Darren and Supattra Sellers and their family. Photo: Phuket Info Center screenshot

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: The first family to arrive in Phuket under the Sandbox scheme said they felt “very privileged and lucky to be here,” in an interview conducted by the Phuket Info Center yesterday (July 3).

 

The Sellers family, who live in Abu Dhabi, arrived on the island at 10:20am on flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi on Thursday (July 1). Of the 44 passengers onboard, 23 disembarked in Phuket while the rest went on to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

 

Darren Lee Sellers was joined by his wife Supattra and their young son and daughter and are staying at the Angsana Laguna Phuket resort in Cherng Talay. It was not stated how long they will be staying in Phuket.

 

Book your sandbox hotel in Phuket here

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/first-family-to-arrive-under-sandbox-scheme-privileged-to-be-in-phuket-80560.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-05

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Sellers family, who live in Abu Dhabi, arrived on the island at 10:20am on flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi on Thursday (July 1). Of the 44 passengers onboard, 23 disembarked in Phuket while the rest went on to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

Just 44 passengers on a flight ? 23 to Phuket ? 4 of them in the same family ? These 120,000 to 140,000 is looking like complete nonsense. 

 

1 month the populace will be shouting they have none of the promised customers

If they could share just how they circumvented the COE at that speed and exactly how much the whole thing cost would be nice 

I think most of them either don't know anything about Phuket "Sandbox" thingy and how many hoops and preparations Thailand had to jump through to make it happen or they are thrill seekers going into badly Covid infested country and feeling lucky to come out from there clean...

Fun on the empty beach in face masks. Risky with kids don't you think?

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The first family to arrive in Phuket under the Sandbox scheme said they felt “very privileged and lucky to be here,”

 

Looking at the name of the gentleman's wife (Supattra) I would say she is Thai so she would be very happy to come back home

Oil and Gas Engineer in Dubai: LinkedIn

 

 

 

thai Wife:  Property management company in Hua Hin

 

https://1stchoiceserviceshuahin.com/service.html

 

 

so...not exactly 'foreign' tourists it would seem

 

 

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The Sellers family, who live in Abu Dhabi, arrived on the island at 10:20am on flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi on Thursday (July 1). Of the 44 passengers onboard, 23 disembarked in Phuket while the rest went on to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

1,400 arrivals in first 3 days @50 per flight = 28 flights ........ 10 incoming flights a day.

Not much of a profit for the airlines at that level of use.

Hold on !! 23 ??. ????????????????????????????????????

3 hours ago, Thailand said:

Fun on the empty beach in face masks. Risky with kids don't you think?

 

If the beach is empty where is the risk?

3 hours ago, tonray said:

Oil and Gas Engineer in Dubai: LinkedIn

 

 

 

thai Wife:  Property management company in Hua Hin

 

https://1stchoiceserviceshuahin.com/service.html

 

 

so...not exactly 'foreign' tourists it would seem

 

 

Well, they've accomplished their 5 minutes of "fame" eh ?

22 minutes ago, rwill said:

If the beach is empty where is the risk?

I guess they may leave the beach at sometime.Would I take my kids? No chance.

But looks like these guys are just in transit to Hua Hin so likely not tourists, just going home.

I know another family who are doing more or less the same thing, husband British wife Thai returning on Thai London to Phuket direct then two weeks in Phuket before heading home to Bangkok. Don’t think many genuine tourists among the first Sandbox arrivals.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The Sellers family, who live in Abu Dhabi, arrived on the island at 10:20am on flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi on Thursday (July 1). Of the 44 passengers onboard, 23 disembarked in Phuket while the rest went on to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

Good luck to the Sellars family.

I just hope they dont take too many Taxi rides on the Island.

23 Passengers to Phuket, and another 21 to BKK

Apart from the extra flight time to Phuket from Swampy ( approx 1 Hr 20 Mins ), how many of these Airlines are going to keep flying not just the extra miles, but the poor passenger load to Phuket.

Unless the numbers really rise, I would expect the flights to become once a week or even every 10 Days or so.

 

8 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

If they could share just how they circumvented the COE at that speed and exactly how much the whole thing cost would be nice 

I started my application for COE on 29th June and received it on 30th mid afternoon. Flew from Dubai to Phuket on 2nd July. Hotel Baht 13,000, Hotel taxi (mandatory) from airport to Patong area Baht 700, Covid test (3) pre booked Baht 8,000.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Of the 44 passengers onboard,

 

Please excuse my ignorance, but would such international jet flights heading for the Phuket Sandbox not be commercially viable?? So who is "bankrolling" the losses?? TAT by any chance??

Out of the furnace of Abu Dhabi and into the fire of Phuket,  Yup  privileged, indeed.

I bet it is hot in Abu Dhabi...

Geezer