SURVEY: Is it time to abandon the Sandbox concept?

[jomtienisgood]

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

And you think that it'll stay that way, even as the medical professionals of these countries are warning of another wave consisting of the Delta variant?

As a matter of fact many of EU countries are going back to some kind of extent of confinement, curfew.....

[Caldera]

I think they should just let anyone who's fully vaccinated with a vaccine that holds up against Delta visit the whole country without quarantine. No special sandbox rules for special provinces, that's just bureaucratic nonsense.

[wasabi]

The only way this scheme would work is if Thailand was confident when tourists are fully vaccinated and the Thais are fully vaccinated than the virulence of Covid is in most cases no longer lethal or even requires hospitalization... that is true of many things we are vaccinated against and of those who have the mRNA Covid vaccines in this case. If they want to open to tourists they can't play Covid prison lottery with every flight just because one or more passengers is found to have the virus, and testing itself will have to stop at some point. They are going to have to take some risks and allow some people with Covid into the country to have any semblance of a tourist industry. But the truth seems to be those running the country and these programs do not understand viral transmission as well as not having faith in their own inoculation plan. I doubt a single one of these Sandbox prisoners would've signed up for this scheme if they knew their own tests and vaccinations could be invalidated by the failure of another passenger whom they do not even know. However to the wise men and women on these forums all of this was painfully obvious and another case of sheer buffoonery to watch unravel.

Edited July 11, 2021 by wasabi

[Captain Monday]

It should continue however if the present attitude prevails it is doomed.

 

• Thailand sending asymptomatic people to hospitals, 
• Locking up fully vaccinated tourists with negative tests by proximity contact alone and other medically unsound policies.
• Continuing ridiculous venue closures, curfews and bans with no evidence at all they work. 

There is no covid-zero in the next few years, as long as Thailand sticks to the unicorn hunt instead of managing the situation I think it will be cancelled. A self-fulfilling prophecy. They knew the sandbox would be associated with some cases. Really 3 out of 2500 is low.

 

All the authorities know how to do well is lock-downs and forced economic ruin. 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Captain Monday

[wasabi]

14 minutes ago, Caldera said:

I think they should just let anyone who's fully vaccinated with a vaccine that holds up against Delta visit the whole country without quarantine. No special sandbox rules for special provinces, that's just bureaucratic nonsense.

bureaucratic nonsense is the Thai way when it comes to dealing with any of the various ministries and "authorities". In this case they would rather lockdown the whole country and incarcerate paying tourists in hotel prisons than admit their vaccine drive is a near total failure.

 

Now I love the Thai way when it comes to Thai people and just about everything Thailand -- I am only frustrated with how this corrupt and inept government is ran.

Edited July 11, 2021 by wasabi

[mickyr55]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

They need to allow in only fully vaccinated people who received one of the vaccines that are effective against the variant.

 

Problem is that they are accepting people vaccinated only with Sinovac or Sinopharm. 

So the closed eye's system used by the basket case authorities in Thailand continues. 

[rumak]

3 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Most saw this for what it was, a creaky old bus, with bad brakes being driven by a drunkard.

 

That it has crashed, and the driver claimed "brake failure" before doing a runner, should hardly come as a surprise.

 

 

 

Moved to used vehicles forum.............

[Dogmatix]

I don’t give the sandbox much longer than the end of the month. It’s Achilles heel was always the low vaccination rate and lack of quality vaccines in Thailand. It will be killed off by delta cases imported from the mainland which has already started.

 

The other big weakness was letting unvaccinated children in and the crass stupidity of parents for bringing them.   Now one family is paying a high price for the parents’ poor judgment and the Thai authorities’ greed.

 

I expect the sight of that tour group from Dubai flying home without string foot out of a hotel, unable to get refunds, will cause many genuine tourists to reconsider anyway, particularly from UAE.

[PFMills]

I wonder if the same group will come to clap the closing of the sandbox.

[Dogmatix]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

They need to allow in only fully vaccinated people who received one of the vaccines that are effective against the variant.

 

Problem is that they are accepting people vaccinated only with Sinovac or Sinopharm. 

The problem lies with the real target - Chinese tourists who only have access to Sinovac and Sinopharm.

[aBigSmile]

Madness has grippe humanity, and people refuse to read up facts and internalize.

 

Vaccines aren't effective agains the Delta strain, nor against the new Epsilon.

By that I mean all vaccines, "good" or "bad" ones. Israel has only used Pfizer and it's suffering a new wave.

 

Enough with the wishful thinking. Vaccines have failed. It's time top accept it and look forward.

 

 

 

[GeorgeEboy]

How ridiculous is it to say you are going to a country but only to one island you’re allowed on. No other country in a Covid crisis tried this absurd opening when their numbers were spiking.

[Bluespunk]

25 minutes ago, aBigSmile said:

Madness has grippe humanity, and people refuse to read up facts and internalize.

 

Vaccines aren't effective agains the Delta strain, nor against the new Epsilon.

By that I mean all vaccines, "good" or "bad" ones. Israel has only used Pfizer and it's suffering a new wave.

 

Enough with the wishful thinking. Vaccines have failed. It's time top accept it and look forward.

''Vaccines aren't effective agains the Delta strain, nor against the new Epsilon.''

 

That is just so not true

 

https://www.biospace.com/article/pfizer-astrazeneca-vaccines-effective-against-covid-19-delta-and-kappa-uk-study/

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-effective-against-variants-found-india-2021-06-22/

 

https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/pfizerbiontech,_az_vaccines_effective_against_delta_covid-19_variant_after_two_doses_1371713

Edited July 11, 2021 by Bluespunk

[shackleton]

Well the Government were pandering to the Tourist industry to try something new ie the Phuket Sandbox to attract tourists 

Will no doubt find out in a month or so if its working ????

On the actual numbers of Genuine Tourist arrivals 

[Kadilo]

20 minutes ago, aBigSmile said:

Madness has grippe humanity, and people refuse to read up facts and internalize.

 

Vaccines aren't effective agains the Delta strain, nor against the new Epsilon.

By that I mean all vaccines, "good" or "bad" ones. Israel has only used Pfizer and it's suffering a new wave.

 

Enough with the wishful thinking. Vaccines have failed. It's time top accept it and look forward.

 

 

 

Bull-sh.t

[Pedrogaz]

It was a desperate move to quieten criticism of the government. Hence a shambles since only half wits were allowed to have input into it.

[aBigSmile]

4 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Bull-sh.t

 

Here, cow lover, I did the leg work for you:

 

"The Delta variant is spreading fast in Israel, with 450 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Thursday, and a total of 3,691 people infected. The government is reporting that vaccines are less effective in preventing infection by Delta than other strains of the coronavirus."

https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-delta-spreads-doctors-call-for-major-push-to-vaccinate-reluctant-over-50s/

 

I know first hand that they are grasping and panicking. Exactly as you will, once you realize the only BS that goes around are the vaccines. 

 

 

 

[connda]

The Phuket Sandbox was like sex.  Weeks of building up pressure getting all horned up about the massive influx of tourists, media and government press releases getting the masses excited and eager, "This is going to be so great!" Ohmygod ohmygod, ohmygod!!!!.....and then - pffft! 

Time to get a bowl of noodles and watch Netflix.

[aBigSmile]

38 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

''Vaccines aren't effective agains the Delta strain, nor against the new Epsilon.''

 

That is just so not true

 

https://www.biospace.com/article/pfizer-astrazeneca-vaccines-effective-against-covid-19-delta-and-kappa-uk-study/

 

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-effective-against-variants-found-india-2021-06-22/

 

https://www.pmlive.com/pharma_news/pfizerbiontech,_az_vaccines_effective_against_delta_covid-19_variant_after_two_doses_1371713

Sorry, I don't trust any of the studies you cite.

Facts on the ground are that the Delta strain can breath through the Pfizer vaccine.  The Israeli Prime Minster admitted just that, and the government is now looking at "boosters." 

[Fex Bluse]

It was ALWAYS an idiotic idea for dozens of reasons an average 10 year old in a developed country can understand. 

 

Perhaps the most obvious is that there is no sandbox with a virus like this unless they were testing Phuket like a BSL4 Bio lab. 

 

Such strange people. Without the ability to think at all. 

[starky]

4 hours ago, Rookiescot said:

Actually I would stop the tourists but keep it open for people who live here returning from overseas.

Two weeks stuck in a hotel room must be an absolute nightmare.

Na its not really.  You have no concept of the real suffering in the world if you consider 2 weeks in a luxury hotel of your choice a nightmare.  F f s ...

Edited July 11, 2021 by starky

[EricTh]

It will be hilarious if the Delta variant spread like wildfire in Phuket and Thailand is forced to abandon the concept.

 

The ones who will be infected would be the tourists themselves.

Edited July 11, 2021 by EricTh

[EricTh]

28 minutes ago, aBigSmile said:

Sorry, I don't trust any of the studies you cite.

Facts on the ground are that the Delta strain can breath through the Pfizer vaccine.  The Israeli Prime Minster admitted just that, and the government is now looking at "boosters." 

I don't trust  these 'studies' either because western media tend to be paid by the big pharma companies to produce distorted figures when billions are at stake.

 

The initial clinical trials were done on the China variant, it would be less effective against the Delta (India) variant.

 

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-sees-drop-pfizer-vaccine-protection-against-infections-still-strong-2021-07-05/

Edited July 11, 2021 by EricTh

[MyFriend You]

5 hours ago, Misty said:

I agree. Why not try an intermediary step first.  Not for tourists, but for returning, fully vaccinated long-term residents of Thailand.  Start off with quarantine. After one week, if everyone on the plane still tests negative, then allow this group to forgo further quarantine. 

 

That would serve two purposes.  It would help folks who are returning.  It would also provide a learning experience for the hospitality industry so that when conditions are right they can try to open up more fully.

 

Jumping right into tourism just seemed like a bad idea, both in practice as well as what it says to the rest of the country about priorities.

Great idea, but will never happen, the brown envelopes will stop and they can't have that could they??

[The Hammer2021]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

We don't need to abandon it. The international tourists already have. Word is spreading all over, via Twitter, Instagram, FB, YouTube, TripAdvisor, etc. Don't bother coming. Nothing to see. Most places closed. Only over priced hotel food and a half dozen restaurants. Go to one of the 60 or more nations with no restrictions and vibrant economies. Do not come here. Thailand is imploding. The meltdown has begun. 

Did you ever have anything positive to say about Thailand?

[gearbox]

19 minutes ago, EricTh said:

It will be hilarious if the Delta variant spread like wildfire in Phuket and Thailand is forced to abandon the concept.

 

The ones who will be infected would be the tourists themselves.

Why would they need to abandon it? The Delta variant is widespread here already, so unless the inter -provincial travel is banned it wouldn't matter much where the Delta comes from. In fact the overseas arrivals are less likely to be spreaders as they have more tests and a sort of minimal quarantine.

[gearbox]

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

I don’t give the sandbox much longer than the end of the month. It’s Achilles heel was always the low vaccination rate and lack of quality vaccines in Thailand. It will be killed off by delta cases imported from the mainland which has already started.

 

The other big weakness was letting unvaccinated children in and the crass stupidity of parents for bringing them.   Now one family is paying a high price for the parents’ poor judgment and the Thai authorities’ greed.

 

I expect the sight of that tour group from Dubai flying home without string foot out of a hotel, unable to get refunds, will cause many genuine tourists to reconsider anyway, particularly from UAE.

I hope the Phuket and Samui sandboxes stay. They are much better IMO for returning residents than the overpriced and heavily confined ASQ quarantine in Bangkok.

[BusyB]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Nonsense. The incoming tourists are the ones taking the risk by coming in contact with the Thais. They have not only been fully vaccinated, with a real vaccine, but they have passed multiple, different Covid tests. They should not even be subject to ANY restrictions. 

 

Agreed, you got in before me ...

 

Mind you I'm only interested in returning because I have friends in Thailand and half a household. I'm quite well settled when I'm there and miss them and the lifestyle, weather, food etc something awful.

If I was a normy eurotourist dallying with the notion of a foreign holiday right now though, Thailand would be very low on my list but for me it's worth it

Accepted, the lifestyle is gonna be a bit crimped when I get there with so much closed. But I'll be there at the end of the year if Uncle Tu sticks to the (in my mind) sensible reopening to fully vaccinated visitors.

Yes the fully vaccinated CAN pass it on, but very unlikely because the viral shedding is minimal if you get infected because of the resistance sparked by the vaccine.

It really is not dangerous to open for the fully vaccinated and it's about time they understood the danger doesn't come from without. It comes from within as the miserable microbe tears through the country like a hurricane purely because of utterly incompetent and greedy governance.

They should focus as an emergency 100% top priority on getting the Thai people vaccinated ASAP whatever it costs instead of messing around with these idiotic 'sandboxes'.

 

Edited July 11, 2021 by BusyB

[2long]

When they mentioned wristbands, we all laughed.

But they didn't make clear the imprisoning of fellow travellers, separation of families and all at the (uninsured) cost of the tourists.

I REALLY want the borders open, but what they're doing now will make things worse.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, aBigSmile said:

Sorry, I don't trust any of the studies you cite.

Facts on the ground are that the Delta strain can breath through the Pfizer vaccine.  The Israeli Prime Minster admitted just that, and the government is now looking at "boosters." 

Oh dear. You don’t trust facts that go against the version of reality you have chosen to believe in. 

Edited July 11, 2021 by Bluespunk