2,500+ in Phuket Sandbox, flight and hotel numbers increasing

[Thaiger]

Despite the first international Covid-19 case of the Phuket Sandbox and the subsequently quarantined passengers requesting to leave Thailand, increasing numbers of international travellers continue to arrive each day in the reopening scheme. Yesterday 125 more travellers arrived on flights from Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, with 11 more flights scheduled for the next 2 days. That brings the arrival numbers as of yesterday to 2,524 international travellers arriving into Phuket International Airport. Today brought flights from Singapore, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai this morning, as well as Doha and Tel Aviv flights in the afternoon. Passenger totals […]

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[DirtyoldnGrandpa]

Why!!!! Covid is spreading all over Thailand… 

[JohninDublin]

I am very dubious about 130k hotel nights having so far been booked for July, yet there are only 11k for August. Based on the July figures, I would have expected the August figures to be higher as some of those numbers arriving in late July, should still be there in August.

[Brownie]

"Their popular London flight on Sunday" - I'm wondering how they have a flight from London.  The UK is on the Thai high risk list.  Perhaps they've decided the GBPs are more desirable!!

Any clues anyone?

[JohninDublin]

21 minutes ago, Brownie said:

"Their popular London flight on Sunday" - I'm wondering how they have a flight from London.  The UK is on the Thai high risk list.  Perhaps they've decided the GBPs are more desirable!!

Any clues anyone?

I don't make you wrong insofar as they should be on the high risk list, but the last time I looked, they were at medium.

Whenever I've seen these lists from whichever country, I have often suspected that the potential on the tourism/trade markets influenced decisions.

[Brownie]

That means the last time you looked was in June!

[EdwardV]

“as of yesterday to 2,524 international travellers” - that’s only some 280 per day, hardly the 1,100 per day predicted just prior to opening. Also calling them international travelers is a bit disingenuous. While true since they are traveling from out of the country, some 30% of them are thai nationals returning home. Who knows how many of the rest while nationals of other countries are in fact returning home too. While the total might be increasing, it sure seems like the daily average is dropping. 

[NeillF]

I actually intentionally use the words "international travellers" in my reporting because it is literally true. I avoid using terms like "foreigners" or "tourists" for exactly the reasons you stated @EdwardV. We don't have any data available on how many are returning Thais and how many are truly just on holiday.

[EdwardV]

The BP reported a day or two ago that some 30% of the travelers were Thai nationals. Of course they didn’t say where the number came from, but at least that’s where I got it.

[David297]

5 hours ago, Brownie said:

"Their popular London flight on Sunday" - I'm wondering how they have a flight from London.  The UK is on the Thai high risk list.  Perhaps they've decided the GBPs are more desirable!!

Any clues anyone?

This question had me puzzled at first, but there are two different lists.  There is a list that grades countries according to risk, with the UK now seemingly high risk.  But there is also this list on the Thai Embassy website, of countries allowed into the sandbox:-

https://www.thaiembassy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/List-of-approved-countries-and-territories-as-of-09.07.2021.jpg

We can only speculate as to why these lists are diff£r£nt.

 

[christopher]

QUESTIONS! I have booked hertz rental from airport to hotel in Patong. Can I pick up the rental car from airport and drive to the hotel on my own? Or I have to take taxi instead ? 

[Brownie]

@David297 - thaiembassy.com has a footer on their website "Copyright © 2020 ThaiEmbassy.com. This is NOT the official website of the Thai Embassy. All Rights Reserved."

Kuwait, Turkey, France and Spain are also on the red list as per the Thai (government) Department of Disease Control website but are approved as per this private website. What a joke!

[DFPhuket]

6 hours ago, christopher said:

QUESTIONS! I have booked hertz rental from airport to hotel in Patong. Can I pick up the rental car from airport and drive to the hotel on my own? Or I have to take taxi instead ? 

No you can't. I'm in the sandbox now and it was clear that you must go in an SHA+ approved vehicle to your hotel and wait in your room the 8-12 hours until your first negative result. After that you can basically do anything on the island. The only "restriction" is you must stop at reception at some point once per day to have your QR code scanned, temperature taken, and sign a form.  

[harry1]

dont believe anythings said by the current government agency 130000 room booking for july please stop talking lies after lies 2500 tourist over the last 10 days in 25 tourist a day and where will they go during the rainy season,like the bangkok restauranteur local business have gone out and stock up with their last bit of money and been mislead by flip flop group of undecisive motley lot

[TobyAndrews]

19 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

No you can't. I'm in the sandbox now and it was clear that you must go in an SHA+ approved vehicle to your hotel and wait in your room the 8-12 hours until your first negative result. After that you can basically do anything on the island. The only "restriction" is you must stop at reception at some point once per day to have your QR code scanned, temperature taken, and sign a form.  

Do you know what you are signing? Is it in Thai?

[TobyAndrews]

10 minutes ago, DrBiscuit said:

TobyAndrews 

I'm in Phuket as part of the sandbox & each day I go to reception (between 9 a.m & 12 p.m) where my temperature is checked & the Mor Chana app which you have to download is scanned. That's it - no dramas & nothing to sign

Best wishes

David

Oh, DFPhucket has to sign a form . . .

He might find out what it is when he checks out  and discovers he agreed to pay extra for the soap in the shower.

[Jason]

There's a lot riding on this of course, but far more important is the vaccination of local Thais. Vaccination doesn't stop you getting the virus or transmitting it to others. But it does prevent serious illness or death as it is proving in my country. But Thais in Phuket, especially now, must get the vaccination to protect themselves. The international travellers that are coming, have been vaccinated (they have to be to get on a plane). But they can contract the virus on their way and can transmit it to others. So particularly if you have not had a vaccine, keep you distance from them. 

[DFPhuket]

4 hours ago, TobyAndrews said:

Oh, DFPhucket has to sign a form . . .

He might find out what it is when he checks out  and discovers he agreed to pay extra for the soap in the shower.

No, it's nothing nefarious. It's an alphabetical list of the 70 or so sandboxers names at the hotel and my signature simply indicates that I did my daily QR code scan/temperature check. It makes it easy for them to tell later in the day who forgot to do the check. One day I did forget and I got a call around 5 pm reminding me. 

[TobyAndrews]

39 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

No, it's nothing nefarious. It's an alphabetical list of the 70 or so sandboxers names at the hotel and my signature simply indicates that I did my daily QR code scan/temperature check. It makes it easy for them to tell later in the day who forgot to do the check. One day I did forget and I got a call around 5 pm reminding me. 

Oh, that's good then, but better not forget again or a  big Thai will bring you down with a rugby tackle before you make it to the lifts.