Phuket Sandbox is failing foreign tourists: tourism official

[Andy65]

26 minutes ago, khunpa said:

If me I would focus on domestic tourism to get Phuket and the other tourist destinations back to life.

 

E.g. Offer cheap holiday packages with a free covid test and vacation before arrival. Then offer the last vaccination on site before returning back home.

 

Once you have domestic tourism running, you then open up to foreigners and it will be a more “normal” holiday experience.

 

Of course this would require Government investment, but it would be worth it in the long run.

Phuket is open for domestic tourists. Just need to fulfill the requirements and find a way to get here.

[Somtamnication]

Bad farang. Where is Anutin when you need him!

[arick]

I could of told them this!  I did post on here before phuket is a cat litter box.  I guess that's to harsh my cats litter box looks much nicer and I have 9

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

But he said that the Sandbox needs to remain or the island would have no tourists in October high season.

When will these people get it into their thick heads.............there will not be a high season, in October or any other month.

 

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, Andy65 said:

Phuket is open for domestic tourists. Just need to fulfill the requirements and find a way to get here.

Have they lifted the restriction on entry, I have not seen it posted anywhere as of yet, in fact I just read that the Phuket Governor has extended the restrictions until September 14th in the Phuket news. Not sure I can post the link.  "Phuket Covid Restrictions extended" is what the article is titled.  I did not see anything indicating you could arrive as a tourist.  I know delivery trucks etc, can arrive....

 

Edited August 30, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[Abik]

This is really stupid conduct.  Tourists should receive a green pass for free movement in Phuket and the surrounding islands, subject to a double vaccine received at most five months earlier.  

Tourists will not fly such a long way just to visit Phuket without the surrounding islands, and certainly not to pass a series of endless expensive checks.

[nobodysfriend]

1 hour ago, RafPinto said:

Soon new sandboxes opening/ as mentioned by a friend.

Soi Cowboy feel good sandbox

Soi 6 happy time back sandbox

Nana forever sandbox

The sand has to be changed sometimes then ...

[ukrules]

Believe it or not there's still people out there who think there's going to be a high season this winter ????

 

There's not.....

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

The sand has to be changed sometimes then ...

Yes imagine digging into it and finding ........your ATM card

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

This is the information that needs to be reported in foreign countries and not the bull TAT are spinning..!!

Don't you think all the worlds embassies in Thailand know the real story?

Phuket was a con from the very start, from how many vaccinations had been given out, how healthy were the Thais coming into Phuket.

As far as not being able to have a beer or wine or what was closed was always going to be a sticking point, as was the being subjected to multiple tests after arrival, and on traveling to other destinations.

They shot themselves in the foot when local infection rates started to escalate due to their insistence everything was safe to open on time.

[nobodysfriend]

In the long run , they will have no other choice than opening up everything again . Covid or not . But it would look better if new Covid cases come down a lot before that . Will they succeed in bringing them down ?

Well , it depends a lot on their ability and on the Virus itself ...

[ChipButty]

30 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

Bad farang. Where is Anutin when you need him!

He's been keeping his head down for a while 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Well well well, how the worm has turned.  Seems that the 150k visitirs by years end that was dropped from 3 million may be even too many as Phuket saw a mass exodus of British folks, many who had just arrived, in order to return home before the mandatory quarantines started in the UK.  Then add in the expanding cases  reported for Phuket and one wonders how many were vaccinated prior to becoming infected.  There are many folks who see the sandbox as succeeding, but now there are even officials who are taking a step back it appears.  I wish the tourism for the country much luck, but as of now and my guess will be until a year from now we may only be seeing domestic tourism with the restrictions they have just lifted and the advent of green cards and yellow cards being needed.

Probably a lot lees than the 70% were vaccinated as promised, and then only one shot of the useless Sinovac against the DElta strain.

Maybe we see the Phuket strategy happening nationally, at the moment 30% have had one shot, mostly Sinovac, and talks are becoming push to re-open.

[spidermike007]

Unless the timid ones gain some courage, and open the nation to tourism, with no restrictions, no quarantine and no sandbox, they will only get 10-30,000 tourists, for the remainder of 2021. 

Require double vaccination, with a top quality vax, unlike the Sinovax being used here. And require a covid negative test. And restrict only the nations that are at the top of the covid list. That is all.

And remember, with the daily count rising here, international tourists are taking a far greater risk by being here, and being exposed to the Thais, than the Thai people are taking by being exposed to them. Lastly, Thailand needs the world right now, 20X more than the world needs Thailand. This is not the COTKU (Center of the known universe). The locals are in a world of hurt, economically. And it may last a very, very long time. I predict five years, and the fallout will be worse than 1997. And most of it appears to be sabotage. Willful or not.

It they do a re-opening many ex-pats will return. Only a small number of tourists. My guess would be if they re-opened with NO restrictions at all next year, they might see a million tourists. Maybe. Two million by 2023-2025. Possibly as many as 5 million, five years from now. Getting the tourists to come back here is going to be infinitely harder than they think. First and foremost, the lower to middle income crowd from China, India and Malaysia have been hard hit by all of this Covid <deleted>, and it will take a long time before most of them are ready to spend alot of money on vacations.

Second, the longer Thailand waits, the harder it is going to be. Thailand is already being forgotten, and is the laughing stock of the planet at this time, for the ridiculous number of restrictions imposed on anyone who wants to come here, even though it is them taking the risk, NOT the Thais, and the locals here are the real zombies now, and the real threat to the health of an incoming tourist. 

Third, they never even considered addressing any of the issues plaguing the industry, long before Covid. And they continue to use Covid as a cover story, for any and all issues pertaining to tourism. The industry is basically finished here. Five years from now it will be a pale shadow of it's former self. Tourism here is essentially finished.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

He's been keeping his head down for a while 

But he did say just 2 days ago, that once opened there is no going back in reference to the malls, and restaurants.  I did read that somewhere....

[jimn]

The Sandbox is great for anyone who is returning to live in Thailand or someone who is coming to Thailand to see their wife, girlfriend or family. Those who think that it is still a holiday option are sadly mistaken.

[ChipButty]

I dont see TAT posting new arrivals maybe thats gone down

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Probably a lot lees than the 70% were vaccinated as promised, and then only one shot of the useless Sinovac against the DElta strain.

Maybe we see the Phuket strategy happening nationally, at the moment 30% have had one shot, mostly Sinovac, and talks are becoming push to re-open.

I believe that the well has run dry and the coffers laid bare....however, the baht has climbed up, unsure how thats possible with the US economy and all picking up steam.  Maybe it was the increase in exports Thailand had last month.....sure was not from the increase in International tourism to the Sandbox.  20k guests in just 2 months is really sad.

[ukrules]

2 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

But he did say just 2 days ago, that once opened there is no going back in reference to the malls, and restaurants.  I did read that somewhere....

Yes, you did read that and it's what was said.

 

It's wrong though, there's always a way to go back.

 

This is the price they're now paying for enforcing 'zero covid', there was always a toll to pay during this pandemic - they delayed it a while and are now very far behind the rest of the world.

 

Speaking of the rest of the world - lets not think for one minute that this is ending elsewhere - it's not.

 

I see no reason whatsoever why winter 2021 will be much if any different to winter 2020 - anywhere.

[milesinnz]

[Skeptic7]

Thailand is a joke...

 

Q: At what is Thailand always successful???

 

A: Failing! 

[terryofcrete]

Every time I saw a TAT press release the words "generating an income of ...." jumped off the page at me re-enforcing my understanding of the general ....and the General's .....Thai mentality .... 

Edited August 30, 2021 by terryofcrete

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Thailand is a joke...

 

Q: At what is Thailand always successful???

 

A: Failing! 

Counterfeiting 

[Fat is a type of crazy]

23 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Second, the longer Thailand waits, the harder it is going to be. Thailand is already being forgotten, and is the laughing stock of the planet at this time, for the ridiculous number of restrictions imposed on anyone who wants to come here, even though it is them taking the risk, NOT the Thais, and the locals here are the real zombies now, and the real threat to the health of an incoming tourist. 

Third, they never even considered addressing any of the issues plaguing the industry, long before Covid. And they continue to use Covid as a cover story, for any and all issues pertaining to tourism. The industry is basically finished here. Five years from now it will be a pale shadow of it's former self. Tourism here is essentially finished.

 

 

 

 

I think most people have no bad sentiments or feelings about Thailand. The UK people have had some bad news but that is  just a short term thing.

I think there's millions  of people who just can't wait for an overseas beach holiday and Thailand is high on the list. Other options like Bali will be  popular too but they have fared a bit worse through this. 

By two years tourism will be back in a huge way. Australians. Russians. Indians. EC countries and the UK too. Lots of people want a beach holiday and Thailand hits the spot. 

Edited August 30, 2021 by Fat is a type of crazy

[expat_4_life]

27 minutes ago, newnative said:

  Everything needs to be open with no restrictions and only proof of full vaccination required.  Either open that way or stay closed.  

I agree, if you're fully vaxxed, you know the risks and take your chances.  

What more than get vaxxed can someone, including tourists,  do? 

Should tourists that are fully vaxxed be made to undergo testing and subject to other restrictions?

 

I'm also not a huge fan of even having to produce proof of vaccination or the testing.  We'll see where it all leads., but I'm not gonna put myself at risk by not getting vaxxed.

 

Foe now I'm not traveling if they require proof of vaccination, quarantines, etc, not going travel anywhere until all restrictions are lifted.   The same applies to local anything, restaurants, shopping malls, pubs etc.

 

I don't mind masking up though, reducing risk makes sense, vaxxed or not.

[Bluespunk]

21 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I dont see TAT posting new arrivals maybe thats gone down

They're still pushing their usual line of BS

 

 

[Skeptic7]

4 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Counterfeiting 

Lying

[LivinLOS]

In other news..

TAT predicts 42 grazillion baht in 2021 with each of exactly 2684 arriving tourists spending 132,000 per day and 400,000 room nights by the end of the year.. 

[Cake Monster]

5 hours ago, ezzra said:

Imagine if the y had the truth about Phuket who would have come? some probably would but only those who care about the beaches and the views, but anyone who thought that bars restaurants and other places of fun would be open got very disappointed, and i know, i just been there...

Maybe the first wave of Tourists were sucked in by all the BS, but surely people such as yourself that had boots on the ground will, through Social Media , be telling it as it really is.

There can only be one outcome from the truth getting into the open, but these delusional fools seem to think people from Foreign Lands are actually chomping at the bit to get here.

[LivinLOS]

6 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I think most people have no bad sentiments or feelings about Thailand. The UK people have had some bad news but that is  just a short term thing.

I think there's millions  of people who just can't wait for an overseas beach holiday and Thailand is high on the list. Other options like Bali will be  popular too but they have fared a bit worse through this. 

By two years tourism will be back in a huge way. Australians. Russians. Indians. EC countries and the UK too. Lots of people want a beach holiday and Thailand hits the spot. 

News items like bloomberg listing Thailand as one of the worst places in the world to be at this stage of the pandemic.. UK red list.. USA, China, OZ etc all not coming.. 

Phuket sandbox merely allowed a system of bypassing ASQ for most part.. Which is why theres barely a handful who have gone to Samui Plus as it all come down to the easiest / cheapest route back in. 

2 years time ?? The tourist industry and the banks that are financing all these hotels, taxis, etc etc are not going to last 2 years.. Sure in 2 years some semblance of numbers will come back but the current players will be bankrupted without this years high season. Cest la vie.. They played the debt growth game expecting better years every year. Its a long time since 97 and it took well over a decade to clear out that malinvestment, this ones far worse.