Phuket no go: Land transport measures stepped up today after thousands turned away

[MrJ2U]

What a nightmare.  I guess you could just drive up to Khao Lak.  Much nicer but nothings really open.

[stevenl]

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Turning good domestic money away in favour of a few international spenders.

My ole man used to say in with one hand out with the other.

Phuket says it's making a profit, but losing domestic money.

I guess the accountants will make it look good on paper.

Some people clearly still don't understand the sandbox and still feel the need to comment. Sad.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, stevenl said:

Some people clearly still don't understand the sandbox and still feel the need to comment. Sad.

Ditto...

[asiam110]

20 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Those damned autonomous vehicles trying to sneak in ....

Hahaha TAT style statistics. Almost missed that, good one

Edited July 15, 2021 by asiam110

[asiam110]

7 hours ago, Boedog said:

With the recent outcomes with the Sinovax you would think that will be off the approved list very soon as it proving to be useless

I hope Sinovac is dropped from the sandbox entry if the only tourist adult that's tested positive had sinovac, sods law Id get sat next to only <deleted> in doha/dubai thats sinovacced. Yeah I get the mrna vaccinated can still carry but it seems much lower percentage risk.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

On 7/14/2021 at 11:11 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Curious if anyone has tried the brown envelope exemption at checkpoint

As i suspected...

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/man-used-friends-vaccination-stickers-multiple-times-to-get-into-phuket

[stevenl]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Ditto...

Unfortunately for you your statement I reacted to proves you wrong. You clearly have no understanding of the project, Martin81's comment "Domestic tourism does not bring money into Thailand. It will only move money from one province to another like Phuket. Foreign tourism brings new money into Thailand.

 

I guess that is the goal of the Thai government." states the aim. This is a trial project aimed at slowly opening Thailand to international tourism.

[ThailandRyan]

Just now, stevenl said:

Unfortunately for you your statement I reacted to proves you wrong. You clearly have no understanding of the project, Martin81's comment "Domestic tourism does not bring money into Thailand. It will only move money from one province to another like Phuket. Foreign tourism brings new money into Thailand.

 

I guess that is the goal of the Thai government." states the aim. This is a trial project aimed at slowly opening Thailand to international tourism.

Still trying to prove your right, well good on you in your sweet sandbox, where pretty much the only thing that has changed is you can go eat out and have a drink with dinner as a resident, versus the rest of those in a semi-lock down.  Yes that was the whole goal behind the Sandbox, opening up things, albeit in limited capacity, while switching the ASQ people from 14 days locked in here in BKK to allowing them to have a little freedom.  To say it has been a success and is going well that's still to be determined. Enjoy your view.

[herfiehandbag]

On 7/15/2021 at 9:15 AM, zzzzz said:

and so ends domestic tourism

 

Domestic tourists don't stay in the right (approved) hotels.

Sandbox tourists do.

[connda]

Thank goodness I neither have plans or any desire to ever go to Phuket. Better beaches and more affordable hotels elsewhere if beaches are what I want.

[connda]

Next will have some Phuket bureaucrat weighing in saying that all the comments on social media about domestic tourists being turned away from entering Phuket are all "Fake News."
Coming up in "3", "2", "1"..................

[Surelynot]

1 minute ago, connda said:

Thank goodness I neither have plans or any desire to ever go to Phuket. Better beaches and more affordable hotels elsewhere if beaches are what I want.

Only been to Phuket once, 30 years ago.......

 

What would be your top two/three alternatives? (Our rent is up next month and we are looking to travel around (covid permitting).....for a while before settling anywhere).

[connda]

On 7/15/2021 at 9:50 AM, eyup said:

Maybe protecting this time ,from the invasion of Covid cases from BKK and other areas that happened during Songkran.  Seems reasonable to me.

My guess is that any minor dignitary traveling in the Prayut cabinet's entourage need not go through any of the pesky procedures reserved for the commoners.  Which makes me wonder -  How many people were infected by the head of the Surin Chamber of Commerce during the grand opening.
How many of these elite officials are virus vectors bringing the Covid with them on their private jets?

Phuket government officials should be applying the same rules that it forces on tourist to ever person who enters and then resides on the island.  But?

[eyup]

22 minutes ago, connda said:

My guess is that any minor dignitary traveling in the Prayut cabinet's entourage need not go through any of the pesky procedures reserved for the commoners.  Which makes me wonder -  How many people were infected by the head of the Surin Chamber of Commerce during the grand opening.
How many of these elite officials are virus vectors bringing the Covid with them on their private jets?

Phuket government officials should be applying the same rules that it forces on tourist to ever person who enters and then resides on the island.  But?

My guess is no-one was infected by any dignitaries. But, you would say that there is now a pandemic spreading because these bigwigs visited. Anything to cast dispersion on the efforts being made here in Phuket? Look at the figures of cases either locally or through sandbox and you will find they are minimal compared to the rest of Thailand . But of course you won't believe them will you?

[stevenl]

46 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Still trying to prove your right, well good on you in your sweet sandbox, where pretty much the only thing that has changed is you can go eat out and have a drink with dinner as a resident, versus the rest of those in a semi-lock down.  Yes that was the whole goal behind the Sandbox, opening up things, albeit in limited capacity, while switching the ASQ people from 14 days locked in here in BKK to allowing them to have a little freedom.  To say it has been a success and is going well that's still to be determined. Enjoy your view.

Nothing at all to do with my statement nor thinking, no surprise there.

[zzzzz]

45 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Domestic tourists don't stay in the right (approved) hotels.

Sandbox tourists do.

HUH:
what are you on about?
i was referring to the need for DOMESTIC tourists needing to show they have had their shots
PLUS a negative test 

with less than 10% of the population having had their shots......

[herfiehandbag]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

HUH:
what are you on about?
i was referring to the need for DOMESTIC tourists needing to show they have had their shots
PLUS a negative test 

with less than 10% of the population having had their shots......

I am suggesting that the "Phuket Sandbox" operators are not in the least bit interested in domestic tourists, as they are unlikely to be staying in the hotels of those behind the project.

[utalkin2me]

If I am stopped from coming to your area, doesn’t it stand to reason that logic says you should be stopped from coming to my area at some point? 
 

I think so. 

[stevenl]

11 hours ago, connda said:

Next will have some Phuket bureaucrat weighing in saying that all the comments on social media about domestic tourists being turned away from entering Phuket are all "Fake News."
Coming up in "3", "2", "1"..................

Are you honest enough to admit you were totally wrong?

[stevenl]

10 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

If I am stopped from coming to your area, doesn’t it stand to reason that logic says you should be stopped from coming to my area at some point? 
 

I think so. 

Why? You're not allowed in because many people from your area are infected, from our area hardly anyone is infected. See the difference?

[Espanol]

12 hours ago, Surelynot said:

Only been to Phuket once, 30 years ago.......

 

What would be your top two/three alternatives? (Our rent is up next month and we are looking to travel around (covid permitting).....for a while before settling anywhere).

Spain, Greece, Mexico, Costa Rica

[MajorTom]

Anyone have any personal experience on the reqirements for entering phuket from another Thai province? Or a link to current info?

 

Reading news or statements is a waste of time it seems. First it was covid test not more than 7 days old. Then it was 72 hrs. Then back to 7 days again. Then vaccinated only AND covid test? Now its back to just pcr test within the past 7 days? No vaccine needed? 

[zzzzz]

21 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

I am suggesting that the "Phuket Sandbox" operators are not in the least bit interested in domestic tourists, as they are unlikely to be staying in the hotels of those behind the project.

but the other 500 hotels, restaurants, tour agencies, car rentals, bike rental, dive shops and on and on 
ARE interested !!!

[LivinginKata]

37 minutes ago, MajorTom said:

Anyone have any personal experience on the reqirements for entering phuket from another Thai province? Or a link to current info?

 

Reading news or statements is a waste of time it seems. First it was covid test not more than 7 days old. Then it was 72 hrs. Then back to 7 days again. Then vaccinated only AND covid test? Now its back to just pcr test within the past 7 days? No vaccine needed? 

It's all very fluid depending day/days cases per province. It's only deep red/red that need both vax and test (at least what I read). Trouble is province colours change day/day.

[impulse]

On 7/14/2021 at 11:14 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Ah isolation for the Phuket people. How are 5k tourists so far boosting the economy since domestic tourism was or may be essentially shut down.  Guess they may have to rely on international flights to bring in those 100k or more.  Sad really.... 

They're just warming up in anticipation of high season.  Getting the venues opened up and dusted off, and making sure the pretty girls from Isaan won't be super-spreaders.   Well, not that kind of super-spreader anyway...

 

 

[impulse]

On 7/14/2021 at 11:14 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Ah isolation for the Phuket people. How are 5k tourists so far boosting the economy since domestic tourism was or may be essentially shut down.  Guess they may have to rely on international flights to bring in those 100k or more.  Sad really.... 

Why would domestic tourism be shut down if they only require vaccination OR a recent test? 

 

Seems like some enterprising person could open up a testing clinic just before the bridge...  With a coffee shop while you wait on the results...  In fact, I'm surprised the gub'ment hasn't already done just that.

 

[impulse]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Why would domestic tourism be shut down if they only require vaccination OR a recent test? 

 

Seems like some enterprising person could open up a testing clinic just before the bridge...  With a coffee shop while you wait on the results...  In fact, I'm surprised the gub'ment hasn't already done just that.

 

That post was based on the statement in the OP, which reads:  It is now necessary to have had two doses of vaccine or a recent test to prove you are negative before you can get into the island. 

 

Apparently, the OP is incorrect and:   It is now necessary to have had two doses of vaccine and a recent test to prove you are negative before you can get into the island. 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/30-of-arrivals-denied-entry-to-phuket-on-day-1-of-new-requirements-80706.php

 

Which excludes about 90-95% of the local population from entering Phuket since they're not fully vaccinated. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by impulse

[ThailandRyan]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

That post was based on the statement in the OP, which reads:  It is now necessary to have had two doses of vaccine or a recent test to prove you are negative before you can get into the island. 

 

Apparently, the OP is incorrect and:   It is now necessary to have had two doses of vaccine and a recent test to prove you are negative before you can get into the island. 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/30-of-arrivals-denied-entry-to-phuket-on-day-1-of-new-requirements-80706.php

 

Which excludes about 90-95% of the local population from entering Phuket since they're not fully vaccinated. 

Which kills domestic tourism for the most part in reality and makes the Sandbox a special place only for those that are vaccinated and travel Internationally to one of just a few places open in all of Thailand.  Am I jealous, not really, but it does keep folks who want to go somewhere from going.  Of course the provincial travel restrictions should tell you that unless there is a reason or true necessity to go somewhere, one needs to stay put.  We shall see what today brings in the form of more restrictive policies.