SAMUI (NNT) - Over 650 rooms have been booked on Koh Samui after reservations were opened for only three days, with Bangkok Airways also restarting flights from Phuket to the island, signaling keen interest in the reopening of Thailand’s south to tourism.

 

Bangkok Airways flight PG254 has transported 24 international tourists to Samui International Airport as part of the Phuket Extension 7+7 program allowing travelers within the Phuket Sandbox to continue onward to approved destinations such as Koh Samui. The flight was previously suspended on August 3 due to the COVID-19 situation.

 

Koh Samui Tourism Promotion Association Chairman, Rachaporn Pulsawad explained today that Phuket Extension 7+7 allows tourists who have been in Phuket for seven days to spend another seven on the islands of Samui, Phangan and Tao. He said over the three days since the program was announced, 650 hotel bookings were made on Koh Samui, calling the number satisfactory. He elaborated that arrivals have to be swabbed for COVID-19 twice, as part of strict virus preventative measures.

 

The chairman noted that the government’s approval of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines have allowed tourists from Russia and Ukraine to return to the Thai south. The development is in time for the regular arrival period of Russian and Ukrainian travelers, in the fourth quarter of each year. Surat Thani International Airport is being proposed as a direct destination for Russian flights and the association is looking to establish a Samui Sandbox.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-08-27

 

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24 people and 650 room nights booked

 

Tourism is well and truely on the rebound yippie

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The development is in time for the regular arrival period of Russian and Ukrainian travelers

 

I can see a nice few conversations over tea and biscuits on the beach here....????

Some private villas are also receiving benefit from the Phuket ex-sandbox guests.

At the moment it is more of a blip rather than a hike, but early days.

Comment from one guest - 'Oh there's the sun. We have had nothing but rain for 14 days.'

4 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Comment from one guest - 'Oh there's the sun. We have had nothing but rain for 14 days.'

So they're the ones responsible for this then...

 

 

2 minutes ago, Neilly said:

So they're the ones responsible for this then...

Yes.

Everyone that we have checked in from Phuket for the last month has complained about the rain there.

We are getting their 'leftovers'.

4 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

We are getting their 'leftovers'.

I know you're up the top in the pointy bit...but I'm down the south end and if this is 'Leftovers' I'd hate to be part of the 'Main Course'!

16 minutes ago, Neilly said:

I know you're up the top in the pointy bit...but I'm down the south end and if this is 'Leftovers' I'd hate to be part of the 'Main Course'!

Nothing up here today. Lots of distant thunder though.

The west coast and the hills here get a LOT more rain than we do.

How many of them booking will change their mind though ????

18 hours ago, Pmbkk said:

 

I can see a nice few conversations over tea and biscuits on the beach here....????

Yeah,

 

Like the Ukrainians asking the Russians for the Crimea back!

15 hours ago, Tropicalevo said:

Some private villas are also receiving benefit from the Phuket ex-sandbox guests.

At the moment it is more of a blip rather than a hike, but early days.

Comment from one guest - 'Oh there's the sun. We have had nothing but rain for 14 days.'

It rainy season on Phuket in July and August.

After thailand being added to the uk red list and surely most other euro countries to do the same bye bye to tourist arrivals.  Only returning ex-pats and people returning to families like myself will come. Id rather qurantine (locked up) in a hotel in bkk for 15 days rather than pay the silly sandbox money and risk getting covid from a local