By Suwit Rattiwan

   

BANGKOK, 7 October 2021 (NNT) - Boasting the success of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said 42,000 international travelers joined the campaign from 1 July to 5 October 2021, generating more than 2 billion baht for the economy.

 

According to TAT Phuket director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, of the 42,000 visitors over the said period, most were long-haul visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, France and Germany. Together, they generated up to 2 billion baht for the city’s economy.

 

As of 1 October 2021, the quarantine time for fully vaccinated international travelers arriving in Thailand, including the pilot reopening destinations through the Alternative Quarantine (AQ) system, was reduced from 14 to just 7 days.

 

The reduced quarantine time applies to those visiting under the “Sandbox” program to Phuket, Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao), Phang-Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao), and Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai and Railay Beach).

 

It also means that fully vaccinated tourists can now travel straight to the designated areas of Phang-Nga and Krabi upon landing in Phuket, and stay there for seven days.

 

TAT is optimistic the number of tourists enrolled in the Phuket Sandbox will increase.

 

Planning to visit Phuket? Book your Sandbox hotel here

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-10-07

 

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Honest, none of them were residents returning to their familes etc.

It's probably not worth commenting, but

 

(2,000,000,000/42,000)/97 days = 490 THB per day, per person.

 

Considering what the costs of setting up the sandbox scheme must have been, this looks like a massive loss maker. All that meat and no gravy. Let's start again.

 

16 minutes ago, bradiston said:

It's probably not worth commenting, but

 

(2,000,000,000/42,000)/97 days = 490 THB per day, per person.

 

Considering what the costs of setting up the sandbox scheme must have been, this looks like a massive loss maker. All that meat and no gravy. Let's start again.

 

You're getting dangerously close to TAT level stats there.  Remember, the 2 billion includes the hotel and the cost of tests. Also, I know its heartbreaking, but the tourists didn't all stay for 97 days. The TAT spend per person figure is about 48000Bt and most of that is likely to have gone to the hotels. Mrs Somchai will still not have enough from her banana fritter stall to buy the Merc she feels she deserves.

 

But do keep repeating ',,,hang on, these are TAT figures',  until the infection clears...

6 hours ago, webfact said:

42,000 international travelers joined the campaign from 1 July to 5 October 2021, generating more than 2 billion baht for the economy.

????????????????????

Gain or loss, the Sandbox was intended to prove to themselves that vaccinated tourists are no threat! In the big picture, that is huge.

I know of no one who believes TAT figures.

 

Its just a cush job for thousands of government employees to collect a monthly check.

 

 

And how much of this money did go to the people of Thailand who REALLY need it ?

I honestly wish i could believe them...but i can't!

Wouldn't be at all surprised if they've stuck a sneaky billion on to make it look better.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT is optimistic the number of tourists enrolled in the Phuket Sandbox will increase.

And I'm quite optimistic it will go down now that those that needed to come have already returned.

 

 

Money money money money...Mon-NAY! What a place this is...????

It is a start. At least they had a go. All of you complainers would have complained more if they had just kept the doors all closed

That's excellent news. Now build on it by making more places accessible with the minimum amount of bureaucratic fuss.

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Boasting the success of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ scheme

They had predicted at least 100,000. They got 42,000 (mostly reluctant visitors who were forced to stay in Phuket 2 weeks when all they wanted was to go somewhere else). The money went almost completely to the SHA+ hotels.

 

Big success indeed.

 

Now let's gear up for that 1 million Brits and Russians coming in the next months.

"TAT is optimistic the number of tourists enrolled in the Phuket Sandbox will increase."

 

a true sentence........

Not even close to what they lost by closing down the island to domestic tourism. ????