Phuket Sandbox: Nearly 10,000 tourists so far - US/Brits top list spending 70,000 baht each

[Captain Monday]

I would say my hotel was more than half "real tourists." The rest looking for ASQ alternativeEscaping Middle East summer , Israel, families of Americans working there. Thai people working in Doha, Saw full-on Orthodox Jews on the beach.

 

Then there was the bald tattooed "troll" in a tourist print vest with a different Thai woman every morning at breakfast... Thought that was not permitted. Then he started to show up with the whole harem. I think he had his Thai wife and a few sisters and cousins.  The women were genuinely respectable looking quite a contrast.

 

The sandbox is a great success. 10,000 tourists and just a handful of positive tests. PCR can be very sensitive even exposing people who were exposed to the virus months ago asymtomatic and defintely not infectious.

[Millcx]

51 minutes ago, southcoast said:

 

Phuket Sandbox: Nearly 10,000 tourists so far - US/Brits top list spending 70,000 baht each. 

 

Yeh, 70,000 baht on quarantine!!!!. He "may" be able to run an Army but not a clue how to run a country only how to bring it DOWN.

Run an army 55555555

[Mark17AA]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

They have been spending about 5,500 baht each per day on accommodation, swabs, food and drink and transport.

They must be desperate for numbers if their are using Swabs to hit the targets.

[ChipButty]

7 minutes ago, Mark17AA said:

They must be desperate for numbers if their are using Swabs to hit the targets.

You wouldn't put it past them, sorry after 25 years living here 

[Caldera]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Many plan to go to Chiang Mai and Bangkok next". 

The best laid plans of mice and men...

[DjSilver]

LOL, so completely wrong and lies.

 

Need I say more?

[Grusa]

Do these people at TAT not know or care how utterly disgusting they appear, with their obsessive crowing about numbers and money?

 

I know,  silly question!.............TIT for TAT.

[Darkside Gray]

Biggest load of bull escheatment I have heard!

[Nanaplaza666]

6 hours ago, shdmn said:

But the doomers here said it was failing, nobody was coming, it was turning into the zombie apocalypse.  Island of Dr. Moreau etc.  How could this be?  Is it possible the doomers are talking our of their spincters?

The doomers talking out of their spincters ?? How about you thinking with your spincter if you really believe these nr's and think that this Prayuts' masterplan is really working . And i am not a doomer just a realist . 

[ThailandRyan]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Their average stay has been 11 nights and the average spend per trip is 70,000 baht. They have been spending about 5,500 baht each per day on accommodation, swabs, food and drink and transport.

Now that is truly a fantastically cheap vacation when you include Lodging, food, and misc.  With that rate of expenditure Thailand will be raking in the billions of dollars relatively soon. The Question that the 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

PM's office secretary Thanakorn Wangbunkhongchana

needs to ask himself and the powers to be, does the 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

534.31 million baht to the economy.

Cover the expenditures in creating the sandbox, including the vaccinations to the public, the money spent to ready the Sandbox, and then the money spent by the Cabinet on their junket to Phuket to greet the tourists and then their wonderful no mask wearing coffee break.

[Boedog]

They just cant help themselves with this daily dribble, high season will be different? they will travel from the sandbox to Bangkok and Chiang mai of course they will who wouldn't want to travel to a Red Zone in lockdown, of course they are all tourists in the Sandbox why wouldn't anyone believe, how long before cases rise in the Sandbox like the rest of the country. Amazing Thailand 

[3NUMBAS]

european short haul has yet to  get going ,long haul will be years behind

[ChipButty]

57 minutes ago, ronster said:

So what happened to all the Chinese and well to do investors they expected ? ????

As for 10000 I’m thinking about a third might be actual tourists and rest people with ties to the country that have returned for work or family .

Are Chinese allowed to travel outside China?

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Top of the list has been Americans followed by British, Israelis, Germans and French tourists.

That could change in a heartbeat if Thailand goes onto red lists around the globe.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Their average stay has been 11 nights and the average spend per trip is 70,000 baht. They have been spending about 5,500 baht each per day on accommodation, swabs, food and drink and transport.

 

In total they have contributed 534.31 million baht to the economy.

Pure speculation, they haven't a clue what the average person is buying or spending.... or what they've contributed to the economy.

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, shdmn said:

Where do you get yours? If you had any.

I've lived here since 2008.... Thailand hasn't a clue how much I spend each day let alone a so called tourist.

[sammieuk1]

The Thai media made no attempt to question him on this as travel to such places at the moment is highly problematic, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Why?

 

[gerritkaew]

i have some friends living there and they say, DON'T come.

there;s nothing to do and open for the kids and you.  its still a ghost town.

Have some Tourist, some...

[thaitom]

6 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

is today  a public holiday in thailand? and tomorrow too? and after tomorrow?

Monday and Wednesday is the kings birthday

[mrfill]

6 hours ago, shdmn said:

But the doomers here said it was failing, nobody was coming, it was turning into the zombie apocalypse.  Island of Dr. Moreau etc.  How could this be?  Is it possible the doomers are talking our of their spincters?

I wonder if you could show us a link where ANY Tourist Authority estimate has ever been anywhere near correct?

 

 

[Bad boy 561]

Last weeks numbers were 7,640 visitors who spent 200,000,000 baht,that works out to 280,000 per person,what could you possibly spend that amount of money on in Phuket ?

[The retired guy]

7 hours ago, petermik said:

I,m saying BS to this.....

The whole country got an orgasm because of money. Hello, what is this <deleted>? If people use 10, 70 or 200 thousand every week means nothing. Make the place, service and parks good for them, and you will get the people back. Sounds like a bunch of old soi dogs without a brain ????. Stop embarrassing your self!

Is this lack of education or what? So stupid people, And I have travel around the world as a chief mate and Captain. Is it the greed of money make them selling their kids? Stop this, NOW!

[gejohesch]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

"Meanwhile for the wider picture of how much tourism money will be generated this year, Thanakorn resorted to quoting Tourism Authority of Thailand figures.

 

He said that by the end of the year they expect tourism to have brought in 850 BILLION baht.

 

This would be 300 billion from foreign tourists and 550 billion from domestic Thai tourists, he noted. "

Someone can explain to me why one should make such a big story of cash coming from domestic tourism? Is it not that the country needs foreigners to bring in Euros, Dollars or whatever else in hard currency? Domestic tourism : looks to me a bit similar to me giving cash to my wife and then quoting that cash as a revenue. Is that not delusional?

 

OK, I know, the comparison is not perfect. If I give cash to my wife, the cash will be spent and will definitely not be considered as a revenue!

[multatuli]

That is a bit more than expats spend on average per month. But count the number of expats an mulioly by 60000 thb and you get a much bigger figure than from the "tourists". But we are treated like dirt

[vandeventer]

5 hours ago, BobinBKK said:

They can buy food and drink (Thai or otherwise) at home. As far as the rest of this goes it doesn't sound like a fun holiday that I personally would want to take, but to each their own...

Well here's how it goes, we spend 11 days in Thailand and we can tell all our friends we seem Asia> Than we fly to the UK spend 11 days there, many be 11 days in Spain than go home and tell everyone we seen the world when they never left their hotel. What a stupid holiday, people with money get bored quick.

[ChC1]

19 minutes ago, Bad boy 561 said:

Last weeks numbers were 7,640 visitors who spent 200,000,000 baht,that works out to 280,000 per person,what could you possibly spend that amount of money on in Phuket ?

Your calculation is a little bit off. I think you meant 28,000 per person. Which of course is very normal consider the low rates of SHA+ hotels for 14 nights.

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

In total they have contributed 534.31 million baht to the economy.

FAKE NEWS???????

[Rhacsyn]

I have posted previously that when a TAT headline appears, if I choose to read the script, then I generally end up having a chuckle, ignore it, have a nice day and move on. Nothing else.

For anybody interested, the numbers entering through the sandbox scheme is just over 11,000. How many returnees and tourists make up this number? No idea but as somebody who gets around Phuket, there are now obvious signs of tourists in the hotel areas, streets, outlets and some of the beaches.

As I have also posted before, the system for entry is clearly set up and was planned for no more than around 500max per day. It cannot cope with more and neither can Phuket as it is now. Another reason why I choose to ignore TAT headline grabbers. Assuming the sandbox continues, then I hope they keep it maxed at these low levels for the forseeable future. With the latest community Covid cases increasing in Phuket, they may have to.........

Yes, people can leave Phuket and have done before 14 days as planned. No they do not transfer all passengers on a flight to ASQ if somebody tests positive, only those deemed at high risk. Taxi fares from the airport to your SHA+ hotel must be pre arranged with the hotel.

So for the few tourists that have chosen to travel to Phuket, however risky that may be, for the most the scheme appears to be working. The risks are obvious and is their choice. Similarly, for returnees wishing to avoid ASQ in Bangkok, it has been a boon.

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Rhacsyn

[Surasak]

Having been to Phuket many times, I became very disillusioned with the place. Under the present circumstances I cannot see how anyone would want to go there.

[hanuman2543]

7 hours ago, shdmn said:

But the doomers here said it was failing, nobody was coming, it was turning into the zombie apocalypse.  Island of Dr. Moreau etc.  How could this be?  Is it possible the doomers are talking our of their spincters?

How the TAT came to the same conclusion as the poster you try to ridicule here or are you talking out of your spincter?