Photo: Chutharat Plerin

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: As the first day of the Phuket Sandbox passed with much fanfare yesterday (July 1), Patong remained in the dark and shrouded in uncertainty with its workers continuing to struggle through lack of income.

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited Phuket in person yesterday to welcome foreign tourists and left claiming the island should be “proud of their mission for the country.”

 

“Phuket Sandbox is not only a matter for Phuket residents. It’s about the people of the whole country, so that the country can move forward in accordance with the mission of re-opening the country in 120 days,” he said.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/as-the-sandox-launches-patong-is-left-silent-and-in-the-dark-80540.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-03

 

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I guess in the apocalypse you can park anywhere !

and the publicity photos so far are a family of 5 at a hotel pool and 2 blokes in a jacuzzi

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited Phuket in person yesterday to welcome foreign tourists and left claiming the island should be “proud of their mission for the country.”

Poor man is delusional, surely long past time for him to quit messing things up here.

All that hype, all that publicity, and end result a mere handful of people, more officials prancing about than tourists.????????

Are there any photos of the P.M welcoming all these Tourists?  Surely he didn't let this photo op slip by.

Welcoming tourists but doesn’t speak a single word of English.

 

Focusing attention on what are the core nightlife areas of Patong give the wrong impression of Phuket generally.   Kata and Karon are generally in the same depressed state and would come as a shock to those arriving expecting anything different.   As has been said many times on this forum, to get any degree of normality, visitors should be heading for those areas with larger numbers of resident Expats such as Rawai or Kamala, where businesses have largely remained open.

 

On a more positive note, the first day was never going to be a 'big bang' of arrivals, particularly as it appears glitches in the CoE system caused many who had booked to travel and couldn't and their arrival was delayed, not cancelled.    Numbers will ramp up over the next two weeks, though of course people will either return home or go onto other provinces after their 14 days stay.

Propaganda, which upon close inspection reveals an illusion created by those who live in fantasyland.

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I guess in the apocalypse you can park anywhere !

Nah.. That's the car of the Farang police volunteers, ready for action.

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Welcoming tourists but doesn’t speak a single word of English.

 

He doesn't speak a word of sense more like.

3 hours ago, pagallim said:

Focusing attention on what are the core nightlife areas of Patong give the wrong impression of Phuket generally.   Kata and Karon are generally in the same depressed state and would come as a shock to those arriving expecting anything different.   As has been said many times on this forum, to get any degree of normality, visitors should be heading for those areas with larger numbers of resident Expats such as Rawai or Kamala, where businesses have largely remained open.

 

On a more positive note, the first day was never going to be a 'big bang' of arrivals, particularly as it appears glitches in the CoE system caused many who had booked to travel and couldn't and their arrival was delayed, not cancelled.    Numbers will ramp up over the next two weeks, though of course people will either return home or go onto other provinces after their 14 days stay.

Wow your a lucky guy , you must have found Prayuts' stash and helped yourself with some . Numbers will ramp up . Really ?? ????????????

3 hours ago, Thechook said:

Are there any photos of the P.M welcoming all these Tourists?  Surely he didn't let this photo op slip by.

Photos? There was a whole segment on Thai tv!

6 minutes ago, Nanaplaza666 said:

Wow your a lucky guy , you must have found Prayuts' stash and helped yourself with some . Numbers will ramp up . Really ?? ????????????

 

No fan of this Government.   By ramp up, as I'm sure you're aware, I mean from the current 100's to some 1,000's.   So far, over 6,000 CoE's have been applied for to Phuket.   There's still a lot of confusion about how to actually get here, but that will become clearer.   It will take a week or so for those who have made it to spread their stories through social media which will either encourage or deter others.

3 hours ago, pagallim said:

Focusing attention on what are the core nightlife areas of Patong give the wrong impression of Phuket generally.   Kata and Karon are generally in the same depressed state and would come as a shock to those arriving expecting anything different.   As has been said many times on this forum, to get any degree of normality, visitors should be heading for those areas with larger numbers of resident Expats such as Rawai or Kamala, where businesses have largely remained open.

 

On a more positive note, the first day was never going to be a 'big bang' of arrivals, particularly as it appears glitches in the CoE system caused many who had booked to travel and couldn't and their arrival was delayed, not cancelled.    Numbers will ramp up over the next two weeks, though of course people will either return home or go onto other provinces after their 14 days stay.

Patong is just what this particular auther decided to write about because it is a maim tourist attraction. That said, tourists will go to wherever that is open. This might introduce them to new places.

 

Personally, as soon as the nightlife reopens, I am booking my flight. Hoping within the next two weeks, we will hear some good news.

2 minutes ago, hioctane said:

Personally, as soon as the nightlife reopens, I am booking my flight. Hoping within the next two weeks, we will hear some good news.

 

Good luck with that.   Whilst currently restaurants are free to serve alcohol (and the reality is that many are just bars that serve food, it's all down to their licence type), there is a very anti bar/entertainment sentiment amongst Thais at the moment, not least of all because this latest national outbreak in part stems from Bangkok nightlife and even some events that were organised in Phuket.   Until the Government gets a grip on the outbreak and vaccinations nationally, I don't believe they'll do it for as much political as practical reasons.

 

I'm not a betting man, but if I were, I would put money on October for bar re-opening.   The ones here or are coming, are not really the ones seeking bars and entertainment anyway.

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

Poor man is delusional, surely long past time for him to quit messing things up here.

All that hype, all that publicity, and end result a mere handful of people, more officials prancing about than tourists.????????

Not to mention the vaccines that could have gone to those vulnerable now dying because they weren't vaccinated.The Czar of death by covid now has blood on his hands as to do those that go to Phuket for a holiday.

3 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Nah.. That's the car of the Farang police volunteers, ready for action.

where they left it in February 2020 when everything ran out of puff?

5 hours ago, Thechook said:

Are there any photos of the P.M welcoming all these Tourists?

For reference from "The Nation" 1 July 2021:-

Appears to be with his entourage and airport personnel - no visible tourists with their baggage!!

New Normal does not include bars, massage, entertainment, or fun in general.  The power elite are killing these venues while pretending they care.  They don't.  They'll usher in complete prohibition if the commoners don't gripe too much.

It's just silly to show a picture of Bangla road as the bars are not suppose to open...What did you expect..to see dozens of tourist walking in a street that is not suppose to open?

The beach side road has some live to it again. Furthermore, take some pictures of Rawai & Nai harn...It's extremely busy at this moment with a very decent nightlife. Ofcourse these pictures don't make the newspapers as it doesn't generate enough publicity. 

 

My final point, the sandbox just opened and it was never going to be a wave of tourist, rather a slow and careful increase depending on the situation. 

2 hours ago, pagallim said:

 

No fan of this Government.   By ramp up, as I'm sure you're aware, I mean from the current 100's to some 1,000's.   So far, over 6,000 CoE's have been applied for to Phuket.   There's still a lot of confusion about how to actually get here, but that will become clearer.   It will take a week or so for those who have made it to spread their stories through social media which will either encourage or deter others.

And when the tourists realise that after their 14 day stay on the island  with no clubs, bars or enetertainment areas open and no alcohol  or wine served at restaurants---now that they are  free to travel to other areas like Bangkok that those areas are closed with no dine in eating at restaurants, no alcohol being served, no entertainment areas open or massage parlors open they will say why gom to Thailand.  Only those looking to get back to families/GF's will come.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

As the first day of the Phuket Sandbox passed with much fanfare yesterday (July 1), Patong remained in the dark and shrouded in uncertainty with its workers continuing to struggle through lack of income.

Did they expect that 200-300 tourists are enough to save the island's tourism industry from day one...????

26 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

And when the tourists realise that after their 14 day stay on the island  with no clubs, bars or enetertainment areas open and no alcohol  or wine served at restaurants---

 

Cleary you know nothing about situation in Phuket. Alcohol can be served at restaurants and eateries.

1 hour ago, Tony125 said:

And when the tourists realise that after their 14 day stay on the island  with no clubs, bars or enetertainment areas open and no alcohol  or wine served at restaurants---now that they are  free to travel to other areas like Bangkok that those areas are closed with no dine in eating at restaurants, no alcohol being served, no entertainment areas open or massage parlors open they will say why gom to Thailand.  Only those looking to get back to families/GF's will come.

Massage is open. Alcohol is served at all places that have a restaurant lisence. 

 

Don't comment if you cannot even bother to look up what the actual rules are.

 

1 hour ago, Tony125 said:

And when the tourists realise that after their 14 day stay on the island  with no clubs, bars or enetertainment areas open and no alcohol  or wine served at restaurants---now that they are  free to travel to other areas like Bangkok that those areas are closed with no dine in eating at restaurants, no alcohol being served, no entertainment areas open or massage parlors open they will say why gom to Thailand.  Only those looking to get back to families/GF's will come.

 

 

Bars (with food) and restaurants can open in Phuket, though I imagine there are not enough customers to warrant many opening, many have also been financially driven into the ground and can’t open / no owners. 

 

That said: what tourists are going to come longer than 14 days anyway ???  very few if any. 

 

BBC world did a great service to this scheme by reporting that 'Phuket is open for tourism’... however, I can’t see many tourists travelling from any great distance, Europe etc.

 

Phuket may receive genuine weekend / week long tourists from within the region only IF return restrictions (quarantines etc) are no longer emplace. 

 

The rest of what you mentioned is spot on: 

Realistically: The vast majority of ’Sandboxers’ are going to be people returning to Thailand who would otherwise be in ASQ......  While 14 days is still too long, 14 days on an Island beats 15 nights locked in a hotel room hands down. 

 

Thus: Phuket will simply see Sandboxers who would otherwise be in ASQ, and perhaps a few longer term tourists who’ve been waiting for 18 months for their bar-fine fix.... 

 

 

1 hour ago, Eibot said:

Furthermore, take some pictures of Rawai & Nai harn...It's extremely busy at this moment with a very decent nightlife.

Maybe you could post some photos  here and generate the publicity ?

39 minutes ago, Eibot said:

Massage is open. Alcohol is served at all places that have a restaurant lisence. 

 

Don't comment if you cannot even bother to look up what the actual rules are.

 

So sorry, I apoligise for my mistake. But as I said if they want to leave the sandbox paradise  to vist say Bangkok it is in lock down (Basically) no bars open, no alcohol served in restaurants, no dine in service ( have seen a few sneaking  and offering dine in  )   seen a few massage places  open.  Malls closing early .    Same  in Pattaya.

1 hour ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Cleary you know nothing about situation in Phuket. Alcohol can be served at restaurants and eateries.

Getting on my nerves these clowns posting negative <deleted> when they never fully stopped selling alcohol in Phuket always able to buy from 7/11 and makro 

37 minutes ago, johng said:

Maybe you could post some photos  here and generate the publicity ?

You should take a look at Phuket Town especially at the weekend 

Live Belly Dancers Sunday night at a Turkish restaurant 

6 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Live Belly Dancers Sunday night at a Turkish restaurant 

Why is she not wearing a mask ?