I live in Phuket. No idea why tourist would even think about coming here for 2 week holiday long haul right now. The list of reasons why that's a terrible idea is endless, the experience while here will be disappointing at the very best.

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

I think I need to return to year one of elementary school. Obviously I suck at calculus... Can't count!

1. THAI

2. Singapore Airlins

3. Emirates

4. Qatar Airways

5. Hongkong Airlines

6. EVA Air

6. Korean Air

6. Jinair

6. Cathay Pacific

6. KLM

 

 

Obviously you slept through the Advanced Tensor Calculus class. Too bad for you, I have no sympathy!

Did anyone tell Phuket that "sandbox" (in American English, anyway) means either a sand play area for very small children, or a litter box where cats take a dump and pee? 

25 minutes ago, AnnieSeek said:

 

So you see a few indian guys walking around  Pattaya - you suspect they are new arrivals from India, despite Indians being banned due to the new variant. Your reasoning for believing this is because they seem 'out of place'. 

 

Just curious what is the 'norm' to look like being in Pattaya? Old, crusty, shaved head, and a British accent?

I guess it was too much of a stretch for that guy to actually go up and ask the group for himself. A conspiracy theory is much more fun, no?

9 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

Did anyone tell Phuket that "sandbox" (in American English, anyway) means either a sand play area for very small children, or a litter box where cats take a dump and pee? 

Sounds like the Cabinet, or whatever the buffoons in the worlds largest parliament building call themselves, should be the ones in the sandbox, whichever interpretation one makes of it, they'll fit right in.

2 minutes ago, chalawaan said:

I guess it was too much of a stretch for that guy to actually go up and ask the group for himself. A conspiracy theory is much more fun, no?

 

Going by his logic he probably assumed as they were from India they could only speak Indian. I assumed he watched them closely disgusted that they broke the laws and plane just landed at Utapao airport and every Indian just ran off when as soon as the wheels of the Boeing A380 hit the tarmac - after all by his logic, that's what's Indians do.

 

He then may have come up with other cliched racial stereotypes - maybe he was afraid they would start measuring his trouser length if he approached them, or perhaps they may he wanted his share his drink with a straw. No, he kept his distance and reported the incident on the internet of wandering Indians in Pattaya - how dare they. 

"...speak Indian..."?

 

Is that like speaking American? 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The release, updated late yesterday (June 9), noted that six airlines have announced direct flights to Phuket: THAI, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Hongkong Airlines, EVA Air, Korean Air, Jinair, Cathay Pacific and KLM.

What hope is there, when they are not able to even count correctly.

The Phuket sand box experience..  :-  go into a 7/11's buy a bottle of Chiang or Singha and sit outside on the step and guzzling it down and the $1 a day hotel room special offers  .. .. Maybe this it the demographic the TAT is really  trying to attract . It could actually be come the  dream holiday destination for the much maligned  "Pattaya Cheap Charlie"

Enjoy your next break Charlie   lol 

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

I think I need to return to year one of elementary school. Obviously I suck at calculus... Can't count!

1. THAI

2. Singapore Airlins

3. Emirates

4. Qatar Airways

5. Hongkong Airlines

6. EVA Air

6. Korean Air

6. Jinair

6. Cathay Pacific

6. KLM

 

 

TAT must have used the special calculator that's normally only used when predicting tourist numbers.

What about the Pfizer vaccine?  

4 hours ago, smedly said:

noticed a bunch of new India arrivals wandering around Pattaya last night

 

I wonder what sandbox they are on

 

I thought all arrivals from India were strictly banned 

Like you dear fellow, they probably live in Thailand. 
Thais are openly racist.  We don't need to join them.

11 minutes ago, connda said:

Like you dear fellow, they probably live in Thailand. 
Thais are openly racist.  We don't need to join them.

what ?

Quote

Children under 6 years of age must travel only with their parents or guardians who have been vaccinated. In the case the parents or guardians are found to have COVID-19, the children are to be placed in isolation for 14 days, the release added.

I would never subject my children to the potential of being forcefully separated from we, the parents, and quarantined alone in a foreign country by people who we do not know.  Which mean I would never bring a child to Thailand under these conditions.  My guess?  I'm not the only one to think like this. 

What is a SHA Plus hotel? If there is a global award for acronyms, I nominate Thai leaders to win it.

Not a well-written article in the OP.  Doesn't even include a link to the actual TAT website article that it's based upon (which has been updated):

https://www.tatnews.org/2021/06/initial-information-phuket-sandbox/

Specifically, it misrepresents which vaccinations are accepted for entry into the Phuket Sandbox.  Pfizer, while not a Thai Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) approved vaccine, is most definitely a World Heath Organization (WHO) approved vaccine.  For purposes of the Phuket Sandbox and international arrival in Phuket all vaccines approved by either the Thai MoPH or WHO will be accepted.

Articles like this which contain that sort of mistake merely contribute to the confusion rather than resolve it.

5 hours ago, AnnieSeek said:

 

How do you know they had just arrived? 

 

How do you know they were Indian, and not another asian country?

 

They also may not be from India, even though they maybe of indian origin. 

 

You are spot on. When I assume something, based on a snapshot lacking investigation, I am usually incorrect.

They can name as many Airlines as they want but NONE will come if there are not enough bums on seats !

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

They can name as many Airlines as they want but NONE will come if there are not enough bums on seats !

Who are you calling a bum?

 

Have to admit there's a certain business logic there.

The only problem with this quarter hearted effort at trying to reopen with no bars open is that these folks will NEVER come here again & will tell all their friends not to bother.

You gotta be all in or all out 

Can you imagine Brits going to Spain or Greece & cannot have a drink in a bar ?

Laughable

So they don't want people visiting from Scandinavian countries? They are mostly vaccinate with pfizer.

 

18 hours ago, connda said:

I would never subject my children to the potential of being forcefully separated from we, the parents, and quarantined alone in a foreign country by people who we do not know.  Which mean I would never bring a child to Thailand under these conditions.  My guess?  I'm not the only one to think like this. 

 

Sounds horrific indeed. So i doubt they are going to get many families. 

On 6/11/2021 at 7:38 AM, smedly said:

noticed a bunch of new India arrivals wandering around Pattaya last night

 

I wonder what sandbox they are on

 

I thought all arrivals from India were strictly banned 

I'm curious, you "noticed" them...did you actually speak to them and ask them if they were tourists from India? Thailand has a large number of Indian-Thai nationals you know...they could have been down from Bangkok for a visit.

On 6/11/2021 at 7:38 AM, smedly said:

noticed a bunch of new India arrivals wandering around Pattaya last night

 

I wonder what sandbox they are on

 

I thought all arrivals from India were strictly banned 

 

They could be from Malaysia, or Singapore. Both have relatively large populations of Indians. They could also be Thai passport holders.

On 6/10/2021 at 10:04 PM, AnnieSeek said:

 

The risk of catching covid, and extending your quarantine to another 14 days would be too stressful to enjoy any social gathering - like bars, restaurants, etc. The only positive is you can go for walks, and leave your room. Doubt anyone will be playing russian roullete and hitting restaurants and bars (if open). 

The risk of getting a false positive test (1/67 with three PCR tests not counting whatever risk there is from the lab mishandling the sample) adds some stress, too, even if you are careful and don't expose yourself to someone infected.

On 6/11/2021 at 12:16 PM, smedly said:

what ?

It’s bl**dy hard work on TVF innit Smedly.????

1 hour ago, JCP108 said:

The risk of getting a false positive test (1/67 with three PCR tests not counting whatever risk there is from the lab mishandling the sample) adds some stress, too, even if you are careful and don't expose yourself to someone infected.

 

You would literally be walking around on egg shells, fearing anyone would come near you and pass something on. You'd have to be incredibly brave to go and sit down in restaurants or bars (if open) surrounded by people without masks - if the consequence could mean a positive PCR test. It would be akin to getting to sent to jail !