What in store for expats in Phuket after 1 July ?

[Agusts]

I don't want to be pessimistic, and like to see things get better for Phuket and businesses here, but I am thinking with all these rules and command center set up to monitor tourists (reminds me of Jason Bourne movies....!), what is in store for us expats here...!?

 

It's all good for all those abroad or living in the woods up north with their teerak, or tourists cancelling their trip, to laugh at this sandbox circus unravelling with daily crazy rules and regulations, a bit like Disneyland meets Guantanamo Bay version of the island, but what about us expats having to live through it from next week....!

 

How are we going to prove we are not tourists, do we have to carry our passport every day...? As you know certain authorities in uniform love a side earning from farangs, so will we be stopped every 100 yards and ask to show ID, or tracing app on the phone, or proof of negative PCR test, or tell which SHA+ hotel we are staying and show proof, etc. etc. ....!?

 

And what if sitting in a restaurant and you have the CCSA, plus defence volunteers, plus police, plus swat commandos, plus + + ....., come in a raid because the lovely tourist sitting next to you with her tracing app giving location, suddenly had PCR test she took yesterday, came in positive, and she even doesn't know about it yet...!!! Now all the restaurant have to go in quarantine, farangs of course in the 10k baht a night at luxury hotel called Bangkok Hospital - lucky tourist has her insurance though, and us expats .... !?

 

Whichever way you look at it there will be more control, more checks, and dare I say , more harassment of us farangs, coming soon...! ☹️

 

It looks pretty bleak, I hope it won't be as bad and I'm wrong..., you would have thought they want to project a good image after all to attract more visitors...????

 

[ezzra]

It'll all be come clear come 1st of July.. or not.. take comfort that you probably know as much as the PM and all ministers put together when it comes to the million dollar question: what will happened in July...

[RichardColeman]

Put simply, I think what is about to unfold with the shambolic treating of foreign tourists is going to do more damage to Thailand's tourism image than any possible gold star TAT advertising can repair later.

[grain]

OP, you're going to be in for a heavy dose of xenophobia, that much you can be certain about. Be prepared for Thais giving you a wide berth as you move about the streets and shops, and I very much expect a big jump in the 'farang price'. Good luck to you, I'm glad I'm living in the woods with my teerak.

[Cake Monster]

15 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Put simply, I think what is about to unfold with the shambolic treating of foreign tourists is going to do more damage to Thailand's tourism image than any possible gold star TAT advertising can repair later.

The Phuket Authorities are treading on Egg Shells with the whole thing.

Only one small slip up on their part, that involves a Foreign Tourist ( say for instance the famous jet ski scam ), and it will make International Headlines within 15 Minutes.

Instant loss of Face, and any small amount of credibility they may have had to start with.

And the damage will last for years to come.

 

[pagallim]

I also had thought about the potential hassle to us resident Expats in respect of any criteria that will be introduced for tourists.  What I do is keep a photo of my passport main page and current extension page on my phone.   I always have my driving licence with me anyway, which has your address on the reverse side.

[sammieuk1]

Nothing will happen no one can get a COE for the grit box ????

[CLW]

I think if you're wearing a mask (and if applicable, a helmet on motorcycle) the police will leave you alone.

[Cake Monster]

9 minutes ago, pagallim said:

I also had thought about the potential hassle to us resident Expats in respect of any criteria that will be introduced for tourists.  What I do is keep a photo of my passport main page and current extension page on my phone.   I always have my driving licence with me anyway, which has your address on the reverse side.

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

[pagallim]

5 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

 

I think that you will find that it is a form of ID with a photo that is required.   A Thai driving licence will suffice (which also gives your passport number).

[sanuk711]

"What in store for expats in Phuket after 1 July ?"

 

If a complete success it can just go back to being the Rip-Off Capital of Thailand again....happy Days....................????

[BarraMarra]

46 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

The Phuket Authorities are treading on Egg Shells with the whole thing.

Only one small slip up on their part, that involves a Foreign Tourist ( say for instance the famous jet ski scam ), and it will make International Headlines within 15 Minutes.

Instant loss of Face, and any small amount of credibility they may have had to start with.

And the damage will last for years to come.

 

Simple Answer Cake, they will simply threaten the Tourist along with the Beach photo of the Damaged Jet Ski and the thai owner just trying to make money for his family abused by the falang tourist. In over 15 years of watching reports of Tourists getting scammed in Phuket we have never seen any being arrested or banned from Hiring Jet Skis. Thai logic same as Doormen attacking Tourists no arrests for assault same doormen working next night same Club.

[redwood1]

2 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

 

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.......Said the pickpocket thief.......lol

[KarenBravo]

5 hours ago, grain said:

OP, you're going to be in for a heavy dose of xenophobia, that much you can be certain about. Be prepared for Thais giving you a wide berth as you move about the streets and shops, and I very much expect a big jump in the 'farang price'. Good luck to you, I'm glad I'm living in the woods with my teerak.

 

Yes, you living in the woods is obvious because you don't and can't know anything about Phuket, its local Thais, or their attitudes, which you are completely wrong about, by the way.

 

@agusts. Photocopy of your passport info page and visa type should do the trick.

Doubt if any of the myriads of tourists will have visa extension or the Covid extensions.

 

Think it very unlikely that anyone of authority will want to look at your passport. 

Edited June 26, 2021 by KarenBravo

[sikishrory]

An end to heavily discounted hotels, rentals and free upgrades.

An end to nice peaceful beaches free of people pestering you to buy stuff.

More traffic.

A return of tuk tuks?

Screaming, rude Chinese.

Perhaps some more rules as you become seen as a tourist again.

Maybe?

That's if any significant number shows up.

Lots to look forward too.

[KarenBravo]

2 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

An end to heavily discounted hotels, rentals and free upgrades.

An end to nice peaceful beaches free of people pestering you to buy stuff.

More traffic.

A return of tuk tuks?

Screaming, rude Chinese.

Perhaps some more rules as you become seen as a tourist again.

Maybe?

That's if any significant number shows up.

Lots to look forward too.

 

Not yet, not for many months more, though it will eventually come.

The big test is going to be the 2021-2022 high season.

[oldcpu]

54 minutes ago, sikishrory said:

An end to heavily discounted hotels, rentals and free upgrades.

An end to nice peaceful beaches free of people pestering you to buy stuff.

More traffic.

A return of tuk tuks?

....

Lots to look forward too.

Reads like a spoiled expat in Phuket - like myself.  As a retired expat whose income does not depend on the local economy, I have been spoiled here the past year.

 

However the locals are suffering economically, and the working expats who depend on tourists are also suffering.

 

So while I doubt in Phuket there will be many tourists initially, eventually, if the virus can be kept in abeyance, more tourists will come to Phuket, .... It won't as great as present (which is fabulous) for us retired expats, but good for the locals and good for the working expats.

[inThailand]

When tourists finally do come here, they will be the target of some very hungry taxi drivers, merchants, etc. This should make the news and stop anyone thinking about coming here. 

 

The next big wave won't be covid it will be bad press. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

On 6/26/2021 at 7:07 AM, sanuk711 said:

What in store for expats in Phuket after 1 July ?"

Sorry, all stores shut. Any visible scratches found on your mandatory tracking device will be charged at 10k baht per millimetre.....Have a nice day. ????

[Speedhump]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:53 PM, Cake Monster said:

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

????

[Susco]

22 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Perhaps one day even the silly envy of all things Phuket will fade.

 

I have been to Phuket quite a few times over the years, but I failed to see what there is to envy.

 

Maybe you can enlighten us all?

[Old Croc]

38 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

I have been to Phuket quite a few times over the years, but I failed to see what there is to envy.

 

Maybe you can enlighten us all?

Perhaps you could compare your judgement with the 9 million+ international visitors (pre-covid) who made Phuket one of the most visited places on earth. 

 

Visited a quite a few times did you? Why?

[3NUMBAS]

trying to rebuild bizzos will take      ages  and ages

[new2here]

My guess is that for a foreigner who is currently in the kingdom - and isn’t either still in nor fresh out of some form of quarantine- I don’t think it’s going to be all that different.

 

Rightly or wrongly, when it comes to government action, the expression “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is somewhat true.

 

Months ago the daily talking point was the daily number of incoming foreigners having the virus and all the issues surround that… today, while foreigners still arrive daily - and some still carry the virus, there’s near zero “talk” about that.. the attention has shifted to things like the new clusters, the delta variant etc. etc. 

 

So… to me, *so long as* the collective attention doesn’t somehow shift back to foreigners and the virus, i think things won’t really change - for better or worse.

 

 

[redwood1]

13 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

 

What I don't do is continually whinge about every thing that once cost me more than I think it should have, like some silly, whiney little pensioner who can't be happy with his life.

 

Sir some of us don't have a life and we enjoy complaining about things...

 

Like if the price of beer goes up 5 baht,

or our eggs are to runny,

or we go to a bar with balloons and all the other cheap charles have already eaten all the free food....

[nkg]

1 hour ago, Susco said:

 

I have been to Phuket quite a few times over the years, but I failed to see what there is to envy.

 

Maybe you can enlighten us all?

 

 

In your home town, people pay a lot of money to live in the "nice" neighbourhoods. Phuket is/was more expensive than pretty much anywhere else in Thailand. But it's "nice".

 

Less mongers, less beggars, a huge selection of 5-star hotels. Post-covid, perhaps things have changed.

 

 

 

[dougiemac52]

On 6/25/2021 at 11:01 PM, pagallim said:

 

I think that you will find that it is a form of ID with a photo that is required.   A Thai driving licence will suffice (which also gives your passport number).

Put a photo on your mobile phone

[jomtienisgood]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:53 PM, Cake Monster said:

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

And 5000 Thb...55555

[jomtienisgood]

13 hours ago, nkg said:

 

 

In your home town, people pay a lot of money to live in the "nice" neighbourhoods. Phuket is/was more expensive than pretty much anywhere else in Thailand. But it's "nice".

 

Less mongers, less beggars, a huge selection of 5-star hotels. Post-covid, perhaps things have changed.

 

 

 

You give a perfect description of Pattaya..  

[NoshowJones]

On 6/26/2021 at 12:53 PM, Cake Monster said:

You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times.

"You are required under Thai Law to carry your actual Passport at all times."

That is just not true, anyway, even if it was law I still would not carry mine all the time, as I just don't agree with it.

Imagine the headline, "Farang jailed for not carrying his passport". I do carry my driving licence and pink card though.