I just sent this message to the Thai consulate in LA. If you can give me your advice I would appreciate it.

 

I have recently read that the Phuket Sandbox requirement has been reduced to seven days. What does this mean for someone like me, who has already booked (although I can still cancel hotel) for 14 days? If I wanted to stay only seven days in Phuket, would I need to change my COE? Also, I also read that there will be two PCR tests now instead of three. I already paid for three tests though. Will I be refunded for the cost of one of the tests? 
 

I arrive for the Sandbox on the 3rd October and have also paid for 14 days SHA+ and 3 tests. I sent a similar enquiry to the London embassy last week when this news broke and have not received a reply.

 

I am therefore assuming that my CoE is still valid and I will attempt to get part-refunds on arrival but, quite honestly, it's not a huge amount of money and as long as I can gain entry to Phuket then I will not lose any more sleep over this whole PITA.

 

PS: You have booked a refundable hotel and yet they've given you a CoE? I didn't think that was allowed, but maybe I misread the rules.

2 minutes ago, London Lowf said:

PS: You have booked a refundable hotel and yet they've given you a CoE? I didn't think that was allowed, but maybe I misread the rules.

Yes, I booked through booking.com and I sent that booking info to my hotel with passport, date and length of stay, and booking number, and they went ahead and sent me the SHA ID number. (I think that's what it's called) So yeah, no great loss so far. I don't HAVE to change the reservation, but I would like to know if I CAN. I doubt the consulate even knows how to answer at the moment though. It sounds like a headache for all involved. I understand you not wanting to waste more time on this. It just goes on and on... 

Well, I am booked into a very cheap Patong hotel for the Sandbox but also have a great medium-term apartment booked in Kamala - if I have to keep the 14 day booking I will just use Patong for sleepovers - assuming that there's anything to sleepover from!

 

This topic has been discussed in this Sandbox Facebook group. Several people have asked embassies to clarify the issue of getting a 14 day COE and wanted to change it to 7. They have been told they do not need to change their COEs - that the vaccination certificate will be reviewed upon arrival.

 

Here is what is listed on the Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna website. 

My wife's hotel have confirmed that they will refund 3 nights.

I just arrived in Phuket. What's the about 7 days? Refund aside, are you saying they'll let me off the island in 7 days now?

Just looked at the Washington DC embassy and they say similar https://thaiembdc.org/visas/#, although it doesn't explicitly mention the Phuket sandbox.

 

The question is, who can we contact about leaving the island early? Even now I'm not sure who I need to contact when I'm ready to leave the existing 14 days.

15 hours ago, London Lowf said:

I arrive for the Sandbox on the 3rd October and have also paid for 14 days SHA+ and 3 tests. I sent a similar enquiry to the London embassy last week when this news broke and have not received a reply.

 

I am therefore assuming that my CoE is still valid and I will attempt to get part-refunds on arrival but, quite honestly, it's not a huge amount of money and as long as I can gain entry to Phuket then I will not lose any more sleep over this whole PITA.

 

Just leave everything the same. Send an email to your Hotel and ask them to refund you for the second week now or when you arrive.

I assume the Hotels, PCR-Test centers etc. must have received strict instructions to reimburse the 2nd week (and the 3rd PCR test). Everything I read the reimbursement was now problem. My hotel in Patong reimbursed within 3 hours yesterday.