Phuket Sandbox on two-week ‘watch’

[snoop1130]

Khajonsak Kaewjarat, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), speaks to the press after the meeting at the Phuket EOC Command Centre today (July 29). Screenshot: PR Phuket

 

PHUKET: The Phuket Sandbox scheme will continue for at least two more weeks while officials monitor the fallout from the rise in COVID-19 infections across the island, Dr Khajonsak Kaewjarat, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), has confirmed.

 

“From the evaluation under three criteria, Phuket Sandbox can continue, but we will spend the next two weeks monitoring to see whether Phuket is still able to control the number of new infections,” Dr Khajonsak explained after a meeting with Phuket officials today (July 29). 

 

“Regarding contact tracing, right now local people and tourists have given good cooperation to medical staff so they can identify which people were  infected from which cases, as well as clusters in various areas. Phuket has done very good work on finding cases,” he said. 

 

You may find a full list of the ASQ/ALQ hotels here

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-on-two-week-watch-80856.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-07-29

 

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[2long]

So, if they DO cancel it, and a family have already booked a trip for the end of August, including paying for flights, visas, COE, insurance and SHA+ hotel, who will foot the bill for refunding all that?

It's a rhetorical question... ????????????????????????

[madmen]

Flip flop flip flop...flop....flop 

[chalawaan]

I'll fly my cat down.

He knows what sandboxes are for.

It's time the authorities stopped treating the golden geese like cat droppings.

Nowhere else in the world goes to such ridiculous extremes, and you know what?

Their tourism infection rates are nowhere near this fiasco.

It's two-rules tourism, one for us, and one for them; that just does not fly in a pandemic that infects not just one race, but the HUMAN race.

Wake up and quit your unwarranted exceptionalist BS!

[Neilly]

25 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“From the evaluation under three criteria, Phuket Sandbox can continue, but we will spend the next two weeks monitoring to see whether Phuket is still able to control the number of new infections,”

In normal English that translates to "the wheels are about to come off" ????

[david555]

 

23 minutes ago, 2long said:

So, if they DO cancel it, and a family have already booked a trip for the end of August, including paying for flights, visas, COE, insurance and SHA+ hotel, who will foot the bill for refunding all that?

It's a rhetorical question... ????????????????????????

Voucher, voucher, voucher for future times .....????

 

Thailand thanks you for your support ????

Edited July 29, 2021 by david555

[sammieuk1]

Can I have that in writing I'm there next week possibly probably defiantly yes???? 

[ThailandRyan]

49 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

The Phuket Sandbox scheme will continue for at least two more weeks while officials monitor the fallout from the rise in COVID-19 infections across the island, Dr Khajonsak Kaewjarat, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), has confirmed.

With 50 new cases today and 1 death, with most cases being local residents one has to wonder if they can get a handle on it.  Looks like the new idea of it being just for 7 days has also been scrapped for now.

 

[Antifreeze]

Ahhh.. under control for now. So let's watch for a couple of weeks when it's out of control and then we will... 

[madmitch]

No domestic travellers at all from 3rd August. My guess is that this is to protect the sandbox tourists from those virus-carrying Thais.

 

Tables turning?

[riclag]

Did Petri Phuket contain the construction site mess with migrant workers  , showing up with covid !

You would think they learned from  the Bangkok construction site fiasco!

Ya got to be a melon head to book a holiday there only to  end up in the Q room for most of your stay ,if you get the gift that keeps on giving(covid) !

Edited July 29, 2021 by riclag

[riclag]

Originally I thought the sandbox was a good idea but the Govt screwed it up by not taking "enough precautions " ,construction workers testing positive and bad mitigation standards. Now with some vaccers being infected due to the Dvirus and being Quarantined ,I believe the experiment has run its course ! IMOP !

Edited July 29, 2021 by riclag

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, madmen said:

Flip flop flip flop...flop....flop 

Be fair, we know how they are making decisions.....

[impulse]

3 hours ago, riclag said:

Originally I thought the sandbox was a good idea but the Govt screwed it up by not taking "enough precautions " ,construction workers testing positive and bad mitigation standards. Now with some vaccers being infected due to the Dvirus and being Quarantined ,I believe the experiment has run its course ! IMOP !

The issue is that the same (or worse) would have happened without the Sandbox, and cancelling the Sandbox won't help the Covid situation on, or coming from Phuket. 

 

It's not the vaccinated, tested tourists causing the problems.  It's the free movement of unvaccinated, untested locals and especially the untested migrant workforce that always seems able to cross the borders, with a clandestine network already made to order to spread the pandemic.  They were able to get around any border security and movement restrictions even before Covid.  Perfect practice for dodging Covid restrictions.
 

 

[ChC1]

Oh dear. The people in charge would never admit they made a mistake and they dare to point fingers at free roaming locals. If they cancel Phuket Sandbox two weeks later, Thailand can kiss any potential international tourism goodbye until 2022. I bet two weeks later they will conclude that not enough evidence to suggest whether falangs or locals caused the outbreak. They may somehow make connection to illegal immigrants from Myanmar. Things will go on as last week. Everyone will be happy. If only things are that simple.

Edited July 29, 2021 by ChC1

[inThailand]

Even Bicoin is less volatile than these clowns. 

[IamNoone88]

The hotel association stand to gain the most from compulsory room nights. The will fight vigorously for the sandbox to continue.  

[Scrotobike]

Not sure how this works but double vaxed tourists who want to come to Thailand are not the real problem. So let them come. Their choice. The problem with the "sand boxes" is the diversion of scare vaccines away from the old etc who are now filling the hospitals and crematorium.

[terryofcrete]

11 hours ago, 2long said:

So, if they DO cancel it, and a family have already booked a trip for the end of August, including paying for flights, visas, COE, insurance and SHA+ hotel, who will foot the bill for refunding all that?

It's a rhetorical question... ????????????????????????

Anybody who would risk bringing their family to Thailand at present would be seriously negligent in their duty of care for their loved ones.

[2long]

So, now Phuket is sealed off (or is there another thread about that?).

Mr Farang gets 3 weeks' vacation per year. He's in a relationship with Miss Isaan.

They haven't seen each other in nearly two years.

The Sandbox was perfect because he can fly in to see her and spend a fortnight in Phuket together.

He books and pays for the COE, Visa, flights, SHA hotel, and her flight or bus south.

 

Oh, he can come but she can't! ????????????????

 

I'm expecting plenty of comments about him being able to get some action in Phuket... but let's presume for a moment that he's in love with Miss Isaan and wants to see only her!

[henry213]

It will not last! the end is near.

[ThailandRyan]

New regulations going into effect in Phuket.  Sorry for you folks that had hope to travel their domestically for the next few weeks but it appears thats a no go now

[Bangkok Barry]

12 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Can I have that in writing I'm there next week possibly probably defiantly yes???? 

Can I ask you why, out of all the possibilities in the world, you have chosen to jump through numerous hoops to visit an island which is largely shut down? Genuine question.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, 2long said:

So, if they DO cancel it, and a family have already booked a trip for the end of August, including paying for flights, visas, COE, insurance and SHA+ hotel, who will foot the bill for refunding all that?

It's a rhetorical question... ????????????????????????

It won't be canceled, numbers will miraculously fall to within whatever the numbers are supposed to be, same goes for Samui, that won't be scrubbed from the next destination after Phuket.

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 hour ago, IamNoone88 said:

The hotel association stand to gain the most from compulsory room nights. The will fight vigorously for the sandbox to continue.  

Everyone generally books a hotel room for the length of their stay...compulsory or not.

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, riclag said:

Originally I thought the sandbox was a good idea but the Govt screwed it up by not taking "enough precautions " ,construction workers testing positive and bad mitigation standards. Now with some vaccers being infected due to the Dvirus and being Quarantined ,I believe the experiment has run its course ! IMOP !

They'll drag it out so they can squeeze in Loy Krathong.

[oldcpu]

1 hour ago, 2long said:

So, now Phuket is sealed off (or is there another thread about that?).

There is.

 

Quote

Mr Farang gets 3 weeks' vacation per year. He's in a relationship with Miss Isaan.

They haven't seen each other in nearly two years.

Indeed - there is a global pandemic going on.  It sort of makes international travel problematic in even the best cases.

 

Quote

The Sandbox was perfect because he can fly in to see her and spend a fortnight in Phuket together.

He books and pays for the COE, Visa, flights, SHA hotel, and her flight or bus south.

Clearly that was a gamble. Anyone who has been tracking the news since March-2020 knows that the situation is incredibly dynamic, and ANYONE who makes international travel plans is taking an enormous gamble.

 

Quote

 

Oh, he can come but she can't! ????????????????

Tough luck.  He gambled. He lost.  That's just how the cookie crumbles some times - and yes its sad.

 

Quote

I'm expecting plenty of comments about him being able to get some action in Phuket... but let's presume for a moment that he's in love with Miss Isaan and wants to see only her!

Talk to her on Skype?  Using video on Line app? Video on WhatsApp? 

 

Did I mention there is a global pandemic going on ?   A pandemic affecting the entire world?

 

Sadly billions of people globally are being impacted.     I actually have a class mate in a similar situation to what you described and its a sad situation - but I don't blame the local government for trying with the sandbox.

 

However I do note (if I read the translation to the Phuket governor order correctly) the closure only comes into effect in the coming days.  ie  the 'theoretical' Miss Isaan lass you describe, if she can get to Phuket in the next day or two, can still enter, and so they may still have the chance to meet  (assuming of course she was fully vaccinated - which from a % vaccinated in Thailand perspective is highly unlikely - in which case even with the current closure, not being vaccinated she would not have been able to come to Phuket - ie its all a mute point).

 

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by oldcpu

[chiman]

They trusted Sinovac to do a Pfizer/Moderna job 

[TigerandDog]

Absolutely the patients are running the asylum. Announced last night that all domestic travel to Phuket has been stopped, BUT will continue to allow international tourists to arrive. What a complete bunch of idiots.

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, TigerandDog said:

Absolutely the patients are running the asylum. Announced last night that all domestic travel to Phuket has been stopped, BUT will continue to allow international tourists to arrive. What a complete bunch of idiots.

They will not allow the Sandbox to collapse, after all tourism for the good of the country is at stake, no matter the cost.  Like opening a bar with 3 million in your pocket and a year later calling yourself still a millionaire when all you have is 1 million left.  Sometimes the best made plans do not come to fruition and require one to take a step back and reassess before throwing in the towel.  Yes they will be reassessing this but my view is that they will never admit failure and just make a statement that because of the new waves sweeping over the rest of the world it would be best to shelve the plan for now, laying blame elsewhere.