Just how much damage the forced quarantine of tourists who test negative for COVID-19 has done to the Phuket Sandbox scheme remains to be seen. Photo: MoTS

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: The Phuket Sandbox scheme has a serious problem with the forced quarantine of 13 tourists this week and Thai officials spouting off how much the Sandbox reopening of tourism to Thailand is going to help kickstart the Thai economy are about to find out just how much it is going to cost them.

 

The 13 tourists were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378 which landed in Phuket on Tuesday (July 6). On the same flight was one man from the United Arab Emirates who tested positive for COVID-19 after landing at Phuket International Airport.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-opinion-trapped-sandbox-tourists-need-test-and-release-80640.php

 

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As is now standard procedure under the Phuket Sandbox model, once the man tested positive for COVID-19, he was taken into care at a local quarantine venue, while all people deemed to be high-risk contacts were taken to ALQ venues.

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

The 13 tourists were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378 which landed in Phuket on Tuesday (July 6).

Who on earth is going to book a holiday knowing your entire plane load could be quarantined if one passenger tests positive  ?

 

 

 

I can understand that they want to isolate high risk contacts but this should also be able to be done in the room where the person is staying.

If a ASQ hotel is required then that should not be on account of the person.

And the isolation should be limited till further PCE test are done to confirm the person in not infected.

1 minute ago, RichardColeman said:

Who on earth is going to book a holiday knowing your entire plane load could be quarantined if one passenger tests positive  ?

 

 

 

It was not the plane load but the travel group (family) of the infected and one other person who was sitting straight next to the infected person.

4 minutes ago, merijn said:

It was not the plane load but the travel group (family) of the infected and one other person who was sitting straight next to the infected person.

In this case, it seems that was the entire plane.  The 13 tourists were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378 

 

The 14th was the guy who tested positive.  I suspect the flight crew never left the plane.

 

The way i understand it, to qualify to board a plane to Phuket you need to show that you are PCR tested and fully vaccinated, so where did  the infection come from? i also read somewhere that it could have been from one of the accompanying children was infected, is the children not suppose to be tested before departure? if not, i think they should as well...

18 minutes ago, impulse said:

In this case, it seems that was the entire plane.  The 13 tourists were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378 

 

The 14th was the guy who tested positive.  I suspect the flight crew never left the plane.

 

Look at the interview from the German lady who is now in quarantine, The plane was more then half full.

18 minutes ago, merijn said:

Look at the interview from the German lady who is now in quarantine, The plane was more then half full.

Here is the story of the German lady told by herself. 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-good-idea-gone-wrong-80641.php

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Who on earth is going to book a holiday knowing your entire plane load could be quarantined if one passenger tests positive  ?

 

 

 

Famous football players from UAE.

1 hour ago, Mickeymaus said:

Here is the story of the German lady told by herself. 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-good-idea-gone-wrong-80641.php

Nice story but pretty naive, according to her name she is of Hungarian descent.

If Thailand cares about its international image, it might be wise to refund the cost of the 13 people's ASQ as well as the hotels that they booked.

 

Up to you!

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Who on earth is going to book a holiday knowing your entire plane load could be quarantined if one passenger tests positive  ?

 

 

 

Exactly. I actually didn’t know this. I won’t be taking a risk that someone with a fake vaccine papers get infected.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The 13 tourists were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378 which landed in Phuket

Emirates flight EK378 is served via a Boeing 777 with approximately 360 seats.

 

14 passengers arrived on the flight. 

 

Looks like the Phuket Sandbox scheme is destined to be a smashing success. 

Interestingly only tourists were forced into quarantine, no mention of airline staff... Are they not deemed "high risk contacts" as well? Or would that open a way bigger can of worms that the Thai government won't want to touch? They could very well be on their return flight to Phuket already...

The point is: If you have such a policy, then enforce it for everyone.

I just re-read my last sentence and cracked up. TiT.

8 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Interestingly only tourists were forced into quarantine, no mention of airline staff... Are they not deemed "high risk contacts" as well? Or would that open a way bigger can of worms that the Thai government won't want to touch? They could very well be on their return flight to Phuket already...

The point is: If you have such a policy, then enforce it for everyone.

I just re-read my last sentence and cracked up. TiT.

As you can read in the text (in the link), she had become the phone call not on the day arriving for being transfered. So probably at that time, the airline staff already left phuket!

10 minutes ago, HampiK said:

As you can read in the text (in the link), she had become the phone call not on the day arriving for being transfered. So probably at that time, the airline staff already left phuket!

I realize that. That's why I said: "They could very well be on their return flight to Phuket already..."

4 hours ago, merijn said:

Look at the interview from the German lady who is now in quarantine, The plane was more then half full.

I suspect the rest of the passengers went onto BKK (and directly into ASQ). 

 

As I recall, they have to land int'l flights directly into HKT.  They can't transit Sandbox passengers thru BKK.  So it only makes sense that they'd land in HKT first to deplane Sandbox passengers, then fly onto BKK with the rest of the passengers.  (Confirmed by Flightaware)   And all those who land in BKK have to go into quarantine anyway, so they wouldn't have made the news unless they actually tested positive.

 

So I'm still believing the article that says 14 passengers from EK378 deplaned in HKT.   But I'm open to the possibility I got it wrong.  Do you have a link to the German lady?

 

1 hour ago, ftpjtm said:

Emirates flight EK378 is served via a Boeing 777 with approximately 360 seats.

 

14 passengers arrived on the flight. 

 

Looks like the Phuket Sandbox scheme is destined to be a smashing success. 

If you would read the interview with the lady then you would know that the flight was more then half full.

13 people from the same family and the German lady who was sitting straight next the infected person.

42 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Interestingly only tourists were forced into quarantine, no mention of airline staff... Are they not deemed "high risk contacts" as well? Or would that open a way bigger can of worms that the Thai government won't want to touch? They could very well be on their return flight to Phuket already...

The point is: If you have such a policy, then enforce it for everyone.

I just re-read my last sentence and cracked up. TiT.

Close contact is normally rated as being in close vicinity for more then 15 mins.

was this guy tested again it could have been a false positive, i dont understand if you are negative before boarding a 6 hr flight how is it possible you can be positive like 12 or whatever hrs after

15 minutes ago, impulse said:

I suspect the rest of the passengers went onto BKK (and directly into ASQ). 

 

As I recall, they have to land int'l flights directly into HKT.  They can't transit Sandbox passengers thru BKK.  So it only makes sense that they'd land in HKT first to deplane Sandbox passengers, then fly onto BKK with the rest of the passengers.  (Confirmed by Flightaware)   And all those who land in BKK have to go into quarantine anyway, so they wouldn't have made the news unless they actually tested positive.

 

So I'm still believing the article that says 14 passengers from EK378 deplaned in HKT.   But I'm open to the possibility I got it wrong.  Do you have a link to the German lady?

 

That is very good possible that the rest flew to Bangkok and 13 people left the plane in Phuket.

Therefore it is also very good possible that for this reason only this lady (outside the family) has to go into quarantine.

Just now, merijn said:

That is very good possible that the rest flew to Bangkok and 13 people left the plane in Phuket.

Therefore it is also very good possible that for this reason only this lady (outside the family) has to go into quarantine.

Do you have a link to her interview for those of us who are curious?

 

I'm usually oblivious to how many people are left on a flight after I deplane.  All I want to do is get off the plane.

 

BTW, if the plane was half full, the airline probably still made some money even if only 14 people got off in HKT.  Maybe not much, but it's a start...

 

11 minutes ago, impulse said:

Do you have a link to her interview for those of us who are curious?

 

I'm usually oblivious to how many people are left on a flight after I deplane.  All I want to do is get off the plane.

 

BTW, if the plane was half full, the airline probably still made some money even if only 14 people got off in HKT.  Maybe not much, but it's a start...

 

See link for the interview:

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-good-idea-gone-wrong-80641.php

2 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

Nice story but pretty naive, according to her name she is of Hungarian descent.

What does her name has something to do with it ??

22 minutes ago, merijn said:

See link for the interview:

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-good-idea-gone-wrong-80641.php

Really sucks for her.  

 

And it could stink even more now that she's advertised that her life plan is to become a freelance worker in Thailand.  The odds of getting caught are slim.  Unless you tell the world that's what you're doing at the same time you're complaining about the gub'ment.

 

I wonder if she's thought through the long term visa thing.

2 hours ago, nkg said:

If Thailand cares about its international image, it might be wise to refund the cost of the 13 people's ASQ as well as the hotels that they booked.

 

Up to you!

Its always about money for Thailand 

10 minutes ago, impulse said:

Really sucks for her.  

 

And it could stink even more now that she's advertised that her life plan is to become a freelance worker in Thailand.  The odds of getting caught are slim.  Unless you tell the world that's what you're doing at the same time you're complaining about the gub'ment.

 

I wonder if she's thought through the long term visa thing.

That wasn't indeed very clever of her ????

The crew carried on to BKK I presume EK will take measures to re-test the crew on their return to DXB

10 minutes ago, merijn said:

That wasn't indeed very clever of her ????

We've all been there.  Sometimes, it's better to take your lumps and just smile.

 

I wish her well, and hope they test her again in a few days then turn her loose to enjoy the island.

 

5 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Who on earth is going to book a holiday knowing your entire plane load could be quarantined if one passenger tests positive  ?

 

 

 

An idiot?

5 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

Here is the story of the German lady told by herself. 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-good-idea-gone-wrong-80641.php

Read her story.... welcome to Thailand.