Stuck in Sandbox quarantine: A tourist offers a list of suggestions

[webfact]

Stefanie has drafted a list of suggestions that would prove useful for tourism and health authorities to follow. Photo: Wheels & Work / Facebook

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Stefanie, currently observing a mandatory 14-day at an ’alternative local quarantine’ hotel in Phuket despite twice testing negative for COVID-19 since arriving on the island, has offered a list of suggestions for tourism and Phuket officials to consider to help make any similar experiences by other Phuket Sandbox arrivals more pleasant.

 

Stefanie was ordered to move from the hotel that she had booked to stay to an alternative local quarantine venue after it was confirmed that a man she was sitting near on the flight from Dubai was infected with COVID-19.

 

The man tested positive from his initial swab test after arriving on the island. Stefanie had tested negative, and tested negative again during the second mandatory swab test conducted on Day 6/7 of her stay, as required by Phuket Sandbox entry conditions.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/stuck-in-sandbox-quarantine-a-tourist-offers-a-list-of-suggestions-80695.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-16

 

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[gim12]

smart lady with helpful tips,  no idea why, after months of planning ,TAT did not/has not had these suggestions in place

[RichardColeman]

Looking at her suggestions they fail to me to address the real elephant in the room of 50 odd grand for a 2nd hotel after paying for one and even then after two negative tests  ! Maybe is she has said on media this was a stupid and expensive rip off for tourists she'd have been summoned to the station by now.

 

 

[impulse]

20 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Looking at her suggestions they fail to me to address the real elephant in the room of 50 odd grand for a 2nd hotel after paying for one and even then after two negative tests  ! Maybe is she has said on media this was a stupid and expensive rip off for tourists she'd have been summoned to the station by now.

As I read it, her SHA+ hotel was required to refund her unused nights, and an ALQ hotel has a lot more stringent requirements that cost money.  Like 3 meals a day, medical staff on duty, etc.  So it's not surprising an ALQ hotel charges more.  Not to mention, most Phuket hotels have abandoned the ALQ status in favor of the SHA+ status, so there's fewer to choose from.  Not hard to imagine getting stuck into a more $$$ hotel than she booked initially, on top of ALQ expenses.

 

I would hope they'd require insurance companies cashing in on the mandatory Covid coverage to also cover any gub'ment mandated quarantine expenses.  That would be a no-brainer.  Refunding SHA+ nights and paying for ALQ nights would certainly take some of the sting out of her predicament.  And barely dent the insurance companies, given that they'd only pay out for 1 in 1000 policies...  If ALQ costs 50,000 baht, that's 50 baht per policy sold.

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by impulse

[RichardColeman]

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

And barely dent the insurance companies, given that they'd only pay out for 1 in 1000 policies...  If ALQ costs 50,000 baht, that's 50 baht per policy sold.

yeah, but they've had like 14 on one plane alone, They'd need to sell 14,000 policies to cover that  1 plane arrival  !

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

yeah, but they've had like 14 on one plane alone, They'd need to sell 14,000 policies to cover that  1 plane arrival  !

I did screw up my math, but I think most of them decided to fly back out instead of staying in quarantine.  In any case, those health care policies with Covid cover are expensive compared to a normal travel policy.   I was gobsmacked when I looked up the cost.  They can afford to cover ALQ and still be more profitable, given that very few vaccinated, tested tourists are going to require real hospital care for Covid. 

 

[Rampant Rabbit]

My suggestion , dont even bother coming to Thailand they dont care why should you.

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Looking at her suggestions they fail to me to address the real elephant in the room of 50 odd grand for a 2nd hotel after paying for one and even then after two negative tests  ! Maybe is she has said on media this was a stupid and expensive rip off for tourists she'd have been summoned to the station by now.

 

 

But the Emperor Czar has  such lovely  new  clothes.

[Crossy]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Looking at her suggestions they fail to me to address the real elephant in the room of 50 odd grand for a 2nd hotel after paying for one and even then after two negative tests  ! Maybe is she has said on media this was a stupid and expensive rip off for tourists she'd have been summoned to the station by now.

 

She (and I'm assuming the others too) got lucky as the airline (Emirates) actually includes insurance that covers just this situation. Maybe all airlines should do this.

[utalkin2me]

Suggestions in Thailand lol 

[BE88]

 

 

The poor lady, thing is certain that being locked up in a cell when you are innocent gives you many strange ideas such as believing that you are in your country of origin, a bad dream became reality.

 

 

[colinneil]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

has offered a list of suggestions for tourism and Phuket officials to consider to help make any similar experiences by other Phuket Sandbox arrivals more pleasant

Stefanie sadly you are wasting your time offering suggestions here.

No Thai ever listens to suggestions from farangs ever.

[inThailand]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Stefanie sadly you are wasting your time offering suggestions here.

No Thai ever listens to suggestions from farangs ever.

Or the BS that's rampant on TV. 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Stefanie has drafted a list of suggestions that would prove useful for tourism and health authorities to follow.

Spain, Portugal, France, Sweden anywhere in the southern Mediterranean, ??

[khunPer]

Some sensible suggestions, but I think that tourists care more about their two weeks holiday, than if some, or all, extra cost covered in one or other way.

 

This is based on my experience from European friends coming for holiday in Thailand, time is the vital factor. They don't want to loose their relative short holiday, they have worked a whole year for, even if it's costs little extra. I've friends that wished to pay a first class upgrade fee, just to avoid a long monkey class queue.

 

With a risk of getting one's holiday totally spoiled by ending up in a two weeks or so quarantine hotel room, even if fully vaccinated and not at all sick, and even banned from returning home instead, might make potential visitors think twice, and probably choose another destination for their vacation.

 

Sad, but it might be the facts.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

anybody conducting intl long haul tourism, combined with launching a new life, during a worsening global pandemic, is either not thinking straight or a desperate fugitive........

[Thomas J]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Looking at her suggestions they fail to me to address the real elephant in the room of 50 odd grand for a 2nd hotel after paying for one and even then after two negative tests

You have people coming to Thailand that 1. were tested for Covid prior to departure 2. Had vaccine shots to prevent the spread of the virus 3. were tested once they arrived in Thailand.  And those are the people to be worried about?

How about the the threat the Thai people present to her and the others since they have neither been tested or vaccinated.  Yes some in Phuket have but since they have not been quarantined and likely vaccinated with something other than a mRNA vaccine, they are more of a threat to her than she is to them. 

[trainman34014]

Best idea is not listed.......STAY AWAY !