Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

[Pedrogaz]

16 minutes ago, BestB said:

And they surprised?

 

What did they expect? tourists lining up to spend 14 days in the quarantine even though fully vaccinated paying premium prices and having to jump through hundreds of hoops which change daily.

 

Once again, poor planning, poor execution and  no clear future

Yup, it's fire, ready, aim with our junta.

[wensiensheng]

15 days or so to go until this tourism effort launches. And yet I read this on the Thaiger news website today:

 

“The next complex step in the SHA Plus and Phuket Sandbox reopening plan is how arriving tourist should book these hotels and how government officials will confirm tourists are booked in these hotels. The TAT is working with the Phuket Tourist Association and the local chapter of the Thai Hotels Association to develop a SHA Plus Booking Authentication System to confirm arrivals and their hotel bookings.

The plan is to allow arriving international travellers to book their hotels directly or via travel agents or online booking sites, and then hotel staff will bear the responsibility to transmit their customers’ booking details into this “SHABA” system. The system will then create a custom QR code and confirmation number.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports already has an “Entry Thailand” platform to handle arriving fully vaccinated international tourists, and many related agencies will be coordinating together to integrate the SHABA system. They have announced a website for the Phuket Sandbox travellers which can be found here.

 

I find it interesting that the ability to book hotels under the scheme is still being developed. And yet it has been in the works for months.

 

also in the article, was a piece about over 300 business being certified as “SHAplus” because 70% of their workforce has been vaccinated with two doses and therefore “Covid safe”.

 

Do they seriously think that the 70% figure, presumably   chosen because it represents so called herd immunity, really makes their business “safe”.

 

I don’t think that real tourists are going to be taken in by these infantile claims, let alone foreign governments.

[madmen]

What nonsense no way tourism minister would know who showed interest and who didn't.

This is just politics to try and force the deal back to 7 days because that suit his tourism. 

As if 60 k showed any interest 

 

TV members will buy into anything! 

[Cake Monster]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr Pipat said that among the first people to visit the island in July will be  sailors from the US and British navies. 

A couple of Boatloads of Hairy A@@ed Matelots on a short shore leave, cannot be called Tourists.

I hate to think what will happen if all the Bars are closed when they set foot ashore.

[lanng khao]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

All hands on deck I think not

If entertainments shut be more like all hands on dick.

[rumak]

4 hours ago, dyertribe said:

They are planning to bring navy guys in with no bars or entertainment venues open?  Tell them they're dreaming ...

 

scrabble tournaments !

[bkk6060]

I still think many will be back door residents and not typical tourists.

These folks probably will spend the minimum as they are not on holiday but just trying to get back to their homes, families, etc.  Can't see them booking fancy resorts or eating 5,000 b seafood dinners.

Edited June 14, 2021 by bkk6060

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Over 50 percent of foreigners who had confirmed they would visit Phuket as part of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ project ha

What? Both of them?

[connda]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, told Spring News that after the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) increased the minimum period of stay from 7 days to 14 days, 29,700 foreigners have now cancelled plans to visit Phuket.

Really.  You can't believe a thing issued from a government office or out of the mouth of a paid official any more.  29,700 cancelled? 
It's going to be hard to get me to believe that 2,970 people signed up in total in the first place.

Like a good building demolition, it's time to step well away from the coming implosion and watch the self-destruction from afar.

[BKKBike09]

34 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

I seriously doubt that number and that near 60,000 people had booked to come in July

 

Indeed.

 

Actually the article says that 29,700 was the target for total arrivals in July (which included "2 countries [sic] which are already confirmed namely USA and English sailors"]. So it seems to be more than 50% of 29,700 ...

 

ส่งผลให้นักท่องเที่ยวต่างชาติที่เตรียมเข้ามาในเดือน ก.ค.นี้ ลดลงกว่า 50% จากเป้าหมาย 29,700 คน ซึ่งในจำนวนนี้มี 2 ประเทศที่ยืนยันมาแล้ว คือสหรัฐอเมริกา และทหารเรืออังกฤษ

[farangroby]

Why I'm not surprise???

[Ricebarnandrooms]

3 hours ago, pattjock said:

You would not expect alcohol to be served in a sandbox

My cats like the sand box. 

[jvs]

Where is the next Frontier? 

Phuket?

[AMFWolfie]

4 hours ago, Excel said:

Well I suspect very few but realistically I would suspect that the vast majority of businesses run with anyone with a modicum of common sense were not planning to open anyway despite the governments rhetoric, as it was obvious to any sane person the whole sandbox thing would be nothing but a disastrous sham.

It did seem a half hearted effort after making the decision which on its own merits of quarantining on an entire island had merit. Problem was/is the preparation. No mass vaccination of Phuket population including the workers, restricting coming and going to Phuket which just never happened. A perfect opportunity to test the waters and allow safe entry to Thailand. I for one and my wife would be quite happy taking a week or two in Phuket before returning to Pattaya when we decide to return from the UK. After both doing the 15 days quarantine back in Nov Dec 2020 on our return to Thailand, we have decided not to do it again under any circumstances and nothing to do with the cost, purely the utter boredom of the whole process. A holiday on Phuket on the other hand with EVERYTHING open was not only good for us but for their economy. In fact why stop there, Koh Samui, Koh Chang, all easy to vaccinate the population and isolate, an opportunity lost....

[DjSilver]

I am not surprised. Who wants to go to Thailand under these circumstances? The idiots in charge can't even make decisions in time. Why do they have to wait one or two weeks before it should start? Normal people plan their vaccination 6 month or longer in advance or at least 1-2 month in advance.

[Pravda]

Rly? No!

[whiteman]

Thailand's sands of Time are drifting away just like all the ripped off Tourists never to return and spreading the word world wide

[retsdon]

Whereabouts were these tourists supposed to be coming from? 

[dogfish180]

3 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

It's going to be a very messy deck if it's covered in Sea men ....

Did you hear about the giant sperm whale? It bit the bottom off a boat and sucked out all the seamen! 

[Isaan sailor]

No Pfizer, no Moderna and clearly not enough AstraZeneca or SinoVac.  All that, plus an overpriced Baht.  Go back to the drawing board, please.

[DefaultName]

Hard to argue, I wouldn't go right now and I'm in-counrty.

[BestB]

5 hours ago, Excel said:

Well I suspect very few but realistically I would suspect that the vast majority of businesses run with anyone with a modicum of common sense were not planning to open anyway despite the governments rhetoric, as it was obvious to any sane person the whole sandbox thing would be nothing but a disastrous sham.

To be honest, a few including myself hoped and thought it was the long awaited light in the end of the tunnel.

 

Problem for me personally now is, if they managed to fark up Phuket July opening, what are the chances they will succeed in October Pattaya opening?

 

I realize most people do not even understand how hard it is to run a business as is, let alone during this madness for the past 2 years.

 

Go in and out of lockdowns, with no financial assistance from the government at all.

 

Yes can just close up, lose everything and go back to begging for food, as there are very few options left available.

 

I was reading AsiaNikkel report on Thai economy and they saying its by far worse than most think, and recovery by far less likely than most like to believe. and according to the article, these were words from BOT senior heads. it is a K shape economy, where most others have a V shape economy and what K shape means basically is that rich getting more wealthier while everyone else including middle class, going into poverty with household debt from memory of around 90%

[BTB1977]

A 55 year old grandma setting on 4 boxes of Leo will do really well I would think. 

[matador007]

Sorry to toot TV's posters horn, but during my reading on here over the last month, 90%+ predicted everything that happened in so many words.

There is a lot of cynicism, and negativity on TV, but if you scrape the real essence of the posts, people know their stuff.  That said, it did not take a crystal ball to predict such an outcome.

 

Also happy on # of cancellations, thats the best way to vote -- with your feet.

 

Good luck Phuket (and Pattaya).

[rwill]

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

4 hours ago, McGregor21 said:

Over 50%....not just 50%..wonder what the true figure is.

The article says "...29,700 foreigners have now cancelled plans to visit Phuket."

I think he means percentage wise.  29,700 could be 90% cancellations.  We just don't know.

[aussienam]

Not being one to normally feel sorry for those in the business of ripping off and scamming tourists and expats for decades, whilst getting getting filthy rich, I do know there are some decent Thai business owners (and a few foreign owners) that do deserve some sympathy.  

The planned openings and closings must be creating chaos and lots of costs, pre-ordering food etc, training and employing new staff, advertising etc. all adds up and must be now like throwing money into the garbage bin.  

Rinse and repeat I'd say for another year or more

Edited June 14, 2021 by aussienam

[CLW]

I've read somewhere that the American sailors are NINE persons who showed interest to enter Phuket, probably because they have been out on the sea for ages and couldn't anchor somewhere else to refill supplies.

And for the British navy personnel, no one knows if they will be allowed to go on land.

So dear tourism minister, time to face reality that the arrivals in July will be in three digit ranges. Not 29.700 or half of that.

[CLW]

Just now, aussienam said:

Not being one to normally feel sorry for those in the business of ripping off and scamming tourists and expats for decades, what getting gettig filthy rich, I do know there are ome decent Thai business owners (and a few foreign owners) that do deserve some sympathy.  

The planned openings and closings must be creating chaos and lots of costs, pre-ordering food etc, training and employing new staff, advertising etc. all adds up and must be now like throwing money into the garbage bin.  

Rinse and repeat I'd say for another year or more

If I were business owner in Phuket I wouldn't open before October. Anything else is just going to cost you money.

[apetryxx]

Go to Florida.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, Caldera said:

Ouch, such a vote of non confidence by the target group. Well deserved though, with those ongoing flip flops and last-minute "improvements".

 

And the remaining 50% ain't tourists! They are expats who use Phuket as an alternative to regular hotel quarantine.

 

Fully vaccinated, negative tests before and on arrival and 7 days before any further domestic travel now suddenly not enough, remain in Phuket goes to 14 days.

 

Seems there's a desire for more and more chaos and a lack of any logic.