Phuket Sandbox: Foreign tourists will find more than three quarters of businesses shut

[Chainsaw]

5 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

True, but you know more like 90% closed Patong, Karon, Kata. Chalong and Rawai are mostly open. But genuine tourists want the main beach resorts.

Rawai is the main beach resort! Ya Nui, Nai Harn, Rawai Beach, Ao sane. All these beaches are open, as are most of the restaurants where you can now drink alcohol. Plenty to do in Rawai so stop with the doom and gloom posts please.

[bangon04]

please can somebody add the tumbleweed to the OP photo.....

[Albert Zweistein]

10 hours ago, bojo said:

So much negativity here on TV................................as a poster rightly mentioned on another thread.......................Sandbox is a pilot scheme and Phuket IMO is far better than staying in BKK..................................yes, it's gonna be quiet initially, but the locals will react extremely fast (they're just waiting in the wings, chomping at the bit) and incoming and 'understanding that it's dead anyway pioneering tourists' will set the trend and the locals will react accordingly in a heartbeat.....................Phuket is a 'hot' worldwide destination and it'll warm up fast and 20% initial businesses open is enough for the ballsy and Thailand addicted tourist that understands the situation to be cracking on with...............................

Are you prepared to do the pioneering in that "hot"worldwide destination ????????????? I know much hotter destinations open already without all the hoops the Thai "government" is imposing.

[Deli]

21 hours ago, bolt said:

thanks but where????, or do you think i should stay locked in an ASQ room for 14 days is better

 

It refers to Karon and Kata

[Stargeezr]

Go to Phuket and other than the locals living there, you can see the semi ghost town look of the

tourist areas. Entertainment will be these ghost town tours.  You will feel a bit like a pioneer, and maybe the locals will

be really happy to have you back as their first international tourists in a long time. 

  Bring lots of cash, baht and enjoy a less crowded beach than you will get if you return in 2023.

Geezer

[pagallim]

8 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Go to Phuket and other than the locals living there, you can see the semi ghost town look of the

tourist areas. Entertainment will be these ghost town tours.  You will feel a bit like a pioneer, and maybe the locals will

be really happy to have you back as their first international tourists in a long time. 

  Bring lots of cash, baht and enjoy a less crowded beach than you will get if you return in 2023.

Geezer

 

Wrong impression.   Sure, the west coast tourist towns are tumbleweed territory, but head to Rawai with its sizeable expat community with possibly one of the best beaches on the island (Nai Harn) you will find plenty of places open i.e. restaurants and coffee shops etc.   Not far away you have Chalong, equally with many restaurants open and a few places worthwhile to look at, and Cape Panwa with its scenery, again with quite a few restaurants open with some of the best views on the island, and the shopping malls of Phuket Town fully up and running.   Just don't expect full on entertainment, but there is a sizeable expat community on the island that has been continually serviced (with the exception of alcohol prohibition which has now been rescinded in restaurants).   Whatever you are looking for in Phuket, is still there.

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, pagallim said:

Rawai with its sizeable expat community

NO.......got a six week house sit there......was hoping there might be no expats......never mind.

[Bluedan]

The remaining expats are mainly located in Laguna Chergtalay and Naiharn/Rawai areas. In these areas there is still devastation to business but a lot better than Surin Beach, Kata, Karon and Patong. 

 

I suspect that the smattering of tourists will find that outside of these areas the tumble weeds are blowing down the main streets.

[oldcpu]

On 6/22/2021 at 2:51 PM, aussieinphuket said:

if you live here its actually ok as no mini-bus taxis on the roads and obviously less taxis also so much easier to get around.

Absolutely.  As a retired expat in Phuket, living here, its the best its been for years. 

 

The beaches are all mostly quiet and  mostly VERY nice. Traffic is light. One can actually get from point-A to B without fighting traffic.

 

While places like Patong/Karon/Kata are mostly dead, as an expat I never go there.   I can find very nice restaurants that I like in Phuket Town, Panwa, Chalong, and Rawai that are open, and are very nice.  There are amazing bargain prices to be found - which I haven't seen for years.  

 

Having local knowledge of Phuket helps massively.

 

It is sad thou, to see the locals and expats, who depend on tourism, suffer. So for them, I hope the place eventually picks up with tourists returning, even thou it won't be as nice for myself when the hordes return (so I am in no hurry for them to return for myself - but hopefully return for those whose income depends on the tourists).