Just a thought about the sandbox

[konaboy]

Saw a news photo today of a lovely Israeli family of 4 enjoying a Phuket Hotel hot bath.

 

Seems unfair that foreigners can come and my Thai family cannot get vaccinated to go to Phuket, until maybe next year! 

 

[KhunBENQ]

28 minutes ago, konaboy said:

Seems unfair that foreigners can come and my Thai family cannot get vaccinated to go to Phuket, until maybe next year! 

The family can go with "only" being required a rapid swap test before entering.

But yes:

it's hard to find proper word to express my anger about the vaccination campaign in this country (read this GPO/moderna story).

My wife says I should go nowhere before being vaccinated.

Sounds like a one year home quarantine.

[HashBrownHarry]

6 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

The family can go with "only" being required a rapid swap test before entering.

But yes:

it's hard to find proper word to express my anger about the vaccination campaign in this country (read this GPO/moderna story).

My wife says I should go nowhere before being vaccinated.

Sounds like a one year home quarantine.

Sure;y his family would need to be vaccinated before entering Phuket or have to go through quarantine there?

 

 

[skatewash]

You don't need to be vaccinated to enter Phuket as a domestic arrival, just an up to 7 days old rapid antigen test (cost around 620 baht).  Use the right-hand side column on the following graphic.

Phuket Sandbox rules are for international arrivals in Phuket.  Other rules apply for domestic arrivals

[skatewash]

1 minute ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Sure;y his family would need to be vaccinated before entering Phuket or have to go through quarantine there?

 

 

Surely not.  They would need an up to 7 day old negative result from a rapid antigen test (or the more expensive RT-PCR test) in order to enter Phuket.

[Surelynot]

10 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Sounds like a one year home quarantine.

Been under quarantine for about a year already......nothing to do with covid........got caught in Nana.

[HashBrownHarry]

14 minutes ago, skatewash said:

Surely not.  They would need an up to 7 day old negative result from a rapid antigen test (or the more expensive RT-PCR test) in order to enter Phuket.

That makes no sense if the incubation period can be up to 14 days.

[skatewash]

10 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

That makes no sense if the incubation period can be up to 14 days.

I'm not following you.  You can become infected with covid within 14 seconds after receiving a negative covid test result.  I don't see what that really has to do with the incubation period being up to 14 days.

Entry requirements are a balancing act between risk and practicality.

[poskat]

35 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

That makes no sense if the incubation period can be up to 14 days.

that is because you are conflating the presence of the virus (antigen test) and the time it takes for symptoms to having the virus to develop (incubation period).

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, konaboy said:

Seems unfair that foreigners can come and my Thai family cannot get vaccinated to go to Phuket, until maybe next year! 

 

Well, yes.  Life isn't fair.

 

Some people don't even have a family.  Is that fair?

[Surelynot]

Just now, BangkokReady said:

 

Well, yes.  Life isn't fair.

 

Some people don't even have a family.  Is that fair?

Some people have a family, is that fair?

[BangkokReady]

1 minute ago, Surelynot said:

Some people have a family, is that fair?

 

Thoughts and prayers, chum.

[LivinginKata]

3 hours ago, skatewash said:

Surely not.  They would need an up to 7 day old negative result from a rapid antigen test (or the more expensive RT-PCR test) in order to enter Phuket.

 

Seems they have yet again changed back to 72 hours. Which makes more sense to me.

[skatewash]

2 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Seems they have yet again changed back to 72 hours. Which makes more sense to me.

I've heard people say that, but haven't seen anything definite myself.  Doesn't seem a big difference to me either way, but would be nice to know what the rule is exactly.  I attributed people saying that to getting confused between the domestic and international rules, but would like to see the new rule if you know where I could find it.

 

[HashBrownHarry]

3 hours ago, skatewash said:

I'm not following you.  You can become infected with covid within 14 seconds after receiving a negative covid test result.  I don't see what that really has to do with the incubation period being up to 14 days.

Entry requirements are a balancing act between risk and practicality.

My point is to be sure no one is entering the island that is positive they should infact quarantine first ( unless vaccinated ) same process as for entering the country.

 

During quarantine they're tested 2 or 3 time before being released to roam about the islands.

 

This is unless the government are willing to take the risk of potentially infected people coming onto the island now that 82% of the island is vaccinated.

[skatewash]

1 minute ago, HashBrownHarry said:

My point is to be sure no one is entering the island that is positive they should infact quarantine first ( unless vaccinated ) same process as for entering the country.

 

During quarantine they're tested 2 or 3 time before being released to roam about the islands.

 

This is unless the government are willing to take the risk of potentially infected people coming onto the island now that 82% of the island is vaccinated.

One of the purposes of the Phuket Sandbox is to see how the "vaccinate and test" model fares when compared with the "quarantine and test" model that is currently ASQ.  The Phuket Sandbox is a test to see what the real world results are of foregoing quarantine.

[HashBrownHarry]

7 minutes ago, skatewash said:

One of the purposes of the Phuket Sandbox is to see how the "vaccinate and test" model fares when compared with the "quarantine and test" model that is currently ASQ.  The Phuket Sandbox is a test to see what the real world results are of foregoing quarantine.

I understand that but it would not make sense to let unvaccinated people enter.

[skatewash]

3 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

I understand that but it would not make sense to let unvaccinated people enter.

As said before these decisions are a balancing act between risk and practicality.  It's probably politically untenable for the government to prevent Thais from entering Phuket because they're not vaccinated when vaccination levels throughout the country are as low as they are.  The testing required to enter Phuket is a compromise.  As are all decisions made about covid everywhere in the world.  Because countries are doing different things it's possible perhaps to learn which have been effective and which have been ineffective and what is the attendant cost of doing or not doing certain things.

[HashBrownHarry]

8 minutes ago, skatewash said:

As said before these decisions are a balancing act between risk and practicality.  It's probably politically untenable for the government to prevent Thais from entering Phuket because they're not vaccinated when vaccination levels throughout the country are as low as they are.  The testing required to enter Phuket is a compromise.  As are all decisions made about covid everywhere in the world.  Because countries are doing different things it's possible perhaps to learn which have been effective and which have been ineffective and what is the attendant cost of doing or not doing certain things.

Ok, so let me ask you this.

 

If the 'Sandbox' is successful do you think the thai government will allow non vaccinated people to enter the country with only a negative covid test?

[Meat Pie 47]

and how many people will they fit into the sandbox?

 

 

[skatewash]

4 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Ok, so let me ask you this.

 

If the 'Sandbox' is successful do you think the thai government will allow non vaccinated people to enter the country with only a negative covid test?

You mean enter the country with only a negative-covid test, as countries like the US are doing currently?

It's possible.  I don't think anyone regards the Phuket Sandbox as the destination.  It is only a test to see what the results are.  What those results are and how they will be applied to policy going forward is something we shall have to see.

[HashBrownHarry]

6 minutes ago, skatewash said:

You mean enter the country with only a negative-covid test, as countries like the US are doing currently?

It's possible.  I don't think anyone regards the Phuket Sandbox as the destination.  It is only a test to see what the results are.  What those results are and how they will be applied to policy going forward is something we shall have to see.

Yes, that's exactly what i mean, I can't see quarantine going away anytime soon for unvaccinated people but i can see fully vaccinated people being to by pass it ( depending on success of Sandbox ).

 

The bigger question is, how long will it take to vaccinate 70-80% of the population....

 

 

[LivinginKata]

1 hour ago, skatewash said:

I've heard people say that, but haven't seen anything definite myself.  Doesn't seem a big difference to me either way, but would be nice to know what the rule is exactly.  I attributed people saying that to getting confused between the domestic and international rules, but would like to see the new rule if you know where I could find it.

 

 

Well I was watching Tim's blog on Thaivisa and he related that news. All I know.

[kimamey]

5 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Some people have a family, is that fair?

Is that fair on their family? ????

It doesn't seem to make much sense to be honest. 

[Surelynot]

3 hours ago, kimamey said:

Is that fair on their family? ????

It doesn't seem to make much sense to be honest. 

Like I give a.......

[digibum]

9 hours ago, skatewash said:

I've heard people say that, but haven't seen anything definite myself.  Doesn't seem a big difference to me either way, but would be nice to know what the rule is exactly.  I attributed people saying that to getting confused between the domestic and international rules, but would like to see the new rule if you know where I could find it.

 

According to a Phuket news site that I’m not sure I can mention, they also reported 72 hours based on something on a Phuket government website which was later changed back to 7-days without any mention of why they posted 72 hours or notice of correction. 
 

So the news was accurate in reporting 72 hours in the sense that that was what the government said but has since been updated back to 7-days.  

[digibum]

5 hours ago, kimamey said:

Is that fair on their family? ????

It doesn't seem to make much sense to be honest. 

News Alert:   Life isn’t fair.  

[digibum]

8 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:The bigger question is, how long will it take to vaccinate 70-80% of the population....

at this rate?  I’m guessing only 20 years ???? 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

14 hours ago, skatewash said:

You don't need to be vaccinated to enter Phuket as a domestic arrival, just an up to 7 days old rapid antigen test (cost around 620 baht).  Use the right-hand side column on the following graphic.

Phuket Sandbox rules are for international arrivals in Phuket.  Other rules apply for domestic arrivals

 

The infographic above seems to indicate that Children older than 5 who have not been vaccinated cannot travel to Phuket as part of the Sandbox scheme, neither can they travel to Phuket from within Thailand. 

 

This seems strange. 

 

So... When I return to Phuket as part of the Sandbox scheme, my Wife and travel down and visit me (maybe she has to stay in a different hotel, or just a different room / booking) but our 7 year old cannot.

 

The issue there obviously is that at the moment children cannot be vaccinated (not that I’m aware).

 

 

 

 

[irishman25]

15 hours ago, skatewash said:

You don't need to be vaccinated to enter Phuket as a domestic arrival, just an up to 7 days old rapid antigen test (cost around 620 baht).  Use the right-hand side column on the following graphic.

Phuket Sandbox rules are for international arrivals in Phuket.  Other rules apply for domestic arrivals

The Sandpit is for us very rich international travelers with Money to burn as we don't mind having a COVID test every other day and fork out over 9000ba for no reason As, we are all ready vaccinated?? OH must go another Test.