Anutin: Phuket Sandbox remains on course - three tests for already vaccinated foreign tourists - 14 days on island

[webfact]

Picture: Daily News

 

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul faced the press yesterday after a meeting of the infectious diseases committee.

 

High up the agenda were plans for the so-called Phuket Sandbox re-opening to foreign tourists still slated for July 1st despite a series of conflicting reports in recent days.

 

Anutin said this would apply to foreigners from low to middle risk countries who had received and have evidence of two doses of WHO approved vaccine.

 

Young children with them would have to be closely supervised. 

 

They would need a negative test 72 hours before coming.

 

Once in Phuket they would be tested on the first day, then the 7th day then the 14th day. 

 

They would need to remain on the island for 14 days. Then, provided they did not have Covid-19, they would be free to exit the province and go to other parts of Thailand. 

 

He said that about 60% of the population had been vaccinated on Phuket.

 

He said the province would be "fully" vaccinated so it can be opened up according to the stated plans. 

 

The vaccine rollout in Thailand was proceeding as fast as possible and data was being gathered on the effect of vaccination on recovery, the seriousness of infections and death rates. 

 

Daily News also reported that it had been agreed that the time between doses of Astra Zeneca vaccine could be extended from 10-12 weeks to 16 weeks. 

 

The commitee also noted and agreed with changes in the law to allow fines for non-mask wearing in public to be 1,000 baht for the first offence, 1-10,000 baht for the second and from 10,000 but no more than 20,000 baht for the third. 

 

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[zzzzz]

3 tests >
who pays?   3,000 baht/test>>  dam

 

am sure the couple of hundred "tourists" will enjoy the island 

[Somtamnication]

What a circus. I live in a Thai village, no foreigners to be seen. The locals are desperate. These are normal people who do normal work with daily expenses. It is a powder keg ready to......(fill in the gap).

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Somtamnication said:

What a circus. I live in a Thai village, no foreigners to be seen. The locals are desperate. These are normal people who do normal work with daily expenses. It is a powder keg ready to......(fill in the gap).

All over Thailand in reality. People are becoming desperate

[petermik]

Living in a dreamworld if they expect tourists in any numbers to come and put up with that.....

[spidermike007]

According to the tourism experts Anutin and Phiphat, the best way to attract more tourism, and re-vitalize the devastated industry, is to raise the hurdles. Make it harder for tourists, and it will increase their desire to visit. Wow. Such a simple concept. Brilliant. 

 

Add to that the fact that both Samui and Phuket are devastated at the moment, with thousands of closed businesses and no nightlife, and that make those places even more attractive. Maybe these slugs are smarter than we thought. 

[Shuya]

Fully vaccinated and 4 PCR tests at around THB 4'000 per person each (including pre-departure). There will be millions of tourists waiting for the privilege to come to holiday on a island where everything is closed and staying in specially "approved" hotels at an extra cost. 

[Surelynot]

BP reported 29,000 cancelled last week.......not looking too good.

[LivinLOS]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

They would need to remain on the island for 14 days. Then, provided they did not have Covid-19, they would be free to exit the province and go to other parts of Thailand. 

I keep pointing out one huge hole no one can answer.. 

When a Thai national tries to leave the sandbox, via road or sea, how can anyone determine if he is a local Thai national or a Sandbox arrival ?? A local Thai national need not carry any passport (hence immigration stamps) or must have any tracking apps. There is no way to determine this !! The same to a lesser extent for local expats and domestic non Thais, of course they can be demanded to have the passport but many travel without one. But telling a sandbox arrival from a domestic traveler, especially later on when this involves 10s of 1000s of arrivals has not been addressed in any way. 

I mean they are not building a system based 100% on trusting Thai word are they ?? 

Every time I raise this in the various sandbox groups which are talking and planning with local government all I get is an 'err yeah.. good point'.. 

[LivinLOS]

4 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

BP reported 29,000 cancelled last week.......not looking too good.

 

No they said half of 29k cancelled.. However there was never 29k booked, its all just numbers plucked from thin air.. 

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

I keep pointing out one huge hole no one can answer.. 

When a Thai national tries to leave the sandbox, via road or sea, how can anyone determine if he is a local Thai national or a Sandbox arrival ?? A local Thai national need not carry any passport (hence immigration stamps) or must have any tracking apps. There is no way to determine this !! The same to a lesser extent for local expats and domestic non Thais, of course they can be demanded to have the passport but many travel without one. But telling a sandbox arrival from a domestic traveler, especially later on when this involves 10s of 1000s of arrivals has not been addressed in any way. 

I mean they are not building a system based 100% on trusting Thai word are they ?? 

Every time I raise this in the various sandbox groups which are talking and planning with local government all I get is an 'err yeah.. good point'.. 

Crossed my mind..........each time they talk about restricting interprovincial travel.......who knows where anyone actually lives?....expat or Thai

[blackcab]

Several countries also require a covid test within 72 hours of returning home.

 

If the Thai government do not supply documentation with each test then there is a possibility that the tourist would also need another test to return home.

 

In this case the tests would be: Pre-departure (to arrive), Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, pre-departure (to depart). For a small family the cost of testing would be substantial, even if the cost of the Day 1, 7 and 14 tests are included in the hotel price.

 

If anyone was declared positive it would ruin the complete holiday for everyone.

[xtof2]

Anutin, let's do 1 test per day.

Just to be on the safe side.

 

[actonion]

Why does this lot seem to think   the world is queing up to visit Thailand & why would any fully vaccinated tourist want to holiday  in a country where  most of the population have'nt been vaccinated?

[Henryford]

36 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

3 tests >
who pays?   3,000 baht/test>>  dam

 

am sure the couple of hundred "tourists" will enjoy the island 

 

4 tests, one before arriving. And if any one is positive off to the prison hospital

[Agusts]

Fine print at the end , 1000 baht fine for not wearing a mask first time, I can imagine certain folks in position of power rubbing their hands on nice little earner from say a farang family of 5 wondering the streets not aware of the fine....! Add that to your Covid test cost calculation.... ????

 

[ikke1959]

But we called it no quarantine..... what is the difference? Ok I don't need to sit in a hotelroom all day, but the rest will be the same

[Tropicalevo]

22 minutes ago, actonion said:

Why does this lot seem to think   the world is queing up to visit Thailand & why would any fully vaccinated tourist want to holiday  in a country where  most of the population have'nt been vaccinated?

Not many have been tested either.

Apart from those already in 'clusters' we do not really know how many people out there are infected. We only know about the ones that are ill enough to go to hospital.

[Caldera]

A vaccinated traveler will have to undergo FOUR tests (including pre-flight), possibly even five if they need another one just before their return trip. All at their own expense of course. Insanity!

[carabaothai]

COE before the flight

SHA+ hotels

Bars, entertainments closed

Masks all the day in public zone (beaches also?)

3 tests or more at 3000-4000 thb and one more to flight back 

covid insurance around 3000 or more depends of your country and how long you stay

Risk to be tested positive and stay 15 days in hospital

Maybe quarantine when you arrive back home country (since today Belgium has said that Thailand is a red country for Covid)

 

The best holidays you never had ????????????????

[wensiensheng]

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

I keep pointing out one huge hole no one can answer.. 

When a Thai national tries to leave the sandbox, via road or sea, how can anyone determine if he is a local Thai national or a Sandbox arrival ?? A local Thai national need not carry any passport (hence immigration stamps) or must have any tracking apps. There is no way to determine this !! The same to a lesser extent for local expats and domestic non Thais, of course they can be demanded to have the passport but many travel without one. But telling a sandbox arrival from a domestic traveler, especially later on when this involves 10s of 1000s of arrivals has not been addressed in any way. 

I mean they are not building a system based 100% on trusting Thai word are they ?? 

Every time I raise this in the various sandbox groups which are talking and planning with local government all I get is an 'err yeah.. good point'.. 

the sandbox will leak like a colander anyway. You don’t have to be a Thai tourist to leave the island and carry Covid with you. You could be a resident (farang or Thai) who mixes with tourists,  catches Covid and carry it with you out of the island.

 

although I have to say, I think most of the risk is with the tourist. They have had two jabs, currently 75% of Phuket has had either one, or none. The mention of Phuket being “fully vaccinated is just pure tosh.

 

and from the op, how do you closely monitor children for Covid? Check if they have a fever every 5 minutes and hope none of them are asymptomatic? Just more BS.

 

but what does it matter? There won’t be any proper tourists, just guys getting back to their families.

[NCC1701A]

take a really close look at this graphic. get out your red pencil. 

 

 

[bermondburi]

2 hours ago, actonion said:

Why does this lot seem to think   the world is queing up to visit Thailand & why would any fully vaccinated tourist want to holiday  in a country where  most of the population have'nt been vaccinated?

As a fully vaccinated traveler, I wouldn't care about the unvaccinated. Why would I?

[wensiensheng]

2 hours ago, blackcab said:

Several countries also require a covid test within 72 hours of returning home.

 

If the Thai government do not supply documentation with each test then there is a possibility that the tourist would also need another test to return home.

 

In this case the tests would be: Pre-departure (to arrive), Day 1, Day 7, Day 14, pre-departure (to depart). For a small family the cost of testing would be substantial, even if the cost of the Day 1, 7 and 14 tests is included in the hotel price.

 

If anyone was declared positive it would ruin the complete holiday for everyone.

The other reality is that the ability of the authorities to monitor who needs which test on which date will dim very quickly as it starts to become boring, and it won’t be long before it becomes a shambles. Just like, mmm I dunno, a certain vaccination program

[wensiensheng]

5 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

take a really close look at this graphic. get out your red pencil. 

 

 

Anybody know what countries are on the “specified country” list?

[Excel]

Just now, bermondburi said:

As a fully vaccinated traveler, I wouldn't care about the unvaccinated. Why would I?

Oh dear with that sort of selfish attitude please stay away. !1) Although vaccinated you can still be a carrier and pass it on, think of the elderly and those with health problems, don't you care ? 2) There is insufficient date to suggest that whilst vaccinated against one variant, you can not catch a newer variant being carried by those unvaccinated you may come into contact with.  Still with no worries for you life must be very simple 

[LivinLOS]

2 hours ago, Henryford said:

 

4 tests, one before arriving. And if any one is positive off to the prison hospital

 

Potentially 5 tests as you will need one to fly home for almost any country, unless you flight home times nicely with one of the final Thai ones.

[2 is 1]

If some tourist REALLY want to go Phuket, how many option they have when choose flights?!

I think not many flight /week. And from where have direct flight? So many from possible tourist also need to get conection flight to even get there!

People in Europe find nice beach much more close bye and there can even get cold beer whitout drinking it through mask!

[Fairynuff]

I think both of the remaining  tourists who haven’t yet cancelled will be doing so now.

[Destiny1990]

Again They “worry” about vaccinated tourists instead of on their own unvaccinated bunch.