Phuket Sandbox is not closing and has actually been a success, set to generate billions of baht: govt

[Bangkok Barry]

8 hours ago, smedly said:

how many tests have been done across Phuket since 1st July (excluding tourists)

 

how many positive tests assuming tests were actually done ? (excluding tourists)

 

how were the tourists that returned a positive test infected ? was it community spread in Phuket

 

don't expect any of that to be disclosed

And why is the situation deemed so serious that all the schools in Phuket have been closed?

[tigerfeet]

9 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Who would bring a dog to Thailand with so many unvaccinated soi dogs running around?

Could be a brown envelope arriving soon 

[billd766]

5 hours ago, engamann said:

Sadly but the kids always come last in this junta governments handling of the virus.

 

We live in rural Kamphaeng Phet and my son had his normal school holiday in April to go back in the first week of May, postponed until mid May, postponed again to 01 June, postponed to mid June, postponed to early July, postponed to 3rd week July, now postponed again until August so far. he has missed 3 months schooling this year so far and 2 months last year.

He has done online lessons with the teacher and today he went in to get some more books from the school.

 

This is only one school znd there are thousands of others like it across rural Thailand.

[herfiehandbag]

 

The expression "he said through gritted teeth" rather springs to mind!

[fredscats]

1 hour ago, Boedog said:

It was never going to be anything but a success Thailand the HUB of lies deception greed and corruption 

plus space travel

[bstafford214]

9 hours ago, madmitch said:

Nice maths!

 

I met some sandbox tourists yesterday who were very pleased with the process. They were genuine tourists, staying two months, and despite staying at two Ibis hotels for their 14 days have otherwise been spending their money in locally owned establishments. They even brought a dog with them!

 

Others I know are returnees or are visiting family. 

 

Definitely a few more people on Karon and Kata beaches. Not many but the increase is noticeable.

Must be nice to have that kind of money to spend and for 2 months. Not very many people will do this, so there is no way to make those numbers they brag about, so much BS it's just too funny. They are trying to impress someone with these statements?

[connda]

1 hour ago, bangon04 said:

500 per day might sound like a success. If they are genuine tourists. Better than none.

The airlines might regard this 500 number as less than a success.

500 a day and airlines lose so much money that the route goes under - well unless it's subsidized. Probably can't talk about that as it's super-secret and contractually invisible.

[shdmn]

9 hours ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

I guess the question is WHOM was it a success for?

For tourists. Certainly not for the doom mongers saying it will never happen, it will never work, it will be the zombie apocalypse and whatever other nonsense they pulled out of their sphinicters. 

[shdmn]

1 minute ago, connda said:

500 a day and airlines lose so much money that the route goes under - well unless it's subsidized. Probably can't talk about that as it's super-secret and contractually invisible.

I guess the airlines should have consulted you before they applied to add more flights.  You clearly know how to run an airline better than they do.

[shdmn]

6 minutes ago, bstafford214 said:

Must be nice to have that kind of money to spend and for 2 months. Not very many people will do this, so there is no way to make those numbers they brag about, so much BS it's just too funny. They are trying to impress someone with these statements?

But a lot of people ARE doing it.  Also, this is low season where it rains a lot in Phuket.  So the really big numbers of tourists won't really start till Nov.

[shdmn]

Must be a tough thread for the doom mongers to swallow.  They will never admit they were wrong though.  They will just move on to doom mongering about something else.

[Bkk Brian]

"Phuket Sandbox is not closing and has actually been a success, set to generate billions of baht: govt"

 

Well it certainly has been a major success for one large Thai company, the rich keep getting richer:

 

Thai Company Uses Phuket ‘Sandbox’ to Clinch a $4.75 Billion Deal

Thailand’s bold move to throw open Phuket, its most famous tourist destination, to vaccinated foreign visitors is paying off in more ways than one.

PTT Global Chemical Pcl used the reopening to sign an agreement to acquire Allnex Holding GmbH, a European specialty-chemicals maker owned by private equity firm Advent International, for 4 billion euros ($4.75 billion). Top executives of Allnex and Advent flew into Phuket last weekend to sign the deal, the biggest overseas acquisition by a Thai company in almost a decade.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/thailand-uses-phuket-sandbox-to-clinch-a-4-75-billion-deal

 

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

And why is the situation deemed so serious that all the schools in Phuket have been closed?

The really serious bit is that some people have invested a serious amount of "influence" with the powers that be, to ensure that their various business ventures in Phuket can receive tourists, irrespective of the actual situation on the ground.

 

It may be observed that there are not so many tourists as was expected.

 

What I find quite surprising is that there are so many people, with wealth and influence to spare, who are so keen to invest in such a scheme.

 

I wonder if any of them have considered bridge ownership as an investment opportunity?

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, connda said:

500 a day and airlines lose so much money that the route goes under - well unless it's subsidized. Probably can't talk about that as it's super-secret and contractually invisible.

Well all that cash that was borrowed may be being put to use?

[matador007]

4 hours ago, 2 is 1 said:

4 cancelled!? LMAO

 

 

 

All those at 5:50 look like a Code Share.  There are a bunch of replies I havent read yet, most likely someone said the same thing.

[whaleboneman]

12 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Who would bring a dog to Thailand with so many unvaccinated soi dogs running around?

I thought all the soi dogs were getting vaccinated before any farang?

[Espanol]

4 hours ago, the green light said:

it happenned to a UAE plane. The rest of the passengers  decided to return home

They decided to return home because their SHA+ booking was cancelled and they were forced to stay 2 weeks in an expensive ASQ hotel, even been fully vaccinated and been tested negative twice. 

[Espanol]

4 hours ago, Advocatus Diaboli said:

Because of the dark red zone lock down and airlines decision not to fly to Phuket. Smile is the only one flying I believe (without going to the site and look).

Vietjet also flying to Phuket from BKK.

[madmen]

13 hours ago, madmitch said:

Nice maths!

 

I met some sandbox tourists yesterday who were very pleased with the process. They were genuine tourists, staying two months, and despite staying at two Ibis hotels for their 14 days have otherwise been spending their money in locally owned establishments. They even brought a dog with them!

 

Others I know are returnees or are visiting family. 

 

Definitely a few more people on Karon and Kata beaches. Not many but the increase is noticeable.

I'm currently here at a resort patong beach arrived on the 2nd of July to avoid ASQ and it was dead 

Fast forward untill today and it's now busy especially at the resort with arrivals of young northern Europeans and couples etc clearly tourists 

Beach front establishments buzzing but make no mistake its not remotely close to pre covid Phuket but even TATs estimates were for around 100 k and that will be easily achieved. It's a start. 

[Albert Zweistein]

14 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

Even when Phuket airport was completely closed last year the website showed the same flights and listed all as canceled. 

 

This list is entirely inaccurate. The international flights (Eva, Philippines, Garuda, JAL, KLM, etc.) haven't been flying to Phuket for well over a year. Perhaps they still have their landing slots, but it's nuts that the airport continues to show these as cancelled since they were never scheduled to fly. Qatar flies four days a week. On the other three days the flights show as cancelled. Thai technology...

KLM has postponed flights to Phuket until mid October. They don't have any landing slots as they never been flying to Phuket.

[kiwikeith]

18 hours ago, colinneil said:

You cannot be serious, actually been a success, dream on pal.

You claim 8.9 billion baht, making crazy statements like that just shows you have lost the plot, or are just spouting off what you have been ordered to do.

There will be traffic jams from Isan to the sandbox starting shortly at these rates. 

[shdmn]

The perpetually wrong doom mongers who said Phuket would never open,  it would never work, nobody will ever come, it will be a zombie apocalypse, seem awfully quiet in these Phuket threads now.  I wonder why.

[thaibeachlovers]

22 hours ago, madmitch said:

Nice maths!

 

I met some sandbox tourists yesterday who were very pleased with the process. They were genuine tourists, staying two months, and despite staying at two Ibis hotels for their 14 days have otherwise been spending their money in locally owned establishments. They even brought a dog with them!

 

Others I know are returnees or are visiting family. 

 

Definitely a few more people on Karon and Kata beaches. Not many but the increase is noticeable.

???????????

How many "genuine tourists" are able to take 2 months holiday? If they were retired people that's fair enough, but if Thailand has to depend on retired people for tourism they ain't going to do well, IMO.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, shdmn said:

The perpetually wrong doom mongers who said Phuket would never open,  it would never work, nobody will ever come, it will be a zombie apocalypse, seem awfully quiet in these Phuket threads now.  I wonder why.

If one actually believes the "official" statements then everything is surely just peachy.

[thaibeachlovers]

To add some realism to the situation.

 

NZ opened up to part of Australia without quarantine. Since a lot of NZ people went to Australia it has had loads of corona cases and the travel has come to a shuddering halt. NZ people stuck in Oz and those that do get back have to quarantine.

Not looking good for future openings, is it? Who will ever trust that the same thing won't happen again?

 

Same for Phuket, IMO, if the present corona situation in Thailand gets worse.

[inThailand]

Now are they putting a pig on lipstick?

[Road Warrior]

is it wealth before health ??????????????????

[Percy P]

23 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

Who would bring a dog to Thailand with so many unvaccinated soi dogs running around?

I'm sure the dog won't be running around with the soi dogs.

[herfiehandbag]

14 hours ago, billd766 said:

We live in rural Kamphaeng Phet and my son had his normal school holiday in April to go back in the first week of May, postponed until mid May, postponed again to 01 June, postponed to mid June, postponed to early July, postponed to 3rd week July, now postponed again until August so far. he has missed 3 months schooling this year so far and 2 months last year.

He has done online lessons with the teacher and today he went in to get some more books from the school.

 

This is only one school znd there are thousands of others like it across rural Thailand.

Online lessons in groups are no substitute for classroom teaching. One of the "tricks of the trade" for a teacher is to be as aware of the level of understanding and concentration for the five tearaways at the back as you are for the three little sweethearts in the front, and teach accordingly. Very difficult to do in a group online. However it sounds as if your boy is studying, so he will be learning. He may even be discovering how to learn by himself, which will be a valuable skill if he goes on to university.

 

One of the problems is that when you open up for an online lesson, the sweethearts are there, complete with bunny ears and puppy dog noses, eager to learn. The tearaways are not there -"no have internet teacher!" So a significant proportion of the children are simply missing all education. If the parents are not interested, or more often the grandparents who probably don't understand the whole business, that is it.

 

I shudder to think what the standard of foot drill will be like when they finally return!

[Surelynot]

3 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Online lessons in groups are no substitute for classroom teaching.

Perfectly true......if it were, governments would be sacking teachers left, right and centre..........schools are a staggering expense to every nation.