Covid crisis: Brakes put on Phuket-Samui 7+7 plan and calls for end to "island hopping"

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported on the latest reactions in the southern provinces of Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phangnga to the fast developing Covid-19 crisis both there and in the rest of Thailand. 

 

They said that the Phuket Sandbox was continuing.

 

But now the Samui Plus Model was in severe doubt amid calls for travel between Phuket and Samui to stop. 

 

This would mean tourists planning on a holiday in both islands would be unable to do so. 

 

And so called island hopping is also now on the chopping block.

 

In Samui in Surat Thani there were 22 Covid cases on Wednesday and 39 on Thursday making 61.

 

This triggers a break in the Samui Plus Model that states 40+ cases over two days requires action.

 

The governor there has stated if the trend continues and cases there are twice as much over the next day or two then he will consult with the Tourism Authority of Thailand over a slowdown to the Plus model.

 

As far as the plan to allow seven days in Phuket and then seven in Samui the governor wants that stopped now. 

 

Island hopping between Koh Hong, the Railey area and Koh Phi Phi in Krabi and Khao Lak, Khao Yao Noi and Khao Yao Yai in Phangnga also needs to be reassessed, said the media.

 

Phannga is short of 63,000 doses of vaccine. 

 

Thai Rath also stated that the UK could change its travel advice for Thailand when they reassess late next week. Thailand could go red meaning that the advice would be not to travel to Thailand at all. 

 

Scandinavian countries have already designated Thailand as red meaning travellers have to quarantine on return. 

 

These measures are and would further restrict foreign tourism into Thailand from potential big markets.

 

Meanwhile the TAT were still clinging to the hope that experience gleaned so far in dealing with the pandemic situation could mean a resumption of mass tourism in Thailand for the high season come January. 

 

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[J Town]

This comes as no surprise. Those in power closed their eyes, held their breath, then threw the dice. Guess what? Snake eyes, baby!

[Mr Meeseeks]

One has to think of all the vaccines diverted to the populations of these remote islands instead of being given to high-risk people in the virus epicentre of Bangkok.

 

Mismanagement on a massive scale and with loss of human life as the ultimate consequence. 

[sapson]

4 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

One has to think of all the vaccines diverted to the populations of these remote islands instead of being given to high-risk people in the virus epicentre of Bangkok.

Front line medical staff throughout the country should be the first recipients of a decent vaccine but the list of shoulds is endless with clueless megalomaniac goons running the show.

[ThailandRyan]

I for one do not see this as a surprise, and neither do I think the Phuket lockdown was a surprise either.  Their are those that will still see the Sandbox as being sustainable, I however do not.  How much money is the tourism/returning expats bringing in versus what was spent already to get the Sandbox up and running.  Sure there are a few that have benefited, but the many who have not outweigh the few.  Their are also a few expats who seem to believe this has been a success and will continue, time to wait and see.  Hard to see anyone except Thai nationals and returning expats hitting the sandbox instead of staying in a room for 14 days at an ASQ.

[Neilly]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile the TAT were still clinging to the hope that experience gleaned so far in dealing with the pandemic situation could mean a resumption of mass tourism in Thailand for the high season come January. 

Clutching at straws would have been more accurate ????

[mancub]

4 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

One has to think of all the vaccines diverted to the populations of these remote islands instead of being given to high-risk people in the virus epicentre of Bangkok.

 

Mismanagement on a massive scale and with loss of human life as the ultimate consequence. 

Exactly, and perversely it's one of the reasons some folk are not particularly keen for it to be the success that the government, with all the fanfare, want it to be.

[khunPer]

So far still "considerations", nothing firm yet. It's depending of what happens during the next few days with the so-called "Black Bamboo cluster" on Samui, apparently caused by domestic travelling from Bangkok.

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

One has to think of all the vaccines diverted to the populations of these remote islands instead of being given to high-risk people in the virus epicentre of Bangkok.

 

Mismanagement on a massive scale and with loss of human life as the ultimate consequence. 

In real numbers it would not have saved Bangkok, and those recorded as fully vaccinated are with two jabs of Sinovac...

 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

In Samui in Surat Thani there were 22 Covid cases on Wednesday and 39 on Thursday making 61.

 

This triggers a break in the Samui Plus Model that states 40+ cases over two days requires action.

 

The governor there has stated if the trend continues and cases there are twice as much over the next day or two then he will consult with the Tourism Authority of Thailand over a slowdown to the Plus model.

So lets ignore the 40+ over two days trigger, keep going and see what happens... 

changing goalposts again.

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile the TAT were still clinging to the hope that experience gleaned so far in dealing with the pandemic situation could mean a resumption of mass tourism in Thailand for the high season come January.

What was it the Everly brothers sang?

[ThailandRyan]

15 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

What was it the Everly brothers sang?

"You lost that loving feeling", oh wait that was the Righteous Brothers, sort of like TAT I guess being so righteous.

[nobodysfriend]

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

those that will still see the Sandbox as being sustainable, I however do not. 

The sandbox is a reaction to the rising pressure on Prajut's Government by the hotel owners and associations . He just had to do something to show that he cared for the poor rich Thais .

[Pattaya Spotter]

7 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

One has to think of all the vaccines diverted to the populations of these remote islands instead of being given to high-risk people in the virus epicentre of Bangkok.

Not really correct...around 6-71M vaccines given to date and there are only a few hundred thousands of people in Phuket/Samui at the moment. Also, at risk people in Bangkok and Pattaya are getting vaccinated...my 75+ friend received his first A-Z jab in Bangkok yesterday. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Mr Meeseeks]

29 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Not really correct...around 6-71M vaccines given to date and there are only a few hundred thousands of people in Phuket/Samui at the moment. Also, at risk people in Bangkok and Pattaya are getting vaccinated...my 75+ friend received his first A-Z jab in Bangkok yesterday. 

It's 100% correct. 

 

The populations of Phuket and Samui were priority for vaccinations so they could implement the sandbox scheme.

[josephbloggs]

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

The sandbox is a reaction to the rising pressure on Prajut's Government by the hotel owners and associations . He just had to do something to show that he cared for the poor rich Thais .

Who's rich?  The hotel receptionists, cleaners, cooks, waitresses, gardeners, drivers, the food sellers, the fruit sellers, beach chair vendors and all the other people that are supported by the tourism industry who have had virtually no income for a year?   Moronic and insensitive comment.

Edited July 31, 2021 by josephbloggs

[superal]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I for one do not see this as a surprise, and neither do I think the Phuket lockdown was a surprise either.  Their are those that will still see the Sandbox as being sustainable, I however do not.  How much money is the tourism/returning expats bringing in versus what was spent already to get the Sandbox up and running.  Sure there are a few that have benefited, but the many who have not outweigh the few.  Their are also a few expats who seem to believe this has been a success and will continue, time to wait and see.  Hard to see anyone except Thai nationals and returning expats hitting the sandbox instead of staying in a room for 14 days at an ASQ.

Nothing wrong with the sandbox concept accept the way it was organised . For a start all the workers should have been double AZ jabbed and quarantined prior to the start of their working . The bridge connection being the weakest link should have been reinforced security wise and all goods entering should have been disinfected . New arrivals should/could be held in their rooms for the first 4 days and then pcr tested as that would mean a total of 7 days without infection , including their pre flight test . 

As it is now it seems to be a gamble for those considering the Phuket sandbox as it could be halted if a national lockdown is enforced .    A loss of flight , hotel , covid insurance and pcr tests amount to a tidy sum .Maybe the Thai government should guarantee all costs covered if the sandbox is cancelled and that would give some confidence to potential visitors .

[leiftheswede]

 Most of the spread is among locals - not tourists.
Foreign tourists have to download and always keep tracing apps up to date.
How come this does not apply to Thai locals on Phuket and Samui ?
 

[nobodysfriend]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Who's rich?  The hotel receptionists, cleaners, cooks, waitresses, gardeners, drivers, the food sellers, the fruit sellers, beach chair vendors and all the other people that are supported by the tourism industry who have had virtually no income for a year?   Moronic and insensitive comment.

the hotel owners , refer to the context , please ...

Edited July 31, 2021 by nobodysfriend

[Pattaya Spotter]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It's 100% correct. 

 

The populations of Phuket and Samui were priority for vaccinations so they could implement the sandbox scheme.

Yes they were given priority for vaccines (Phuket anyway) but the numbers needed to vaccinate the small local population at the moment has no effect on the overall numbers of vaccinations available in the rest of the country. And of course millions outside of Phuket/Samui have already been vaccinated too.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It's 100% correct. 

 

The populations of Phuket and Samui were priority for vaccinations so they could implement the sandbox scheme.

Meanwhile vaccinations in rural Thailand .............................................

[Bluespunk]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

As far as the plan to allow seven days in Phuket and then seven in Samui the governor wants that stopped now

I’m amazed anyone thought it was a good idea, pandemic wise in the first place. 
 

Trying to divide up and share that captive tourist wealth between two profit wise, well that I do see…

[DrPhibes]

6 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Meanwhile vaccinations in rural Thailand .............................................

Meanwhile, in Bhutan, who let outsiders come and set up their inoculation system and had joined Covax:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/27/bhutan-fully-vaccinates-90-percent-of-adults-within-a-week

[Albert Zweistein]

3 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Who's rich?  The hotel receptionists, cleaners, cooks, waitresses, gardeners, drivers, the food sellers, the fruit sellers, beach chair vendors and all the other people that are supported by the tourism industry who have had virtually no income for a year?   Moronic and insensitive comment.

In Patong pre Covid most of the staff if not all working in hotels, restaurants and on the beach were Birmese. Are they all replaced now by Thai ? I doubt it. Not to say they have no right to earn a living but it doesn't affect the Thai population on the island.

Besides the number of arrivals in July, 10,000 +, is peanuts compared to the workforce needed.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, DrPhibes said:

Meanwhile, in Bhutan, who let outsiders come and set up their inoculation system and had joined Covax:

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/27/bhutan-fully-vaccinates-90-percent-of-adults-within-a-week

It may have escaped your notice but Bhutan is a little bit smaller that Thailand with a population in 2018 of approximately 754,388.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan

 

It also has a different style of Royalty and a different political set up.

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, Albert Zweistein said:

In Patong pre Covid most of the staff if not all working in hotels, restaurants and on the beach were Birmese. Are they all replaced now by Thai ? I doubt it. Not to say they have no right to earn a living but it doesn't affect the Thai population on the island.

Besides the number of arrivals in July, 10,000 +, is peanuts compared to the workforce needed.

Yes it is peanuts compared to where we used to be but it is a start and it might be giving a tiny bit of relief to some.  And let's not forget it is early days in the experiment - the hope is if it goes well then they can increase visitor numbers.  And yes, lots and lots of Thais stand to benefit from it if it works.

Not really sure what your point is to be honest.

[josephbloggs]

5 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

the hotel owners , refer to the context , please ...

So all hotel owners are rich?  Really?  A few, yes, the majority certainly not - and absolutely not after a year with practically zero occupancy.

You said the sandbox was to help the "poor rich Thais", indicating only rich people will benefit and that it is not merited (and quite a "sneering" comment really).

My point was that letting tourists back in benefits grass roots Thais and that is the whole point of it.  But you completely ignored that, well done.

 

 

[zaZa9]

27 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Yes it is peanuts compared to where we used to be but it is a start and it might be giving a tiny bit of relief to some.  And let's not forget it is early days in the experiment - the hope is if it goes well then they can increase visitor numbers.  And yes, lots and lots of Thais stand to benefit from it if it works.

Not really sure what your point is to be honest.

I agree.

I actually know Thai  here in Phuket that have  worked  and received income  for the first time in over a year.

Ive seen a dozen Mom and Dad Thai eateries re-open , and I know of 2 Scooter rental shops going well again and some drivers back on the road.

Much is made of 2 week tourists , but Sandbox fast tracked numerous ex-expats  and  'want to be retirees' , and they are  in my villiage  'loved-up'  and spending  up all that money that wealthy Western governments handed out to them ,  while Thais  , often with the same trade/skill set have been basically  getting  nothing. working class 

People commenting negatively about Sandbox  from O/S  seem forget that. Theres no fat "Job-seeker" payments or Relief Checks for Thais - theres nothing.

And  it seems  some people dont want  want them to have work even now.

Those 'white-anting'  and rubbishing   the whole program may well be damaging many a Thais chances of their  first income in ages - and I thought most of us here liked Thailand and the Thai.

They  truly need work and they really  need it now.

An article trying  a negative slant did admit  yesterday  ... "The Phuket Sandbox ... infection total is 148, well over the self-imposed threshold of 90 per week that would trigger a re-evaluation of the programme. But with only 30 of those cases being from international Sandbox travellers out of 12,395 total arrivals, the infection rate for international travellers is 0.2% "

 

So ,  of the infection numbers , Thai people accounted for 118 , tourists 30. And the article goes  goes on to admit  all the tourists are accounted for and contained . 

 

So there are NO Sandbox tourists wandering the streets spreading Covid.  They are interviewed , and  monitored daily , had to be fully vaxed  and tested again to fly , and tested 3 times on arrival.  Ive met them . Bought 2 some lunch. Talked to  others. The magic figure of " 90"  should never have included Thais because  the Sandbox program was never intended to promote Thai visitation . They could come any time , and they can  still come tomorrow !

 

In my view , the statistics indicate  a success.

12,000+  spenders are better than none.

And the Government has as much admitted that the  current outbreak here has been  delivered  by Thais , with its announcement Phuket is to close to Thais from  August 3.

There is no point arguing about who should have got the vax first. Everybody should have the vax first , and the if they didnt get it  then they should have access to it now. 

But somebody thought he was smarter than the virus.

However  I would add that  the Sandbox program  was months in the planning and implementing  and well predated  the Delta variant and the current Bangkok outbreak.

[impulse]

1 hour ago, josephbloggs said:

Yes it is peanuts compared to where we used to be but it is a start and it might be giving a tiny bit of relief to some.  And let's not forget it is early days in the experiment - the hope is if it goes well then they can increase visitor numbers.  And yes, lots and lots of Thais stand to benefit from it if it works.

Today, they're just dusting Phuket off and getting it ready for the high season.

 

I was surprised how many families take the same holiday every year.  I used to run into the same Eastern European families every year at my favorite resort in Jomtien.  But they time their trips for high season, not the rainy season.  They don't care if the bars are open, nor the brothels.  All they want is a beach, a swimming pool, some places to eat, and to buy snacks and booze for the room.  And those are the family tourists the "Post Sexpat" Thailand is trying to attract.

 

I don't see the Sandbox shutting down before high season.  The vaccinated, tested tourists are their one bright spot.  It'll be in fits and starts as they dial in the requirements for local workers to arrive and move around.  And they need to be mindful of the impact of social media should they cheez off their target demographic with changes to the terms and conditions after arrival. 

 

We'll have to wait for high season the see if it's successful.  But at least they're doing something in the direction of restarting the tourism economy, and showing that the tourists aren't the problem.

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by impulse

[Albert Zweistein]

4 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Yes it is peanuts compared to where we used to be but it is a start and it might be giving a tiny bit of relief to some.  And let's not forget it is early days in the experiment - the hope is if it goes well then they can increase visitor numbers.  And yes, lots and lots of Thais stand to benefit from it if it works.

Not really sure what your point is to be honest.

My point is that if most of the staff as I mentioned is Birmese it doesn''t benefit the Thai population.

Got my point now ?