Southern islands tourism latest: Krabi Sandbox postponed, Phuket and Samui press on

[webfact]

 

Channel 7 TV news reported on the latest situation on the southern Thai islands at the center of plans to reopen to foreign tourists.

 

Suspended for now is the Krabi Sandbox that was supposed to begin as an entension of the Phuket Sandbox. 

 

Visitors will not be allowed to travel to Koh Hong, Railey beach and Koh Phi Phi, all concerned parties agreed.

 

However, Channel 7 said it would begin in August "for sure" without quoting anyone in particular.

 

The Phuket Sandbox continues with the island now sealed off to domestic tourists.

 

The Samui Plus Model also continues though numbers of visitors have been low.

 

Three flights operated by Bangkok Airways reported just 21 tourists aboard in total. 

 

In addition 26 people arrived from Phuket. 

 

Since the Samui Plus Model began on July 15th there have been 134 visitors or much fewer than ten a day. 

 

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[ezzra]

I'm one of those would be "tourist" to be in Phuket for 14 days coming from Melbourne soon to a country where i have lived for over 25 years, you wouldn't believe the hoops, loops,  hurdles, costs and the paper works you have to download, fill and submit to to be able to come back to a place i call home...

[RotBenz8888]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

"for sure"

And the opening of the whole country within 120 days, is that still for sure? 

[phetphet]

27 minutes ago, ezzra said:

I'm one of those would be "tourist" to be in Phuket for 14 days coming from Melbourne soon to a country where i have lived for over 25 years, you wouldn't believe the hoops, loops,  hurdles, costs and the paper works you have to download, fill and submit to to be able to come back to a place i call home...

I see what you mean. I really need to get back to the UK for a week to sort out some affairs. Had three flights cancelled last year and am now delaying due to all that you describe. What with quarantine etc each way, God knows what the cost will be.

[BookShe]

52 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

And the opening of the whole country within 120 days, is that still for sure? 

As long as it's always a 120 days then yes, it's for sure. 

[ezzra]

44 minutes ago, phetphet said:

I see what you mean. I really need to get back to the UK for a week to sort out some affairs. Had three flights cancelled last year and am now delaying due to all that you describe. What with quarantine etc each way, God knows what the cost will be.

I need to add to my earlier post that i was helped by a kind and helpful staff lady of the Thai embassy in Canberra, K. Anoma, that took her time and patient with me and to help trough he process, also that i actually had to go out and buy a printer to be able to print, fill up a myriads of documents both from the Thai side and also permit to leave Australia otherwise it would have been very hard to submit all those forms, Such is life with Covid now...

[DLock]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

However, Channel 7 said it would begin in August "for sure" without quoting anyone in particular.

Unless my calendar is incorrect...it is August.

 

..which also means only 76-days till Thailand opens, according to a promise Prayut made on the 16th June...interesting to read this article from The Nation from only 6 weeks ago.

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40002107

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Three flights operated by Bangkok Airways reported just 21 tourists aboard in total.

that's a loss for the airline then.

[Cake Monster]

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

that's a loss for the airline then.

The Gov,t will probably cover the loss the Airlines are making on these Sandbox Flights.

Everything, and anything will be done to keep the Sandbox open.

Even if it means then Gov,t has to subsidise the Flights.

Even if the Government had to Parachute these ' Sandboxers " in from a C109 they would.

The Sandbox has to remain open, so that a success can be declared for the Big bang opening in October, which is only about 65 Days or so away now.

[DonniePeverley]

The Samui model makes no sense - especially when they are competing with the Phuket model. 

 

With Samui you have to stay at your hotel for 4 days (you can't leave), then only take the odd provided tour with an organised group for the first week. There is no freedom. 

 

With Phuket after your first test result back (most back by the next morning) you are free to move as you wish on the island .

 

In this instance it would make no sense for anyone to go to Samui. In the light of the Phuket model, they must have some real silly people over in Samui. All they had to do was copy the Phuket model, or try to better it with some incentives - but nope they offer a worst model. 

 

In my opinon they were trying to be a bit too clever and greedy - getting people to spend money in designated hotels, and taking tours with their own designated tour groups (no doubt they will be expensive). The Samui model is basically never going to get any major levels of visitors. 

 

Ridiculous. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by DonniePeverley

[Stargeezr]

I sure hope that Thailand does not have a new wave like the USA is getting. Can you imagine over 100 thousand new cases

in a day.  The people from 50 and under who have not been vaccinated will likely be the ones getting sick, and I am wondering

just how many will start dying soon?  It may make some of the anti vaxxers think again of just how bullet proof they

are with the COVID virus. Today the fully vaccinated Americans are being allowed to enter Canada by land, as well as by air.

  I would like to go to Thailand this Winter, but will wait a year to be sure that the people of Thailand have mostly

had at least one shot of some kind of vaccine by then.  I guess by November more people will be vaccinated, and hopefully

the good vaccines have arrived and have been used by Thais and expats alike.

Geezer