UK govt ruling on quarantine could be a welcome boost to British tourists visiting Phuket

[webfact]

File photo for reference only//REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

 

A review of travel restrictions by the UK government later this week could result in a welcome boost for Thailand’s ‘Phuket Sandbox’ project.

 

Since May, the British government has implemented a ‘traffic light’ system in order to permit international travel.

 

Countries are categorised as either green, amber or red depending on their response to the pandemic, with vaccination efforts, the ability to identify Covid variants and hospitalisations from the virus all taken into account.

 

The traffic light system is reviewed every three weeks, with the next review expected on Thursday.

 

Thailand is currently listed as a ‘amber’ country. 

 

This means that as it stands any Brits who are due to visit Thailand as part of the Phuket Sandbox project, which begins on July 1, need to quarantine at home for 10 days upon their return to the UK. 

 

They are also required to take a COVID-19 test on or before day two and on or after day eight after they have returned.

 

The prospect of having to self quarantine after returning from Thailand is likely to put off potential visitors from the UK.

 

However, should Thailand be re-categorised as a ‘green’ country, visitors from the UK will be under no restrictions once they return home.

 

Other countries being re-categorised could also have an impact on the number of potential visitors to Phuket from the UK.

 

At present there are only a handful of flights operating from the UK to Thailand.

 

However, should the UK government move Middle Eastern countries to the ‘amber’ list, then potentially more flights will be available to tourists from the UK.

 

Despite the prospect of no quarantine on their return and the possibility of more flights, the idea that scores of British tourists will be heading for Thailand come July 1 may be a little premature.

 

Recent data released by UK based travel booking sites and holiday firms suggest that Brits will opt for short haul destinations for their summer holidays, that’s if they decide to leave the UK at all. 

 

Meanwhile, on Monday, UK PM Boris Johnson said 2021 would be a “difficult” year for international  travel.

 

“I want to stress that this is going to be, whatever happens, a difficult year for travel. There will be hassle, there will be delays, I'm afraid. Because the priority has got to be to keep the country safe and stop the virus coming back in,” he said

 

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[SooKee]

The way things are going at the moment I would think there's at least as much chance of Thailand being regraded to Red as there is of it going down to Green.

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by SooKee

[bolt]

Forward thinking 

once vaccinations have been completed worldwide, then restrictions will change, they won’t go away, they will still be here as the variants will always be here.

[Mr Meeseeks]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

However, should Thailand be re-categorised as a ‘green’ country, visitors from the UK will be under no restrictions once they return home.

No chance of that happening with over 4000 cases today and only 3.3% of the population fully vaccinated. 

[BangkokReady]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

the priority has got to be to keep the country safe and stop the virus coming back in

 

Shame he didn't take this view when the virus first appeared.

[3NUMBAS]

no chance as brits cant get to greece and spain yet ,thailand will be well down the list

[Justgrazing]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

 

However, should Thailand be re-categorised as a ‘green’ country, visitors from the UK will be under no restrictions once they return home.

 

And if wishes were wings there'd be pigs flying everywhere in Thailand .. the way it's going they want to wish they don't get downgraded to Red .. 

[Surelynot]

I suspect the type of UK tourist wanting to head to Thailand would pay little heed to quarantining on their return to the UK anyway.......so a change in rules will have little or no effect.

 

The chances are Thailand could move to red........the UK know how little testing is being done and suspect the real figures are being hidden.....even if the number of deaths do seem to remain very low.......the infection rate in urban areas must be very high.

[Mr Meeseeks]

Imagine if you come on holiday to Thailand and it becomes a red country! Stuck here, unable to return with your family and the nightmare that then ensues. 

 

I will say again: FORGET mass tourism it is OVER for the foreseeable. 

[smedly]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Thailand is currently listed as a ‘amber’ country. 

so Thailand lists itself as mostly Red and Amber (Amber in Thailand closer to red in the UK) and yet it is expecting the UK to change (downgrade) its rating for Thailand - vaccine rollout a disaster and increasing virus spread lol

 

are they having a laugh

[Surelynot]

6 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Imagine if you come on holiday to Thailand and it becomes a red country! Stuck here, unable to return with your family and the nightmare that then ensues. 

 

I will say again: FORGET mass tourism it is OVER for the foreseeable. 

Agree....but in their defense I guess they have to be doing everything they can (or be seen to) to promote tourism.........it keeps them in a job and it is good optics, as they say.........(still futile).

Edited June 22, 2021 by Surelynot

[SooKee]

20 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Imagine if you come on holiday to Thailand and it becomes a red country! Stuck here, unable to return with your family and the nightmare that then ensues. 

 

I will say again: FORGET mass tourism it is OVER for the foreseeable. 

 

Exactly, as the UK did with Portugal, people having to shell out hundreds to get early flights back to beat the quarantine deadline, airlines helpfully hiking the prices to make a killing.

[RichardColeman]

Not a chance in hell that Thailand will move to a green list.

 

UK testing per million - 2,931,000

Spain testing per million - 1,095,000

Italy testing per million - 1,159,000

France  testing per million - 1,393,000

Portugal testing per million - 1,254,000

 

Thai testing per million a pathetic 116,000

 

Why on earth would the UK make Thailand a green country when they have tested nearly 96% less than the UK ? Or 90% less than Europe ? More likely ALL of europe will get on the UK green list before Thailand. Thailand's tourism has shot itself in the foot by trying to appear better than it was in the past year by limiting testing and now they are facing the consequences.

 

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

48 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Imagine if you come on holiday to Thailand and it becomes a red country! Stuck here, unable to return with your family and the nightmare that then ensues. 

 

I will say again: FORGET mass tourism it is OVER for the foreseeable. 

I'm not actually sure that it is legal to stop people returning from a holiday if you are a passport holder citizen and the country you are in put in the red list.

 

They can prevent you going on holiday, but not returning, due to the duty of care they have to their citizens and getting them home.

 

Now, finding a (cheap) flight quickly would be a whole different issue.

 

 

 

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The prospect of having to self quarantine after returning from Thailand is likely to put off potential visitors from the UK.

I think more to the point are the restrictions imposed by Thailand on foreign visitors and the hoops they have to jump through to avoid any heavy penalties from the Thai government, I hope the Thai government have released all the relevant information and restrictions that are involved when visiting Phuket ..............!!! 

[DLock]

I would rate the chances as being:

 

Moving to Green - 10:1

Staying at Amber - even 

Moving to Red - 5:1

 

In other words, there probably more chance of Thailand moving to Red than Green, but I think the UK will maintain at Amber.

 

 

[DJBenz]

23 minutes ago, Geoffggi said:

I think more to the point are the restrictions imposed by Thailand on foreign visitors and the hoops they have to jump through to avoid any heavy penalties from the Thai government, I hope the Thai government have released all the relevant information and restrictions that are involved when visiting Phuket ..............!!! 

Came here to say exactly this! A RT-PCR test on day 2 and 8 after return is a walk in the park compared to the ridiculous hoops one has to jump through to visit Thailand currently, even under the Phuket Island Prison sandbox scheme.

[MasterBaker]

Phuket just keep grasping at every straw

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, should Thailand be re-categorised as a ‘green’ country, visitors from the UK will be under no restrictions once they return home.

Maybe the British embassy in Thailand has an input into what is actually going on over here as apposed to what Thailand would like to tell the UK.

It should be going into the Red.

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm not actually sure that it is legal to stop people returning from a holiday if you are a passport holder citizen and the country you are in put in the red list.

 

They can prevent you going on holiday, but not returning, due to the duty of care they have to their citizens and getting them home.

 

Now, finding a (cheap) flight quickly would be a whole different issue.

 

 

 

That's what I would have thought but doesn't Australia have a limit on it's citizens returning? I'm not sure how that works. I think in the case of UK citizens returning from abroad it's the fact you can be forced to quarantine that's the issue rather than not being allowed to return.

[SunsetT]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm not actually sure that it is legal to stop people returning from a holiday if you are a passport holder citizen and the country you are in put in the red list.

 

They can prevent you going on holiday, but not returning, due to the duty of care they have to their citizens and getting them home.

 

Now, finding a (cheap) flight quickly would be a whole different issue.

 

 

 

UK citizens CAN return from Red countries but they must pay £1750 for 10 days compulsory hotel quarantine.

[chilly07]

Don't  they know that  amber means accelerate to avoid a  red and red means accelerate  to avoid a red in Thailand? They must therefore  declare Phuket a Triple Red to avoid  any misunderstandings!

[Mr Meeseeks]

19 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

UK citizens CAN return from Red countries but they must pay £1750 for 10 days compulsory hotel quarantine.

Per person. Do they offer packages for families?

[fangless]

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Imagine if you come on holiday to Thailand and it becomes a red country! Stuck here, unable to return with your family and the nightmare that then ensues. 

 

I will say again: FORGET mass tourism it is OVER for the foreseeable. 

Sorry darling!

As you know I had to visit Thailand on business but I am now stuck here for a very long time,

Please transfer £xxxxxx to my sole account.

 

Love and miss you!

[ukrules]

If they're hoping for a 'green light' they're dreaming.

 

There's far more chance of the whole country being red listed.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Per person. Do they offer packages for families?

Yes. I think it is £1000 for second adult and £600 for a child with a cap I think of £3500.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, DLock said:

I would rate the chances as being:

 

Moving to Green - 10:1

Staying at Amber - even 

Moving to Red - 5:1

 

In other words, there probably more chance of Thailand moving to Red than Green, but I think the UK will maintain at Amber.

Thailand status is not the only problem, unless on a direct flight.

Currently the major ME hubs are red which means mandatory government quarantine.

[SunsetT]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Per person. Do they offer packages for families?

Sorry Ive no idea. check the UK govt. website for this.

[sapson]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

They can prevent you going on holiday, but not returning, due to the duty of care they have to their citizens and getting them home.

 

Interesting, but if you havent booked and paid for the day 2 and  8 covid tests wth a receipt before flying and tested negative in the prior 72 hrs, dont think you are allowed to board.

[philba]

4 minutes ago, sapson said:

 

Interesting, but if you havent booked and paid for the day 2 and  8 covid tests wth a receipt before flying and tested negative in the prior 72 hrs, dont think you are allowed to board.

Correct.

You also have to fill out a passenger locator form.