Phuket night time businesses say Sandbox has been a huge failure

[Uroller]

Wow! What a surprise to hear that????

[club]

1 minute ago, koele2 said:

The sandbox is and always has been a scheme to keep money flowing to wealthy Thais first and let the other peons scramble for leftover scraps.  Make tourists stay in a limited selection of expensive hotels for a set number of days, geez I wonder how you get selected to be one of the few hotels authorized to house tourists?  

Its not a Scheme, its called a scam 

[connda]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The only people to have got money are the owners of big hotels. It hasn't filtered down to ordinary people at all.

Yep.  Any anything with an SHA+ rating.  Everyone else.  Too bad, so sad.  Peasants.

[Mavideol]

3 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

nooooo. it's great success

nooooo. it's great success...... just ask TAT and the top government officials (great post, had to add something 555) 

[FarangJon]

Just incapable. For 50 years Thailand Tourism was a sure-fire success and every less well-off could do a TAT job. Now that you have to use your brain you are finally seeing the incapacity of the government posts filled by nepotism and corruption.

[KarenBravo]

1 hour ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Wrong KB: i was down Bangla at 6pm Friday 1 Oct and it was in full swing just without nightclubs.

same in Rawai that evening too…….

Some bars in Bangla open which is against the current law. As many houses have been raided because they were having alcohol at a private party, I wouldn't count out the possibility of arrest if caught drinking in a bar.

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-bars-defy-national-order-open-as-restaurants-81397.php

 

In Rawai, the Or Bor Tor suggested that bars get a restaurant license so that the no serving alcohol can be got around. Those bars that had kitchen space and could be bothered are open because they are officially "restaurants" (look at the huge menus on display in front of the bars. It's not for the punters, it's to let the police know that they are legal.

Those bars with no kitchen are still closed.

 

Your post tries to portray the bar scene as back to normal. It isn't.

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/phuket-restaurants-can-serve-alcohol-starting-october-1

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/bars-can-reopen-in-rawai-phuket-but-not-like-we-hoped

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

it was,  all over Patong and Rawai that night,  in line with official 1 Oct Phuket Governor Notice.

 

[Fab5BKK]

Q: How to get more money from a decreasing number of tourists?

A: Increase the fees!

 

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/tourism/thailand-to-charge-tourists-a-500-baht-tourism-fee/

 

Pathetic!

[kelboy]

1 hour ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Wrong KB: i was down Bangla at 6pm Friday 1 Oct and it was in full swing just without nightclubs.

same in Rawai that evening too…….

Well done now the bib will go down and close them down idiot

[Toby1947]

Who gives a toss, not me.

[WinterGael]

Depends on how you look at it... the assumption was, "Oh boy, tourists again."  The reality was, people just taking advantage of the situation to come home.  In that regard, I certainly would not be spending my time like a tourist, I'd be doing exactly what I did upon return, getting caught up with life here.

[Timbuk2]

For those returning home still better then spending time between 4 walls in a fancy overpriced ASQ hotel.

And its the only reason i went.

[digger70]

Phuket night time businesses say Sandbox has been a huge failure. 

 

Most people Knew that before this got of the ground. 

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

“Well done now the bib will go down and close them down idiot”;

logic and sense not your strengths I see……

btw there was a Phuket Governor notice lifting restrictions effective 1 Oct…..bamgla got the memo…

 

so in your expert judgement, patong police were, and continue to be completely unaware, that the entire freaking town from bangla to holiday inn beach road, was open with bars, bar girls, alcohol, live music. ….right…… so lets not tell the expats here…… lets not boost the business…. lets keep it SECRET 

 

certainly one idiot here in this conversation and its clearly not me ……

 

 

[Timbuk2]

Did see a few packed bars/turned restaurants in patong walking street, hmm i don't think i want to be crammed into a small space even if everyone has a vaccine. 

 

social distancing ...... ???? 10 cm 

[khunPer]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Others spoke of the three - four billion baht generated in the three months just going into the pockets of the big hotels. 

 

Tourists had stayed inside them as they catered to most of their needs. 

 

They had hardly left the big hotels at all.

Probably something similar will happen in the future, when the planned wealthy "quality tourists" arrives.

[KarenBravo]

1 hour ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

it was,  all over Patong and Rawai that night,  in line with official 1 Oct Phuket Governor Notice.

 

Maybe you should actually read the notice that you are referring to.

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/booze-ban-to-be-lifted-in-phuket-but-entertainment-places-to-remain-closed-81547.php

[Rhacsyn]

I am happy to put a positive slant having read all the previous posts. I support a few small outlets in Patong which between them have about 30 staff. They had been running, pre Covid, for around 20 years. The sandbox, so easily criticised from outside, has not been a failure for all. Fact. The outlets in question would most probably have closed for good without the sandbox lifeline.

[arithai12]

6 hours ago, Rhacsyn said:

I am happy to put a positive slant having read all the previous posts. I support a few small outlets in Patong which between them have about 30 staff. They had been running, pre Covid, for around 20 years. The sandbox, so easily criticised from outside, has not been a failure for all. Fact. The outlets in question would most probably have closed for good without the sandbox lifeline.

Good to hear a positive comment sometimes.
You are right that it gave a lifeline to some. But it was also a failure first because the numbers were nowhere near the predicted ones, and second because it's all make believe. Basically it was a system to extract money from people who do not really want to visit Phuket and just want to return to Thailand avoiding 14 (now less) days among 4 walls in Bangkok. It will be even more of a failure once a few other provinces reopen, because many will prefer to do their sandbox e.g. in Chiang Mai or Hua Hin. Phuket will be left as jobless as before, because very few genuine tourists will want to jump through all the hurdles for a couple of weeks by the sea. As for the other "attractions" of Phuket, we can forget them for a while.

Pressed between the need to keep infections down and the need to reboot the economy, the government has chosen a path that fails on both counts. Sandboxes and CoE are not the answer. The answer is vaccinations and no (or much less) restrictions. This is finally starting to sink in after a long delay. IMO it will be another year before Phuket starts to see the end of the tunnel. But I must be wrong, as they are already predicting millions of tourists.

[Darksidedude]

I dont know of any data on this but i would say the Phuket sandbox the majority is people having to go to Thailand for whatever reason can avoid a ASQ expensive 2 week hotel in BKK, who would do this when they can freely move about for 2 weeks in Phuket.

 

Seeing that quarantine is 7 days and will be soon abolished for vacs travellers i dont see many people going to Phuket

[baansgr]

12 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

so I post a factual upbeat report about the 1 Oct Phuket Restrictions Lifting which promptly  gets a Denial Post and a Sad Face emoji ! typical doom & gloomers here I suppose……

Not everyone is interested in bargirls...

[superal]

Nothing wrong with the original 7 day sandbox that became 14 nights as directed by Cha o Cha who was guided / influenced by the big boys of Bangkok hoteliers. So if you have both fully vaccinated tourists and service staff what could go wrong ? No doubt there were  fake vac certs from some tourists , the service workers were considered vaccinated after 1 jab of sinovac . The entrance to Phuket was not secure at the start and quite a few Thai locals were able to gain entry . Then came bar closures and a ban on alcohol sales followed by curtailing of provincial travel .  To the majority of tourists Thailand is famous for its nightlife of bars and beautiful ladies , not just beaches and temples etc . Many people are holding their breath awaiting the UK government's decision on Thailand's red or green colour status this coming Thursday . I cannot help thinking that the poorly managed sandbox concept will not help in Thailand's favour .  Or could the whole event be a planned campaign from the Thai/PRCC on to rid Thailand of foreigners and to secure Thailand on China's list of acquisitions ?  

[mikosan]

16 hours ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

Wrong KB: i was down Bangla at 6pm Friday 1 Oct and it was in full swing just without nightclubs.

same in Rawai that evening too…….

Pubs and clubs are not LEGALLY open.  Pubs are calling themselves restaurants, but generally do not have a restaurant licence.  Those that are open are paying the police handsomely.  The whole situation is a joke, but not a very funny one for the millions of Thais around Thailand out of work because of the draconian measures of their useless and corrupt government.

Edited October 5, 2021 by mikosan

[Andycoops]

Yet again total disregard for the ordinary citizens trying to make living. While the fat cat cronies of the Muppets hoover up what little there is to be had.

[mokwit]

Wasn't it for the benefit of hotel and resort owners first and foremost?

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

right, fair warning then, so good job I didnt stay at any bar that evening, just recce work !

[PingRoundTheWorld]

18 hours ago, koele2 said:

The sandbox is and always has been a scheme to keep money flowing to wealthy Thais first and let the other peons scramble for leftover scraps.  Make tourists stay in a limited selection of expensive hotels for a set number of days, geez I wonder how you get selected to be one of the few hotels authorized to house tourists?  

There's one problem with your theory - it's completely wrong. Most hotels in the sandbox program aren't overpriced or expensive - on the contrary - you can book a jacuzzi room minutes walk distance to everything for 800 baht. 4 star hotels for under 1000 baht. If you really want to "splurge" then 5 star hotels are 2000-3000 baht. Nice article, but the big hotel owners aren't getting (more) rich - they're probably losing money just like everyone else.

 

The real problem isn't big hotels - the real problem is government restrictions - and until those are largely gone there will not be any sort of major tourism. Drop the COE process, open up nightlife with no restrictions, lose the masks outdoors (it helps nothing except pretending you're doing something), and maybe - just maybe - you'll see some actual tourism and money flowing in.

 

And I say this as someone who actually visited the 'box. It's time to open up everything.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

Ping: agree mostly BUT govt. are resetting tourist accom. by removing guest houses and pool villas from contention by denying / removing / limiting the critical SHA+ Cert. , thus limiting trade to

“proper” hotels mostly owned ( by room qty / high end rating) by rich thais. these hotel owners then left to set (competitive) rates to at least try to cover operating costs / overhead.

 

all your “ open up “ recommendations were actually operating on friday night in Bangla ! 

although Im told this was all “ illegal”………