Phuket Sandbox Updates

[ThaiVisaCentre]

There have been a few major recent changes to the Phuket Sandbox plan.
 

• They expanded the minimum nights required to travel to other provinces from 7 to 14 Nights.
• The hotels you book must not only be SHA Certified, but they now must be SHA Plus (which is a newly developed certification).
• Now children between the ages of 6 to 18 will need to have a Rapid Antigen Test when they arrive at the Phuket Airport. (previously was 12 to 18).
• You can change your hotel after 7 nights of staying at a SHA Plus hotel to another SHA Plus hotel to complete the minimum required 14 nights.
• If you own a condo in Phuket you will still have to stay a total of 14 nights at a SHA Plus hotel before being able to stay at your property.

 

Note: there is no minimum stay requirement if you do not wish to travel to other provinces.

We will continue to maintain an easily searchable list of SHA Plus hotels which will fit the requirements on our Phuket Sandbox Hotels page.

Our team gets many questions about these things every day, and we wish to spread awareness of the changes. We currently feel very confident that the program will not be delayed, and will really start on July 1st.
 

Edited June 19, 2021 by ThaiVisaCentre

[Andy1961]

I just read on the royalvacationdmc.com website "For tourists who are willing to move to other Provinces in Thailand when Coming under the Sandbox Program, They have to stay a minimum of 14 Nights".   What's with the word "willing"?   That implies that if you are asked to visit another province and you accept, you will need to stay 14 nights in Phuket.  If I "want" to visit other provinces, does the 7 night rule still apply?  

The word "willing" is very misleading.  Maybe this is simply a problem with translation or another example of decision makers being clueless about what to do next.

[kingofthemountain]

8 minutes ago, ThaiVisaCentre said:

There have been a few major recent changes to the Phuket Sandbox plan.
 

• They expanded the minimum nights required to travel to other provinces from 7 to 14 Nights.

After months of meetings on this sandbox, the authorities have finally sorted out

an obvious thing that at least half of the Thai visa members have alreday seen since the begining:

with a 7 days quarantine in Phuket. all the 14 days quarantine hotels in Bangkok

were going to be empty of all the future returnees

 

So now we are at J-25, i am sure we can expect more change with more restrictions to come

At the end, the only thing lacking should be the tourists

 

One interesting question should be to know what are you allowed to do

from day 1 in Phuket ? Can you go anywhere you want on the island?

Mask is still mandatory everywhere? Still the alcool ban in restaurants?

Entertainements venues will be still closed? No bars, no discos, no massages?

Still a meeting with your friends\family for a drink or a meal is not allowed?

 

I mean alone in your hotel room with a beer from the 7\11 (If the one in the vicinity

is still open) infront of the TV is not really the idea of the fun wanted by a tourist coming in Phuket 

 

[ThaiVisaCentre]

12 minutes ago, Andy1961 said:

I just read on the royalvacationdmc.com website "For tourists who are willing to move to other Provinces in Thailand when Coming under the Sandbox Program, They have to stay a minimum of 14 Nights".   What's with the word "willing"?   That implies that if you are asked to visit another province and you accept, you will need to stay 14 nights in Phuket.  If I "want" to visit other provinces, does the 7 night rule still apply?  

The word "willing" is very misleading.  Maybe this is simply a problem with translation or another example of decision makers being clueless about what to do next.

We also hard that if they did not stay 14 nights initially in a SHA Plus hotel they will only be able to stay in SHA Plus hotels after ????.

It's quite confusing, and I'm sure in the next few days these things will be much more clear.

It's also unclear what happens if you own a condo, we have to assume at the moment you must still stay the 14 night term and then you may then go to your condo.

[mbenson]

The hotel prices at the link above seem fine. Not a gouge.

[skatewash]

13 minutes ago, mbenson said:

The hotel prices at the link above seem fine. Not a gouge.

Unlike ASQ/ASQL there are no built-in medical services or meal plans built-in to the cost of lodging.

[ThaiVisaCentre]

41 minutes ago, mbenson said:

The hotel prices at the link above seem fine. Not a gouge.

The cost is MUCH cheaper than ASQ/ALQ if you are coming with family / friends.

You also can have your friends/girlfriend come to your room.

Also some villas allow 4 guests, and we expect larger options to also become available.

So even-though there are additional requirements we think it would be a much more comfortable stay than at an ASQ Hotel.

[nkg]

Are there any more changes in the pipeline? If they keep adding new rules, new restrictions, and new paperwork, by July 1st the "Phuket Sandbox" will be worthless.

 

And that's coming from somebody who wants it to succeed.

[irishman25]

3 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

After months of meetings on this sandbox, the authorities have finally sorted out

an obvious thing that at least half of the Thai visa members have alreday seen since the begining:

with a 7 days quarantine in Phuket. all the 14 days quarantine hotels in Bangkok

were going to be empty of all the future returnees

 

So now we are at J-25, i am sure we can expect more change with more restrictions to come

At the end, the only thing lacking should be the tourists

 

One interesting question should be to know what are you allowed to do

from day 1 in Phuket ? Can you go anywhere you want on the island?

Mask is still mandatory everywhere? Still the alcool ban in restaurants?

Entertainements venues will be still closed? No bars, no discos, no massages?

Still a meeting with your friends\family for a drink or a meal is not allowed?

 

I mean alone in your hotel room with a beer from the 7\11 (If the one in the vicinity

is still open) infront of the TV is not really the idea of the fun wanted by a tourist coming in Phuket 

 

sorry, they will be more changes coming and a Bigger cost for Tourist. that is not a holiday in any way?lock away in a room with cold food you pay for up front if you check reports on Bangkok ASQ. hotels. 

[asiam110]

4 hours ago, nkg said:

Are there any more changes in the pipeline? If they keep adding new rules, new restrictions, and new paperwork, by July 1st the "Phuket Sandbox" will be worthless.

 

And that's coming from somebody who wants it to succeed.

 

The announcements today and that will continue over the early part of June of first world countries removing barriers to tourists e.g Spain from 7th and France from 9th of June - for all travelers - irrespective of origin - with vaccine proof etc.. USA-UK travel corridor after 11th June global leader meetup, will likely make the Thai governement, CCSA, TAT and all the other here-is-a-job committees involved think twice about all their silly, stupid and ever changing requirements

 

Nah just kidding, some civil servant will still no doubt layer on some more <deleted> and paperwork

 

 

Edited June 4, 2021 by asiam110

[clivebaxter]

Can we drop this silly 'sandbox' it's meaningless anyway

[bkk6060]

All the top agencies including the PM were at the meeting yesterday afternoon.

14 days is the latest.  And, you cannot change hotels.  SHA hotels basically means they take disease prevention measures not the same as ASQ stay in room.

 

Hope all those that booked got refundable flights, hotels, etc.

 

Also, I doubt July 1 will actually happen at all probably be extended or canceled.  Sadly, too much uncertainty, hoops to jump through why would anyone want to come.

Edited June 4, 2021 by bkk6060

[sqwakvfr]

A former governor of Alaska once said this:  "What do you call a Pig with Lipstick"?  A pig with lipstick.  Sandbox=Quarantine with Lipstick.  You can fool some of the people some of the people but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.  I wish them luck? 

[Excel]

5 hours ago, nkg said:

Are there any more changes in the pipeline? If they keep adding new rules, new restrictions, and new paperwork, by July 1st the "Phuket Sandbox" will be worthless.

 

And that's coming from somebody who wants it to succeed.

It will just be renamed the "Phuket sandpit" ????

[jackdd]

So you could just book a SHA hotel for 14 days, check in there in your first day, and then you can spend your days and nights where you want?

Or do you have to report back at the hotel every day?

[Excel]

20 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

All the top agencies including the PM were at the meeting yesterday afternoon.

14 days.  And, you cannot change hotels.  SHA hotels basically means they take disease prevention measures not the same as ASQ stay in room.

 

Hope all those that booked got refundable flights, hotels, etc.

 

Also, I doubt July 1 will actually happen at all probably be extended or canceled.  Sadly, too much uncertainty, hoops to jump through why would anyone want to come.

Frankly it was only ever a scam by the authorities and their pals in the business and of course local mafia. Like all scams people who invested money, in this case book flights etc, because it seemed 7 days quarantine was too good to be true, then it should have rung alarm bells because if it is good to be true, then 100% of the time it will not be true , as was the case here.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Excel

[sqwakvfr]

I think this asks a bigger question;  What does it mean to be fully vaccinated? I guess it depends on the country.  We can see Thailand will require a Quasi-Quarantine(at least in Phuket).  For comparison Japan just welcomed over 30+ fully vaccinated members of the Australian Softball team.  The Aussie team arrived 5 weeks early to compete in the Tokyo Olympics(which may or may not happen?).  The team is allowed to do the following only:

 

1.  Stay in only the designated part of the hotel(3 floors and no contact with other guests)

2. All meals in the designated banquet room

3. Only allowed to leave the hotel to practice or play in games

*based upon a news report from NHK.

 

I hope they win the gold medal because they just might go stir crazy being cooped up for so long.  

[madmen]

It will go ahead there is no doubt, the authorities and the PM are in it neck deep and way too much loss of face to flip. I predict 129000 blue balls will make the journey 

 

[madmen]

9 minutes ago, jackdd said:

So you could just book a SHA hotel for 14 days, check in there in your first day, and then you can spend your days and nights where you want?

Or do you have to report back at the hotel every day?

Once you have paid for your hotel you have satisfied your obligation. They won't care. 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, madmen said:

It will go ahead there is no doubt, the authorities and the PM are in it neck deep and way too much loss of face to flip. I predict 129000 blue balls will make the journey 

 

Maybe only 128,999 as you forgot the German who according to that old song, only had one????????????

[ikke1959]

As I said the whole sandbox is doomed to fail.. changing rules all the time, in fact you have a 14 day quarantine in Phuket, a lot of paperwork, and who know what else they come up with before the 1st of July. and if you go back to your country maybe you face quarantine again. It is too early..First vaccinate the WHOLE country and domestic travel will start again. Than you can invite tourists. Sooner all efforts are doomed. 

[Boomer6969]

And how about the obligation to wear masks? Who would want a holiday where one would have to keep one's face covered when on the beach or walking in the street? Even in France they become a lot more lenient outdoors.  

 

I'll repeat it once more, it will be a lot cheaper and more pleasant to stay in Europe. Food and wine for a fraction of Thai prices and an order of magnitude better too.

 

Forgot to mention the eastern European girls...

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

Once you have paid for your hotel you have satisfied your obligation. They won't care. 

In this case it looks like the only purpose of "SHA" is to enable corruption.

[skatewash]

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

A former governor of Alaska once said this:  "What do you call a Pig with Lipstick"?  A pig with lipstick.  Sandbox=Quarantine with Lipstick.  You can fool some of the people some of the people but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.  I wish them luck? 

The only difference I see between ASQ quarantine and SHA Plus quarantine is that in the first case you are confined in a 43 square meter space and in the second case you are confined in a 576 square kilometer space.  Other than that it's exactly the same.

[oldcpu]

3 hours ago, skatewash said:

The only difference I see between ASQ quarantine and SHA Plus quarantine is that in the first case you are confined in a 43 square meter space and in the second case you are confined in a 576 square kilometer space.  Other than that it's exactly the same.

And in the 2nd case (576 sq km)  you can go to the local shops, buy alcohol, and bring it back to your room for quiet drinking.  In the 1st case (43 sqm) no alcohol allowed.  Obviously some more differences ...

[Saltire]

When this was announced some time ago many jumped on it as a possible easier route back to Thailand, avoiding expensive ASQ hotels and long quarantine etc. Slowly these advantages will be closed with more changes to come.

 

For what its worth, despite the OP encouraging careful booking, my advise would be book nothing until the middle of July.

 

 

 

 

[Daithi85]

8 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

And how about the obligation to wear masks? Who would want a holiday where one would have to keep one's face covered when on the beach or walking in the street? Even in France they become a lot more lenient outdoors.  

 

I'll repeat it once more, it will be a lot cheaper and more pleasant to stay in Europe. Food and wine for a fraction of Thai prices and an order of magnitude better too.

 

Forgot to mention the eastern European girls...

If u don't  like it don't  go, pretty  simple solution.????????

[richard_smith237]

13 minutes ago, Daithi85 said:

If u don't  like it don't  go, pretty  simple solution.????????

 

The intelligence behind this response is quite frankly impressive.....   

 

Who ever thought of ‘if you don’t like it don’t go’ is clearly alert with a critical thought process most would be proud of....  

[Andy1961]

I am going to retire to Thailand, hopefully travelling sometime between late July and September.  I really don’t want to spend 2 weeks stuck in an expensive ASQ hotel room so the Phuket Sandbox allows me to spend 7 days on a pretty island and at least I can sit by the pool and stroll down to the beach.  Not the most exciting holiday but better than holed up in a hotel room.  That was the plan.  

I have both my vaccinations, would have a PCR test before I leave UK, have another test when I arrive and another test on day 5.  Yet the Thai government have now decided that still doesn’t prove I am COVID-free.  But there is no mention of any further tests on days 7-14.   So what does the extra 7 days achieve, apart from me spending more money in Phuket?  Even Boris Johnson couldn’t come up with this level of hogwash.

As I plan to spend the rest of my life in Thailand, maybe an extra 7 days on a tropical island is a small price to pay.  But I wonder if there will be more changes to come and the sandbox scheme will become less and less desirable.  I have booked a Phuket hotel and have free cancellation up until 3 days before arrival but I am scared to book a flight until I know for sure what the rules will be.

[kingofthemountain]

2 minutes ago, Andy1961 said:

the Phuket Sandbox allows me to spend 7 days on a pretty island and at least I can sit by the pool and stroll down to the beach.

You should ask first if the swimming pool is really open

here in Pattaya ALL the swimming pools (Hotels, condos)

are closed since 2 months by order of the province's governor

 

As for the beach good luck with that

it's the raining season at the moment and

this year there is a LOT of rain, particularly in Phuket