It’s like they’ve never been away! Video shows foreign tourists enjoying Phuket Sandbox

[MrJ2U]

I was watching YouTube videos and it doesn't look much better business wise than before. Im sure a few places got some business.  Many though are still going to fail without government help.

 

[Justgrazing]

I had to hit the mute button watching that vid' .. best not use that a marketing tool unless they remove the music .. 

[mrfill]

4 hours ago, Surelynot said:

This is TVN?

Not any more.... it's ANN

[Rhacsyn]

2 hours ago, pagallim said:

 

Indeed, staffing will be a problem for the foreseeable future I guess.   Bit of chicken and egg, people are not going to return from their home provinces until there is some form of guarantee of long term employment which resorts can't offer until there is a definitive demand.

You are right, but some staff did choose to stay in Phuket. I am in day 5 of my sandbox hotel stay near Patong and I must be one of the lucky ones and certainly cannot complain.

 

There were a few outlets in Patong, for example, that operated right up until the start of the last restaurant / bar alcohol ban. The staff of the ones that I know are still here, and have started, or are keen to start work. I would guess that the same must be true for some hotels and staff. As for returning staff from provinces and increasing nubers yes, that is another issue and an ongoing dilemma.....

[ChipButty]

13 minutes ago, Rhacsyn said:

You are right, but some staff did choose to stay in Phuket. I am in day 5 of my sandbox hotel stay near Patong and I must be one of the lucky ones and certainly cannot complain.

 

There were a few outlets in Patong, for example, that operated right up until the start of the last restaurant / bar alcohol ban. The staff of the ones that I know are still here, and have started, or are keen to start work. I would guess that the same must be true for some hotels and staff. As for returning staff from provinces and increasing nubers yes, that is another issue and an ongoing dilemma.....

Thats great to hear from someone who is a pioneer sand boxer give us your daily update if you can, stop all this negative garbage, if you get the chance to move around as there are many areas that might surprise you, at the weekend go to Phuket town enjoy your stay

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, johng said:

No they are trying to move away from  "sleazy"  to  "high class family" ( no alcohol) ????

 

You might be right, but I hope not

[Dart12]

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

So first people on here are asking for proof people are actually arriving and enjoying themselves. When proof is given here as well, besides countless social media posts, the attempts at ridicule start. 

Some people can only be made happy with failure so they can say 'told you so'.

I can show you a picture of a women smiling with her loving husband at the doorstep of the brand new house they just built.
Later that day, he found out she was banging Michael Phelps.

Pictures can be staged.  Stories written for public relations and narratives.

BTW, I can go down to Boukow over to tree town and show you a packed place in Pattaya. 

Rest of central Pattaya is pretty much just boarded up.

YOu can take a picture of Tree Town and say it's just like it's always been... If you ignore othe rest of the ghost town

 

[impulse]

3 hours ago, pagallim said:

3 hours ago, DefaultName said:

Did I see beer?  Naughty TAT.  ????

No problem with alcohol in Phuket, other than actual bars are closed.   Bar/restaurants operating normally for the past few weeks, as I belive they are in all yellow/amber provinces (unless their Governor decrees otherwise).

   

Maybe no problem buying alcohol in Phuket, but posting photos of it online is bad mojo.  Up to 500K baht fine.

 

[impulse]

6 days into a months long program, probably not expected to get traction until the normal high season...  But you gotta start somewhere- opening up the venues, getting processes dialed in and getting staff hired back.

 

Yet, so many ready to stick a fork into it.

 

Looks to me like it's doing fine, and hopefully they'll be able to get more staff to come down to meet the demand during high season.  Just hope the staff don't bring the virus with them.

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by impulse

[unblocktheplanet]

All nine of them!

[hioctane]

10 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

So how many people were put into small area? 100?

 

Well they are mostly presumed to be vaccinated.

 

5 hours ago, shackleton said:

Well its a start would like to hear from the owners of hotels and restaurants once the 12000 tourists arrive by the end of July 

On how their businesses are doing?

It will probably be better than what it was before!

 

4 hours ago, pagallim said:

 

A myriad of problems for sure.   There will be many who expended quite a lot of money moving themselves, family and possessions to their home provinces and certainly won't want to go through that exercise again.

I don’t think any actually live there with their family. Most just work and stay in Phuket while their family lives in the provinces.

[CG1 Blue]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

with weekly flights now available from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, London and Zurich until September.

You can't get direct flights from London to Phuket, so I assume they mean with transit via BKK. Would be interesting to know if that's allowed, because I thought the original sand box rules said that only direct flights to Phuket were allowed? I'm probably mixing this up with another set of rules ????

 

 

[pagallim]

1 hour ago, hioctane said:

Well they are mostly presumed to be vaccinated.

 

It will probably be better than what it was before!

 

I don’t think any actually live there with their family. Most just work and stay in Phuket while their family lives in the provinces.

 

You're wrong.   Many were long term (10+ years) in Phuket, children at school, renting houses etc.   This past year has seen a flood of posts of pick up and trucks fully loaded taking everything they possess back to their provinces.

[pagallim]

1 hour ago, CG1 Blue said:

You can't get direct flights from London to Phuket, so I assume they mean with transit via BKK. Would be interesting to know if that's allowed, because I thought the original sand box rules said that only direct flights to Phuket were allowed? I'm probably mixing this up with another set of rules ????

 

 

 

Thai Airways depart London every Saturday, arriving Phuket early Sunday (direct flight).   The aircraft then goes to BKK.

[DBath]

8 hours ago, ChrisKC said:

Thank goodness the tourist industry in Phuket is back in full swing - I wonder what a panoramic shot of that photo would show?

 

Beyond the lights and those hundred or so cheap Charlie’s who were enticed to come for the free food, it would show a backdrop of total darkness - the real story. 

[DBath]

7 hours ago, pagallim said:

As mentioned, lots of posts and photos/videos on social media, otherwhelmingly positive.   A recurring theme though is people asking where on the island there is any life as where they are is 'dead' and though their hotels are OK, they want to move.   Sadly, these questions seem to originate from those staying in Patong.   Obviously there's been large problem with expectations.

One can’t help but wonder what the impact is going to be on what might have otherwise been repeat customers. I think there will be many of those few who came, who were not expats, who will regret having jumped through all those hoops to come here.

[CG1 Blue]

1 hour ago, pagallim said:

 

Thai Airways depart London every Saturday, arriving Phuket early Sunday (direct flight).   The aircraft then goes to BKK.

Well I never knew that! I assume this route was set up specially for the sand box. Good to know ????

[Albert Zweistein]

Is this forum sponsored by the junta ?

[shdmn]

33 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Is this forum sponsored by the junta ?

Clearly not with all the doom mongers around here.  You seem quite upset at the positive news in this thread.  Why is that?  Can't stand the thought of the cup being half full?

Edited July 6, 2021 by shdmn

[Albert Zweistein]

28 minutes ago, shdmn said:

Clearly not with all the doom mongers around here.  You seem quite upset at the positive news in this thread.  Why is that?  Can't stand the thought of the cup being half full?

I am not upset, just can't stand the headline. Calling a few people gathered tourist who are enjoying. I doubt if there are many tourist, most of them look like Thai to me.

[stevenl]

5 minutes ago, Albert Zweistein said:

I am not upset, just can't stand the headline. Calling a few people gathered tourist who are enjoying. I doubt if there are many tourist, most of them look like Thai to me.

You're good, telling nationalities from people's backs.

 

Btw, also Thai can be tourists.

[Albert Zweistein]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You're good, telling nationalities from people's backs.

 

Btw, also Thai can be tourists.

I am telling from the colour of the hair and I said I DOUBT. Of course Thai can be tourist but they are not the ones the junta is looking for, they are not " high heeled ".

[Clarkey611]

2 hours ago, CG1 Blue said:

Well I never knew that! I assume this route was set up specially for the sand box. Good to know ????

And without alcohol or onboard entertainment. It will be fun!

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

In the short clips, people can be seen socializing, drinking and eating while being entertained by street performers.

I thought gathering and drinking was banned?

As always Phuket is an exception.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, stevenl said:

So first people on here are asking for proof people are actually arriving and enjoying themselves. When proof is given here as well, besides countless social media posts, the attempts at ridicule start. 

Some people can only be made happy with failure so they can say 'told you so'.

 

17 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

The normal Friday evening market at Boat Avenue, Laguna area of Phuket, its just down the road from where we live, we go there every week to eat. Its always busy, I guess TAT added a little show to it for the camera's.

Read Brians post... nuff said.

[BritManToo]

7 hours ago, shdmn said:

Clearly not with all the doom mongers around here.  You seem quite upset at the positive news in this thread.  Why is that?  Can't stand the thought of the cup being half full?

I'm upset because it's 'fake news' which I thought was against the law.

Things aren't getting better ......... they're getting worse.

(In CM they just closed all the schools again)

 

At this point in time, I'd be happy if they just allowed me to hold the empty cup.

Edited July 7, 2021 by BritManToo

[gim12]

Has the TAT come up with how many more would have arrived if they had not gotten fed up and disgusted with the idiotic COE process?

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

soda pop

Some beer being shown on social media, Lock up these posters !!!!

[ChipButty]

According to the Thai news some farang already breaking the rules, didnt go back to his hotel seems like that the command and control center is right on it, they traced him in Rawai, thats it 14 days solitary confinement for him

[Sticky Rice Balls]

17 hours ago, ChipButty said:

operating with limited facilities 

Was my explanation at my last happy massage..... ????