Thai Cabinet does not give final approval to Phuket Sandbox yet, asks for relevant agencies to make some improvements

[webfact]

 

By Adam Judd

 

Thailand-The Thai Cabinet met this afternoon and among other issues, like the hiring of special government employees and financial aid measures for small businesses affected by Covid-19, the Cabinet briefly discussed the Phuket Sandbox program.

 

The Phuket Sandbox is a program that is proposed to allow vaccinated foreign tourists to enter without quarantine from July first and had already been approved in principle by the Center for Economic Situation Administration, or CESA.

 

According to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan O’Cha, who posted on his social media accounts around 7:00 P.M., the Thai Cabinet will inform relevant agencies, like the Tourism Ministry and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to make “improvements” that guarantee a good balance of economic recovery and safety. The program is not canceled or officially postponed at this point, only that the Cabinet will return to the matter in the very near future and is not officially “rubber-stamped” yet to go to the Royal Gazette. The plan remains approved in principle but needs adjustments, according to the PM.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/06/08/thai-cabinet-does-not-give-final-approval-to-phuket-sandbox-yet-asks-for-relevant-agencies-to-make-some-improvements/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-06-09

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ikke1959]

a scapegoat...... after all the messages and information by the government departments, now suddenly the Cabinet did not approve yet the sandbox model in Phuket.   Easy.. so not it looks that the concept will fail, they tell they did not approve it yet, there has to be more investigation on the issue, so when it really is that this sandbox is not working, They can say, see, we had our doubts already and so safe their face. It looks like the civil union bill that is delayed too time by time, just because they don't want it... 

[asiam110]

improvements = more restrictions...  to make the project as good as dead..

 

it's hard to imagine what more hoops and paperwork can be piled on, but I'm sure they will manage something

 

 

[chalawaan]

Not enough paperwork yet!

More restrictions needed!

More hoops!

More U turns!

More fees!

THEN you'll be ready to take on the 3/4 empty planes full of paying "scandinavian inmates" for the next five years or so....

[smedly]

they think this is all about the rules in Thailand - it isn't

 

genuine tourists need to go to their home countries at some point and also go back to work - a quarantine at home throws a massive spanner in the works, plus governments in the west are clearly recommending that people not book foreign holidays espewcially to countries that are way behind on vaccine rollout and still have a live pandemic raging 

[xtof2]

From the Phuket sandbox to the Phuket dustbin.

[foreverlomsak]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Thai Cabinet met this afternoon and among other issues, like the hiring of special government employees

Is that Thai double speak for more brown envelopes please.

As in those you need to hire as an in-country representative to smooth the way through the procurement and delivery processes, or to be able to sell us anything, like has been found in armaments and aircraft industries in the past.

 

[wensiensheng]

Well, to be fair, Phuket is not yet 80% fully vaccinated, far from it. And nor will it be by 1st July. So there’s that for starters.

 

plus, someone might, just might, be thinking to themselves, what risks are we taking and what rewards will we get?

 

it’s totally out of the question that anyone said that farang in at risk categories should be vaccinated  before opening. That would be ridiculous.

 

meantime, I am quarantined in Phuket. Can’t leave the island because if I do, I have to be tested before coming back or do house quarantine. So weekend trips to other provinces are out. Hey ho.

 

 

[webfact]

Cabinet Agrees on Phuket “Sandbox” Foreign Tourism Program

By Subhabhong Rarueysong

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Cabinet has agreed on the Phuket “Sandbox”, a foreign tourism reopening program, scheduled to start next month as a prelude to a tourism revival in Thailand’s 10 most popular tourist destinations, as proposed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said, after the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, that the tourism reopening plan has already been approved, in principle, by the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA).

 

He said the plan, starting with the resort island of Phuket on July 1, will welcome tourists from countries with low and medium risk of COVID-19 transmission and who are fully vaccinated.

 

The prime minister said that about 400,000 people in Phuket, or more than 60% of its entire population, have already been vaccinated against COVID-19, adding that the Sandbox’s implementation will come as a test of Thailand’s ability to strike a balance between maintaining public health security and the need to salvage the economy.

 

Foreign tourists intending to visit Phuket under this tourism promotion program will be required to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 at least 14 days before travelling, along with a document giving permission to enter Thailand. While staying here, these tourists will be required to undergo a number of COVID-19 tests.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-06-09

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[smedly]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

The prime minister said that about 400,000 people in Phuket, or more than 60% of its entire population, have already been vaccinated against COVID-19

two jabs or one ?

[sammieuk1]

Its a difficult job to make returning farangs lives more miserable  but hey the PM will give it a good go with another round of add ons and requirements ????

[madmen]

Can anyone translate this. I think it says date pushed back to the 9th? 

 

[Marvo]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

Can anyone translate this. I think it says date pushed back to the 9th? 

 

Roughly.....
Phuket starts to open 1st July. Open to Foreign tourists from 9th July.

[Caldera]

Oh look, another round of "improvements" needed. In the last round, the minimum prison island stay was increased from 7 to 14 days. I wonder what's next?

[MasterBaker]

sorry for those millions of tourists who already booked the flights

[bolt]

1 hour ago, madmen said:

Can anyone translate this. I think it says date pushed back to the 9th? 

 

where is this from, and whats the context

[wensiensheng]

I dare the authorities to provide a numbers breakdown on how many Phuket residents have received 1 jab, how many two jabs and how many none!

[Tony125]

US warns it's citizens  not  to visit Thailand unless fully vaccinated.

 

CDC issues updated COVID-19 travel guidance for dozens of countries

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cdc-issues-updated-covid-19-travel-guidance-for-dozens-of-countries/ar-AAKQtw4?li=BBnb7Kz

 

 

 

COVID-19 Travel Recommendations------Thailand is level 3

 

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/noticescovid19

[My POV]

Is anybody really surprised by this? They just keep shooting themselves in the foot and will deter more people from even considering coming here.

[madmen]

2 hours ago, bolt said:

where is this from, and whats the context

From a travel agent at today's zoom meeting. Nothing official but then again nothing ever is

[lavender19]

Anyone want to bet this is not going happen.

I'm betting on there will be a rise in case's just before the opening.

[stuandjulie]

3 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

sorry for those millions of tourists who already booked the flights

What millions would this be ?

[connda]

Thai Cabinet does not give final approval to Phuket Sandbox yet, asks for relevant agencies to make some improvements

 

What?  There's any doubt?

[connda]

Cabinet Agrees on Phuket “Sandbox” Foreign Tourism Program

<Cue sound of Slam Dunk>

[connda]

Now all that is needed is to divert more vaccines from Lanna and Isaan grandmothers and send them to vaccinate young "front-line" tourism workers in Thailand's dying tourism hot-spots. 

"We have to send your vaccine to the dying in a hot-spot grandma!"

[richard_smith237]

How much more improvement is needed than... Vaccinated individuals who have taken a Covid-19 RT PCR Test kept on an island for a week ?

 

 

 

[kimamey]

Exactly what's needed. Military planning and precision.  It's just missing a few committees and sub committees.

[xcell]

Can someone pls. explain me why they name the planed tourist quarantine program in Phuket "sandbox"?

A sandbox for me is a children's sandy playground ...

[Excel]

Just now, xcell said:

Can someone pls. explain me why they name the planed tourist quarantine program in Phuket "sandbox"?

A sandbox for me is a children's sandy playground ...

And the Thai mentality is ??

[kimamey]

On 6/9/2021 at 6:09 AM, madmen said:

Can anyone translate this. I think it says date pushed back to the 9th? 

 

Using Google translate I think it says the date it starts is 1 July but the first visitors arrive 9 July.  I'll try to check when I talk to my wife although from experience that may just confuse things  ????