News Forum - Local businesses say they aren’t profiting from Phuket Sandbox

[Reindevos]

In Thailand the money more then 10 percent comes from sextourism.

But the strange things .prostitions is forbidden. You Will be punished and go prison! 

Officially they have no prostition.

There is no walking street .patpong or pathong on phuket.

Covid or not IT is really true!

Time to change the rules?

[AlexPTY]

I bet they thought it they open shops and restaurants, tourists will magically appear and make them rich... Tourism industry enjoyed so many years of doing nothing, but making profit of foreign tourists. Time to adapt or go broke. Free market boys, deal with it 

[Bob20]

1 minute ago, AlexPTY said:

I bet they thought it they open shops and restaurants, tourists will magically appear and make them rich... Tourism industry enjoyed so many years of doing nothing, but making profit of foreign tourists. Time to adapt or go broke. Free market boys, deal with it 

They may have thought they had magical powers...

[Griff1315]

1 minute ago, Bob20 said:

They may have thought they had magical powers...

The famous Money comee Bunny

[Malc-Thai]

32 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

I bet they thought it they open shops and restaurants, tourists will magically appear and make them rich... Tourism industry enjoyed so many years of doing nothing, but making profit of foreign tourists. Time to adapt or go broke. Free market boys, deal with it 

Sadly that's so true ,when the sandbox was announced and finally opened many people some we know opened up shops waiting for the tourists, but some have closed already, many new have opened in their place but are failing or really struggling to get a tourist in their shop..its sad to see but when the tourist do/(if) finally come then there will always be someone to open another shop

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

2 minutes ago, Malc-Thai said:

Sadly that's so true ,when the sandbox was announced and finally opened many people some we know opened up shops waiting for the tourists, but some have closed

….. with a tiddly finish?

At least the landlord is making some money out of it!

[AlexPTY]

2 minutes ago, Malc-Thai said:

Sadly that's so true ,when the sandbox was announced and finally opened many people some we know opened up shops waiting for the tourists, but some have closed already, many new have opened in their place but are failing or really struggling to get a tourist in their shop..its sad to see but when the tourist do/(if) finally come then there will always be someone to open another shop

I used to live in Jomtien for 10 years and saw nice Italian restaurant opened at runabout. Loved it, but in few month another 2 opened 300m from it and then it was the end of it. I think by the time COVID-19 shut everything down, they had 5 Italian restaurants in the area. Same goes with hair salons and massage shops 

[gummy]

58 minutes ago, AlexPTY said:

I used to live in Jomtien for 10 years and saw nice Italian restaurant opened at runabout. Loved it, but in few month another 2 opened 300m from it and then it was the end of it. I think by the time COVID-19 shut everything down, they had 5 Italian restaurants in the area. Same goes with hair salons and massage shops 

You think that sounds bad  this was spotted the other day

[Paco]

Was not expecting these people will make any profit, nothing new here

[AlexPTY]

25 minutes ago, gummy said:

You think that sounds bad  this was spotted the other day

This is sad, but they have to forget about farang. Farang are not stupid anymore, unless you weight 45kg and can fit on size XL dress 

[Soidog]

5 hours ago, Bob20 said:

That is exactly why Pattaya is reconsidering becoming a sandbox for foreign travel, because they will then miss out of the domestic market, which is larger.

And you can't have both at the same time (yet). Can you imagine the numbers around the country if domestic travel was freely allowed in and out of sandboxes as well? 

It’s an interesting situation in allowing local tourism in to the Sandbox. As vaccination rates increase in Thailand, then why not?  I guess the issue is the multiple PCR tests and returning home in another part of the country. They know that most Thais got to places like Pattaya or Phuket for a long weekend or maybe a week. If you can let a local return anywhere in Thailand after a few days without a PCR then why not a foreigner? Paying for a PCR prior to travel and again on arrival is simply not worth it for a two or three night stay. If the Thais could come up with a cunning plan not to require that for Thais and only foreigners, then they would. In the back of my mind, I thought they already had?  

[Bob20]

6 minutes ago, Soidog said:

It’s an interesting situation in allowing local tourism in to the Sandbox. As vaccination rates increase in Thailand, then why not?  I guess the issue is the multiple PCR tests and returning home in another part of the country. They know that most Thais got to places like Pattaya or Phuket for a long weekend or maybe a week. If you can let a local return anywhere in Thailand after a few days without a PCR then why not a foreigner? Paying for a PCR prior to travel and again on arrival is simply not worth it for a two or three night stay. If the Thais could come up with a cunning plan not to require that for Thais and only foreigners, then they would. In the back of my mind, I thought they already had?  

Hi soidog, I read that (I think) the governor was contemplating opting out of the scheme because they'd then miss out of the larger chunk of domestic tourism. That's all I commented on.

In general I'm not in favour of any big movements until we get to a higher level of vaccinations.

[Malc-Thai]

23 minutes ago, Soidog said:

It’s an interesting situation in allowing local tourism in to the Sandbox. As vaccination rates increase in Thailand, then why not?  I guess the issue is the multiple PCR tests and returning home in another part of the country. They know that most Thais got to places like Pattaya or Phuket for a long weekend or maybe a week. If you can let a local return anywhere in Thailand after a few days without a PCR then why not a foreigner? Paying for a PCR prior to travel and again on arrival is simply not worth it for a two or three night stay. If the Thais could come up with a cunning plan not to require that for Thais and only foreigners, then they would. In the back of my mind, I thought they already had?  

I did read this today for domestic travel to phuket

 

1. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated
2. Arrivals must provide evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 by RT-PCR method or ATK swab test within seven days before arriving
3. Arrivals must have the MorProm app installed on their phones and must register their travel details through the gophuget.com web platform

As for air travel, which has limitations in the methods of detecting infection, it was agreed to propose having checkpoints set up at airports providing flights to Phuket where passengers can bring their own ATKs to conduct COVID tests before being allowed to board their flight.

 

No testing after arrival, 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Malc-Thai

[Ted]

12 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I may be wrong, but I think you can have some beers at a restaurant that serves food?

A friend just came back from a holiday in Phuket (Bkk expat, i.e. not a Sandbox'er) he said that inside the SHA hotels all was normal, with a beer to your food or a cocktail at the pool bar.

But outside its just like here in Bkk 7, Family, a local "mamas-shop" or larger super markets is the only place to find any alcoholic beverages 

[Lowseasonlover]

3 minutes ago, Ted said:

A friend just came back from a holiday in Phuket (Bkk expat, i.e. not a Sandbox'er) he said that inside the SHA hotels all was normal, with a beer to your food or a cocktail at the pool bar.

But outside its just like here in Bkk 7, Family, a local "mamas-shop" or larger super markets is the only place to find any alcoholic beverages 

Im told half the bars on soi Bangla are open, 

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Bob20 said:

Hi soidog, I read that (I think) the governor was contemplating opting out of the scheme because they'd then miss out of the larger chunk of domestic tourism. That's all I commented on.

In general I'm not in favour of any big movements until we get to a higher level of vaccinations.

Yes I totally agree. Movements should be restricted to essential only until they get vaccination rates (fully vaccinated) to more like 75-85%

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Malc-Thai said:

I did read this today for domestic travel to phuket

1. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated
2. Arrivals must provide evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 by RT-PCR method or ATK swab test within seven days before arriving
3. Arrivals must have the MorProm app installed on their phones and must register their travel details through the gophuget.com web platform

As for air travel, which has limitations in the methods of detecting infection, it was agreed to propose having checkpoints set up at airports providing flights to Phuket where passengers can bring their own ATKs to conduct COVID tests before being allowed to board their flight.

No testing after arrival, 

I’m confused by it all now. You get your head around it and then someone makes another comment and then it is sometimes overturned. Is there a central website where these things are officially published? 

[Griff1315]

Bugger Phucket  does anyone know if Koh Chang has any horrendous restrictions if not I'm  off there...

[MrStretch]

9 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’m confused by it all now. You get your head around it and then someone makes another comment and then it is sometimes overturned. Is there a central website where these things are officially published? 

Why did you think anything was different? Those rules have been in place for some time now.

The Phuket Provincial Health Office has a website:

https://www.pkto.moph.go.th/home.html

 

[Malc-Thai]

39 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I’m confused by it all now. You get your head around it and then someone makes another comment and then it is sometimes overturned. Is there a central website where these things are officially published? 

This came in to effect on the 15th Sept so basically the same rules that allowed covid  in from domestic travel 

[Malc-Thai]

1 hour ago, Lowseasonlover said:

Im told half the bars on soi Bangla are open, 

They are around 30-40%  bars open in Bangla Road, 2 or 3 nights ago, with around 40 -50 each bar, all drinks in coffee cups and a grab food menu to make a bar a restaurant.. said to close 9pm but we left 11pm and still in full swing

[gummy]

1 hour ago, Malc-Thai said:

They are around 30-40%  bars open in Bangla Road, 2 or 3 nights ago, with around 40 -50 each bar, all drinks in coffee cups and a grab food menu to make a bar a restaurant.. said to close 9pm but we left 11pm and still in full swing

Guess local plod received their donations to the police charity then

[Bob20]

1 hour ago, Malc-Thai said:

They are around 30-40%  bars open in Bangla Road, 2 or 3 nights ago, with around 40 -50 each bar, all drinks in coffee cups and a grab food menu to make a bar a restaurant.. said to close 9pm but we left 11pm and still in full swing

You've been very active and awake here today. Are you sure that wasn't coffee in your mug after all?

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

1 hour ago, Malc-Thai said:

They are around 30-40%  bars open in Bangla Road

They are now known ….. and registered (I bet) ….. as restaurants! …. As bars are banned from opening.

[Bob20]

Just now, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

They are now known ….. and registered (I bet) ….. as restaurants! …. As bars are banned from opening.

Only 30-40%

No beer then