They predicted 100k "tourists" to the Phuket sandbox and got 37k travelers (and my guess is at least 50% of those were just people trying to get back home from abroad). So, now they are predicting 1 million "tourists" in the next 6 months(hahahahahahahahahaha!). If they got 20k actuall holiday-makers during the sandbox, then maybe they will also get about 5-10k in October having reduced the quarantine to 7 days but keeping the process pretty much every bit as cumbersome and complicated. Maybe then they will get even more motivated to reduce the quarantine to actual zero so that tourists and the rest of us will come to Thailand. 

There is still no confirmation that quarantine will be scrapped in November.

 

There is a plan to have Sandboxes in key tourist areas. It is unknown if the plan will be implemented any time soon.

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Seems to me that there's a fairly solid future intent to waive all quarantine (for fully vaccinated travelers) at 1 November.

 

But also seems to me there's also a current strategy to not release this information until say 3rd week of October.

 

Why? Because they fear early release of this policy will automatically push many would be arrivals to wait and enter after 1 Nov.

 

Therefore killing some potential arrivals from entering during first 2 or 3 week of October, therefore they won't be spending money on ASQ hotels then own choice hotels after 7 days quarantine, own choice F and B, shopping during that first 2 or 3 weeks of October. 

 

All being bad news in terms of opportunity for more businesses to open up/get revenues. 

 

We wait and see.

We would never want to see Thailand get screwed on 2 or 3 weeks of easy money on the ASQ SCAM for Vaccinated visitors  

Why does Thailand not see the obvious. I'm ready to travel now, but why book for October with 7 days quarantine if there's even 1% chance there will be no quarantine in November.

Im sure this will be decided and announced on 30 or  31 October as they think foreigners can drop everything and travel with 1 days notice of requirements ????

9 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

No, but the possibility of testing positive and incarcerated in a hospital for 2 weeks might be a tad inconvenient.

Plus the possibility of your insurer not paying up for you being asymptomatic.

76 provinces with 76 different decision makers opening or closing at a whim doesn't inspire confidence.

Just like Koh Tao did.

 

Perhaps you should just remain indoors where you're nice and safe then if that's how you feel.

 

The choice is yours.

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Did I say it was, nope.

Yeah, pretty much.

1 hour ago, club said:

We would never want to see Thailand get screwed on 2 or 3 weeks of easy money on the ASQ SCAM for Vaccinated visitors  

 

Point taken however I'm not really convinced that ASQ is just a scam, to my thinking there's some level of validity behind quarantining people who have arrived from other locations.

 

My comment was aimed more at the daily food and beverage and other touristy spending the arrivals would make which would help local economies, especially helping to keep folks in jobs, keeping vendors etc., afloat.

37 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Point taken however I'm not really convinced that ASQ is just a scam, to my thinking there's some level of validity behind quarantining people who have arrived from other locations.

 

My comment was aimed more at the daily food and beverage and other touristy spending the arrivals would make which would help local economies, especially helping to keep folks in jobs, keeping vendors etc., afloat.

Since they started the Sandbox where it is mandatory you have full vaccination before you enter. Less than 0.5% are flying in testing Covid positive. Hardly a reason to quarantine the other 99.5% people that test negative with full vaccination. Don't be fooled. Its a scam

 

 

Hello to all forum members. I have been reading this forum for many months but have never written here. Every year I came to Thailand for a month and it was never too easy with my passport. A visa and a set of documents were always required: a certificate from the bank, a paid air ticket in both directions, a hotel reservation for the entire period of vacation. Insurance was optional, but I always bought it for my peace of mind (just $20 for 30 days and $70K).
Therefore, for me, the current requirements of the Thai authorities have not become much more difficult. But even for me there are unpleasant requirements for obtaining a Certificate of Entry. For example, I see that I need to show the reservation of all hotels or condos for the entire duration of my vacation. And these must be fully paid bookings. 
How can I know where I will be for 45- 50 days ??? I love to visit many places for 4-7 days and my plans constantly change when I am on vacation (due to weather or personal reasons).
In addition, I was asked to buy insurance from a Thai website. Firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, I can choose 30 days or 60 days. Why can't I choose 35 or 45 days and pay the correct price?
I am also worried about the possibility of getting to the hospital if someone on the plane was sick. I am currently sick with covid and if I survive, I should be immune in the next few months. But no one takes this factor into account ...
I love Thailand and spend a lot of money in this country, but if I had no personal reasons to come to Thailand, I would have chosen another country for rest.

18 minutes ago, Farangus said:

Hello to all forum members. I have been reading this forum for many months but have never written here. Every year I came to Thailand for a month and it was never too easy with my passport. A visa and a set of documents were always required: a certificate from the bank, a paid air ticket in both directions, a hotel reservation for the entire period of vacation. Insurance was optional, but I always bought it for my peace of mind (just $20 for 30 days and $70K).
Therefore, for me, the current requirements of the Thai authorities have not become much more difficult. But even for me there are unpleasant requirements for obtaining a Certificate of Entry. For example, I see that I need to show the reservation of all hotels or condos for the entire duration of my vacation. And these must be fully paid bookings. 
How can I know where I will be for 45- 50 days ??? I love to visit many places for 4-7 days and my plans constantly change when I am on vacation (due to weather or personal reasons).
In addition, I was asked to buy insurance from a Thai website. Firstly, it is very expensive, and secondly, I can choose 30 days or 60 days. Why can't I choose 35 or 45 days and pay the correct price?
I am also worried about the possibility of getting to the hospital if someone on the plane was sick. I am currently sick with covid and if I survive, I should be immune in the next few months. But no one takes this factor into account ...
I love Thailand and spend a lot of money in this country, but if I had no personal reasons to come to Thailand, I would have chosen another country for rest.

Good luck. Hope you recover fully.  Change happens slowly here.  Too many fingers in the pot.  But things should improve as the high season approaches.  Quarantine may evaporate by November.  Good vaccines should arrive next month.  And even the Baht is slowly receding—although it jumps around for no apparent reason.

Interesting that the Phuket Sandbox had 905 and 870 arrivals reported last 2 days (Jul to Sep averaged about 400 per day)

 

If this is the increase by reducing quarantine to 7 days, imagine the increase if they did actually scrap quarantine 

1 hour ago, aussiexpat said:

Interesting that the Phuket Sandbox had 905 and 870 arrivals reported last 2 days (Jul to Sep averaged about 400 per day)

 

If this is the increase by reducing quarantine to 7 days, imagine the increase if they did actually scrap quarantine 

It’s already been a success and a pre cursor to the recent relaxations, bought in much needed revenue albeit not as much as they would have liked, so any improvement to it will be a bonus all round. 

37 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

It’s already been a success and a pre cursor to the recent relaxations, bought in much needed revenue albeit not as much as they would have liked, so any improvement to it will be a bonus all round. 

Just like Koh Samui has 

 

https://bangkokherald.com/thailand/koh-samui/failed-samui-plus-scheme-drew-only-786-tourists-in-2-months/

Here in Ireland covid dosent even make news everything open still some mask wearing.

Point is nothing is open have friends in pattaya nobody around except soi buakhao its a non ending close down.

Anyone who needed to get back have used the punket sandbox, holidays require full opening with no restrictions for the fully vacinated they are 90% unlikely to get sick

10 hours ago, club said:

Since they started the Sandbox where it is mandatory you have full vaccination before you enter. Less than 0.5% are flying in testing Covid positive. Hardly a reason to quarantine the other 99.5% people that test negative with full vaccination. Don't be fooled. Its a scam

 

 

Those might have been false positives. In areas of high prevalence rates of true infections, the false positive rate is variable, but somewhere around (or above) 0.5%. In areas of low prevalence rates (seems the case in this scenario), then the false positive rate could be as high as 5%.

 

See:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850182/

 

 and,

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934325/

Meanwhile….
NEPAL RE-OPEN FOR FOREIGN TOURIST

• Vaccinated travelers get Visa on Arrival.
• ‘No Quarantine’ for vaccinated individuals.
• 10-day mandatory quarantine for Non-vaccinated travelers. 
• Regular travel itinerary for fully-vaccinated tourists in itinerary.
• A –ve COVID test still required of all travelers (except children below 5).

 

5 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I too was around when Aids starred but those were different times and Covid-19 is a different illness. 90% of go go bars were empty before covid. The big beer bar areas were empty. These are not going to start again. Covid-19 is one of many factors leading to the end of Pattaya style tourism. It's much more frightening, easier to catch ..It took decades to built the Pattaya entertainment scene...And it won't happen again. It's gone...for ever

I think it will revert to something smaller than what it was pre-covid, but I would be surprised if it completely disappears. I liked it better back in the 1990s anyway, rather than the freak show it turned into in the last decade.

I need to get back and be able to do business early November so I am biting the bullet and applying for a COE with 7 days ASQ in Bangkok so that I'll be free in late October. For one, I don't trust these people as far as I can throw them and still don't believe they will follow through on November 1. Second, when you apply for COE there is still no option to select a "sandbox" for anything other than Samui or Phuket and I need to be in Bangkok.

52 minutes ago, charmonman said:

I need to get back and be able to do business early November so I am biting the bullet and applying for a COE with 7 days ASQ in Bangkok so that I'll be free in late October. For one, I don't trust these people as far as I can throw them and still don't believe they will follow through on November 1. Second, when you apply for COE there is still no option to select a "sandbox" for anything other than Samui or Phuket and I need to be in Bangkok.

 

 

There is a CCSA update on 11th Oct.

 

But, I too wouldn’t hold any credibility to projections, predictions and announced plans for Nov 1st opening of Bangkok - information is bound to be extremely vague up until the last minute.

 

It doesn’t really matter where you are if you are unable to leave a Bangkok hotel room (ASQ). That 1 week Phuket Sandbox is much easier to deal with that being stuck in a hotel room for 7 days ( I can’t understand any vaccinated person doing this by choice when the Sandbox is an option). 

 

Bangkok is simple 1.5 hr domestic flight away (lots of daily flights) after a 7 day Sandbox.

 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, charmonman said:

I need to get back and be able to do business early November so I am biting the bullet and applying for a COE with 7 days ASQ in Bangkok so that I'll be free in late October. For one, I don't trust these people as far as I can throw them and still don't believe they will follow through on November 1. Second, when you apply for COE there is still no option to select a "sandbox" for anything other than Samui or Phuket and I need to be in Bangkok.

Same for me. 

Will the quarantine-free entry really take place on November 1st? I don't want to rely on that, or the last minute announcements that are always made by the government. Entry, flight bookings, insurance, hotel bookings, SHA confirmation, PCR tests shortly before departure, PCR tests on site in the sandbox, Vaccinepapers and Visa all need planning in advance and also time and money.

 

Personally, based on my previous experience of how the pandemic has been managed so far, I do not believe that entry on November 1 will take place without any restrictions or bureaucracy.

14 hours ago, Cherrytreeview said:

The UK is totally open, Harry

Life is back to normal.

We don't have to wear masks outside.

You lose now try again.

 

 

 

 

I've just come from the UK, it's horrible getting dark and cold!

 

It's not really totally open is it, don't you need 'evidence' to go to music concerts and such?

 

i lose??? there's a competition?

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

It doesn’t really matter where you are if you are unable to leave a Bangkok hotel room (ASQ). That 1 week Phuket Sandbox is much easier to deal with that being stuck in a hotel room for 7 days ( I can’t understand any vaccinated person doing this by choice when the Sandbox is an option).

I can't do 14 days ASQ, which is why I haven't come back yet, however I have no issue with 7 days. There's nothing open in Phuket anyway so just another hassle having to get from Phuket to my home in Pattaya.

18 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

I can't do 14 days ASQ, which is why I haven't come back yet, however I have no issue with 7 days. There's nothing open in Phuket anyway so just another hassle having to get from Phuket to my home in Pattaya.

We did 7 days quarantine in BKK last May and would chose the Sandbox over it  instead in a heartbeat.

It's not an issue that not much is Open in Phuket, but rather an issue of being locked up in a room for seven days. 

If you could wait another month, please do so, things are about to open even in BKK soon.  

The streets are open, the beach is open, the streets for a walk are open, and I am sure a few restaurants and other facilities are open, 

But I understand your desire to be close to home and get this damn thing over with and go home.. 

2 hours ago, aussiexpat said:

I can't do 14 days ASQ, which is why I haven't come back yet, however I have no issue with 7 days. There's nothing open in Phuket anyway so just another hassle having to get from Phuket to my home in Pattaya.

I could do 14 days to get back to my wife and home in Thailand. I could do 7 days. I would prefer to do zero. What's stopping me, mostly, is the required Covid tests. The false positive rate for PCR tests is 0.5-5% depending on the pool of true positives in a sample (see links below). If I am required to do two or three tests, then I have between a 1% and 15% chance of getting a false positive and ending up with a mandatory (and not needed) hospital stay. If I exhibit Covid symptoms, test me. If I don't, don't test me at all. 

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934325/

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850182/

 

5 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

Same for me. 

Will the quarantine-free entry really take place on November 1st? I don't want to rely on that, or the last minute announcements that are always made by the government. Entry, flight bookings, insurance, hotel bookings, SHA confirmation, PCR tests shortly before departure, PCR tests on site in the sandbox, Vaccinepapers and Visa all need planning in advance and also time and money.

 

Personally, based on my previous experience of how the pandemic has been managed so far, I do not believe that entry on November 1 will take place without any restrictions or bureaucracy.

At least it seems that you believe it will take place on the 1st of November 

I am doubtful it happens with or without bureaucracy 

It just doesn't make sense in view of the position of the authorities up till now

And in a sequel of the serie "Meanwhile"

 

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/croatia-removes-pre-travel-pcr-test-requirement-for-fully-vaccinated-travellers-from-uk/

There is still no confirmation that quarantine will be scrapped on November 1.

 

Instead, there is a plan to institute Sandboxes in some tourist areas.

10 hours ago, JCP108 said:

Those might have been false positives. In areas of high prevalence rates of true infections, the false positive rate is variable, but somewhere around (or above) 0.5%. In areas of low prevalence rates (seems the case in this scenario), then the false positive rate could be as high as 5%.

 

See:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7850182/

 

 and,

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934325/

Could be? Still not a reason to quarantine 95% of people coming in.

10 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

There is still no confirmation that quarantine will be scrapped on November 1.

 

Instead, there is a plan to institute Sandboxes in some tourist areas.

Correct and we all know how unsuccessful that was for the majority of local Thai's in Phuket. Extending it now to other Provinces will also mean that those returning expats and Thai's no longer have to go to Phuket if they've got no ties there and can instead travel to one of the other sandbox Provinces closer to home. Good for them but dilutes the original Phuket sandbox, there's only so many people returning. 

4 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

I've just come from the UK, it's horrible getting dark and cold!

 

It's not really totally open is it, don't you need 'evidence' to go to music concerts and such?

 

i lose??? there's a competition?

Your so funny Harry.

The best you can always do is the UK's 'dark and cold'.

I don't know what part you always visit because my bit has been dry and bright.

A beautiful time of year in Autumn.

Just in case you've been on another planet Harry, Thailand has had heavy monsoon rains and flooding for a month.

You would have needed a canoe instead of a car to get about Pattaya.

Suppose that makes a nice change from unbearably hot or unbearably hot, sticky and raining.

68,000 people attended the Antony Joshua fight in London rhe other weekend, so i'll leave other people to judge whether the UK is open or not.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/16225835/anthony-joshua-boxing-fame-spurs-stadium-big-crowds-return/

 

And no Harry it's not a competition because that would indicate you would have a fighting chance.