Thai resort island of Phuket reopens for tourists

[pagallim]

1 minute ago, holy cow cm said:

 

Hey, I have glasses and can read perfectly thank you. What is the font size - 100?

 

BTW. It was a joke against this governments policy of no alcohol.

 

The font was the result of a cut/paste.   Alcohol is freely available here (in Phuket), from shops and restaurants, only not from bars/clubs for obvious reasons.

[BarraMarra]

52 minutes ago, pagallim said:

 

First flight to arrive was an Ethihad aircraft from Abu Dhabi.   There were 25 passengers onboard.

These 25 from UAE were likely the Tourist Reps and there Entourage to look how the Sandbox roll out went. No photos or news reports have so far been reported on the official welcome or, there were no tourists to film just Reps in Suits or Local Expat's returning.

Edited July 1, 2021 by BarraMarra

[riclag]

Petri Phuket !  I hope the experiment passes with flying colors with the least bit of tragedy  !  Its not the ideal time to be coming to Thailand while they are experiencing record high figures ,during this third wave crisis IMOP

Edited July 1, 2021 by riclag

[KhunBENQ]

28 minutes ago, pagallim said:

with 25 foreign arrivals on board (as opposed to 46 reported previously)"

46, 37 (read yesterday), now 25.

Excited to hear the numbers from the other flights.

 

From Doha not shown as landed?

TelAviv landed in time (at 13:57).

Singapore expected 17:10.

[holy cow cm]

19 minutes ago, pagallim said:

Alcohol is freely available here (in Phuket), from shops and restaurants, only not from bars/clubs for obvious reasons.

It was a joke, but in any course let's see for how long until the new strain variant starts whacking people. I am an optimist but in this situation with these same as self appointed bozos at the helm, I think it is destined to fail.

[pagallim]

8 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

46, 37 (read yesterday), now 25.

Excited to hear the numbers from the other flights.

 

From Doha not shown as landed?

TelAviv landed in time (at 13:57).

Singapore expected 17:10.

 

This from The Phuket News:

 

In total, just under 400 tourists are expected to arrive in Phuket today under the Phuket Sandbox scheme.

According to Phuket officials this morning, Qatar Airways Flight QR840 from Doha-Phuket is to land at 1:30pm with 136 passengers on board, El Al Israel Airlines Flight LY87 from Tel Aviv is to land at 1:45pm with 137 passengers on board, and Singapore Airlines Flight SQ736 is to arrive at 5:10pm with an estimated 100 people on board.

Prime Minister Prayut is scheduled to be at Phuket airport in person to welcome the passengers arriving on the Singapore flight, Phuket officials noted.

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

52 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Perfect because they as Muslims do not drink alcohol.

Supposedly. There was a famous pic from a Patts bar, of a sign which read something like "No Arab to sit here. We respect your faith in Islam." Or in other words, despite their religious piety, it seems they were causing the most trouble there.

[boogiewoogie]

I wonder what these planes gonna do now? Fly empty back home? Or wait for 2 weeks on a tarmak in Phuket?

[KhunBENQ]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has flown to Phuket to oversee the reopening,

And the important news all over the media for Thai people:

His Airforce A320 has some reg.nr. "60205" at the fin.

And his van had a "199" on the plate.

It's lottery day!

 

I have the impression that the Thai family has got no news about this "sandbox" at all.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[pagallim]

1 minute ago, pagallim said:

 

This from The Phuket News:

 

In total, just under 400 tourists are expected to arrive in Phuket today under the Phuket Sandbox scheme.

According to Phuket officials this morning, Qatar Airways Flight QR840 from Doha-Phuket is to land at 1:30pm with 136 passengers on board, El Al Israel Airlines Flight LY87 from Tel Aviv is to land at 1:45pm with 137 passengers on board, and Singapore Airlines Flight SQ736 is to arrive at 5:10pm with an estimated 100 people on board.

Prime Minister Prayut is scheduled to be at Phuket airport in person to welcome the passengers arriving on the Singapore flight, Phuket officials noted.

 

This total for three flights is 373, which gives more credence to the circa 25 on the first Etihad flight to bring the total to just under 400.

[Aussie999]

1 hour ago, pagallim said:

 

First flight to arrive was an Ethihad aircraft from Abu Dhabi.   There were 25 passengers onboard.

I wonder what nationality the "foreign tourists," from the photo, looks like a returning Thai, with foreign hubby.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Aussie999

[Pottinger]

Well we are all familiar with the debacles, the flip-flops, the indecision and the mistakes of the government over the past fifteen months. I for one think the time has come to stop deriding efforts to gain some traction in getting the country, so dependent on tourism, open again. If that means baby steps then so be it. Yes, there are too many obstacles for most people, the cost financially, in wasted time and in stress may be prohibitive, but it's a start, and I'm all for it for the sake of those dependent on visitors for their jobs if for nothing else.

[cnx101]

2 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I am sure a lot of Thai gals will do anything to get the jab in order to inpour and be present and waiting for tourists coming to Phuket.

And the ladyboys

[KhunBENQ]

Just read that there was one unvaccinated person to go to full quarantine.

How could he/she get on board???

[pagallim]

7 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

I wonder what nationality the "foreign tourists," from the photo, looks like a returning Thai, with foreign hubby.

[djayz]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

Any news on exactly how many Phuketians have had two jabs and of what vaccine?

Ask again in a few months time after the government has managed to order another 2, 3, 4 million jabs for the 60+ million people living here. 

[holy cow cm]

1 minute ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Supposedly. There was a famous pic from a Patts bar, of a sign which read something like "No Arab to sit here. We respect your faith in Islam." Or in other words, despite their religious piety, it seems they were causing the most trouble there.

Years and years and years ago when BKK was a 24 hour off the hook blast, one late night at my favorite bar at Nana plaza, as it was about 2-ish getting later, an Arab came in and looked around. He then went and spoke to the manager, and then next in came the boss Arab with his few attache, and then the bar door shut. Everyone lucky to be in there was in a free party situation with the music cranked and a girls back to full dancing and drinking. Only off limits were the girls they had corralled for themselves. Good ole Bangkok is missed. Yes they could drink like horses, and when finished it was about 6 or 7 in the morning and then time for me to go to then next drinking hole on my way back to my hotel.

[Aussie999]

4 minutes ago, Pottinger said:

Well we are all familiar with the debacles, the flip-flops, the indecision and the mistakes of the government over the past fifteen months. I for one think the time has come to stop deriding efforts to gain some traction in getting the country, so dependent on tourism, open again. If that means baby steps then so be it. Yes, there are too many obstacles for most people, the cost financially, in wasted time and in stress may be prohibitive, but it's a start, and I'm all for it for the sake of those dependent on visitors for their jobs if for nothing else.

and let more thais die... mmm

[holy cow cm]

20 minutes ago, cnx101 said:

And the ladyboys

Yes ofcourse they will probably be there. No good Thai holiday should go without being hand molested or pickpocketed by one of them too. 

[aguy30]

Covid-19: Indonesia announces lock down in Java and Bali as cases surge  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57647693

In the meantime Thailand has just opened Phuket. I really don't understand Thai thinking. A medical expert should be making these kind of decisions, not Anutin and politicians.

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by aguy30

[saminoz]

48 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

It was a joke, but in any course let's see for how long until the new strain variant starts whacking people. I am an optimist but in this situation with these same as self appointed bozos at the helm, I think it is destined to fail.

....at least the next scheduled  tourist boat sinking should net only a handful this time!

[Daithi85]

1 hour ago, BarraMarra said:

These 25 from UAE were likely the Tourist Reps and there Entourage to look how the Sandbox roll out went. No photos or news reports have so far been reported on the official welcome or, there were no tourists to film just Reps in Suits or Local Expat's returning.

No news reports? It's on the bloody news. Turn on your TV. 

[eyup]

7 minutes ago, aguy30 said:

Covid-19: Indonesia announces lock down in Java and Bali as cases surge  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-57647693

In the meantime Thailand has just opened Phuket. I really don't understand Thai thinking. A medical expert should be making these kind of decisions, not Anutin and politicians.

 

What happens in Indonesia or any other country has NO bearing on the situation in Thailand!  

[A Los for words]

Nice of them to spray the plane with sanitiser on arrival. That's the most alcohol these tourists are going to see for a few weeks.

[BernieOnTour]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

with 249 tourists due to arrive on flights from Israel, Abu Dhabi and Qatar

 

Really? ????

I thought: the Thai government is afraid of Covid? ????

 

... the United Arab Emirates are classified as “risk areas” in EU countries

... Oman even as “high incidence area”

... and Israel is reporting increasing number of cases despite having the highest vaccination rate (https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-covid-delta-variant-two-month-record-masks-indoors-1.9937892)

[ChipButty]

Might sound like a stupid question but what happens to all the crew? turn around and straight back

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, ChipButty said:

Might sound like a stupid question but what happens to all the crew? turn around and straight back

Few beers, couple of shots and fly back.

[ChipButty]

5 minutes ago, A Los for words said:

Nice of them to spray the plane with sanitiser on arrival. That's the most alcohol these tourists are going to see for a few weeks.

Not at all there is plenty of alcohol available in Phuket, legally

[holy cow cm]

36 minutes ago, saminoz said:

....at least the next scheduled  tourist boat sinking should net only a handful this time!

And let's hope it isn't the wonderful group of caring leaders on it.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A plane carrying the first foreign tourists to arrive at the airport as Phuket reopens to overseas tourists, allowing foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to visit the resort island without quarantine, receives a water cannon salute from fire trucks in Phuket, Thailand July 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

Laced with sanitiser no doubt.