Picture: Daily News

 

The much heralded reopening of the southern Thai island of Koh Samui begins today under the "Samui Plus Model" that follows on from the Phuket Sandbox that was initiated with similar fanfare two weeks ago. 

 

But if anyone was expecting droves of tourists flooding the idyllic Surat Thani island from the airport, think again. 

 

There will be just eleven arrivals on Bangkok Airways at 5 pm when the red carpet is rolled out.

 

And they will all be invited journalists from the UK, France, Germany, Singapore and Taiwan, reported Daily News. 

 

There to meet them will be Thailand billionaire tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan and his entourage.

 

Moments before the grand opening ceremony will be presided over by the Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha via video link.

 

He had to go into 14 day isolation after coming into contact with a Covid-19 infected person in Phuket the other week. 

 

Local tourism association rep Ratchaporn Phoonsawat tried to put a brave face on the reopening saying it was "just a test". She had every confidence that the tourists would soon come now that foreign embassies had issued Certificates of Entry from Monday. 

 

Yet advance booking on Bangkok Airways does not suggest that is the case, at least not yet.

 

They have received just 80 bookings for flights to the island from Bangkok for the next FOUR MONTHS.

 

They have three flights a day to the island connecting to international flights into Thailand.

 

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Not a good look having to welcome them via video link from isolation, because he recently visited another sandbox.......

 

 

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

There will be just eleven arrivals on Bangkok Airways at 5 pm when the red carpet is rolled out.

Conflicting information here.

Samui Plus flights in bold

Arrivals

Scheduled	Revised	From	Flight	Status
09:40	09:26	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 123	Arrived On-Time
11:10	11:22	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 5125	On-Time
14:20	14:20	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 1151	Cancelled
16:05	16:05	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 5151	Cancelled
16:35	17:00	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 165 Codeshare: PR 3740	25 minutes late
18:15	18:15	Bangkok (BKK)	Bangkok Airways PG 5171	On-Time
20:35	20:35	Singapore (SIN)	Bangkok Airways PG 962	On-Time

3 flights a day x 30 days x 4 months = 360 flights

80 bookings

I think you can call that private jets then ????

Personally I would be surprised if the islands suddenly get flooded in tourists after opening for COE only a few days ago, and with too many too difficult to handle restrictions, but of course I hope some foreigners will arrive, and if not real tourists, then the typical long time stayers are equally good, any arriving foreigner might give a tiny boost to the local's economy.

7 minutes ago, Robs5ct said:

3 flights a day x 30 days x 4 months = 360 flights

80 bookings

I think you can call that private jets then ????

Not really - "private jets" - they are all scheduled as propeller airplanes...

4 minutes ago, khunPer said:

Not really - "private jets" - they are all scheduled as propeller airplanes...

ATRs or Cessnas ? I mean a 4 seat Cessna would be enough most time  

4 minutes ago, Robs5ct said:

ATRs or Cessnas ? I mean a 4 seat Cessna would be enough most time  

Yes C150 or C172 "Rocket", but they are also not private jets...

Thai gov is prioritizing a few tourist dollars over the country’s public health….worst decision I have seen here in 20 years….

 

the whole focus should be on vaccinating all residents ASAP….nothing else matters!

80 Bookings..... 4 months ,that will be touted as a HUGE success then.

regards Worgeordie

5 hours ago, webfact said:

And they will all be invited journalists from the UK, France, Germany, Singapore and Taiwan

People always travel for a free lunch, cross the globe for a free holiday then print all the distorted facts you want..

safe trusted amazing Thailand.

No one will come. Every other holiday destination in the world is with less destrictions for full vaccinated people.

Doesnt matter how much we love Thailand, there is no reason to be at the TAT monkey show right now.

Just pity the local people who lived on tourists.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

They have received just 80 bookings for flights to the island from Bangkok for the next FOUR MONTHS.

Average 20 bookings per month - I wonder if Bangkok Airways will cancel these as "not commercially viable" or will Thai authorities cover the airline's losses??

4 hours ago, worgeordie said:

80 Bookings..... 4 months ,that will be touted as a HUGE success then.

regards Worgeordie

...with the accompanying " expected to earn the local economy bt???billion"

7 hours ago, khunPer said:

Personally I would be surprised if the islands suddenly get flooded in tourists after opening for COE only a few days ago, and with too many too difficult to handle restrictions, but of course I hope some foreigners will arrive, and if not real tourists, then the typical long time stayers are equally good, any arriving foreigner might give a tiny boost to the local's economy.

It makes sense that they'd open in July to get the processes dialed in, get some of the venues opened up and dusted off, and get staff back on board in time for the high season.

 

Or, the whole thing may crash and burn. 

 

But they have to do something to put more Thai tourism people back to work.

 

Although personally I don't like tourist ghettos, I would be willing to help Ko Samui out and go there.

 

However , I have just spent an hour online trying to find out what the pay cheque is for providing my services without any luck.

 

If there any tech savvy members out there who can tell me more about accommodation , meals and payment I would appreciate the assistance. Also are they paying by cash or cheque ?

 

North Korean concept ?

When you have billionaires in Government in this case the tourism minister oh and his entourage, you would think a ministers salary wouldnt be that much so they have 80 hand picked foreign journalists coming to take photos and get told what they can and can't print to sell the Samui Plus Model to the world, as the rest of Thailand goes down in economic tsunami the lights you can see in the distance and the bright light of the Sandbox 1 and now Samui plus 2

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Local tourism association rep Ratchaporn Phoonsawat tried to put a brave face on the reopening saying it was "just a test". She had every confidence that the tourists would soon come now that foreign embassies had issued Certificates of Entry from Monday. 

Another test? I thought it was just a test the other day with the rich arrivals on a private jet from Switzerland.

 

They have had plenty of time to do tests to make sure it all goes smoothly.

10 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Thai gov is prioritizing a few tourist dollars over the country’s public health….worst decision I have seen here in 20 years….

 

the whole focus should be on vaccinating all residents ASAP….nothing else matters!

It's quite possible to walk and chew gum at the same time.

 

 

15 hours ago, webfact said:

They have received just 80 bookings for flights to the island from Bangkok for the next FOUR MONTHS.

 

They have three flights a day to the island connecting to international flights into Thailand.

This is a feature, not a bug. They are tired of being ridiculed when a "tourist" gets infected right on the plane flight, before even setting foot on the ground in "safe and secure Thailand." Now, under the new policy of a single tourist on the average of every day and a half, one tourist every four or so flights, that can no longer happen! Brilliant solution.

13 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Thai gov is prioritizing a few tourist dollars over the country’s public health….worst decision I have seen here in 20 years….

 

the whole focus should be on vaccinating all residents ASAP….nothing else matters!

For retired falang in the later part of life maybe, if you're Thai and in hospitality and your only source of income evaporated 15-18 months ago and you've been living hand to mouth since, noting the food banks have dried up or the occasional gesture by one of island's expat self styled charity groups  doesn't really help, or government assistance always promised but never arrives, and every job is massively oversubscribed... then you might have a different perspective. Granted these numbers won't help alone, 80 people is a drop in the ocean, but it's a start now to recovery.. perhaps the winter season can be saved if not next summer. Suicides due to economic destruction in thailand will eventually eclipse covid related deaths.

17 hours ago, cardinalblue said:

Thai gov is prioritizing a few tourist dollars over the country’s public health….worst decision I have seen here in 20 years….

There is more risk of there being 'Covid carriers' from domestic tourists rather then International ones.

Another positive case yesterday on Samui and that was before the 'influencers' arrived.