SURVEY: Sandbox -- the way to go or just a failing PR stunt?

[Scouse123]

5 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Vaccine passport? Countries are now setting expiry dates even for those. Austria and Croatia will not accept passports older than 210 days. If Thailand did same that would mean neither myself nor my Thai wife could visit after January 29th 2022.

Like I said earlier this nonsense will never stop

They will do booster shots to extend your immunity cover.

 

The World and all the governments want this over just as much as we do and are working hard to achieve just that.

[Scouse123]

Sandbox plus other measures are the way to go to get open as quickly as possible, Mass vaccination which is well underway, Thailand does need to pivot away from tourism but that will be a 10-20 year programme and nor for right now.

 

The country needs to get the $$$$$ rolling and get the country moving paying attention to Covid19 but not allowing it to dominate, it doesn't deserve that level of lockdown.

 

We now know how to prevent the most serious effects, vaccines, vaccines and vaccines.

 

As fast as possible.

[ourmanflint]

5 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

They will do booster shots to extend your immunity cover.

 

The World and all the governments want this over just as much as we do and are working hard to achieve just that.

That's the problem though isn't it? No booster, no travel. At one point does it stop?

[ourdon]

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Exactly this.....  I am on my 3rd return to Thailand (since the outbreak) - First two were ASQ (15 nights and 10 nights) - this time is is 14 nights Sandbox and a much more palatable prospect than being locked up in a hotel room.

 

It's also much nicer being able to spend the same amount of money on a pool villa than a hotel room in Bangkok. The prospect of being free to go to restaurants, go to the beach, rent a motorcycle and ride around and even go to a bar for a few beers makes the outlook potentially enjoyable. 

 

Additionally, there also the prospect of bringing my family down to stay with me during the Sandbox quarantine (if Phuket opens up to domestic tourism at that time). 

 

But... None of the above ‘improves’ things for Thailand, for myself and returnees like myself all the Sandbox has done is ‘divert’ the money from ASQ hotels in Bangkok to hotels in Phuket. That said, local restaurants etc may recognise a very minor benefit but I am under no illusion that ‘Sandboxers’ are making any notable financial contribution to the local economy - the numbers of Sandbox arrivals are just too small. 

 

As an experiment the Sandbox scheme has shown that Vaccinated and PCR tested international arrivals do not present a covid risk to Thailand - Thus, from this perspective the scheme is a success, but only if Thailand can avoid the ‘pathetic discussions’ and act intelligently solely on results by opening up completely to vaccinated international arrivals. 

 

We are sooo screwed.

[DaveSamutP]

Interesting perspective from what sounds like a young person.

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by DaveSamutP

[mtls2005]

They've created a monster, maybe it seemed like a good idea to some desperate people, and now they have to live with it.

 

Or hope it floats away on its own?

 

 

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, newnative said:

  I selected the second choice but I didn't like any of the choices.  I would have liked something like: 'Thailand needs tourism and should open up with no quarantine to fully vaccinated tourists' as another choice.

I don't think the choices could have been any better, but I agree with the second part of your post.

[NoshowJones]

12 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

They will do booster shots to extend your immunity cover.

 

The World and all the governments want this over just as much as we do and are working hard to achieve just that.

This is a very sensible post, though I'm not sure about the last part, going by what I see in Thailand, it seems that governments the world over are using this pandemic to get richer. Imagine the profit margins in everything from testing to PLFs etc, etc, etc. 

How many senior politicians in major countries have had their personal finances drop? Compare that to ordinary people in most other jobs who still have them, whose earnings have dropped considerably.

[Scouse123]

9 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

That's the problem though isn't it? No booster, no travel. At one point does it stop?

It stops buddy,  IMHO, when we can all live our life as near normal as pre Covid19 

 

I am 59 years old and I am not spending whatever time I have left " Living in a box"

 

I will sacrifice and make allowances and lose aspects of my life to fulfill vaccine requirements if it means I can go meet friends and family and live a little.

 

I am not going to be bloody minded and dig my heels in about vaccines this or that.  I want to travel , I want to be safe and I want others safe around me. 

[Uroller]

The sandbox is a desperate attempt to make money and save face! The country is suffering the results of pitiful pandemic/vaccination management and still promote tourism???????? A friend who lives in Phuket flew to London to get vaccinated, got his 2 shots of Pfizer and returned and still had to purchase 14 days at a hotel that was less than a mile from his condo in Phuket, utter BS! One word Pathetic!

[superal]

On 8/22/2021 at 2:39 PM, james1943 said:

I went to America to get my 2 jabs and I am now in the sand box for 1 more week before I can go to my home in the northeast. The sand box is a lot cheaper than being quarantined in Bangkok plus you are free to go out and see and do things. Thailand has been my home for 16 years and after going back to America last month I really feel sorry for the people that have to live there with all the illegals and more coming everyday and the problems they predict that will happen on 9/11 

YES i think it is a very good deal. I wish more people would do it to help the Thai people and to keep the sandbox open. 

Hi James , 

                  Please tell me how you plan to travel to your home in the north east as the Thai government have suspended interprovincial flights till the end of August ?

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Uroller said:

The sandbox is a desperate attempt to make money and save face! The country is suffering the results of pitiful pandemic/vaccination management and still promote tourism???????? A friend who lives in Phuket flew to London to get vaccinated, got his 2 shots of Pfizer and returned and still had to purchase 14 days at a hotel that was less than a mile from his condo in Phuket, utter BS! One word Pathetic!

Sounds like a successful trip for him, although why he couldn't get vaccinated in Phuket I do not know. A lot of vaccinations were redirected there early on in the sandbox planning. Having to pay for 2 weeks in hotel, yet still free to wander, seems silly but the requirements were drawn up for tourism not residents..... better than a quarantine hotel I expect.

[superal]

Not sure how the Thai government intended the " sandbox " to work because it is definitely not made for tourists as most entertainment venues are closed and the remaining hotels operating under the SHA plus system are offering minimal services . Previous reports from posts on this forum are not exaggerating when they say that Phuket is dead and boarded up . So for potential Thai tourists who have been to Thailand previously and enjoyed the entertainment / bars , forget it cos it has vanished and you will be wasting your money , go to the mediterranean places where everything is open . However if the Thai government have set up the "sandbox " to allow expats to return to their families & friends , then it is a welcome gesture but I am intrigued to why more places are being added to the "sandbox " scheme when the Phuket guinea pig island is all but empty . 

Hint to TAT ,  have SHA + type bars where all workers are double jabbed with AZ or Pfizer ( not Chinese WHO unapproved ) vaccine and same for patrons , all controlled by government approved staff and then watch the tourists arrive .

One of my concerns is that some proof of vaccination paperwork from certain countries may not be authentic , I have recently read . Any arrival testing positive should not be sent to a crowded covid hospital  but should be quarantined in their SHA + hotel room until well again or transferred to a hospital using the covid insurance policy  . Countries suspected of faking vaccine certs should be banned from the "sandbox " scheme .

[zaZa9]

On 8/22/2021 at 2:01 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Exactly this.....  I am on my 3rd return to Thailand (since the outbreak) - First two were ASQ (15 nights and 10 nights) - this time is is 14 nights Sandbox and a much more palatable prospect than being locked up in a hotel room.

 

It's also much nicer being able to spend the same amount of money on a pool villa than a hotel room in Bangkok. The prospect of being free to go to restaurants, go to the beach, rent a motorcycle and ride around and even go to a bar for a few beers makes the outlook potentially enjoyable. 

 

Additionally, there also the prospect of brining my family down to stay with me during the Sandbox quarantine (if Phuket opens up to domestic tourism at that time). 

 

But... None of the above ‘improves’ things for Thailand, for myself and returnees like myself all the Sandbox has done is ‘divert’ the money from ASQ hotels in Bangkok to hotels in Phuket. That said, local restaurants etc may recognise a very minor benefit but I am under no illusion that ‘Sandboxers’ are making any notable financial contribution to the local economy - the numbers of Sandbox arrivals are just too small. 

 

As an experiment the Sandbox scheme has shown that Vaccinated and PCR tested international arrivals do not present a covid risk to Thailand - Thus, from this perspective the scheme is a success, but only if Thailand can avoid the ‘pathetic discussions’ and act intelligently solely on results by opening up completely to vaccinated international arrivals. 

 

 

 A very well balanced post and worthy of comment.

I live very near Patong , and of  those I know in business there , and admittedly they arent large or 5 star business owners ,  most have felt some benefits from Sandbox.

Its more of a case of being able to reopen their doors , or not having to liquidate , than thriving , but its something none-the-less.

The experiment has proven that tourists arriving from Nations experiencing high Covid infection rates CAN be welcomed.

Further , the Sandbox visitors Ive met , have been very happy to be free to experience the outdoors and the beauty of this island while under a theoretical quarantine.

Not one has complained about no alcohol in their resorts , in fact Ive heard  the opposite , and that the savings on being allowed bring their own drinks poolside etc is welcomed.

 

As for going out , one would have to be blind  to not notice the crowded bar/restaurants with punters drinking rather rapidly from coffee mugs ...

 

If those in charge could reduce the paperwork next , in particular getting rid the C of E , this initiative could do even better.