TAT proposes more relaxed Phuket Sandbox rules, allowing visits to provinces after 7 days

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

PHUKET (NNT) - New, more relaxed rules for the Phuket Sandbox campaign are to be proposed to the government’s COVID-19 task force. It is recommended that new rules allow Sandbox tourists to travel out of Phuket to selected areas in Thailand after seven days since arrival, giving tourists more flexibility than the current 14-day stay requirement.

 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is proposing an extension of the Phuket Sandbox campaign, allowing tourists to visit selected tourism areas apart from Phuket after the first seven days in the island province.

 

The new regulation, if approved, will shorten the time tourists in this quarantine-free tourism campaign are required to stay only in Phuket from 14 days to 7 days, however the number of places they could travel to after 7 days would still be limited. Tourists will however, continue to be allowed to travel freely within Thailand after 14 days.

 

Selected tourism areas being proposed by the TAT as Phuket Sandbox extensions include Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngam, and Ko Tao in Surat Thani; Khao Lak, Ko Yao Yai, and Ko Yao Noi in Phang Nga; Ko Phi Phi, Railay Beach, and Ko Ngai in Krabi.

 

The Center for Economic Situation Administration’s (CESA) Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said today that Phuket has welcomed some 200,000 international visitors since the start of the Phuket Sandbox campaign on 1st July, leading to 371,826 night bookings at hotels in Q3, 2021.

 

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

 

So far, 55 visitors have tested positive to COVID-19 after arrival, amounting to 0.28% of all Sandbox tourists.

 

The Sandbox campaign allows international tourists to come from areas with only low transmission of COVID-19, plus full vaccination with WHO or Thai FDA approved vaccines 14 days prior to arrival.

 

Mr Thanakorn said the government has urged related agencies to enhance safety measures to protect tourists, and to secure areas that could be dangerous for visitors.

 

He said visitor safety improvement measures must be implemented, alongside strict COVID-19 screening and security surveillance.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-08-15

 

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[Scrotobike]

TAT spreading kitty litter from its box.

[aussiexpat]

You might want to fix the typo as only 20,000 people have used the sandbox, not 200,000 as stated

 

"The Center for Economic Situation Administration’s (CESA) Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said today that Phuket has welcomed some 200,000 international visitors since the start of the Phuket Sandbox campaign on 1st July..."

[cardinalblue]

Great to lower to 7 days but to control where they can go for the next 7 days is a joke…this is no longer about public health and disease prevention but dictating and promoting selected tourism sites…

 

why not CM or Pattaya? Maybe they live there and want to go home….enough if this BS control to promote tourism and trying to turn it into a cash cow beyond 7 days….

 

 

 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by cardinalblue

[JayClay]

Yea... Good luck with that, TAT

[Almer]

40 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Great to lower to 7 days but to control where they can go for the next 7 days is a joke…this is no longer about public health and disease prevention but dictating and promoting selected tourism sites…

 

why not CM or Pattaya? Maybe they live there and want to go home….enough if this BS control to promote tourism and trying to turn it into a cash cow beyond 7 days….

 

 

 

 

Dangerous dreamers 

[Solinvictus]

Yeah..right..right...

 

Can't even have a beer out in the open beach side amongst friends? GTFO

[spidermike007]

Get real. Man up. Face reality. Covid here is raging on. And you are still pretending the outside world is a risk? 

 

No. A tourist coming here is taking a far greater risk, than a Thai being exposed to them. So, scrap the restrictions tomorrow. Open the nation up to tourism. Let the people make a living, or show the decency to support them.

 

Do something. Do anything but continually shut down the businesses of the small guy. 

[chilly07]

If as they claim it works based on 14 days incarceration keep it àt 14 days. Island hopping isn't the answer as they don't all have airports and travel within Thailand is being restricted quite rightly by zoning. Get on with vaccinating the Thai population and not just a few litter boxes and opening up will follow

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Phuket has welcomed some 200,000 international visitors since the start of the Phuket Sandbox campaign on 1st July,

Really?

[Caldera]

Selected places, bla bla, all that nonsense is too complicated for 99% of all potential visitors. They come to relax; if they wanted to deal with bureaucracy, they could just as well stay at home and file their tax return (or do something equally "fun").

 

Here's the real killer though: Thailand has recently been red listed by many countries. At this point, the real worry for many isn't getting into Thailand without too much hassle, but returning without too much hassle.

 

[Uroller]

50 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Really?

I think we need a recount, think it’s more like 20,000????

[superal]

3 hours ago, Solinvictus said:

Yeah..right..right...

 

Can't even have a beer out in the open beach side amongst friends? GTFO

This is a big off put to many a tourist and needs to be addressed . I can accept a public drinking ban such as street or beach drinking but having a beer with your vaccinated friends in your hotel should be allowed .

[Solinvictus]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Get real. Man up. Face reality. Covid here is raging on. And you are still pretending the outside world is a risk? 

 

No. A tourist coming here is taking a far greater risk, than a Thai being exposed to them. So, scrap the restrictions tomorrow. Open the nation up to tourism. Let the people make a living, or show the decency to support them.

 

Do something. Do anything but continually shut down the businesses of the small guy. 

Excellent post. I really appreciate it. Having a sort of 'fresh' new look look at this from another angle is just what often times brings me positivity about many aspects of Thai!

[BusyB]

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

Selected places, bla bla, all that nonsense is too complicated for 99% of all potential visitors. They come to relax; if they wanted to deal with bureaucracy, they could just as well stay at home and file their tax return (or do something equally "fun").

 

Here's the real killer though: Thailand has recently been red listed by many countries. At this point, the real worry for many isn't getting into Thailand without too much hassle, but returning without too much hassle.

 

And whether or not their (proper, western) health insurance will cover them ...

[ChC1]

They still did not get it. It is not an issue about where we can go after 7 days or 14 days. It is about your bloody nuisance of CoE application and the stupid 2 apps forced to install! I am happy to stay at a five stars resort for 7 days doing nothing. But the process of CoE and the 2 apps stealing my personal information is not worth it. 

 

If you want genuine tourists who are happy to be a beach whale happy staying within a resort without going outside to spend money (like the Russians they try to attract), you need to simplify the application of CoE and cancel the requirement of the 2 app.

 

What you should do is to allow tourists come for 10 days or under to simply submit a copy of vaccination certificate and sign a document state he/she will leave within 10 days and will pay tests fees. Maybe with hotel reservation required. If you can simplify the entry requirement to that level for genuine tourists who just want a 7 to 10 days beach holiday, you may be able to attract more people.

 

Incidentally, Phuket seek Green status for UK travel made the news here in UK. However, if Thailand does not simplify the CoE entry requirements, nobody with right mind will come (except the expat or who have families in Thailand) 

[newnative]

Still not 'relaxed' enough.

[nkg]

Get rid of the rip-off "Thai COVID insurance".

 

So far 20,000 people have been forced to purchase this policy. Has a single claim been made yet? Has even one vaccinated tourist been hospitalized?

 

Assuming 20,000 people paid an average of 5,000 baht each, that's 100 million baht spent on policies that have probably paid out zero baht. Ca-ching!

[nkg]

8 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

You might want to fix the typo as only 20,000 people have used the sandbox, not 200,000 as stated

 

"The Center for Economic Situation Administration’s (CESA) Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said today that Phuket has welcomed some 200,000 international visitors since the start of the Phuket Sandbox campaign on 1st July..."

 

The original article quoted by Thaivisa says 20,000:

 

 

Quote

The Center for Economic Situation Administration’s (CESA) Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, said today that Phuket has welcomed some 20,000 international visitors since the start of the Phuket Sandbox campaign on 1st July, leading to 371,826 night bookings at hotels in Q3, 2021.

https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG210814180343299

[kimamey]

I don't know if this will appeal to real tourists but for those of us who are just returning home and happen to live in tourist areas that are included then it's great.

 

My only question is will Mahasarakham be on that list?

[ThaiFelix]

Why not make it just 1 day, that would be just as idiotic as 7 and coming from TAT no-one would be surprised.