Why as a tourist, I am not coming to Phuket yet explained

[ChC1]

hello all, my first post, please be gentle with me. Here I learned a lot about Phuket sandbox, thank you.

 

With the Phuket Sandbox going on and everyone is vibrated about the future, I was initially excited and hoping to enjoy a long overdue holiday and Thailand hospitality, but after two weeks following Thaivisa and emailing a very respectable hotel on Kamala beach near Novotel, I decided Phuket is not for me. Here I will explain why and maybe other posters can understand and sympathise with.

 

First, background, I live in UK, had my 2 AstraZeneca vaccine by May, have had several tests done locally, one PCR by the council for Surge testing, one to go to hospital and one volunteering. So I have no problem with all the extra testing and showing vaccine prove. I even have a NHS letter in hand ready to go.

 

But there are major obstacles stopping me from commit myself to coming to Phuket for 10 days as a tourist.

 

First, privacy concern. 

The current requirement asks me to download both Mor Chana and Thailand Plus tracking app into my phone. I can tolerate one. but not both. Even that it scares me. Of course someone would think oh typical falang, but I am not. I am of Asian origin and know full well how to bend over to bureaucracies. Except I have my limit on how much privacy I want to give up. It is not the intention I am not happy with, it is who can access the information and how secure the information is makes me worry. That being said, it is not the deciding factor that stops me enjoying 10 days of 5 stars hotel beach and pool in Phuket.

 

Second, hotel restriction.

I am not cheap Charlie. I want to enjoy life. So I have loads of hotel loyalty programme points and a weekend voucher. This becomes a major headache for me. Here is the thing, if I want to redeem the points, the reservation has to be 7 days long or longer. Then it may not qualify as 'prepaid' hence not possible to get COE. To use my weekend voucher requires a separate reservation, administrative nightmare according to the hotel I asked. OK, fine, I can live with it by paying cash. But the inflexibility casts doubt on my little mind. (for those you don't understand loyalty programme, the hotel in question would be paid $50-75 cash per night when I redeem the points, so it is free for me but income of $50-75 per night for the hotel room. Food and beverage would be paid directly by me). 

 

Third, flights.

The rule is actually straight forward. For me, if I want to come to Thailand for 10 days, I have to fly into Phuket and leave from Phuket without domestic connection. Now, you would thought Thai Airways understand this rule when they fly from London, Paris and Frankfurt to Phuket. Noooo. This is one perfect example why Thai loose money. They will be happy to take you to Phuket, but on your return, you will fly Thai Smiles to Bangkok with a connecting flight back to Europe. Yes, they do not have a flight nonstop from Phuket back to where you fly from. I might be wrong. But the idea of being stopped in Phuket airport after 10 days of relaxation, then being told I can not get on the Thai Smile flight to Bangkok in order to catch the Thai return flight as I have not stayed 14 days is very daunting. 

 

So you may ask why not fly middle eastern airlines. Good question. The only middle eastern airlines I can fly without return quarantine is El Al. But they are not selling transit ticket. If I fly Qatar and Emirates, at this moment, when I return I have to pay £1750 (Thai 73,500 Baht) extra to do a hotel quarantine. That leave Singapore Airlines as the only viable option. Yet they know how to charge. Let me give you some interesting figure, Singapore Airlines charges me £1300 return on Premier Economy, and they charge £1333 business class return from Paris. I could not risk myself go to Paris first and then fly on. Because the sandbox rule states that I must fly from the country I reside in, and has to be there for a minimum 21 days. I am sure it is misunderstanding. But I don't want to take the risks. I can sort out flight, so this is not a deciding factor. 

 

Fourth, test, test, test.

Reading so far I hope you are not tired yet. I am sorry I jibbed on. But in this section I will explain to you why I gave up. I am an experienced traveller, so above three reasons are not that push me off on the idea of coming to Thailand. This one has. First, there are rules about prepay 3 tests at TH8,000B. Fine. No complaints. The pre-flight tests and 3 tests on arrival seemed excessive, the deal breaker is what the tests are coming. After I stayed in Phuket for 10 days, 3-4 tests later, I will still need ONE MORE PCR tests to get FIT TO FLY certificate. All other tests are for local requirement only. So your last test in hotel is only good for if you are going to Bangkok or Hua Hin afterwards. This is a bummer. Why? Because you can't do this certificate one in hotel. You have to plan it carefully so you would meet all the regulatory requirement for return. My limited research taught me that I had to go to Bangkok Hospital and wait for a whole day, or take two trips in 2 days. If I stay in Kamala beach, that means a possible full day away from the hotel while I should be packing my bags, or 4 mafia taxi journeys in 2 days. I don't know the going rate, but the mind calculation comes up TH6,000-7,000B figure for this final test (oh yes, the certificate is extra besides the test). Unfortunately this is not the end, upon return to UK, I will have to endue 2 more tests. And one more if I want to test and release. So that is 6-7 tests if I come to Phuket for 10 days, 7-8 tests for 14 days. Total cost in testing? TH24,000-30,000B. For the 'ordinary' tourist couple of 2 without kids, that is TH46,000B minimum spending on testing as per today's rules (at least for UK departure). 

 

Conclusion

All the regulation and COE farce can not stop me coming to Phuket. But, as a true tourist, the excessive testing and the inconvenience to get a Fit to Fly certificate back home, plus all the cost involved with testing, is the deciding factor that I will not come to Phuket. If you are a returnee, or expat, the Phuket sandbox is a wonderful thing so that you can do a cheap alternative quarantine experience. But for a real tourist like me, the extra costs and inconvenience is not worth it even if Thai government give me 99 virgin as companion. There is no heaven worth this price and inconvenience. So this is the end of the story, before I put a end note in, let me whisper something my Kamala beach hotel reservation agent told me about, she said in the email that more details about testing requirement would be published on 15th July. There would be some regulatory changes happening on that day to further clarify some issues. I don't think I would be interested.  

[nkg]

Thanks for taking the time to write an interesting, thoughtful post.

[sammieuk1]

I could be easily swayed with 3 virgins yet alone 99 

[Advocatus Diaboli]

Also to remember is WHEN is Thailand going to enforce the UK restriction as they have been placed on the High Risk country list (from 1st July). Just imagine all that hard work to get in the air, and Thai officials change their mind (as they have never done in the past) and turn you around and send you packing back to the UK. 

[chalawaan]

Go to the Maldives, they are welcoming people like valued guests there, not dirty potentially infected prison inmates, or tracking them like parolees.

[BE88]

 

From his information then this Phuket sandbox is actually a quicksand box, then go in but no longer go out.

Tourist welcome and stay with use, until your money is gone

[Maha Sarakham]

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

 

That sounds great to me.  Harkens back to the days that nothing was open because nothing even existed.  Yet adventure travelers came in droves.  So they built up a bunch of stuff to capitalize and pretty much destroyed the ambiance for adventure travelers, catering to mass tourists.  You know- the ones that go from their air conditioned airplane to the air conditioned taxi to their air conditioned room- without ever getting warm.  Because...  Thailand

 

I'd be happy as long as there's a place to rent a kayak...  Funny how 15 minutes in a kayak can take me to places never even seen by the A/C tourism crowd.

 

[JetsetBkk]

3 hours ago, chalawaan said:

Go to the Maldives, they are welcoming people like valued guests there, not dirty potentially infected prison inmates, or tracking them like parolees.

 

And still above water, apparently.

 

 

 

[AlQaholic]

I don't understand why they have any rules at all? If Phuket have herd immunity, why not let anyone enter, as long as everyone stays in the Phuket sandbox, they can let unvaccinated, vaccinated and infected come and go as they like. Just ensure Phuket as a whole is completely closed from the rest of Thailand. 

[Surelynot]

Would be interesting to see a post entitled........"Why as a tourist, I am coming to Phuket explained"

[Sticky Rice Balls]

15 hours ago, ChC1 said:

please be gentle with me. Here I learned a lot about Phuket

reminds me of my first thai massage, and turned out to be a ladyboy too...  ????

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

reminds me of my first thai massage, and turned out to be a ladyboy too...  ????

Beer goggles a few weeks ago......nearly made a "mistake"...........

[Sticky Rice Balls]

1 minute ago, Surelynot said:

Beer goggles a few weeks ago......nearly made a "mistake"...........

A 10 at 2 could turn out to be a 2 at 10...careful friend ????

[madmitch]

Good to hear from a potential tourist. Plenty of posters on here, including me, have been saying all along that the rules are not conducive to attrating regular tourists and that the sandbox would be mainly used by returnees, those with family or property in Thailand and a few long-stayers.

 

Thanks for posting your thoughts which seem to corroborate the thinking here.

[ifmu]

sorry couldnt get through it ....    but it sounds like you are not coming   OK  luck to ya 

 

[Skypirate]

Oh sure...ruin Prayut's wet dream.

[lanng khao]

1 hour ago, Surelynot said:

Beer goggles a few weeks ago......nearly made a "mistake"...........

If its got a apple it will have a banana ????..

[jomtienisgood]

16 hours ago, bermondburi said:

I'm vibrated about the future too.

I'm way past vibration... 555555

[jomtienisgood]

14 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

Didn't they know that before coming?????

[jomtienisgood]

16 hours ago, chalawaan said:

Go to the Maldives, they are welcoming people like valued guests there, not dirty potentially infected prison inmates, or tracking them like parolees.

Why do you refer to pre-covid situations. 55555555

[Henryford]

14 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

 

Isn't the rest of Thailand closed too? Whenever i went on holiday i rarely had more than 14 days holiday so that would preclude any further travel. Unless you live here and Phuket is just an entry point.

[mancub]

16 hours ago, bermondburi said:

I'm vibrated about the future too.

Same goes for the 99....

[Advocatus Diaboli]

3 minutes ago, Henryford said:

Isn't the rest of Thailand closed too? Whenever i went on holiday i rarely had more than 14 days holiday so that would preclude any further travel. Unless you live here and Phuket is just an entry point.

With numbers increasing so to will other countries concerns with respect for travellers from Thailand. There will be a possibility of compulsory isolation on return payed out of own pocket as will not be covered by insurance. Also how do you think your employer will like it with your extended holiday.

[stevenl]

2 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Would be interesting to see a post entitled........"Why as a tourist, I am coming to Phuket explained"

Many of those positive experiences all over social media. On TVF though the moaners have the upper hand, in every department.

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, stevenl said:

Many of those positive experiences all over social media. On TVF though the moaners have the upper hand, in every department.

I hope you are not moaning about people moaning.

[leba]

18 hours ago, ChC1 said:

I am not cheap Charlie

but you want to get a cheaper room with your points...

Then i quit reading this BS.

 

 

[jomtienisgood]

11 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Many of those positive experiences all over social media. On TVF though the moaners have the upper hand, in every department.

Let's change the name into MTVF... 555555

[Bangkok Barry]

Interesting post. You could, of course, go to Cornwall instead. Nice beaches, decent weather at this time of year. No testing, no flights, no spy apps on your phone. Why anyone would even consider coming to Thailand now is beyond me, especially as most businesses are closed.

[Joe Farang]

16 hours ago, Maha Sarakham said:

All the Thais on Facebook (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and realizing that nothing is open.  They are surprised anyone wants to come at all with the current state of business affairs there.  I think it will primarily be a launchpad to other parts of Thailand after the 14 days elapses.

 

All the Thais on Social Media (according to my wife) are talking about how tourists are starting to come back to Phuket and the Taxi drivers are charging 1,000 Bht per single fare. No details on journey were provided to me though