Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

[drenddy]

On 6/14/2021 at 8:54 AM, ajarnmarc said:

I'm still enjoy the read about how they think tourist who arrive in Phuket, that are fully vaccinated, tested 72 hrs prior to flight, tested again upon arrival, they will be allowed to test yet again on the 6th day, and then they can transfer over to Samui for their remaining 8 days, and just for good measure get tested again on the 13th day, and if this fully vaccinated individual passes that last test, then they can then travel anywhere within Thailand freely, yes? I hope I got this all correct, as there are so many loops to jump through just to get through the process. Of course even though the individual is fully vaccinated he or she will also have to enjoy the new dress code or pay 1,000 bht upon first violation, and the price of the new dress code i.e. face mask, will increase quickly afterwards. 

Side note, person was recently tested on their 13th day stay here, after being tested before arrival and completing all the other noted tests, while staying at an approved facility on Phuket, only to find the test results on the 13th day, came back positive. I'm almost sure this is yet another trap to keep those happy tourist, who before arriving were informed the warm Phuket stay would only be required for 7 days, yet was extended to 14 days after arrival. Now it can be extended for another 14 days to cure the covid infection which they received during their holiday in the ultra safe environment created just for these lucky tourist. 

Not sure how at this point it's still considered a tourist holiday, or simply a warm fleecing of foreigners bring their hard earned saving into the friendly country for other to decide how to enjoy after the foreigners have departed to their home country. 

 

  My kind of a holiday, those field hospitals are some kind of hostels, right? Meeting new people and things like that.It reminds me of my youth...

[gim12]

they are putting a lot of effort into testing and tracking the  vaccinated folks. Either the (very few arriving) vaccinated tourists are bigger spreaders of the virus than the unvaccinated locals, or, it is a way to rip off the tourists. I wonder which it is?

[metisdead]

Troll posts using trolling images have been removed. 

[Espanol]

On 6/14/2021 at 8:53 AM, skorp13 said:

50% cancellations....i'm shocked ????

 

I'm shocked about the other 50% still comming.

But, indeed, they are expats coming back to Thailand with family, people working in Thailand or husbands of Thai ladies.

 

No tourist coming.

[kimamey]

On 6/15/2021 at 5:30 AM, possum1931 said:

Yes, you are probably right. I don't know much about these financial things, but these wealthy Brits are proper politicians with university educations and were voted in by the electorate.

Thailands unelected "PM" bullied his way into power, and has no ability to organise the running of a country. Maybe sometime in the future these things will come out, and he will get what he deserves.

Actually not all British politicians are university educated although most are. There's no educational requirement to become an MP in the UK where the current and former Prime Ministers didn't even study politics unlike Thailand where a bachelor's is needed. I don't know if that's still the case after May 2014.

 

None of this really makes any difference to the decision making surrounding covid related planning. A politician with a masters degree in engineering or law isn't going to necessarily be up to date in the science of viruses. Politicians should take the expertise of relevant scientists and form policy based on that. In Thailand unlike the UK they did this very well to start with, hence the low infection and death rates until a few months ago. Since then they seem to have made a bit of a mess of things.

[BobinBKK]

Another reason to cancel: Tar balls wash ashore on several Phuket beaches

 

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/environment/tar-balls-wash-ashore-on-several-phuket-beaches

[GrandPapillon]

2022 is the only possible open date, forget about 2021, maybe December if things don't go too bad

 

the UK is already seeing new increases of infection because of the Delta variant, and AZ not working with Delta

 

it's a never ending story ????

[tlcwaterfall]

7 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

2022 is the only possible open date, forget about 2021, maybe December if things don't go too bad

 

the UK is already seeing new increases of infection because of the Delta variant, and AZ not working with Delta

 

it's a never ending story ????

AZ, Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines ‘highly effective’ against Delta variant - PharmaTimes

[RafPinto]

How would you know how many cancel their plan?

 

I can have a plan but nobody knows about.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

today i emailed thailand embassy in my country and this is their reply:

 

The Embassy has not as yet received any official notification from Bangkok regarding Phuket despite what has been reported in the media, and so the Embassy is unable to advise you regarding Phuket, but hopefully the Embassy will soon receive the requisite information.

As soon as the Embassy is informed of the conditions of entry to Phuket, they will be published on the Embassy’s official Facebook page at  and on the Embassy’s official website. Thank you

[JCP108]

7 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

today i emailed thailand embassy in my country and this is their reply:

 

The Embassy has not as yet received any official notification from Bangkok regarding Phuket despite what has been reported in the media, and so the Embassy is unable to advise you regarding Phuket, but hopefully the Embassy will soon receive the requisite information.

As soon as the Embassy is informed of the conditions of entry to Phuket, they will be published on the Embassy’s official Facebook page at  and on the Embassy’s official website. Thank you

This is June 21 and the sandbox doesn't open for another week and a half. No hurry. They expect people to make plans on June 30 and land in the Kingdom a day later. 

[aussiexpat]

One way flight - $739

4 PCR tests - $600

Covid insurance (90 days) - $165

 

Something wrong when the additional mandatory costs are more than the flight ????

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by aussiexpat

[JOE BAMA]

I'm in the US now, with a ticket returning July 11th, as I have to work starting the 29th.  I check every day, wanting to see that I can return and roam freely in Phuket rather than being cooped up in a quarantine hotel for 14 days.  I'm booked to fly into Bangkok, so I hoped to buy a connecting flight from Bangkok to Phuket, but it seems that is not allowed (yet).  I had banked on having to stay in Phuket 7 days, not 14, and I could still join the Phuket Sandbox if it was 7 days, not 14.  Do you think the 14 days will change to 7, or people booked to fly into Bangkok can get connecting flights to Phuket??

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, JOE BAMA said:

Do you think the 14 days will change to 7

 

No, not before you need to be back for work.

 

4 minutes ago, JOE BAMA said:

or people booked to fly into Bangkok can get connecting flights to Phuket??

 

Possible as there was mention of a system being set up then it went dark, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.

[Espanol]

2 hours ago, JOE BAMA said:

I'm in the US now, with a ticket returning July 11th, as I have to work starting the 29th.  I check every day, wanting to see that I can return and roam freely in Phuket rather than being cooped up in a quarantine hotel for 14 days.  I'm booked to fly into Bangkok, so I hoped to buy a connecting flight from Bangkok to Phuket, but it seems that is not allowed (yet).  I had banked on having to stay in Phuket 7 days, not 14, and I could still join the Phuket Sandbox if it was 7 days, not 14.  Do you think the 14 days will change to 7, or people booked to fly into Bangkok can get connecting flights to Phuket??

Yes, flying to BKK and then connecting to HKT is already approved.

[richard_smith237]

38 minutes ago, Espanol said:

Yes, flying to BKK and then connecting to HKT is already approved.

 

Under which conditions ???

 

i.e. Ticketed all the way though to Phuket with the same airline ? i.e. baggage through automatically to Phuket ?

 

Or... is it permitted to land in Bangkok, collect Baggage and take an onward flight to Phuket ?

 

i.e. Baggage being the major issue here.... 

[Jingthing]

Only 50 percent?

I'm surprised.

Maybe they need a rebranding to specifically target wealthy masochists with medical testing and hospital fetishes. 

[onebir]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Maybe they need a rebranding to specifically target wealthy masochists with medical testing and hospital fetishes. 

They're swabbing the wrong orifices...

[Espanol]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Under which conditions ???

 

i.e. Ticketed all the way though to Phuket with the same airline ? i.e. baggage through automatically to Phuket ?

 

Or... is it permitted to land in Bangkok, collect Baggage and take an onward flight to Phuket ?

 

i.e. Baggage being the major issue here.... 

 

No needed same airline: you can flight KLM to BKK and then transfer to Air Asia to HKT.

 

As published in Royal Gazette, when arriving to BKK, passengers will be checked before transfer to domestic flight.

 

Details to be published soon.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Espanol

[JOE BAMA]

18 hours ago, Espanol said:

Yes, flying to BKK and then connecting to HKT is already approved.

Is this "flying to BKK and then connecting to HKT is already approved" really true??  If so, all I need to do is book a flight leaving Suvarnabhumi for Phuket!  However, I thought connecting flights were NOT approved.  So here is the real question:  How does one find genuine answers to questions of this sort?  I think the member who started this forum must have the closest communications line to the situation. Or could some sort of "travel agent" really help me?? I have to decide today whether I can book a connecting flight to Phuket after landing in BKK or not.  I REALLY  do not want to spend 14 days locked up in a quarantine hotel!  Could somebody please help me?!