Direct flights from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Singapore, and elsewhere bring nearly 2,000 visitors.

 

TAT Newsroom

 

Bangkok, 06 July, 2021 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that the first 5 days of the Phuket Sandbox programme saw 32 inbound flights land in Phuket from points in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, bringing 1,896 foreign arrivals to the island.

 

These were operated by Thai Airways International (THAI) from Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris, London and Zurich, Singapore Airlines from Singapore, Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, Emirates from Dubai, Qatar Airways from Doha, EL AL Israel Airlines from Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion, and two private airlines from San Jose and Dubai.

 

Among the passengers arriving in Phuket on these flights between 1-5 July, there were no COVID-19 infections found. The three cases that were reported on 5 July, were all local.

 

Phuket’s commitment to safely reopen to fully vaccinated visitors include the vaccination programme for 70% of the island’s population. As of 5 July, 84% of the people had received their first vaccine dose, while 67% had received both doses.

 

The total number of flights to Phuket during July 2021, is expected to be around 426, averaging 13 flights a day. For the month, there are 11,894 passengers with Phuket bookings on six airlines divided into 8,281 inbound passengers and 3,613 outbound passengers.

 

TAT expects 100,000 foreign tourists to visit Phuket in the Third Quarter 2021 (July-September) generating 8.9 billion Baht in revenue for the local economy.

 

Accommodation-wise, advance bookings for SHA Plus hotels in Phuket for July-September amount to 116,842 room nights. Of this total, 106,883 nights are for July (91%), 8,147 are for August (7%), 857 are for September (0.7%), and 955 are for October 2021-February 2022 (0.8%).

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “The successful and safe reopening of Phuket to tourism for all visitors, local and foreign, is of paramount importance. It signals the beginning of the crucial revitalisation of Phuket and, subsequently, other destinations around Thailand – something to which TAT is wholly committed and determined to see achieved.”

With Phuket having reopened thanks to the launch of the Phuket Sandbox programme, the next destination to similarly reopen with no quarantine requirements will be Surat Thani province from 15 July, 2021, under the ‘Samui+’ programme, covering Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao.

 

This will be followed on 1 September, 2021, by Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai and Railay Beach), Phang Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao), Chiang Mai (Mueang District and Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao Districts), Chon Buri (Pattaya, Bang Lamung and Sattahip), and Buri Ram (Mueang District and Chang Arena).

 

The planned date for the reopening of Bangkok, Phetchaburi (Cha-am) and Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin) is 1 October, 2021. The rest of Thailand is due to reopen throughout the month of October.

 

Phuket Sandbox Hotels Packages - Book Now!

 

Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2021/07/phuket-welcomes-multitude-of-international-flights-in-first-5-days/

 

 

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to report that the first 5 days of the Phuket Sandbox programme saw 32 inbound flights land in Phuket from points in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, bringing 1,896 foreign arrivals to the island.

That's less than 60 people arriving per flight. For Thailand to hit the predicted 120,000 tourists for Q3, that would need around 2,000 flights and 22 arriving flights a day - not 6. Current rates would bring about 35,000 to Phuket, and I think that will even drop after the initial 400 a day rush !

 

 

It's a start-well done the Thais.

Lower the mandatory 14 days jail terms to 7 days and the flood gates will open with much, much more tourists...

So, are flights from London and Paris still coming, even with them now in red list of high risk countries?

10 minutes ago, Espanol said:

So, are flights from London and Paris still coming, even with them now in red list of high risk countries?

Apparently yes.

Ah - at last - this weeks lottery numbers

5 hours ago, webfact said:

EL AL Israel Airlines from Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion

Isn´t Ben Gurion the airport of Tel Aviv and the only international airport in Israel?

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Accommodation-wise, advance bookings for SHA Plus hotels in Phuket for July-September amount to 116,842 room nights. Of this total, 106,883 nights are for July (91%), 8,147 are for August (7%), 857 are for September (0.7%), and 955 are for October 2021-February 2022 (0.8%).

This is very revealing. It seems most of the returnees (expats and Thai's) will arrive in July, as you would expect. From August onwards this will slow down to just a trickle with just a handful of bookings. 

Since arriving tourists have already been vaccinated with the higher quality jabs, not the local junk, and been tested and shown to be covid negative, no need for a sandbox at all. 

 

The local official clowns need to face the fact that tourists are taking a far greater risk than the locals, by being exposed to the Thais. The only ones testing positive are locals, after all. 

 

End the quarantine now. End all restrictions and eliminate all hurdles now. Embrace science. Grow up. Man up. Get some courage. Face the music. Do the right thing just once in your careers. 

People will always complain but Thailand is leading the way with re-opening. TAT deserves more credit than it's getting for pushing the changes. The sandbox plans are a good idea and even though some tourists will test positive for the virus, the high amount of testing and the effective quarantine system on the islands should limit the spread. 

41 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

End the quarantine now. End all restrictions and eliminate all hurdles now. Embrace science.

You OK man?  Science says > 70% need to be vaccinated before ending all restrictions.  Thailand is only at 7.3%

Its OK, we are all in this together. You can still have a lady or 2 over and drink with a friend or 2 in your condo while watching Eurosport or the NBA playoffs if you like. 

Life is good

Things will get better

Peace

 

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Since arriving tourists have already been vaccinated with the higher quality jabs, not the local junk, and been tested and shown to be covid negative, no need for a sandbox at all. 

 

The local official clowns need to face the fact that tourists are taking a far greater risk than the locals, by being exposed to the Thais. The only ones testing positive are locals, after all. 

 

End the quarantine now. End all restrictions and eliminate all hurdles now. Embrace science. Grow up. Man up. Get some courage. Face the music. Do the right thing just once in your careers. 

What about internal tourists?

Are we able to take a flight from, Bangkok to Phuket and ingke with these "newcomers"?

Of course, most of us can't get a vaccine yet but, what the hell?

If I try to book a flight, from BKK, will I have to have the clear tests first?  How is all that going to work?

Phuket may as well be a separate country at this point.

 

In Western Australia we have no cases but we can't fly to Thailand as there are no airlines operating to BKK. 

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

That's less than 60 people arriving per flight. For Thailand to hit the predicted 120,000 tourists for Q3, that would need around 2,000 flights and 22 arriving flights a day - not 6. Current rates would bring about 35,000 to Phuket, and I think that will even drop after the initial 400 a day rush !

 

 

At an average of 60 pax per flight, that is not sustainable, I would guess?

Also, what about the return leg?  Who will be flying out, especially if the majority early on are returnees and most oof the arrivals are here for long term stays?

11 minutes ago, saminoz said:

At an average of 60 pax per flight, that is not sustainable, I would guess?

Also, what about the return leg?  Who will be flying out, especially if the majority early on are returnees and most oof the arrivals are here for long term stays?

As far as I am aware, most flights have 2 flight deck crews and are on a "triangular" route schedule with no stop overs in Phuket.  After Phuket, they continue to BKK with a few passengers who wish to do ASQ there and then fly back to origin.

Richard Barrow posted this on FB.. There goes the "holiday" for the rest of the group. Let's see if this gets confirmed or not.

 

Will 70 pc of Chonburi be double dosed by 1 Sept? NO!

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Since arriving tourists have already been vaccinated with the higher quality jabs, not the local junk, and been tested and shown to be covid negative, no need for a sandbox at all. 

 

The local official clowns need to face the fact that tourists are taking a far greater risk than the locals, by being exposed to the Thais. The only ones testing positive are locals, after all. 

 

End the quarantine now. End all restrictions and eliminate all hurdles now. Embrace science. Grow up. Man up. Get some courage. Face the music. Do the right thing just once in your careers. 

Said the last man on the titanic!

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Accommodation-wise, advance bookings for SHA Plus hotels in Phuket for July-September amount to 116,842 room nights. Of this total, 106,883 nights are for July (91%), 8,147 are for August (7%), 857 are for September (0.7%), and 955 are for October 2021-February 2022 (0.8%).

That number might reveal that a number of the foreign arrivals are people that wish a little more pleasant two weeks quarantine than a hotel room in Bangkok, but of course there might also be tourists among them.

In a group with fellow countrymen from my Scandinavian home country nobody showed interest for a holiday under sandbox-restrictions, whilst numerous long-stayers/expats were postponing their return to a little more pleasant "quarantine" on Phuket became available.

4 hours ago, Xonax said:

Isn´t Ben Gurion the airport of Tel Aviv and the only international airport in Israel?

(Sigh) There's always someone wanting to criticize a positive report by introducing facts......(smiley face)

Just read that a Thai Citizen living on Samui failed to report for her vaccination, but went the following day and asked if they could include her in the next batch to be vaccinated?  Sorry, we have run out!

That equals 59.5 tourists!!!!!!!! each flight

So how many Tourists have arrived? Real tourists!

Phuket welcomes multitude of international flights and 57 varieties of covid in first 5 days

 

 https://www.phuket-airport.com/arrivals.php

1 hour ago, overt2016 said:

That equals 59.5 tourists!!!!!!!! each flight

 

Just lucky travelers can use three seats for a good sleep

 

 

46 minutes ago, Uroller said:

So how many Tourists have arrived? Real tourists!

Why you ask for so complicated answers Lol

Just heard a few minutes ago that there are many countries that are getting spikes

in their COVID cases, most from the Delta variant, but the WHO is saying that the pandemic is

far from over, and countries that are trying to open up, but have not gotten their population

up to 70 percent fully vaccinated, are running the risk of getting out of control with the virus.

  Of course this would not happen in Thailand land would it?  Stay cautious and hope that

you all can get your shots soon.

Geezer

With another countrywide lockdown in the offing, this might come to a grinding halt!