Phuket sealed off from tomorrow in bid to curb virus spread, save sandbox

[Roland]

1 hour ago, Firpadirp said:

I personally can't believe there aren't hundreds of comments on the sandbox. Everyone I know in the sandbox returned to bring their kids to school and/or to work here. Making Phuket impossible to leave from except by renting a car and driving to your "home" here is a disaster. At least when I returned from the USA this past February, I could get a flight back home to Chiang Mai after my miserable ASQ in BKK. The thousands trying to leave Phuket and travel back to their home or work locations now only have the option to rent a car and drive. I can't go pick up my wife because if I leave Chiang Mai and return, I have to quarantine when I come back here even if I just drive down and drive back. The insanity of all this is maddening. 

With the current situation it seems that ASQ at your intended destination in Thailand will be a better choice than Phuket Sandbox. 

[Roland]

 Although today news mentioned that Phuket Governor arranged bus services from Central Festival Phuket to Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok for Sandbox Tourists who are stranded here in Phuket. When I asked the SHA+ Hotel, to book for me, they told me later today that it was cancelled. Seems nothing is really being done for stranded Sandbox Tourists.

However, as another Thaiger member suggested to search on FB Phuket Share Ride, and I managed to find a reasonable share ride to Bangkok from this tour operator.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=350503746716299&id=104031301363546

@ Baht 2300 per person for maximum of 6 passengers  on a VIP Van. They pick you from your Hotel at 5am in the morning and bring you to your destination in Bangkok.

Hope this will help other Sandbox Tourists like me who are stranded without much help from Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

TAT need to do a better job helping Sandbox Tourists who are stranded here, else we who are also the potential Sandbox Ambassadors will not be promoting it to our social group, instead our bad experience may actually deter people from taking the Sandbox option if they need to travel to other provinces in Thailand.

 

[Dancbmac]

On 8/3/2021 at 5:26 AM, KWOG said:

Ooh.  Bravo ! I like that you were able to get the O visa IN THAILAND rather than before you left.

That's what I did last year and hope to do this year...screw getting it in advance.

How did you do it, I assume at some visa shop ? It cost me almost 30,000 baht total last year

to do it that way,  I didn't really care.    

Yea several visa services that can assist you on getting the O visa.  30,000 baht or more, but I guess depends who is open for business as many have shut down due to lack of business.  My Thai wife assisted me.  Wish you success when you get here.

[JerseyBKK]

On 8/3/2021 at 4:26 PM, KWOG said:

Ooh.  Bravo ! I like that you were able to get the O visa IN THAILAND rather than before you left.

That's what I did last year and hope to do this year...screw getting it in advance.

How did you do it, I assume at some visa shop ? It cost me almost 30,000 baht total last year

to do it that way,  I didn't really care.    

Easy to do yourself. I came back on April 1st on visa exempt. Did my 7 day quarantine.

You get stamped in for 45 days but can apply for another 30 day extension if needed. I went to CW late April and applied for the Non-O. You'll need to have 800K in the bank the day you apply. Also they want to see where you live and rent receipts if you don't own. Total cost 3,900 baht.

Went back a week later to pick up the Non-O stamp. Went back 2 months later to get the annual extension.

Will leave for the US again in 3 weeks and will return in October so if Bangkok or Pattaya isn't cleared for Sandbox then it's off to Phuket because I'm not staying locked in a hotel suite for 14 days.

[King Cotton]

1 hour ago, JerseyBKK said:

I went to CW late April and applied for the Non-O. You'll need . . .

What an excellent debut post . . . thanks for that! But I have to admit my ignorance re what CW stands for.

Hello, JerseyBKK and welcome to Thaiger Talk

Please feel free to tell us a bit about yourself in 'Introductions'. It's good to pick-up on those sometimes differing regional or geographical perspectives.

And check-out the Guidelines, too, when you get a free minute. They're there to help us all enjoy our time here.

Happy posting

King Cotton

[JerseyBKK]

15 hours ago, King Cotton said:

What an excellent debut post . . . thanks for that! But I have to admit my ignorance re what CW stands for.

Hello, JerseyBKK and welcome to Thaiger Talk

Please feel free to tell us a bit about yourself in 'Introductions'. It's good to pick-up on those sometimes differing regional or geographical perspectives.

And check-out the Guidelines, too, when you get a free minute. They're there to help us all enjoy our time here.

Happy posting

King Cotton

CW is shorthand for Immigration Division 1 in Bangkok. It's located on Chang Watthana (CW) lane in Latsi.

Used to be where everyone went for visas, 90 reports, annual extensions, multiple re-entry stamps, etc. Now there's another location for 90 day reports and Covid extensions but visas, re-entry permits and annual extensions are still at CW.

Hope this forum thrives. TV was increasingly unreadable and when they changed their format I started looking for alternatives. I see quite a few posters who moved over.

Edited August 10, 2021 by JerseyBKK

[Dancbmac]

19 hours ago, JerseyBKK said:

Easy to do yourself. I came back on April 1st on visa exempt. Did my 7 day quarantine.

You get stamped in for 45 days but can apply for another 30 day extension if needed. I went to CW late April and applied for the Non-O. You'll need to have 800K in the bank the day you apply. Also they want to see where you live and rent receipts if you don't own. Total cost 3,900 baht.

Went back a week later to pick up the Non-O stamp. Went back 2 months later to get the annual extension.

Will leave for the US again in 3 weeks and will return in October so if Bangkok or Pattaya isn't cleared for Sandbox then it's off to Phuket because I'm not staying locked in a hotel suite for 14 days.

Are you getting a re-entry permit before leaving for when you return in October?  Or do you do the whole Non-O visa extension again?

[JerseyBKK]

4 hours ago, Dancbmac said:

Are you getting a re-entry permit before leaving for when you return in October?  Or do you do the whole Non-O visa extension again?

I got the re-entry permit immediately after the extension. Took less than 30 minutes at CW. You can get a 1 time or multiple re-entry permit. I prefer getting the multi-entry at CW instead of going to the airport and getting a single re-entry permit.

[Dancbmac]

14 hours ago, JerseyBKK said:

I got the re-entry permit immediately after the extension. Took less than 30 minutes at CW. You can get a 1 time or multiple re-entry permit. I prefer getting the multi-entry at CW instead of going to the airport and getting a single re-entry permit.

Thanks! Good to know.

[Allan]

On 8/2/2021 at 10:20 AM, thai3 said:

Sealed off sandbox, Bill will have a grin and a spin for it 

Bill will love it, locked in customers.

[Craig]

Who came up with this idea of the “sandbox”?   What expectations did some have regarding this being any safer than anywhere else??

[Viggen840]

On 8/11/2021 at 11:18 AM, Craig said:

Who came up with this idea of the “sandbox”?   What expectations did some have regarding this being any safer than anywhere else??

Pretty sure this came from the Department of Fiscal Panic and Brown Envelopes.