Picture: Manager

 

Phuket's governor Narong Wunsew told Manager that everything had been done to ensure the success of the Phuket Sandbox reopening to foreign tourists. 

 

But he wouldn't put a percentage on that confidence. 

 

Top of his priority list has been security and health arrangements to prevent Covid-19 getting in through the land route at the Tha Chatchai checkpoint. 

 

Narong said that Department of Provincial Administration, police, military , immigration, health service, customs and every worker was committed to the goal of opening Phuket and making a success of the sandbox plan that starts Thursday. 

 

He reiterated that a key focus was keeping Covid out - entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in. 

 

He foresaw no problems with this what with the vaccine rollout that has taken place on the island. 

 

His message to the media was a clear one: Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

 

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6 minutes ago, webfact said:

Once we're open we won't be closing again

Who would think differently in the land of stringent communication

This is going to be very interesting to watch.

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

His message to the media was a clear one: Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

yes too late already and this shows you the mentality. right or wrong we launch.

 

by the way, Hua Hin just announced that "People travelling to Hua Hin from Bangkok and nine other provinces required to self quarantine"

 

https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/people-travelling-to-hua-hin-from-bangkok-and-nine-other-provinces-required-to-self-quarantine/

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

His message to the media was a clear one: Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

 Once we are open we wont be closing again....Brave words, lets hope those words dont come back and haunt him at a later date.

He should be careful using words like that, just look at his boss in Bangkok...... We have everything under control,  look how stupid that comment has become.

32 minutes ago, webfact said:

His message to the media was a clear one: Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

Not until July 2, anyway. After that, who knows...

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

His message to the media was a clear one: Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

 

 

But you aren't open yet haha

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Once we're open we won't be closing again. 

Tell that to the foreign workers in Bangkok.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca,

Ah, so even he thinks the Chinese gunk is rubbish then ?

Quote

"There's no going back once we open" 

Hah! Of course there is!

5 hours ago, webfact said:

His message to the media was a clear one:

I see 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

He reiterated that a key focus was keeping Covid out - entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in

So how are all the non-vaccinated working girls from the north going to get back to their bars and open up?

Does anyone else think this looks as if they don't really understand what they are doing.

 

entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in. 

 

This is the first time I've heard that one of the vaccines needs to be AstraZeneca or is that just a mistake.

Also why do I need a vaccine (not necessarily AZ although mine are) and a test but my wife can join me without a vaccine and just have a test?

 

It doesn't make sense to me but maybe I'm missing something.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

He reiterated that a key focus was keeping Covid out - entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in. 

Best of luck there as the vaccinated can both get infected and pass the infection on. 
Then when you pull the shutters down the first time, cancel incoming flights and lockdown those already there? Let's not even mention the press that will occur when tourist are forced into expensive hospitals and incarcerated based on a PCR test and not symptoms.  Phuket (as well as Thai tourism) is finished.  You're bringing in people from around the world - sorry, but you're going to see break-though cases of every variant out there. 
Netflix will probably make a movie based on the outcome - but they'll add zombies and perhaps a tidal wave or two.
Phuket - 28 Days Later...
 

46 minutes ago, kimamey said:

Does anyone else think this looks as if they don't really understand what they are doing.

 

entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in. 

 

This is the first time I've heard that one of the vaccines needs to be AstraZeneca or is that just a mistake.

Also why do I need a vaccine (not necessarily AZ although mine are) and a test but my wife can join me without a vaccine and just have a test?

 

It doesn't make sense to me but maybe I'm missing something.

 

I think you are missing something.   Requirements for entry into Phuket from other provinces by land, air, or sea, require either 2 doses of Sinovac, or at least 1 dose of AstraZeneca (the only two vaccines currently available within Thailand).   Recovery from Covid up to 90 days before, or a negative test certificate no more than 7 days old will also get you in.   This has been in operation for some time.   There are exceptions, such as people who travel to Phuket regularly on business, delivery drivers etc.

7 hours ago, colinneil said:

 Once we are open we wont be closing again....Brave words, lets hope those words dont come back and haunt him at a later date.

He should be careful using words like that, just look at his boss in Bangkok...... We have everything under control,  look how stupid that comment has become.

I agree. You just have to look at all the locales around the world that have had to walk back their 're opening' actions so as to protect hospital systems from turning into another India. These 'politicians' who are attempting the impossible in keeping everyone happy should be in the background - with scientists and health professionals being the fore front decision makers. Maybe this guy has shares in a crematorium company..

“There’s no going back once we open”.

 

Wanna bet?

3 hours ago, pagallim said:

 

I think you are missing something.   Requirements for entry into Phuket from other provinces by land, air, or sea, require either 2 doses of Sinovac, or at least 1 dose of AstraZeneca (the only two vaccines currently available within Thailand).   Recovery from Covid up to 90 days before, or a negative test certificate no more than 7 days old will also get you in.   This has been in operation for some time.   There are exceptions, such as people who travel to Phuket regularly on business, delivery drivers etc.

Just looked at it again and it seems I did misunderstand the part about AZ. In the original graphic that I saw that I will try to add to this it said "or 1 dose of AstraZeneca". I don't understand why it's only one with AZ which advises 2 but the manufacturers recommendation with the others which apart from Johnson & Johnson is 2.

 

That doesn't explain my main point though. Why does someone flying in from another country need a negative test and two vaccinations but if they come in by land from another province they can get away with just a test? I would point out that I was toying with the idea of arriving on Friday 23rd July with my wife meeting me either that night or the following day. The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are, or were  holidays which would have meant she could take the next 2 days as holiday and then with the weekend that would just leave a few days for me to stay on my own. I spoke to her just over an hour ago and she had a message as she left work that the Tuesday holiday has been cancelled because they don't want people travelling around the country . I can still do it but there is the worry that things could just change at the last minute for not always understandable reasons.

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

So how are all the non-vaccinated working girls from the north going to get back to their bars and open up?

They will just stay put until there are enough people and the bars are allowed to open.

My guess is that will be awhile.

Message to the governor you try and book COE whilst juggling an expired O T8, declaration, insurance, SHA+, PCR test, virtually non existent flights + extra baggage that's before even getting to the airport and I bet that's the easy bit done after arrival requirements ????     

Full speed ahead - down the rabbit hole to Wonderland with the world press watching with no great enthusiasm.....

26 minutes ago, kimamey said:

"or 1 dose of AstraZeneca". I don't understand why it's only one with AZ which advises 2 but the manufacturers recommendation with the others which apart from Johnson & Johnson is 2.

 

Do you know any domestic traveler that has received 2 jabs of AZ?

30 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Do you know any domestic traveler that has received 2 jabs of AZ?

I guess around September there would be some... This is nearly as idiotic as Europeans. They'd inject cyanide if that allowed them to go for summer vacation abroad...

52 minutes ago, jvs said:

They will just stay put until there are enough people and the bars are allowed to open.

My guess is that will be awhile.

I assume that they will work as freelancers at the restaurants, beach road or any venue where they serve alcohol.

5 hours ago, kimamey said:

Does anyone else think this looks as if they don't really understand what they are doing.

 

entering by land you will need to have had two doses of vaccine, one of AstraZeneca, recovered from Covid up to 90 days or a negative test within the last 72 hours to get in. 

 

This is the first time I've heard that one of the vaccines needs to be AstraZeneca or is that just a mistake.

Also why do I need a vaccine (not necessarily AZ although mine are) and a test but my wife can join me without a vaccine and just have a test?

 

It doesn't make sense to me but maybe I'm missing something.

It’s been announced for some time now, in fact, it’s been in effect for just over a week or so.

 

they mix up the message a bit because they don’t explicitly say you need two jabs of sinovax, or one jab of AZ. I think the reasoning is that one jab of sinovac has low efficacy, so isn’t good enough. But one jab of AZ has a higher efficacy and so will do for these purposes.

 

of course, there is rank hypocrisy in two respects:

 

1. Tourists have to have two jabs of AZ, not one.

 

2. When counting how many Phuket residents have been “vaccinated” they are happy to count just one jab of sinovac.

 

Nonsensical but there you go, what can you do?

54 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Do you know any domestic traveler that has received 2 jabs of AZ?

Myself as of tomorrow

1 hour ago, kimamey said:

Just looked at it again and it seems I did misunderstand the part about AZ. In the original graphic that I saw that I will try to add to this it said "or 1 dose of AstraZeneca". I don't understand why it's only one with AZ which advises 2 but the manufacturers recommendation with the others which apart from Johnson & Johnson is 2.

 

That doesn't explain my main point though. Why does someone flying in from another country need a negative test and two vaccinations but if they come in by land from another province they can get away with just a test? I would point out that I was toying with the idea of arriving on Friday 23rd July with my wife meeting me either that night or the following day. The Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are, or were  holidays which would have meant she could take the next 2 days as holiday and then with the weekend that would just leave a few days for me to stay on my own. I spoke to her just over an hour ago and she had a message as she left work that the Tuesday holiday has been cancelled because they don't want people travelling around the country . I can still do it but there is the worry that things could just change at the last minute for not always understandable reasons.

There is no valid reason for the discrepancy you highlight other than perhaps that the domestic travelers will assumed to be mostly Thai and Thai’s are assumed to not need protection from themselves, whereas the flight arrivals are assumed to be mostly foreigners and Thai’s need to be protected from them.

 

don’t ask me to justify it, I’m just saying what I THINK might be their thinking.

2 minutes ago, Sametboy2019 said:

Myself as of tomorrow

 

As far as I'm aware AZ vaccinations started at 7 June in Thailand, and there is 12 weeks between first and second jab.

 

So how did you get your second jab?

18 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

As far as I'm aware AZ vaccinations started at 7 June in Thailand, and there is 12 weeks between first and second jab.

 

So how did you get your second jab?

I dont get my second jab until tomorrow and I had Sinocrap

5 hours ago, Sametboy2019 said:

Myself as of tomorrow

You hope.