Successful Phuket Sandbox Visit

[KT50]

I just finished 8 days in Phuket under the sandbox scheme.  The only snag was procuring the Thai Certificate Of Entry COE.  Had it not been for my Thai fiancé calling the Thai Embassy in Los Angeles, I would have never been approved due to the incredibly vague instructions, and I think poor IT set up of the COE website.  Other than that I found all the other hoops I had to jump through to get to Phuket , such as the specific Covid insurance of 100,000.00USD, RCT-PRC every few days, downloading the tracking app, stringent SHA+ accommodations and transportation, I am sure I am forgetting something, it was a great trip.  I have never come in contact with people so happy to see at least some tourists returning.  The beauty of the island is unprecedented , and my fiancé and I largely had the whole of Mia Khao Beach to ourselves.  Driving was a bit challenging, as the steering wheel and direction of traffic are all wrong.  Just kidding, that was not hard to get use to, but I certainly see why there are SO MANY deaths on Thai roadways.  I saw some incredibly dangerous things done by Thai drivers.  Not that US drivers are great, but damn, if you actively drive on the wrong side of the road, you will be arrested and lose you license in the States, as I am sure is the case in UK, NZ, AUS, EUROPE.   It was an amazing time and I enjoyed world class scenery.  The place is just beautiful.  Neither my fiancé nor I drink alcohol, so not having any bars was not at all a problem.  There were still plenty of places open for dining.  We had the best time and I hope the restrictions ease so more and more people will visit.  The people of Thailand deserve it. 

[JamesE]

Glad to hear it was good for you. Were you using ThailandPlus or MorChana as the tracking app?

[AussiePom]

On 9/23/2021 at 8:57 AM, KT50 said:

I just finished 8 days in Phuket under the sandbox scheme.  The only snag was procuring the Thai Certificate Of Entry COE.  Had it not been for my Thai fiancé calling the Thai Embassy in Los Angeles, I would have never been approved due to the incredibly vague instructions, and I think poor IT set up of the COE website.  Other than that I found all the other hoops I had to jump through to get to Phuket , such as the specific Covid insurance of 100,000.00USD, RCT-PRC every few days, downloading the tracking app, stringent SHA+ accommodations and transportation, I am sure I am forgetting something, it was a great trip.  I have never come in contact with people so happy to see at least some tourists returning.  The beauty of the island is unprecedented , and my fiancé and I largely had the whole of Mia Khao Beach to ourselves.  Driving was a bit challenging, as the steering wheel and direction of traffic are all wrong.  Just kidding, that was not hard to get use to, but I certainly see why there are SO MANY deaths on Thai roadways.  I saw some incredibly dangerous things done by Thai drivers.  Not that US drivers are great, but damn, if you actively drive on the wrong side of the road, you will be arrested and lose you license in the States, as I am sure is the case in UK, NZ, AUS, EUROPE.   It was an amazing time and I enjoyed world class scenery.  The place is just beautiful.  Neither my fiancé nor I drink alcohol, so not having any bars was not at all a problem.  There were still plenty of places open for dining.  We had the best time and I hope the restrictions ease so more and more people will visit.  The people of Thailand deserve it. 

thanks for the report
which hotel did you "Sandbox" in? how much dd it cost and would you recommend it?
 

[KT50]

We stayed at the Phuket Marriot Resort and Spa.  It was wonderful.  I do not have my final numbers but will pass along costs when I get back to Ohio.  I used the MorChana app. 

[Michael0510]

It took me 15 minutes to get my documents for COE together and to fill out the COE website plus the time for the PCR test before departure. Am I a genius?

I‘ve got my insurance certification after one short call with the Amex hotline. In my country it‘s AXA, who provides the health insurance for Amex. No extra costs.

All three hotels I‘ve booked for my sandbox stay sent me the SHABA without any problems. And all hotels I know offer the SHA+ transportation from HKT to the hotel when being chosen as the first hotel of the stay. That is the only transportation you have to book before arrival. It was included in the rate.

The 8,000 Baht for PCR tests are expensive and in fact only the first of the three tests makes sense. The second and third are only important for statistics to show, that foreign tourists aren’t dangerous for Thai people. But that costs are easy to compensate by the very low hotel rates. We are talking about discounts of 30 to 70%. I.e. right now I‘m staying at a very nice villa with a big private pool and seaview, saving the 8,000 Baht for testing with each single night. Also easy to find rates at Marriotts around $60, at Hilton for even less.

ThailandPlus doesn‘t work here. You need MorChana only. If you are afraid of tracking, MorChana also works without tracking (bluetooth off and app not being active, when it isn‘t open). 

The ban of alcohol is likely to be lifted within the next days. Right now you can get alcohol in supermarkets, minibar or in-room dining - and unoffically at restaurants and some bare.