Phuket Sandbox: All tourists to wear location tracking wristbands

[webfact]

Image: Thai Rath

 

Visitors to Phuket under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme will be required to wear a wristband that will track their location, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

 

The GPS enabled wristband will be able to inform the authorities of the exact location of each tourist on the island.

 

GPS enabled wrist bands first debuted earlier this year during a pilot project on Phuket. 

 

Ten tourists who arrived in Phuket from Australia under the ‘Digital Yacht Quarantine’ were required to wear the wristbands during their stay. 

 

The news regarding wristbands was confirmed as officials in Phuket this week began preparing the security protocols that will be put in place for all foreigners arriving on the island from July 1.

 

Thai news site Manager reported on some of the security protocols that will be put in place, which include security checkpoints on the main road leading to the island screening everyone arriving or trying to leave. 

 

The checkpoints will feature facial recognition cameras that will be able to detect any tourist who tries to leave Phuket before the 14 day mandatory quarantine period.

 

The foreigners who arrive on the island will also need to produce a certificate of entry before boarding the plane to Thailand and will need to take a COVID-19 immediately after arrival before being transferred to their hotel.

 

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be required to go directory to quarantine.

 

Other requirements include proof of health insurance covering treatment for COVID-19 up to $100,000, confirmation of hotel booking, and a negative PCR taken no more than 72 hours before departure.

 

Tourists included in the Phuket Sandbox scheme will then need to take another COVID-19 test after six days, before taking a third test on day 13 prior to them being given permission to leave the island and travel to other areas of Thailand.

 

Officials said they expect approximately 129,000 foreigners to visit Phuket under the Sandbox scheme. 

 

Last week, the Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said that over 50 percent of foreigners who had confirmed they would visit Phuket as part of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme have now cancelled their plans.

 

The cancellations were due to the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) increasing the minimum period of stay from 7 days to 14 days. 

 

This resulted in 29,700 foreigners cancelling their plans to visit Phuket, Mr Pipat said. 

 

 

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[WineOh]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Visitors to Phuket under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme will be required to wear a wristband that will track their location, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

 

The GPS enabled wristband will be able to inform the authorities of the exact location of each tourist on the island.

That's it!

 

The final nail in the coffin for the Phuket Sandpit.

 

They will be lucky if they reach double figures when they open with draconian measures such as these.

Edited June 17, 2021 by WineOh

[clivebaxter]

They'll be made in China so won't work for 14 days anyhow ????

[NorthernRyland]

Never forget. Never forgive.

[KarenBravo]

They really don't have a clue how Westerners think, or how this tracking bracelet will be received.

I can see people arriving in Thailand and blankly refusing to wear them.

We don't like authoritarianism and this action exemplifies it.

[Somtamnication]

Can't get more Orwellian than that!

[Bkk Brian]

I wouldn't bother ordering too many of those wristband trackers, a shoe box full will be enough. The only people coming are going to be long term stayers returning or business people who have no choice. No tourists in the right mind would put themselves through this

[keith101]

15 minutes ago, webfact said:

Officials said they expect approximately 129,000 foreigners to visit Phuket under the Sandbox scheme

Not if they have to go through all that BS as the are fully vaccinated according to the guidelines for entry into Phuket .

[toolpush]

I hope I can get one next time I arrive. Be great fun to put it through various torture tests like in the old Timex Watch commercials.

[NCC1701A]

the actual models used are a suppository device.

 

not wristbands.  

[Excel]

1 minute ago, NCC1701A said:

the actual models used are a suppository device.

 

not wristbands.  

Well that should bring a smile to some faces. No doubt the vibrating alarm is operated remotely

[colinneil]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Visitors to Phuket under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme will be required to wear a wristband that will track their location, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Have the clowns any idea of how bloody stupid that scheme is?

So they expect tourists  to flock to Phuket to be treated the same as criminals, dream on morons, it aint gonna happen.

Are these clowns determined to destroy Phuket tourism forever?

Certainly appears that way.

[WineOh]

how will they advertise this back in the UK at your local travel agents?

 

Holiday in Phuket whilst wearing a police tag.
your movements will be tracked by Thai officials day and night

No wine or beer with your meal and definitely no clubbing.

 

Walking around is allowed providing you wear your mask or face a 20,000 baht fine.

terms and conditions subject to change without any prior warning.

 

hardly appetizing is it????

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by WineOh

[darksidedog]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

over 50 percent of foreigners who had confirmed they would visit Phuket as part of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme have now cancelled their plans.

And with this added stupidity, expect further cancellations. I am continually stunned that officials believe tourists are so desperate to visit here that they will be prepared to go through draconian hoops to do so.

[Phuketshrew]

Are they planning to open on July 1st or April 1st ?

[Caldera]

This is getting silly.

 

Trying hard to make the remaining prospective visitors cancel their bookings as well...

[Captain Monday]

Nothing concerning with wearing a GPS locator device, as long as one follows the rules.

What is the extra fee for foreign tourists if any, of these required safety enhancements?

[dyertribe]

Not forgetting of course that Bars and Entertainment venues will still not be allowed to open ...

[Captain Monday]

14 minutes ago, WineOh said:

how will they advertise this back in the UK at your local travel agents?

 

Holiday in Phuket whilst wearing a police tag.
your movements will be tracked by Thai officials day and night

No wine or beer with your meal and definitely no clubbing.

 

Walking around is allowed providing you wear your mask or face a 20,000 baht fine.

terms and conditions subject to change without any prior warning.

 

hardly appetizing is it????

 

 

You can take your meal in your room and buy alcohol at a mini-mart,

or has consumption of the "devils brew" been completely banned for the duration of ones stay in the sandbox?

[Robin]

Phuket Prison Camp?   Every incentive not to come.  Who thinks up these ideas?  

Could it be thee importer of these tracking devices?  Nice profit selling them to Phuket immigration?  Are they water=proof or will swimming be among the banned activities?

Special feature will sound the remote alarm if the wearer is drinking alcohol or socialising with Thai Bar Girl.

[sqwakvfr]

Important detail is "how much for the tracking bracelet if the tourist loses it or fails to return it?'.  5,000, 10,000 Baht???  Or will the bracelet be a graduation gift for passing the "Sandbox" not a quarantine that is a quarantine?  

[Pottinger]

No need to worry, this is only Phuket Sandbox Experiment, Iteration #1. It is only to test the numbers of gullible, not to say dimwitted, foreigners prepared to follow the 'Guantanamo' model of tourism; there will be plenty of revised iterations along shortly.

Just wait till the rendition flights begin....

Edited June 17, 2021 by Pottinger

[ikke1959]

I am not a criminal in my country. so why should I wear a wristband like a criminal in my holiday?? Thai people need to think before they do. Tourists don't want to be followed 24hrs a day. Holiday is for relaxing and fun and not for feeling locked up or watched 

[Excel]

1 minute ago, Pottinger said:

No need to worry, this is only Phuket Sandbox Experiment, Iteration #1. It is only to test the numbers of gullible, not to say dimwitted, foreigners prepared to follow the 'Guantanamo' model of tourism; there will be plenty of revised iterations along shortly.

Guess the next free gift to the tourist will be an orange jump suit

[Felt 35]

46 minutes ago, WineOh said:

The final nail in the coffin for the Phuket Sandpit

????Most likely with intention, they know its to early to open up due to the current Covid - 19 situation.

[Excel]

2 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

????Most likely with intention, they know its to early to open up due to the current Covid - 19 situation.

Considering the horror of losing face to a Thai, especially those who think they are above everybody else, I would have thought that they would have abandoned this display of stupidity to the entire world long ago.

[ChipButty]

43 minutes ago, toolpush said:

I hope I can get one next time I arrive. Be great fun to put it through various torture tests like in the old Timex Watch commercials.

Stick your hand in a bag of ice

[NCC1701A]

so just now ONLY foreign tourists allowed. 

 

no one from Thailand can enter. 

 

of course this had to be. so i am not allowed to go. or thai tourists. 

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by NCC1701A

[ChipButty]

30 minutes ago, Robin said:

Special feature will sound the remote alarm if the wearer is drinking alcohol or socialising with Thai Bar Girl.

Or a Lady boy

[bluebluewater]

I'm going to attach mine to the collar of a soi dog