Phuket Sandbox on two-week ‘watch’

[the green light]

Her is my feedback on the "Sandbox"

 

1. many countries have issues travel advisory for visiting Thailand

2. Thailand health system is braking down..All hospital are full to capacity. If any tourist wants to visit the hospital for any reason.. Good luck.

3. Unable to visit the rest of the country-- the rest of thailand is lockdown

4. Most of Phuket businesses are shut down.

5. unable to get food  supplies and hotel maintenance from the rest of Thailand- local are not permitted to come to Phuket..there will be some shortage of food and other supplies.

6. Most of Phuket residents are not full vaccinated - only 40%..if any, they all got the weak vaccines.

7.COvid19 cases are rising in Phuket. 

8. return home quarantine.

 

I just can't comprehend that why any sane tourist wants to visit Phuket . the infra structure is not there to support reopening thailand when the rest of the country is suffering with death all over and full lockdown.

 

 

[kimamey]

42 minutes ago, gejohesch said:

"I wonder if Thai would actually learn anything." Having worked a few years in a Thai company, and that's one of the overall impressions indeed : the near impossibility to learn anything - or to take advise from "outside".  

A bit of advice from an outsider. It should be 'advice' not 'advise'  ????????

 

On a serious note I'm sure there is some truth in what you say. I remember a post on here a few years back where someone asked a friend who was employing Thais to work on particular tasks. He said he couldn't believe how quickly they learnt what to do. Unfortunately he couldn't believe how quickly they forgot and just decided to do whatever they wanted. Not sure how common this is.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, gejohesch said:

Quite right. But "the HUMAN race" does not include the Thais : they are a super-race, don't you know?

Since rules for Thai and foreigners are the same this post doesn't make sense.

[joecoolfrog]

6 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

you missed the point I was making. Domestic tourism to Phuket stopped but they still permit international tourism. If Domestic tourism to Phuket has been stopped International tourism should also be stopped.

Why ?

International tourists jump through various hoops , are fully vaccinated and extensively tested.

Domestic travellers are not subject to all the above , have a wild guess as to which group is more likely to spread infection !

[gejohesch]

22 minutes ago, kimamey said:

A bit of advice from an outsider. It should be 'advice' not 'advise'  ????????

 

On a serious note I'm sure there is some truth in what you say. I remember a post on here a few years back where someone asked a friend who was employing Thais to work on particular tasks. He said he couldn't believe how quickly they learnt what to do. Unfortunately he couldn't believe how quickly they forgot and just decided to do whatever they wanted. Not sure how common this is.

Hahaha! Thanks for the correction. I've struggled with this confusion for ever I can remember. I just checked it out : advice is the noun; to advise is the verb. English is not my mother tongue, btw.

[gejohesch]

25 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Since rules for Thai and foreigners are the same this post doesn't make sense.

You mean it? In which world do you live?

[Peabody]

8 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

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.

Here's a genuine answer. I left BKK in January 2020 for a short stay away. Took a suitcase of clothes and a knapsack with laptop, etc.  Been away for 20 months. I want to "visit" my belongings in BKK. Tired of the same old clothes!  ???? (there's actually more to it than just clothes. A computer, various good/appliances, banking issues, retirement visa renewal, etc.)

I've been Sandboxed for almost the full 2 weeks now. Last negative PCR-COVID test yesterday. I've me a lot of guys and a few gals here (not that many places to go). I have yet to meet a bona-fide tourist. Everyone is either here for family, work, a residence that they own, goods they left here, or business

[Peabody]

1 hour ago, the green light said:

Her is my feedback on the "Sandbox"

 

1. many countries have issues travel advisory for visiting Thailand

2. Thailand health system is braking down..All hospital are full to capacity. If any tourist wants to visit the hospital for any reason.. Good luck.

3. Unable to visit the rest of the country-- the rest of thailand is lockdown

4. Most of Phuket businesses are shut down.

5. unable to get food  supplies and hotel maintenance from the rest of Thailand- local are not permitted to come to Phuket..there will be some shortage of food and other supplies.

6. Most of Phuket residents are not full vaccinated - only 40%..if any, they all got the weak vaccines.

7.COvid19 cases are rising in Phuket. 

8. return home quarantine.

 

I just can't comprehend that why any sane tourist wants to visit Phuket . the infra structure is not there to support reopening thailand when the rest of the country is suffering with death all over and full lockdown.

 

 

See my post above.

 

[Bangkok Barry]

7 minutes ago, Peabody said:

I have yet to meet a bona-fide tourist. Everyone is either here for family, work, a residence that they own, goods they left here, or business

Thanks. I suspected that might be the case, but your original post didn't really indicate you were a Thai resident and actually suggested otherwise.

It would be interesting to know how many arrivals in Phuket have actually been tourists, but the government would never reveal that.

[Pattaya Spotter]

2 hours ago, the green light said:

5. unable to get food  supplies

This is incorrect...all essential goods and supplies, and the trucks and ships bringing them, are allowed to enter Phuket. (How could it be otherwise?) This includes food/drink...but also other necessities like fuels, medicines, currency, the mail, construction materials, produce/livestock, etc. (See the official info-graphic below.)

 

2 hours ago, the green light said:

Phuket..there will be some shortage of food and other supplies.

Again this is incorrect and may induce panic in some of our more sensitive members.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Pattaya Spotter]

51 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thanks. I suspected that might be the case, but your original post didn't really indicate you were a Thai resident and actually suggested otherwise.

It would be interesting to know how many arrivals in Phuket have actually been tourists, but the government would never reveal that.

Most figures I've heard are about half are tourists and the rest returnees. I've got a friend who was also stuck outside Thailand since Feb. 2020 and is just completing his two weeks in the litter box and hoping to return to his condo in Pattaya next week (if his flight to Bangkok holds).

Edited July 30, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[oldcpu]

4 hours ago, robsamui said:

1. the Thai people have been vaccinated with the cheapest bargain-basement vaccine that the government could lay its hands on.

If you are talking about AstraZeneca then yes, it is likely the cheapest. 

 

If you are talking about Sinovac, no, you could not be more wrong! It is one of the more expensive.  However it is a vaccine that is relatively quick to obtain.

 

 

Quote

Sinovac has been proven to be only 3% effective (against the initial Alpha strain) with only one jab, rising to 50% effective with 2 jabs.

Please provide your reference for the 3%.  Further please define what you mean by 'effective'. 

 

Its common knowledge that BOTH AstraZeneca and Sinovac have high efficacy in preventing death and in preventing serious illness. 

 

Neither are particularly good at preventing infections.   For that matter, against the 'delta variant' the Pfizer vaccine purportedly is not all that great either when it comes to preventing infections.

 

The main purpose of these vaccinations, which MANY seem to totally miss, is that their prime purpose is to reduce the risk of death, and reduce the risk of severe illness.  Their capability to stop infection from taking hold is only a very very very useful benefit in some cases (hopefully as many as possible), but it was never the primary goal.  Stopping both severe illness and death was the primary goal of the vaccines.

 

Quote

 

2. In their desperation to reach the magic figure of 70%, the local administrators were not over-fussy about counting only those who had received two jabs;

Please explain what you mean by that.  What over counting?  Where is your reference for that?

 

 

Quote

The despair is now transparent - a bold safety guarantee of "90 cases a week and it becomes dangerous for everyone and we'll close it all down" has been totally ignored when this happened very predictably and within a few weeks.

The basic assumption there, which was not stated (but should have been) was that if the 90-cases a week are due to the International Tourists arriving then the actions would be taken. That was NOT the case, but instead the greater 90-cases were all due to domestic travelers to Phuket. 

 

And yes, I do have a reference for that which I posted in other threads in this forum.

 

So the original 90-cases per week, based on International Travelers, has not yet been reached.  However allow the local transmissions to fester (with no tracing / tracking due to insufficient testing) and we could reach 90-cases per week of International Travelers, NOT because they are bringing it to Phuket, but rather because they are catching it in Phuket.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by oldcpu

[sekmet]

I read elsewhere that they are closing swimming pools and martial arts training centers.

[Autonuaq]

On 7/29/2021 at 3:32 PM, 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... ????????????????????????

travel insurance if you have one

[stevenl]

37 minutes ago, sekmet said:

I read elsewhere that they are closing swimming pools and martial arts training centers.

Depends on what kind of venues. Hotel pools are allowed to stay open.

[leiftheswede]

Most likely the first step will be mandatory AQ (ALQ) hotel for the first week - same as Samui.
Those hotels are few and 3 - 4 times the prices at SHA+ hotels.
That will effetely put an end to tourists coming under the Sandbox routine.

[leiftheswede]

Why are all tourist required to install the tracing apps but not for locals ??
Especially as it's among the locals the new infections are spreading !!

Edited July 30, 2021 by leiftheswede

[Peabody]

4 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Thanks. I suspected that might be the case, but your original post didn't really indicate you were a Thai resident and actually suggested otherwise.

It would be interesting to know how many arrivals in Phuket have actually been tourists, but the government would never reveal that.

US citizen, have lived here 21+ years

[Espanol]

4 hours ago, leiftheswede said:

Most likely the first step will be mandatory AQ (ALQ) hotel for the first week - same as Samui.
Those hotels are few and 3 - 4 times the prices at SHA+ hotels.
That will effetely put an end to tourists coming under the Sandbox routine.

Gobernor announced that first step woul be seting sealed routes for tourists, while second step would be keeping tourists into their SHA+ hotels.

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Espanol

[Espanol]

4 hours ago, leiftheswede said:

Why are all tourist required to install the tracing apps but not for locals ??
Especially as it's among the locals the new infections are spreading !!

Now, locals entering Phuket must also install Thaichana.

[chang1]

6 hours ago, oldcpu said:

However allow the local transmissions to fester (with no tracing / tracking due to insufficient testing) and we could reach 90-cases per week of International Travelers, NOT because they are bringing it to Phuket, but rather because they are catching it in Phuket

Having just arrived in Phuket, this is my biggest worry - all this hassle just to end up in quarantine. Tourists are not the problem - locals and migrant workers are. This travel ban will be the thing that destroys the sandbox as there is not much point coming here if we cannot go to where we really want to be.

[NanLaew]

Everything we've read suggests that they had a firm handle on screening arrivals by air and by road.

 

Nobody has mentioned by sea. I wonder if they overlooked one of the major features of being an island?

[kimamey]

10 hours ago, gejohesch said:

Hahaha! Thanks for the correction. I've struggled with this confusion for ever I can remember. I just checked it out : advice is the noun; to advise is the verb. English is not my mother tongue, btw.

If English isn't you mother tongue don't worry there are many for whom it is and still don't know. The easy way to remember is to put it alphabetically. The difference in spelling is just a 'c' or an 's'  A 'c' comes before 's' and 'noun' comes before 'verb alphabetically and you use them in that order. If it's a noun you use 'c' and if it's a verb you use 's'.

 

In UK English the same rule applies to 'practice' and practise' and also to 'licence' and 'license'. In US English they just use the verb form for both. I've no idea why.

 

Sorry this is off topic.

[inThailand]

Yup, not cancelled for that would be losing face. 

Just a lockdown coming, not the same? 

[DaveC]

@oldcpu

Having read most of your recent posts, I am concerned that you may need a new cpu.

 

The point is -

Phuket is in this current mess for 2 reasons.

1. The level of vaccinations was insufficient and ineffective.

2. The bridge control was disgraceful.

 

Both of those factors could have been prevented and were highlighted 6 weeks ago.

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, DaveC said:

The point is -

Phuket is in this current mess for 2 reasons.

1. The level of vaccinations was insufficient and ineffective.

2. The bridge control was disgraceful.

 

Both of those factors could have been prevented and were highlighted 6 weeks ago.

DaveC,

 

1. Shall we leave insults aside ?

 

2. Why do you believe I would disagree with what you just posted (and I just quoted) ?   I would thou qualify that by saying "ineffective in preventing transmission" but NOT ineffective in reducing risk of serious illness and death. On that topic, I note Pfizer is also not so great at reducing transmission of Delta variant.

Edited July 31, 2021 by oldcpu

[Daithi85]

19 hours ago, the green light said:

Her is my feedback on the "Sandbox"

 

1. many countries have issues travel advisory for visiting Thailand

2. Thailand health system is braking down..All hospital are full to capacity. If any tourist wants to visit the hospital for any reason.. Good luck.

3. Unable to visit the rest of the country-- the rest of thailand is lockdown

4. Most of Phuket businesses are shut down.

5. unable to get food  supplies and hotel maintenance from the rest of Thailand- local are not permitted to come to Phuket..there will be some shortage of food and other supplies.

6. Most of Phuket residents are not full vaccinated - only 40%..if any, they all got the weak vaccines.

7.COvid19 cases are rising in Phuket. 

8. return home quarantine.

 

I just can't comprehend that why any sane tourist wants to visit Phuket . the infra structure is not there to support reopening thailand when the rest of the country is suffering with death all over and full lockdown.

 

 

Where is this full lockdown  you speak  of??? U say the rest of Thailand is in lock down. This is not true. The rest of Thailand  is not in lock down. 

[stevenl]

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Everything we've read suggests that they had a firm handle on screening arrivals by air and by road.

 

Nobody has mentioned by sea. I wonder if they overlooked one of the major features of being an island?

Who are 'we'?

The handle on arrivals by sea were and are the same as land arrivals.

[DaveC]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

DaveC,

 

1. Shall we leave insults aside ?

 

2. Why do you believe I would disagree with what you just posted (and I just quoted) ?   I would thou qualify that by saying "ineffective in preventing transmission" but NOT ineffective in reducing risk of serious illness and death. On that topic, I note Pfizer is also not so great at reducing transmission of Delta variant.

The reason I made the comment regarding the new cpu is quite apparent. Whilst I understand you are interested and motivated, asking repeatedly for references for everything is becoming a bit tedious.

 

Regarding the issue of efficacy of vaccines, the exponential spread of the disease is the bigger issue at the moment and the Sinovac program is not effective at that.

[gejohesch]

8 hours ago, kimamey said:

If English isn't you mother tongue don't worry there are many for whom it is and still don't know. The easy way to remember is to put it alphabetically. The difference in spelling is just a 'c' or an 's'  A 'c' comes before 's' and 'noun' comes before 'verb alphabetically and you use them in that order. If it's a noun you use 'c' and if it's a verb you use 's'.

 

In UK English the same rule applies to 'practice' and practise' and also to 'licence' and 'license'. In US English they just use the verb form for both. I've no idea why.

 

Sorry this is off topic.

Off topic but welcome just the same, at least for me. I find it painful to read very badly written text, so it's good to bring in a little bit of advice (!) on the language.