Phuket Sandbox progressing well says CoC: 19,000 foreigners/ billion baht spent - Russians next target

[Thechook]

12 hours ago, Kiwi Phil said:

The  Phuket Sandbox program is the best thing I have entered into, the system right from the outset is very professional and great to work through. To be greeted at the airport by a team of helpers is very good, the professionalism of the whole standard is a credit to the Phuket local Government and the Thai people. . This is an excellent system and very well run. Please keep up the great work.  

You are funny.

[ThailandRyan]

https://www.facebook.com/phuketinfocenter/posts/365968991724950

 

[ChipButty]

The Russians are my best customers bring as many as you want,

[dougiemac52]

21 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

I live here and I am currently spending a few days at my favourite resort in Rawai.  I have talked to sandboxers that are on holiday for a few weeks and others that have arrived on a more long term basis. Every one of them are happy to be here, enjoying their relative freedom and are certainly not 'stuck'. There is also no perception that they think they are only wanted here for their money or can go home.

How are they not stuck ? No transport away from Phuket, that sounds like trapped to me

[oldcpu]

I note:

Quote

Russian authorities are prepared to donate 100,000 doses of Sputnik vaccine as booster doses for Phuket people, he said. 

That's very kind of the Russians.

 

Still - it would be nice to have seen one or two peer reviewed studies that show Sputnik vaccine as a booster for 2xSinovac, or for 2xAstraZeneca, or for Sinovac/AstraZeneca ...   ie. would a Sputnik booster actually be beneficial over other alternatives?

 

... Not wanting to ignore a gift, but some evidence that it is a useful gift would help give more confidence.

[DBath]

1 billion baht is roughly 1/1900th of the 1.9 trillion recorded for 2019 International tourism revenue alone. 
 

That’s barely a drop in the bucket. 

[hotandsticky]

19 minutes ago, DBath said:

1 billion baht is roughly 1/1900th of the 1.9 trillion recorded for 2019 International tourism revenue alone. 
 

That’s barely a drop in the bucket. 

 

 

You fail to understand that the Phuket Sandbox is not about revenue; it is about an experiment to pave the way for opening up tourism.

[DBath]

9 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

You fail to understand that the Phuket Sandbox is not about revenue; it is about an experiment to pave the way for opening up tourism.

Oh no, I totally understand. What you fail to understand is that Phuket nor any other city that relies so heavily on tourism will be doomed to fail as a major tourist destination with those kind of revenue numbers. 
 

No matter how many failed schemes and experiments you want to try and pretend were a success. 

[stevenl]

37 minutes ago, DBath said:

Oh no, I totally understand. What you fail to understand is that Phuket nor any other city that relies so heavily on tourism will be doomed to fail as a major tourist destination with those kind of revenue numbers. 
 

No matter how many failed schemes and experiments you want to try and pretend were a success. 

I don't think you're writing what you want to convey.

'phuket nor any other city relying on tourism is doomed'.

 

You still don't understand the principle behind this experiment but that's ok, maybe you're going to get there.

[DBath]

34 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I don't think you're writing what you want to convey.

'phuket nor any other city relying on tourism is doomed'.

 

You still don't understand the principle behind this experiment but that's ok, maybe you're going to get there.

Please include the entire context of my quote next time you choose to nitpick me (I expected as much as soon as I saw   your UID, even before reading your post, because “that’s how you roll”). 
 

Perhaps you can make at least a sad attempt at explaining just what it is I don’t understand?

[stevenl]

35 minutes ago, DBath said:

Please include the entire context of my quote next time you choose to nitpick me (I expected as much as soon as I saw   your UID, even before reading your post, because “that’s how you roll”). 
 

Perhaps you can make at least a sad attempt at explaining just what it is I don’t understand?

Entire context is not necessary to show that what you wrote is not what you meant, not nitpicking at all.

 

Your replied to a post, clearly showing you still don't understand the concept. I have tried quite a few times, others have tried as well to no avail.

[mtls2005]

An expensive experiment. Could easily have been modeled, and will not replicate to any other destinations.

 

The challenge is that the Thai tourism model is based on high volume/low margin.

 

Probably not worth turning the lights on in Phuket for fewer than 7 mm?

 

 

 

 

[DBath]

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Entire context is not necessary to show that what you wrote is not what you meant, not nitpicking at all.

 

Your replied to a post, clearly showing you still don't understand the concept. I have tried quite a few times, others have tried as well to no avail.

Yes, you are nitpicking and you know it. Perhaps you just want to beat a dead horse - by that I mean, continue to go on and on about implying the failed sandbox was a success (I wouldn’t need to explain that part to anyone but you, in order to prevent you from twisting my words). 
 

I also think it’s funny how you try to imply the majority on here support this ridiculous scheme that was bound to fail from the start. 

[Rimmer]

Not withstanding the following forum rule it is probably best to quote the entire text when replying and not snip out stuff which may later lead to confusion:

 

16) You will not make changes to quoted material from other members posts, except for purposes of shortening the quoted post. This cannot be done in such a manner that it alters the context of the original post.

[XtraFly]

Let’s say one of those 3 PCR tests comes back positive and I’m moved to quarantine for two weeks at my own dime, what happens after I’m done with the 14 days of my forced solitary confinement I mean quarantine, They ship me back to my country or I’m free to walk around and travel domestically ?

 

also what happens if I refuse to download the tracking apps, or arrive to Thailand with non smart phone or leave my smart phone at my room in the hotel or turn off the GPS and bluetooth while I’m out, is there a punishment or consequences or government/ hotel repercussions?

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, DBath said:

Yes, you are nitpicking and you know it. Perhaps you just want to beat a dead horse - by that I mean, continue to go on and on about implying the failed sandbox was a success (I wouldn’t need to explain that part to anyone but you, in order to prevent you from twisting my words). 
 

I also think it’s funny how you try to imply the majority on here support this ridiculous scheme that was bound to fail from the start. 

I'll leave the first part of your post for what it is, but will say I don't care about what the majority on here thinks, nor have I implied anything on the opinion of said majority.

[DBath]

22 hours ago, Kiwi Phil said:

"...To be greeted at the airport by a team of helpers is very good." 

As the airport staff stand there in a long line clapping and welcoming the few tourists that trickle in (they may as well, I mean they probably have nothing better to do), I can't help but wonder if they've bought into all the lies, propaganda and ridiculous claims by those in charge of the entire sandbox scheme.

 

It's really sad to see people being given so much false hope and even sadder that they might actually believe it.

[Phuketshrew]

6 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

How are they not stuck ? No transport away from Phuket, that sounds like trapped to me

Out of the total, 6,672 are still on the island. The rest have mostly traveled onto Bangkok, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chonburi. The top five countries of origin include USA (2,759), UK (2,712), Israel (2,250), Germany (1,617) and France (1,607).

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1426804471762350083

 

11 flights out of Phuket today and you can also depart by land.

[Phuketshrew]

4 minutes ago, DBath said:

22 hours ago, Kiwi Phil said:

"...To be greeted at the airport by a team of helpers is very good." 

As the airport staff stand there in a long line clapping and welcoming the few tourists that trickle in (they may as well, I mean they probably have nothing better to do), I can't help but wonder if they've bought into all the lies, propaganda and ridiculous claims by those in charge of the entire sandbox scheme.

 

It's really sad to see people being given so much false hope and even sadder that they might actually believe it.

Had a conversation with a UK sandboxer at the resort that I just stayed at in Yanui. He came for three weeks holiday and is leaving back to the UK tonight. He said that the welcome on arrival in Phuket was really exceptional and he was assisted at every step of the arrival process. He could not praise them highly enough - friendly, efficient , and well organised were his words.

[DBath]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

I'll leave the first part of your post for what it is, but will say I don't care about what the majority on here thinks, nor have I implied anything on the opinion of said majority.

I'm not here to laugh at your pain or rub salt in a wound. You obviously have some 'skin in the game', I don't and it will be a cold day in hell before I would drum up support for a government that misleads everyone with their false claims and tries to pretend they actually care for their people, when they clearly don't.

 

My apologies, it just rubs me raw when people try to paint the sky orange or purple when most of us know it's not and my frustration is more with those who concoct and promote such nonsense than it is with you for drinking the Kool-Aid, so to speak.

[DBath]

5 minutes ago, Phuketshrew said:

Had a conversation with a UK sandboxer at the resort that I just stayed at in Yanui. He came for three weeks holiday and is leaving back to the UK tonight. He said that the welcome on arrival in Phuket was really exceptional and he was assisted at every step of the arrival process. He could not praise them highly enough - friendly, efficient , and well organised were his words.

That's nice to hear, but I can't help wondering would that be the case if the staff to tourist ratio were what it would be during high season. Your friend from the UK had the luxury of having people who are hungry for business and much more willing to be attentive at this point.

 

Nevertheless, kudos to them for trying hard to please a small number of customers under these very difficult circumstances when they could have just as easily not cared.

[TechnikaIII]

Every tourist and/or retiree contributes to the Thai economy. But being forced to spend in Phuket before going elsewhere is nothing short of extortion. 

I rent a premises in Nakhon Sawan province and the community where that is, needs the money every bit as much as the Phuket hotels that paid to be in the so-called "Sandbox". But of course, no one in government gets a kickback if my money is spent in a region that is really suffering.

[oldcpu]

1 hour ago, TechnikaIII said:

Every tourist and/or retiree contributes to the Thai economy. But being forced to spend in Phuket before going elsewhere is nothing short of extortion. 

I rent a premises in Nakhon Sawan province and the community where that is, needs the money every bit as much as the Phuket hotels that paid to be in the so-called "Sandbox".

You make a good point IMHO as to many places in Thailand suffering (wrt the part of your post I quoted).  

 

I think thou, what we are seeing is the bureaucracy does not move very fast - and Thailand is not unique here.

 

The Phuket "Sandbox" planning has been debated starting last year, with the debates/discussions happening when there basically next to NO known COVID cases in Thailand.  The 'Sandbox' idea was bandied back and forth, while most of Thailand was not very suffering much (relative to Phuket (and some other areas that depend almost entirely no tourists)) where Phuket and other resorts were devastated. 

 

In the end, despite the fear that Thailand would be re-infected by foreigners coming into Phuket, it was decided to use Phuket as a 'test case' (ie a Sandbox) where the Island could be sealed if the foreigners brought the pandemic back to Thailand.  Phuket could be sealed, and the pandemic could then rage uncontrolled (?) in Phuket, while the remainder of Thailand was safe.  The planned vaccination strategies were laid out and made with that assumption that any virus introduction would be sealed in Phuket ....  

 

... and I note again that it is very slow for a bureaucracy to make such plans, and once such plans made, it is slow for a bureaucracy to change.

 

of course ... we all know ... it didn't happen that way.  Instead, while waiting for the Phuket Sandbox to open on 1-July-2021, back in December-2020 some traffickers brought in COVID infected migrant workers to Thailand with no quarantine, and the pandemic started again in Samut Sakhon.  It then spread to other areas, some middle-class/wealthy caught the virus, and they then spread it in some super spreader parties ... and the rest is history.

 

The government kept the Phuket Sandbox plan in place, but of course the circumstances surrounding it all changed. Instead of Phuket risking bringing the pandemic to Thailand, ... it was mainland Thailand that is bringing the pandemic to Phuket.

 

As for whats next ??  - your guess is as good as mine.  I suspect we both hope the government (and private hospitals if allowed) succeed better in bringing vaccines into all of Thailand, such that the original plan to open Thailand on 1-October (or hopefully not much later) can proceed.

[TechnikaIII]

On 8/14/2021 at 3:29 PM, joskeshake said:

If they would stop the ASQ Quarantaine ,I see plenty more already fully vaccinated people come to Thailand, what happens now is just for the money, I know Thai people who can do quarantaine at home, so why foreigners cannot ? 

Absolutely !!

[oldcpu]

11 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

How are they not stuck ? No transport away from Phuket, that sounds like trapped to me

Some of us actually like Phuket, especially now with no tourist crowds, empty beaches, light road traffic, and some amazing prices.

 

But if drinking in the bars and restaurants is needed for ones ideal vacation , then Phuket (nor anywhere in Thailand) is not the place

[oldcpu]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

Some of us actually like Phuket, especially now with no tourist crowds, empty beaches, light road traffic, and some amazing prices.

 

But if drinking in the bars and restaurants is needed for ones ideal vacation , then Phuket (nor anywhere in Thailand) is not the place

Let me amplify the last sentence as I thought the 'present time' meaning obvious - but maybe it wasn't. So that last sentence should read:

 

  " ... if drinking in the bars and restaurants is needed for ones ideal vacation , then Phuket (nor anywhere in Thailand) is not the place at present time. " ..

[DBath]

16 hours ago, Thechook said:

You are funny.

Funny is putting it more nicely than I would have. 

[kiwikeith]

On 8/14/2021 at 7:30 PM, lahgon29 said:

I'm guessing you are spot on, mate. Same rules here in Udon Thani, and I'm spoilt for choice over which restaurant to have a drink in.????

My friend who's restaurant is closed in Sakhon nakhon, can open as soon as he and staff take one shot of sinovac and a second round of Astra, which he's been avoiding, but now he's accepted, so he can open. 

 

[Bobydog]

On 8/14/2021 at 7:54 PM, Ralf001 said:

how do other places relying on tourism income view the tourist arrivals other than income ?

Sadly in some cases many but that doesn't mean that it's right. Would you prefer another heading, " Like the excitement of being murdered? Come to Thailand"

 

[boogiewoogie]

What pie?

 

Egypt is free to enter. Sputnik jab qr code and u free to roam. No pcrs, no sandbox. Do whatever u want.

 

Its all while thais discuss if its possible to reduce quarantine from 14 to 7 days. Are u serious?