The Sandbox Guarantee – taking the ‘what ifs’ out of travelling to Thailand

[Thaiger]

OPINION “The ‘Sandbox Guarantee’ could help bolster confidence in a plan that, for now, leaves doubt in the mind of potential travellers.” In Bangkok they are preparing to lock down the city, well, add extra layers of restrictions and a curfew, and stop people getting out and heading back to their provinces. In Phuket they are trying to get people in, via the Sandbox – an option for fully vaccinated travellers to come to Phuket for a 14 day stay before then being allowed to travel around other parts of Thailand. But, to say the least, the Sandbox has gone […]

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[DFPhuket]

I'm on day 7 of my sandbox. I'm fully vaccinated with Pfizer and completed one PCR test 72 hours before flying, a second after landing, and a third on Friday. Even if I had been sitting near a vaccinated passenger who tested negative before departure but positive upon arrival, the odds of me becoming positive is quite low. I could accept that perhaps high risk travelers should be given a daily test, but paying to sit in an ASQ hotel room for 14 days? No. 

The bigger risk is the unvaccinated domestic traveler coming from within Thailand who only needed one test within 7 days of arrival. I'm not aware of any of them paying to stay in an ASQ room for 14 days.  

[HolyCowCm]

25 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

I'm on day 7 of my sandbox. I'm fully vaccinated with Pfizer and completed one PCR test 72 hours before flying, a second after landing, and a third on Friday. Even if I had been sitting near a vaccinated passenger who tested negative before departure but positive upon arrival, the odds of me becoming positive is quite low. I could accept that perhaps high risk travelers should be given a daily test, but paying to sit in an ASQ hotel room for 14 days? No. 

The bigger risk is the unvaccinated domestic traveler coming from within Thailand who only needed one test within 7 days of arrival. I'm not aware of any of them paying to stay in an ASQ room for 14 days.  

Yeah fully defeats the freedom purpose and having to spend extra money being racked up imprisoned in your hotel for 14 days. No thanks, but I am one of those unvaccinated folk here so sit at home until these foolish clowns open up and really get Thailand going in the right direction with the vaccines of our choice. 

BTW, are you here for fun in the sun and monsoon rains?, or trying to get back home to your family or wife?

[DFPhuket]

Just now, HolyCowCm said:

Yeah fully defeats the freedom purpose and having to spend extra money being racked up imprisoned in your hotel for 14 days. No thanks, but I am one of those unvaccinated folk here so sit at home until these foolish clowns open up and really get Thailand going in the right direction with the vaccines of our choice. 

BTW, are you here for fun in the sun and monsoon rains?, or trying to get back home to your family or wife?

I have lived in Phuket for 5 years - working for 3 and now retired. Went to the US in May to get Pfizered and see the family. I used the Sandbox as a much more pleasant way to return than an ASQ room. 

[EdwardV]

19 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

 I could accept that perhaps high risk travelers should be given a daily test, but paying to sit in an ASQ hotel room for 14 days? No. 

Exactly. The real risk isn’t the extra cost, it’s the extra time. While no one would be happy having to eat the original hotel expense and triple up for an ASQ. The real risk is losing the bulk or even your entire vacation because you sat too close to someone you don’t even know. Vacation days are even more precious than a hotel stay. You can never get them back. It’s a risk I know I’m not willing to do and why I’m headed to Europe instead. You want to lower that particular risk how about 5 day isolation in your hotel room if you have been vaccinated with a quality vaccine. That gives you 6-7 days after potential infections for the virus to show. More than enough time to catch just about anyone. If you test negative at day 5, you are released. You could even throw in a follow up test a few days later. Vaccinated with one of those crappy Chinese vaccines and you get the whole 14 day isolation in an ASQ. 

[Aksi]

Better planning yes.Free tickets because it’s raining ??where on earth have you seen that?Rules should be clear.No one is forcing anyone to come.People should be informed very well -that’s the government’s job- and then they can make their decision taking into consideration the possibility of quarantine etc.

[Bluesofa]

3 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

Yeah fully defeats the freedom purpose and having to spend extra money being racked up imprisoned in your hotel for 14 days. No thanks, but I am one of those unvaccinated folk here so sit at home until these foolish clowns open up and really get Thailand going in the right direction with the vaccines of our choice. 

BTW, are you here for fun in the sun and monsoon rains?, or trying to get back home to your family or wife?

'Monsoon' or 'wife'   Could be the difference between 'rains' and 'reigns'

[Nat]

Forcing anyone into an ASQ through no fault of their own and making them pay for it is deplorable - no matter what the risk. I doubt any of the current sandboxers were even made aware that this could even happen to them before booking their trips. The word is getting out on this and any sensible tourist would be a total fool to come now. This sandbox has already been a failure - no matter what TAT projected numbers may be. I would now write off the rest of this year and make the prime focus on getting everyone in Thailand vaccinated with effective Western vaccines as soon as possible. That is the only hope now for recovery.

[GES]

I didn't think i would be saying this but really, the Sandbox through no fault of its own rules and regulations looks as if it will fail. Really i don't understand how you can on one hand close schools , ( our daughters and many others education on hold ) whilst on the other you allow infected children into the country with no controls.

Surely for everyones safety the Sandbox must be suspended tomorrow urgently. secure Phuket again and look at a restart for September

[HolyCowCm]

25 minutes ago, DFPhuket said:

I have lived in Phuket for 5 years - working for 3 and now retired. Went to the US in May to get Pfizered and see the family. I used the Sandbox as a much more pleasant way to return than an ASQ room. 

So you literally had a vacation and then came back to where you live with no big deal or hassle. I like the story..

[HolyCowCm]

18 minutes ago, Mike-Hunt said:

'Monsoon' or 'wife'   Could be the difference between 'rains' and 'reigns'

Unless the wife is near or over 50 with that turn of life thing they go through, then it is safe to say there are rains and reigning in every household once a month for us guys. This months reign for me and the kids was a down pour. 

[Bluesofa]

21 minutes ago, GES said:

I didn't think i would be saying this but really, the Sandbox through no fault of its own rules and regulations looks as if it will fail. Really i don't understand how you can on one hand close schools , ( our daughters and many others education on hold ) whilst on the other you allow infected children into the country with no controls.

Surely for everyones safety the Sandbox must be suspended tomorrow urgently. secure Phuket again and look at a restart for September

While I'm not disagreeing with you, I can see you're using logical thinking - your main flaw I'm afraid.

[LaughingOutLoud]

Wha??  Let's exacerbate the contentious argument between foreigners expecting something for nothing here in Thailand.  Makes for an attentive audience, eh?

Screw the Sandbox - that business-interested self servers (hint hint) continue to either desperately defend, then think these tourists are that naive, to come holiday in the middle of a pandemic.  They knew the risk, too.

As a local foreigner, with Thai family and no self-serving business interest, I say screw Sandbox, it was so perversely stoopid in the first place.   Oust Uncle Tu for he is clearly incompetent.  Give the job to General Nop.  He seems to be the only competent one.

[Graham-swain]

A nice idea of a free massage if it’s raining, I like stories with a happy ending !!!

[DWiener]

Day 6 of my sandbox experience. Pretty much over the relentless rain, and I've got my Thai GF and a car here. Must be pretty boring, miserable, and scary for solo travelers, not being able to go anywhere (whatever is open is very spread out), and with harsh penalties for failing a Covid test. And why ANYONE would think of bringing children here???

So with cases rising inexorably towards the 90/week sandbox threshold and the Indian (lets call it for what it is - an *epic* fail by India) variant now on the island, any bets on how much longer the sandbox lasts??? I'm giving it two weeks. With those of us who made it, stuck here with no way out

[Dragan]

What is the point of vaccination if you are treated worse than unvaccinated. They should open another island nearby for potentially infected people with the same hotel prices they booked.

[DougyC]

I would have thought that by Phuket being in effect a "quarantine island", all would have been well should the occasional tourist arrive and become unwell with Covid19.

SHABA hotels must have 70% of staff fully vaccinated, the tourist must be vaccinated, most of the Phuket population is vaccinated, ( or so I read ) so why then the need for an ASQ hotel quarantine?

Our plans to get go Thailand have changed so many times over the last few months, I am beginning to feel that Thailand doesn't really want tourists back at all.

I am not looking for an incentive to come to Thailand, maybe just a bit of honesty and clear vision from the appropriate authorities. 

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Not through a lack of good intentions and planning. But by the capricious nature of the current Covid surge and the emergence in Thailand of this Delta variant. Just really bad timing. 

Seriously?

 

You think it's been a complete shambles  despite "good intentions and planning" but because of "just really bad timing"?

 

Like the bad timing on the Titanic?

3 hours ago, Thaiger said:

OPINION “The ‘Sandbox Guarantee’ could help bolster confidence in a plan that, for now, leaves doubt in the mind of potential travellers.” In Bangkok they are preparing to lock down the city, well, add extra layers of restrictions and a curfew, and stop people getting out and heading back to their provinces. In Phuket they are trying to get people in, via the Sandbox – an option for fully vaccinated travellers to come to Phuket for a 14 day stay before then being allowed to travel around other parts of Thailand. But, to say the least, the Sandbox has gone […]

The post The Sandbox Guarantee – taking the ‘what ifs’ out of travelling to Thailand appeared first on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

... and a free hand job and a movie if it rains?

For who?

Thai and foreign returnees and a few tour agents?

[Stonker]

21 minutes ago, DougyC said:

... I am beginning to feel that Thailand doesn't really want tourists back at all.

Thailand doesn't.

95% of the population haven't been vaccinated, and 90% of the country have little or nothing to do with tourists.

They're not averse to tourists but to what tourism brings:  bars, nightlife, concerts, travel, restaurants, no masks, no restrictions - none of which are wanted at the moment as they mean Covid, hospitalisations, closures, job losses, and deaths.

[Ken71]

Thank you for bringing this story to my attention I was thinking of going to phuket but now after reading what might happen if one of the passenger on the flame flight is infected I'm not going to Thailand now thanks again for the warning

 

[DonnaM]

I do not see the point of moving someone who has been fully vaccinated, and tested negative, to an ALQ hotel, simply because she was in close contact with someone who tested positive. Surely the point of the sandbox model is to allow a return to some normality for fully vaccinated individuals? If a further safety measure had to be imposed, then why could the individual just stay in the room already booked for a further 3 days until another test was carried out then let them carry on with their holiday if it was negative again. Moving to an ALQ in this instance is ridiculous and pointless. This will deter travelers to Phuket for sure. 
we have changed our plans several times and are due to arrive in Phuket in 5 weeks, we seriously hope they sort this situation out. 
 

[S2k]

Great opinion piece!  The way that these sandboxers are being treated is really off-putting.  Right before this positive case, I was ready to book my stay, and go to see my fiance. Now, there's too much risk of being shuttled off to ALQ at my own expense. Typical Thai governement CRAP

[AussieBob]

43 minutes ago, DougyC said:

I would have thought that by Phuket being in effect a "quarantine island", all would have been well should the occasional tourist arrive and become unwell with Covid19.

SHABA hotels must have 70% of staff fully vaccinated, the tourist must be vaccinated, most of the Phuket population is vaccinated, ( or so I read ) so why then the need for an ASQ hotel quarantine?

Our plans to get go Thailand have changed so many times over the last few months, I am beginning to feel that Thailand doesn't really want tourists back at all.

I am not looking for an incentive to come to Thailand, maybe just a bit of honesty and clear vision from the appropriate authorities. 

Honesty and Clear Vision is not what the Thailand Authorities are (in)famous for mate. I would wait and see if this gets better or worse over the next few weeks/months. 

[Bonanzo]

I have no sympathy for anyone who complains about rain in Phuket in July. That is Phuket as I know it in the rainy season.

I am on day 2 of my sandbox stay. I arrived yesterday in pouring rain and it has barely stopped since.

However, no complaints. My negative PCR test came in the same day, in time for me to go to the restaurant for dinner. I have a wonderful hotel room overlooking the ocean, I have plenty of good books, and when it does stop raining I will head to the golf courses.

Having said I would suspect the "genuine" tourist would not be so happy, especially knowing the risks now being exposed.

But then how many genuine tourists are there? I suspect not many.

My guess is the vast majority of sandboxers are like me, using it as a means to get back into Thailand for family or other reasons without having to endure the dreaded 14 day lock up in an ASQ hotel room.

 

[Shark]

1 minute ago, S2k said:

Great opinion piece!  The way that these sandboxers are being treated is really off-putting.  Right before this positive case, I was ready to book my stay, and go to see my fiance. Now, there's too much risk of being shuttled off to ALQ at my own expense. Typical Thai governement CRAP

Your a rich foreigner with fiance (mee tang, mak mak!). It's no problem ALQ, BBQ. Same same no difference.

Anyways less of a depressing note:
- It's away to see your fiance. I would atleast do it to see my wife.
- The being shuttled could actually been argued about - This German woman was very compliant even through she didn't have any symptoms nor was tested positive.

However Thaiger actually brings some valid points where are the guarantees. People want our money but aren't backing it up with any guarantee and wanting to leave from 'Prison' to return home is also not allowed. So... meh. Good luck and a lot of wisdom for you!