Tourists finally enjoying Patong Beach. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Phuket officials and local tourism leaders have announced that the current rate of arrivals and bookings under the Phuket Sandbox scheme is on track to achieve the expected goal of the tourism re-opening.

 

The announcement came at a special press conference held at the offices of Phuket City Development Co Ltd yesterday (July 15).

 

Present for the occasion were Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong, Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office Director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, Phuket Tourist Association President Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, and Pracha Asawathira, the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) Chief for Southern Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-officials-tourism-leaders-talk-up-sandbox-success-80711.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-17

 

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“Since the opening of Phuket Sandbox on July 1, a total of 5,473 tourists have come to the island, and we expect to reach up to 18,900 within this month. Before this the TAT expected to have only about 13,000 arrivals [in the first month],” said TAT Phuket Chief Ms Nanthasiri.

 

Ah, got it. Reduce what you originally said to less than one third and then spout you met your targets ! A medal for ingenuity in there for someone in the TAT

 

Yes its made so easy day 17 for me of trying to get a visa first then a COE its a real breeze after my lobotomy ???? 

as long as they are happy and many have avoided ASQ - win win 

 

but will it last once all the returnies have been used up - that is the real test

I dont know about you guys but that photo looks old to me, 

Yesterday the sun finally came out after three days of rain and it had the crowds of tourists flocking to Nai Harn beach.

 

to be fair, this photo was taken just before midday, so maybe they were all spending millions of baht in restaurants or something

1 minute ago, ChipButty said:

I dont know about you guys but that photo looks old to me, 

I just posted one from yesterday. It looks rather different to the file photo in the op.

22 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Yesterday the sun finally came out after three days of rain and it had the crowds of tourists flocking to Nai Harn beach.

 

to be fair, this photo was taken just before midday, so maybe they were all spending millions of baht in restaurants or something

Wow the place is jumping.  The locals and businesses will be wrapped they are working again. 

Well of course they would egg on faces as well as uniforms/hats would look silly

The original estimate was 129,000 arrivals in the third quarter.

"We estimate that the average expenditure to be about B40,000 per day per person,” she said"

 

40.000 bahts means more than 1000 euros per day!

 

I bet most "tourists" will hardly expend 10% of that. Especially with no night life at all.

 

How can normal tourists expend 40.000 bahts everyday if all they can do is sunbathing on the beach and go to restaurant for lunch and dinner?

 

I really haven't been following the phuket sandbox saga. Maybe someone can clarify my observations.

 

So the phuket locals were vaccinated, likely with sinovac out of China, maybe with AZ. Now we all know the Chinese vaccine is ineffective against the delta variant which is now dominant. All it is going to take is one person with the delta variant to get into phuket to kick this disaster off and necessitate the shutting down of the sandbox. That shouldn't take long.

 

Anything wrong with my assessment? 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

I dont know about you guys but that photo looks old to me, 

They should have used some photos showing young Thai lasses in a skimpy bikinis, that would have got a thousands more would be tourists to the island...

Just now, ezzra said:

They should have used some photos showing young Thai lasses in a skimpy bikinis, that would have got a thousands more would be tourists to the island...

They've all gone home

31 minutes ago, gargamon said:

I really haven't been following the phuket sandbox saga. Maybe someone can clarify my observations.

 

So the phuket locals were vaccinated, likely with sinovac out of China, maybe with AZ. Now we all know the Chinese vaccine is ineffective against the delta variant which is now dominant. All it is going to take is one person with the delta variant to get into phuket to kick this disaster off and necessitate the shutting down of the sandbox. That shouldn't take long.

 

Anything wrong with my assessment? 

You missed the part about the delta already being in Phuket, kind of like in the rest of Thailand.  Maybe a little less because of so many vaccinations.  It was there before the July 1 opening, and would still be there even if they banned all tourists and their sweaty tourist money. Phuket's a little cagey with their positive test rates, but the rest of Thailand seems to be between 10-20% positive with 20% of those being delta.  Don't write those numbers in stone, because someone will come up with other sources saying it's different.  They're ballpark numbers from various sources.

 

Those Sandbox tourists with money burning a hole in their pocket are the safest customers in all of Thailand, having been fully vaccinated, tested before their flight, tested again before they can leave their hotel, tested again after about a week, and tested yet again before they can exit the sandbox into the rest of Thailand.

 

Nobody is 100% safe, and they'll never be.  Nobody.  Ever.  But if you need money to feed your family, money from Sandbox tourists is a good, safe choice.

 

Edit: If the Sandbox crashes and burns, it will be from local Thai people who don't have nearly the same requirements to come to the island.

 

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

You missed the part about the delta already being in Phuket, kind of like in the rest of Thailand.  Maybe a little less because of so many vaccinations.  It was there before the July 1 opening, and would still be there even if they banned all tourists and their sweaty tourist money. Phuket's a little cagey with their positive test rates, but the rest of Thailand seems to be between 10-20% positive with 20% of those being delta.  Don't write those numbers in stone, because someone will come up with other sources saying it's different.  They're ballpark numbers from various sources.

 

Those Sandbox tourists with money burning a hole in their pocket are the safest customers in all of Thailand, having been fully vaccinated, tested before their flight, tested again before they can leave their hotel, tested again after about a week, and tested yet again before they can exit the sandbox into the rest of Thailand.

 

Nobody is 100% safe, and they'll never be.  Nobody.  Ever.  But if you need money to feed your family, money from Sandbox tourists is a good, safe choice.

 

Edit: If the Sandbox crashes and burns, it will be from local Thai people who don't have nearly the same requirements to come to the island.

 

Thats what my wife has been saying all along, she's not worried about the farang she is more worried about Thai's especially the un vaccinated ones 

“We estimate that the average expenditure to be about B40,000 per day per person,” she said.

 

They must have calculated the Phuket mafia scams into that budget...555

 

One incident with the jet ski boys will cost you that + more in one day.

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

I dont know about you guys but that photo looks old to me, 

I think you are right as none of them are wearing masks!  I believe that this is still a requirement in Phuket, unless they have declared UDI! ????

 

1 hour ago, gargamon said:

I really haven't been following the phuket sandbox saga. Maybe someone can clarify my observations.

 

So the phuket locals were vaccinated, likely with sinovac out of China, maybe with AZ. Now we all know the Chinese vaccine is ineffective against the delta variant which is now dominant. All it is going to take is one person with the delta variant to get into phuket to kick this disaster off and necessitate the shutting down of the sandbox. That shouldn't take long.

 

Anything wrong with my assessment? 

Delta has already been found on Phuket

4 minutes ago, grandpa said:

I think you are right as none of them are wearing masks!  I believe that this is still a requirement in Phuket, unless they have declared UDI! ????

 

Technically, I think you are right about mask wearing being required on the beach. But I have to say, very few people wear masks on the beach, I mean, like 1%.
 

Of course, there aren’t many people 5555.

1 hour ago, Bkk Brian said:

“We estimate that the average expenditure to be about B40,000 per day per person,” she said.

 

They must have calculated the Phuket mafia scams into that budget...555

 

One incident with the jet ski boys will cost you that + more in one day.

Massively over stated I would say. 40k baht per person would be tough even if on a shopping trip with my wife.

1 minute ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

A nice shiny Scoopy...or in thai language..Scoooo--PEEEEEEE!  So Hiso!

Ya, but tourists usually rent, not buy. The 3F rule applies. 555

3 hours ago, Thechook said:

Wow the place is jumping.  The locals and businesses will be wrapped they are working again. 

If only they were open. Kata a few days ago

3 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Yesterday the sun finally came out after three days of rain and it had the crowds of tourists flocking to Nai Harn beach.

 

to be fair, this photo was taken just before midday, so maybe they were all spending millions of baht in restaurants or something

Agreed, but also to be fair, your photo is of a different beach! As for Patong, having passed by the last few days, it is nice to see a few people there.

a hugh succes........Now EU has strict rules for travellers fromTHailand.... In the next months even a bigger a success I suppose

15 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

So theres where I parked my motobike when i visited in 2008!!!! dangit

Actually, it’s not true that a pandemic caused most businesses to close. It’s just that they are about to start filming a new zombie apocalypse movie 555

TAT and numbers do not work together.

There are always some 0 on the wrong side of the numbers ????

18 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

wow  all in need is one 24 hr 7-11 and Im good......keep those pics coming!

The beaches didn’t look so good a few days ago before the wind changed direction.

 

there is one family mart open in Kata atm. The rest of the convenience stores are closed afaik.

3 hours ago, gargamon said:

I really haven't been following the phuket sandbox saga. Maybe someone can clarify my observations.

 

So the phuket locals were vaccinated, likely with sinovac out of China, maybe with AZ. Now we all know the Chinese vaccine is ineffective against the delta variant which is now dominant. All it is going to take is one person with the delta variant to get into phuket to kick this disaster off and necessitate the shutting down of the sandbox. That shouldn't take long.

 

Anything wrong with my assessment? 

Aslo, domestic tourists can enter after a single dose of AZ, which is virtually useless against Delta.

47 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

If only they were open. Kata a few days ago

Well those pictures don't fit the narrative the propaganda machine is putting out.