Dying to re-open: Phuket business leaders push for Dec 1 full re-opening

[webfact]

A restaurant sits closed and abandoned in Patong. Photo: Chutharat Plerin

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Key Phuket tourism industry leaders have submitted a formal proposal to reopen the island fully to tourism on Dec 1 under the standard ‘New Normal’ regulations already in effect under a campaign called “Phuket Freedom Day”.

 

The proposal was submitted to Phuket officials and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) earlier this week, Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Thanusak Phungdet confirmed.

 

The plan relies on officials vaccinating the island with third ‘booster shot’ vaccinations by the end of October, Mr Thanusak explained.

 

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Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/dying-to-re-open-phuket-business-leaders-push-for-dec-1-full-re-opening-81358.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-09-11

 

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[2long]

I REALLY hope that most of the country can be open without quarantine, and with bars and nightlife available, by December 1st at the latest! ????????????????

If this doesn't happen, imagine the lost revenue for westerners wanting to come for Christmas & New Year. ????

[Scrotobike]

Phuket tourist leaders are idiots.

Phuket has as much covid as many other places

Whilst I look forward to fully normal Thailand - enough of focusing on these muppets and their litterbox.

[Somtamnication]

It won't happen. Only a matter  time before  the new MU variant arrives. Buckle up!

[jippytum]

Business leaders want full reopenlng regardless of the current covid situation and the safety of customers.  I hope the selfish pleas from buisness leaders are treated with caution. 

[robblok]

Yes Phuket is showing how opening up is not a good idea yet business leaders want it. Not so strange most people who are hit in the pocket or in their fun want the rules to go away so they can make money again. Its even worse in Thailand because the government does not really support the people who are losing money and jobs. 

 

So its not really surprising they call for this, even the government wants to open up more while there are still far to few people vaccinated and the virus has still a large presence. Money talks in the end and its hard to sustain not opening.

 

From a health point of view its not smart, but we will see.

 

 

[Guderian]

What could possibly go wrong with this cunning plan?

 

• Thailand is still on the forbidden list of most western countries, so quarantine on returning home will be required.
• China is locked up tighter than a clam as far as tourist travel outside the country is concerned.
• By December, the next Winter wave of infections and deaths will be ramping up nicely across the northern hemisphere.
• The Phuket sandbox has shown clearly that, no matter what precautions are taken, the virus will find its way into the community and spread like wildfire (55 cases per 100K people in Phuket, compared with 21 nationally).

 

Now what else have I missed?

[RichardColeman]

40 minutes ago, jippytum said:

Business leaders want full reopenlng regardless of the current covid situation and the safety of customers.  I hope the selfish pleas from buisness leaders are treated with caution. 

Yes I hope the selfish pleas of all the unemployed, homeless and bahtless Thai people due to covid are also treated with caution too !!!

 

Open up now, no restrictions  the economy of every country on the planet needs it. Flash you jab info at the airport and be done with it. This insanity cannot continue

[Jiggo]

3 hours ago, 2long said:

I REALLY hope that most of the country can be open without quarantine, and with bars and nightlife available, by December 1st at the latest! ????????????????

If this doesn't happen, imagine the lost revenue for westerners wanting to come for Christmas & New Year. ????

Think the ''Westerners'' will save quite a lot.

[stigar]

OMG.Well..im not going to thailand...VIETNAM here i comes..beer in Bangkok 220 bath..vietnam 22 bath..

even i dont fancy vietnam girls im going there 

[Deli]

1 hour ago, Guderian said:

What could possibly go wrong with this cunning plan?

 

• Thailand is still on the forbidden list of most western countries, so quarantine on returning home will be required.
• China is locked up tighter than a clam as far as tourist travel outside the country is concerned.
• By December, the next Winter wave of infections and deaths will be ramping up nicely across the northern hemisphere.
• The Phuket sandbox has shown clearly that, no matter what precautions are taken, the virus will find its way into the community and spread like wildfire (55 cases per 100K people in Phuket, compared with 21 nationally).

 

Now what else have I missed?

You missed clearly where the majority of latest cases have been occuring. Nothing to do at all with tourism but with HUGE failure of the Governor. Again. 

[3NUMBAS]

europe will be into another lockdown by then with winter cases up again as expected

for flu and covid

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

PHUKET: Key Phuket tourism industry leaders have submitted a formal proposal to reopen the island fully to tourism on Dec 1 under the standard ‘New Normal’ regulations already in effect under a campaign called “Phuket Freedom Day”

I sincerely hope the Phuket health authorities can cope.

[Chiang Mai Will]

4 hours ago, 2long said:

I REALLY hope that most of the country can be open without quarantine, and with bars and nightlife available, by December 1st at the latest! ????????????????

If this doesn't happen, imagine the lost revenue for westerners wanting to come for Christmas & New Year. ????

Christmas and New Year?

 

There's a couple of months left before I would need to plan for Christmas in the LoS!  First, I need to look at the likely forseeable problems:

 

• Will I have to go into Quarantine? If so for how long and how much will it cost me?
• Will everything be open? I don't want to go if nothing is open!
• Will we be able to visit mother-in-law or will there be any travel restrictions in place?
• What pre-flight checks will I need to do to enter the LoS?
• What visa restrictions will I have to look at before flying?
• How much Covid insurance will I have to take out -- from a Thai insurance company?
• Due to lack of flights to the LoS, will flight prices come down from the ridiculous prices being charged now?
• Will there be more planes flying then and will I have more choice of flight times and airlines?
• Less customers so higher prices: Will the Thais apply their usual practice of charging exorbitant prices to make up for lost business?
• How long will I have to go into quarantine when I fly back home?
• How much will I have to pay for my quarantine hotel when I return home?
• Can I afford to take all this time off work?
• WILL THE SITUATION CHANGE WHILST I'M ENJOYING MY CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR HOLIDAY TO MAKE ME REGRET GOING?

I think not! We'll have another "festive season" home here!

 

 

[hotchilli]

28 minutes ago, stigar said:

OMG.Well..im not going to thailand...VIETNAM here i comes..beer in Bangkok 220 bath..vietnam 22 bath..

even i dont fancy vietnam girls im going there 

BAHT... please.

[10baht]

It is so simple - not COE <deleted> and vaccinated everyone.

[Burma Bill]

Dying to re-open

In my opinion, not appropriate words to use.

[hotchilli]

Dying to open-up is not a term I would use just now, some people are doing just that because it wasn't ready to open up first time around.

[DaiHard]

2 hours ago, jippytum said:

Business leaders want full reopenlng regardless of the current covid situation and the safety of customers.  I hope the selfish pleas from buisness leaders are treated with caution. 

Israel has the highest percentage of vaccinated people and a huge number of covid cases (per capita one of the highest in the world) and the UK is running @ 39,000 new cases a day, USA 177,000 and even Australia has a rapidly increasing number of cases - 1,800 today - up from ~30 a day just before they brought in their 'stasi' style lockdown. Meanwhile Denmark and Sweden have now fully opened up. Do you honestly believe covid will go away? It's with us now, it is probably in pigs, bats and birds now, and will eventually mutant into flu/common cold. So impoverishing people, with the attendant problems such as crime/suicide/despair, just to keep you happy may not be feasible.

[Scrotobike]

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

It won't happen. Only a matter  time before  the new MU variant arrives. Buckle up!

It could be here - Thailand does not perform enough DNA testing on covid cases (hence red listed by the UK) and even if it did according to some of the CCSA there are 4-5million untested. This level of Covid spread could create some interesting new variants here in Thailand (again)

[Scrotobike]

3 minutes ago, DaiHard said:

Israel has the highest percentage of vaccinated people and a huge number of covid cases (per capita one of the highest in the world) and the UK is running @ 39,000 new cases a day, USA 177,000 and even Australia has a rapidly increasing number of cases - 1,800 today - up from ~30 a day just before they brought in their 'stasi' style lockdown. Meanwhile Denmark and Sweden have now fully opened up. Do you honestly believe covid will go away? It's with us now, it is probably in pigs, bats and birds now, and will eventually mutant into flu/common cold. So impoverishing people, with the attendant problems such as crime/suicide/despair, just to keep you happy may not be feasible.

I must agree with you BUT once all elderly and sick are fully vaccinated with effective vaccines. There are enough Pfizer/AZ jabs on order to do this as all those vaccinated with the Chinese "vaccination" will need either a topup or revaccinating. Then open up completely as hospitals are then protected as best as can be.. This thing will keep spreading. There is no hiding from it.

[IamNoone88]

Thailand can only control what is within Thailand. Anything else is out Thailand's control.

 

The Sandbox is a failure, not because of local cases or local vaccinations rates (though that has clearly not helped), but (i) The desire of tourists to come to Thailand at this time - there is currently no pull factor - arrive for what? (ii) Thailand has absolutely no control over external origin country factors such as the ability of visitors  to freely and easily depart from a home country to Thailand and more importantly (iii) the ability to freely and easily return to a home country - quarantine free. 

 

Hong Kong 3 weeks quarantine, Singapore two quarantine, UK, 10 days, China 3 weeks, Australians cannot even leave ..... NZ etc ... USA travel warnings. The list goes on and there is no sight of this ending yet. All of this is out of Thailand's hands. We have not even mentioned flight availability yet and ease of travel.

 

There are many challenges to attract Tourists and the majority is external factor dictated and not internal. So lets move on from the Sandbox hype ..... 

 

Frankly, the domestic economy has been hurt badly at the expense of "international arrivals". Phuket's isolation has worked against domestic visitors and business.

 

It is, in my opinion, better to open up the domestic economy first as that is controllable and far greater than anything that tourism has brought to Phuket under the Sandbox.

 

There also be a clear divide between returning residents who should not be shoe horned into hotel accommodation when they have invested in their own homes in Thailand. With testing controls in place they should be able to home quarantine. After all, local domestic Covid contacts can now home quarantine to release hospital beds. There is no difference between a negative tested residential arrival and a negative tested close Covid contact. 

 

In my opinion, it will take another two years before tourism starts to return to any normal levels.

 

Airline analysts predict that 2019 levels will not return until at lease 2024/25.

 

Open up the domestic economy.

 

 

[DaiHard]

1 minute ago, Scrotobike said:

I must agree with you BUT once all elderly and sick are fully vaccinated with effective vaccines. There are enough Pfizer/AZ jabs on order to do this as all those vaccinated with the Chinese "vaccination" will need either a topup or revaccinating. Then open up completely as hospitals are then protected as best as can be.. This thing will keep spreading. There is no hiding from it.

And have good stocks of Hydroxychloraquine, Azithramiacian and Ivermectin on hand (together with daily zinc tablets) as prophylactics. [I can't be bothered looking up the correct spelling]

[Mike KIWI]

Denmark is back open. New Zealand may be in lockdowns for years to come.

[madmitch]

Phuket Tourism Council President Thanet Tantipiriyakit explained that opening the island to tourism on Dec 1 could see the more than 200,000 tourists arrive under the Sandbox scheme in December, and even more in the first quarter of next year in addition to boosted numbers of domestic tourists coming to Phuket.

 

Surely fully reopened means exactly that, at least to fully vaccinated tourists; no sandbox, no COE, no covid testing once in the country, bars and restaurants open and a free choice of where to stay, whether SHA+ or not.

 

Or is my interpretation a little different?

[geisha]

2 hours ago, Guderian said:

What could possibly go wrong with this cunning plan?

 

• Thailand is still on the forbidden list of most western countries, so quarantine on returning home will be required.
• China is locked up tighter than a clam as far as tourist travel outside the country is concerned.
• By December, the next Winter wave of infections and deaths will be ramping up nicely across the northern hemisphere.
• The Phuket sandbox has shown clearly that, no matter what precautions are taken, the virus will find its way into the community and spread like wildfire (55 cases per 100K people in Phuket, compared with 21 nationally).

 

Now what else have I missed?

You have missed the fact that most of the COVID infections are local, brought in by Thais returning fro abroad because of very stupid relaxed rules. Why not oblige every Thai arriving in Phuket or elsewhere be obliged to be double vaccinated and full PCR test certificate ? Also the fact that they have to vaccinate all their own people first, and fast . Who are in the hospitals and on ventilators, filling the beds and spreading the virus, their own people. Only then can you open up Thailand properly, but it has to be done super fast, because the Thai people are on their knees, the local economy is broken, Thais need help. That means opening up and helping them. We have to live with this for along time maybe.

[geisha]

31 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Thailand can only control what is within Thailand. Anything else is out Thailand's control.

 

The Sandbox is a failure, not because of local cases or local vaccinations rates (though that has clearly not helped), but (i) The desire of tourists to come to Thailand at this time - there is currently no pull factor - arrive for what? (ii) Thailand has absolutely no control over external origin country factors such as the ability of visitors  to freely and easily depart from a home country to Thailand and more importantly (iii) the ability to freely and easily return to a home country - quarantine free. 

 

Hong Kong 3 weeks quarantine, Singapore two quarantine, UK, 10 days, China 3 weeks, Australians cannot even leave ..... NZ etc ... USA travel warnings. The list goes on and there is no sight of this ending yet. All of this is out of Thailand's hands. We have not even mentioned flight availability yet and ease of travel.

 

There are many challenges to attract Tourists and the majority is external factor dictated and not internal. So lets move on from the Sandbox hype ..... 

 

Frankly, the domestic economy has been hurt badly at the expense of "international arrivals". Phuket's isolation has worked against domestic visitors and business.

 

It is, in my opinion, better to open up the domestic economy first as that is controllable and far greater than anything that tourism has brought to Phuket under the Sandbox.

 

There also be a clear divide between returning residents who should not be shoe horned into hotel accommodation when they have invested in their own homes in Thailand. With testing controls in place they should be able to home quarantine. After all, local domestic Covid contacts can now home quarantine to release hospital beds. There is no difference between a negative tested residential arrival and a negative tested close Covid contact. 

 

In my opinion, it will take another two years before tourism starts to return to any normal levels.

 

Airline analysts predict that 2019 levels will not return until at lease 2024/25.

 

Open up the domestic economy.

 

 

Won’t work, not enough local tourists . It s a drop in the ocean. Also , those traveling would have to be fully vaccinated and tested before leaving or on arrival.

[thailand49]

Nothing new here hidden in the change of name from Sandbox Freedom?  " The New Norm " that is the catch?  Now you got to meet all the Sandbox requirements come Dec 1st, all those requirement will now be the " New Norm "????????

[Nanaplaza666]

2 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said:

europe will be into another lockdown by then with winter cases up again as expected

for flu and covid

Flu ??? Have you missed the part where all those virologists and friends said flu doesn't exist anymore and has magically disapeared . Everything is covid . 

[IamNoone88]

1 hour ago, geisha said:

Won’t work, not enough local tourists . It s a drop in the ocean. Also , those traveling would have to be fully vaccinated and tested before leaving or on arrival.

Sandbox is a failure. That did not work for the reasons prescribed. Hotel managers have told me directly, local tourism and staycations were more successful. But its not about hotels. I have a pan Thailand business to run. I cannot visit my projects, suppliers and employees and return easily. Our expenditure has been stopped or delayed until we can inspect product and work. That is millions of Baht held back from the local economy and circulating to other businesses. Narrow minds never see the bigger picture.