Phuket a chance to prove the Sandbox programme. All the people are dying in need of a job to survive.  Let's pray this programme will succeed .

[Caldera]

I'm sure some will come. But I think most of those "some" won't be tourists, but expats who are looking for a less painful return option than quarantine.

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

These indicated that just "some foreigners" were likely to arrive in the third quarter (that is to say from July).

Some being the operative word

[madmen]

8 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Some being the operative word

Errrm That's the word that was used.. 

[RobMuir]

I will be heading there in the first week of July.

 

Should be nice without all the usual plebs.

[xylophone]

20 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

I will be heading there in the first week of July.

 

Should be nice without all the usual plebs.

Yes there should be plenty of time and room to wander around the derelict and deserted small shops, the closed entertainment centres and even the bona fide massage places, not to mention the non-vibrancy of Bangla in full swing (if Patong was your thing).

 

It's in a very sad state at the moment and will take a long time to be attractive enough to get the tourists to want to visit again IMO.
 

[madmen]

25 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Yes there should be plenty of time and room to wander around the derelict and deserted small shops, the closed entertainment centres and even the bona fide massage places, not to mention the non-vibrancy of Bangla in full swing (if Patong was your thing).

 

It's in a very sad state at the moment and will take a long time to be attractive enough to get the tourists to want to visit again IMO.
 

It's going to be in a sad sate for a hell of a lot longer if they DON'T do anything at all. 

I'm staring to sense that there is rising anger and resentment towards vaccinated tourists and vaccinated locals. 

Is this because expats in Thailand have been shoved to the back of the Que? hmmm ????

Edited May 28, 2021 by madmen

[balo]

KLM offer trips to Phuket in July for around €530 , via Amsterdam/Bangkok. 

I am sure some will be tempted. 
 
 

[xylophone]

18 minutes ago, madmen said:

It's going to be in a sad sate for a hell of a lot longer if they DON'T do anything at all. 

I'm staring to sense that there is rising anger and resentment towards vaccinated tourists and vaccinated locals. 

Is this because expats in Thailand have been shoved to the back of the Que? hmmm ????

I was coming at it from a slightly different angle, inasmuch as I don't see any work being done on the place to make it an exciting/vibrant/entertaining venue, and that needs to be done in order to get the "good vibes" out into the marketplace and back to the tourists' home countries.

 

Not sure where you're going with the "expats in Thailand have been shoved to the back of the queue" as it doesn't worry me one iota, so I will just wait my turn for MY chosen vaccination to become available.

 

I have friends who own businesses here and there is nothing I would like better than to see some cash flowing into their pockets, but it has to be a concerted effort between central government, local government and landlords, and I really don't see that happening.
 

[Destiny1990]

Yes some will come and some will not come. ????

[stevenk]

They simply still do not get it, they can relax quarantine regulations as much as they like but tourists from the majority of countries will not come until:

 

1. Thailand, not just Phuket has conducted a country wide vaccination program. Thailand has proven it can not control external borders so, controlling people in and out of Phuket will not happen.

 

2. Many countries have their own COVID regulations for nationals returning  from vacations. I can speak for the UK and anyone returning from Thailand (AMBER listed country) will have to complete quarantine/self isolation) on return. And with the new reports of a "Thai COVID-19 Mutation" now recorded in the UP the situation is only going to get worse. 

 

3. Also after what CHINA has done to the world introducing COVID-19, do you think First World Countries will trust countries vaccinated with majority Chinese vaccines. Other countries are monitoring Thailand and will implement stricter measures on anyone returning, this will deter travel. I bet Thailand goes on the UK RED List soon!!!!!

 

Many European countries are now opening up giving tourists a "No quarantine either end option" so Thailand for sure is way behind, not only that Thailand is worsening by the day

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Sittiwat said that studies had been done in places like Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya and other cities trying to ascertain market demand. 

 

These indicated that just "some foreigners" were likely to arrive in the third quarter (that is to say from July).

Some may come Some may not come, we will just have to wait and see.  When you are held to the Sandbox scheme boundaries and can not leave your hotels actual location and facility except as follows for your first 7 days that may keep many from coming as it is a money grab.

 

Guests are allowed to do activities and tours only with a SHA Certified tour Operator. (All tours must be inside the Phuket Island). When Traveling within Phuket, Guests must behave with the standards of DMHTT( Distancing – Mask wearing – Hand Washing – Testing – Thailand Plus) and "Guests must stay at least 7 Nights in Phuket before traveling to any other Province around the Country. They will need to do an RT PCR test 72 hours prior to Departure. In addition, they must present it with the COVID 19 Vaccination certificate to the Checking Point at this Destination"

[kingofthemountain]

18 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I have friends who own businesses here and there is nothing I would like better than to see some cash flowing into their pockets, but it has to be a concerted effort between central government, local government and landlords, and I really don't see that happening.

That could be a part of the problem

 

As soon as the first tourists are going to arrive, you can expect

the thai landlords are going to ask full payment of the rents

to the businesses owners, and the temptation could be for some of them to  come back at the end of the chain to the good old bad habit to increase the prices in the hope to make up the past losses and paid the actual bills

 

The first ''tourists'' coming (imo most of them will not be real tourists, but more returnees chosing the Phuket light option rather than the heavy and costly Bangkok ASQ) will probably not be first timers in Thailand, you need to be well aware of the situation in the country

before to come and there are still few loops to jump in 

 

I mean all these persons will be already well aware of the ''normal'' prices on everything in Thailand, and if some of the operators in the Phuket tourism industry try to swindle them, the bad publicity made about it on the social media will be like a forest fire, burning all the hopes for the island to recover quickly

Edited May 28, 2021 by kingofthemountain

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, RobMuir said:

I will be heading there in the first week of July.

 

Should be nice without all the usual plebs.

I hate to ask but are you one of the unusual plebs?  ????

 

I've never been to Phuket but I'm hoping it's an easier way to get back. I'd do the 14 day (or is it 15) quarantine if needed but I've never spent that long in a hotel room in one go and it seems a bit of a waste if the wife isn't there. We're hoping that she can get vaccinated and join me but it won't be at the beginning of July.

[kimamey]

15 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

That could be a part of the problem

 

As soon as the first tourists are going to arrive, you can expect

the thai landlords are going to ask full payment of the rents

to the businesses owners, and the temptation could be for some of them to  come back at the end of the chain to the good old bad habit to increase the prices in the hope to make up the past losses and paid the actual bills

 

The first ''tourists'' coming (imo most of them will not be real tourists, but more returnees chosing the Phuket light option rather than the heavy and costly Bangkok ASQ) will probably not be first timers in Thailand, you need to be well aware of the situation in the country

before to come and there are still few loops to jump in 

 

I mean all these persons will be already well aware of the ''normal'' prices on everything in Thailand, and if some of the operators in the Phuket tourism industry try to swindle them, the bad publicity made about it on the social media will be like a forest fire, burning all the hopes for the island to recover quickly

I agree except regarding the price comparison between Phuket and Bangkok.

 

When the week long hotel quarantine was looking like the way things were going I had a quick look at options in Phuket and they seemed to be the same or more than 14 nights in Bangkok 

[xylophone]

16 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

the thai landlords are going to ask full payment of the rents

to the businesses owners,

Yes that has already been mentioned by the landlord of a friend and there is no way he can afford to "back-pay" rent, so he will search elsewhere.

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Yes there should be plenty of time and room to wander around the derelict and deserted small shops, the closed entertainment centres and even the bona fide massage places, not to mention the non-vibrancy of Bangla in full swing (if Patong was your thing).

 

It's in a very sad state at the moment and will take a long time to be attractive enough to get the tourists to want to visit again IMO.
 

I was of the opinion that it would only be a few people arriving but I'm not sure there will be any after that review of Phuket.

 

You're not the minister of tourism for Cambodia or Vietnam are you?

[xylophone]

2 minutes ago, kimamey said:

I was of the opinion that it would only be a few people arriving but I'm not sure there will be any after that review of Phuket.

 

You're not the minister of tourism for Cambodia or Vietnam are you?

LOL, no just a realist!!

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, balo said:

KLM offer trips to Phuket in July for around €530 , via Amsterdam/Bangkok. 

I am sure some will be tempted. 
 
 

That sounds good but I was under the impression you had to fly to Phuket rather than transiting through Bangkok despite that not seeming to make much sense.

 

[nightfox]

Well they said their giving first priority and focusing on Chinese and Russian tourists so not much has changed.

[CALSinCM]

These people have the hard numbers from hotel and flight bookings.  But they are panicked.  You'll never hear hard numbers - "Some" visitors.  ????

This is as entertaining as a game of Jenga.  Or a house of cards.  One good blow and..............

[Susco]

"Some" foreigners will visit Phuket in July, says ATTA chief

 

I have from a credible source on the ground, that "some" foreigners visited Phuket in the past months. I guess they couldn't wait till July 1st

[school12]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Some may come Some may not come, we will just have to wait and see.  When you are held to the Sandbox scheme boundaries and can not leave your hotels actual location and facility except as follows for your first 7 days that may keep many from coming as it is a money grab.

 

Guests are allowed to do activities and tours only with a SHA Certified tour Operator. (All tours must be inside the Phuket Island). When Traveling within Phuket, Guests must behave with the standards of DMHTT( Distancing – Mask wearing – Hand Washing – Testing – Thailand Plus) and "Guests must stay at least 7 Nights in Phuket before traveling to any other Province around the Country. They will need to do an RT PCR test 72 hours prior to Departure. In addition, they must present it with the COVID 19 Vaccination certificate to the Checking Point at this Destination"

Where are you finding this information?  I have some friends that want to come, but so far I haven't been able to give them any guidance?  Are sandbox people not allowed to just arrive after June 30th, present their paperwork and get on with their holiday?  

[ThailandRyan]

11 minutes ago, school12 said:

Where are you finding this information?  I have some friends that want to come, but so far I haven't been able to give them any guidance?  Are sandbox people not allowed to just arrive after June 30th, present their paperwork and get on with their holiday?  

Many different  articles in the tourism sector and not just from this Government

Phuket Sandbox Guide - All You need to Know – Royal Vacation (royalvacationdmc.com)

 

Phuket getting ready for tourism sandbox campaign (nationthailand.com)

 

However they contradict themselves, well the government does from what is put in the news here and abroad.

Edited May 28, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[balo]

1 hour ago, kimamey said:

That sounds good but I was under the impression you had to fly to Phuket rather than transiting through Bangkok despite that not seeming to make much sense.

I can book a ticket now, all I need is to bring with me a negative test within 48 hours from departure.  Who will stop me in Bangkok , it's just a transit.