News Forum - “Sandbox” period in Phuket shortened to 7 days for vaccinated travellers

[Thaiger]

With the recently relaxed rules on the quarantine period for overseas arrivals, those who enter Thailand under the “Phuket Sandbox” will only be required to stay in the province for seven days instead of the previous 14. The “Sandbox” pilot reopening project allows vaccinated travellers from abroad to roam freely on the island rather than isolate in a hotel. The government’s Phuket Information Centre shared a notice on Facebook saying visitors arriving to Phuket through the “Sandbox” project will need to stay at a certified SHA+ hotel for seven days before travelling to other provinces in Thailand. The notice says […]

The post “Sandbox” period in Phuket shortened to 7 days for vaccinated travellers appeared first on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

5 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

With the recently relaxed rules on the quarantine period for overseas arrivals,

Maybe a lot of cancellations this month, and rebooking in Guesthouse that is not on SHA+ maybe. November sounds like it will be an interesting month as Phuket won’t have the sandbox all to themselves ….. most I think will fly into Bangkok and bomb burst from there.

Maybe even decreased numbers in Phuket.

[harry1]

7 days in quarantine on arrival and a further 14 days when the tourist return home not a good prospect for a enjoyable holiday 

[Bob20]

36 minutes ago, harry1 said:

7 days in quarantine on arrival and a further 14 days when the tourist return home not a good prospect for a enjoyable holiday 

Not if you only have 3 weeks holiday 

Then again, some are masochists

[riclag]

The problem lies with having to be detained if you come up with the poison.I betcha most travelers don’t realize this!

No COE, No C Ins. Initial test when entering the sandbox, while  waiting for a hourly result,is appropriate, simply because everybody can get the poison anytime,anywhere!

Edited September 30, 2021 by riclag

[Brownie]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

The problem lies with having to be detained if you come up with the poison.I betcha most travelers don’t realize this!

No COE, No C Ins. Initial test when entering the sandbox, while  waiting for a hourly result,is appropriate, simply because everybody can get the poison anytime,anywhere!

And you won't be detained if your initial test comes positive??

[Jason]

I would rather see the end of the COE to fully vaccinated international arrivals (which is everyone anyway). To particular holiday destinations in Thailand. I'm one of those people who really only want to come to Phuket for a few weeks and return home. Right now, I think that's about as adventurous as I would get. International tourists always have the spectre of not being able to return home. For me, there's no way I would want to tour extensively (particularly to Bangkok). 

[Griff1315]

Try as they will, they just don't get it. No ones coming....

[riclag]

3 hours ago, Brownie said:

And you won't be detained if your initial test comes positive??

 Your right! Should of made it clear

“ before” leaving one’s country ! 
 

[Saunk]

Still too risky to go to Thailand right now given the rules surrounding entry.

Doesn't matter if you test negative upon arrival, if someone on your flight tests positive, you are quarantined at your expense.  And I don't know if insurance covers that cost, but I heard that it doesn't.  

Until there is unencumbered ease of entry, I don't see tourists numbers going up much.

[Marc26]

7 hours ago, riclag said:

The problem lies with having to be detained if you come up with the poison.I betcha most travelers don’t realize this!

No COE, No C Ins. Initial test when entering the sandbox, while  waiting for a hourly result,is appropriate, simply because everybody can get the poison anytime,anywhere!

We went to Mexico in July and half way through my trip I just started to get paranoid one of us would test positive and be stuck in Mexico

Probably unfounded paranoia but it definitely affected my enjoyment of my trip

[JackIsAGoodBoy]

Only tail end long holiday tourists might come and those with ties to Thailand. Average holiday in Thailand is about 10 days.

[EdwardV]

Seven days in Phuket and then allowed to travel is very doable. Wonder how long this will be unique to Phuket? They still have room to make more changes that would increase tourism. Honestly don't think they will get big numbers this high season. They waited too long, and didn't make it easy enough. Since I'm not planning on visiting until right after Christmas, I have time to see if more changes are in the works. As it is now, I would probably go to Mexico or Hawaii instead. 

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, Saunk said:

Still too risky to go to Thailand right now given the rules surrounding entry.

Doesn't matter if you test negative upon arrival, if someone on your flight tests positive, you are quarantined at your expense.  And I don't know if insurance covers that cost, but I heard that it doesn't.  

Until there is unencumbered ease of entry, I don't see tourists numbers going up much.

They haven't enforced this since the beginning when it made the internet blow up. I agree with you on the tourist levels, everybody has made their plans already and Thailand isn't on the list.

[HiuMak]

18 hours ago, harry1 said:

7 days in quarantine on arrival and a further 14 days when the tourist return home not a good prospect for a enjoyable holiday 

Travelling with restrictions is never an enjoyable holiday

[Dmitri]

On 9/30/2021 at 5:38 PM, JamesE said:

They haven't enforced this since the beginning when it made the internet blow up. I agree with you on the tourist levels, everybody has made their plans already and Thailand isn't on the list.

Is there any official word on this? Or news? I can't find recent stories or evidence over whether this is still a problem.

I would actually like to use the Sandbox scheme, and I don't mind the costs and paperwork. **But,** I have no interest in going if I can be stuck in quarantine even if we test negative. I'd have a family of four and we'd go for a month. We would be thrilled to contribute to the Thai economy, but I'm not risking it on someone else's results from the same plane. If we tested positive, sure.

[JamesE]

1 hour ago, Dmitri said:

Is there any official word on this? Or news? I can't find recent stories or evidence over whether this is still a problem.

I would actually like to use the Sandbox scheme, and I don't mind the costs and paperwork. **But,** I have no interest in going if I can be stuck in quarantine even if we test negative. I'd have a family of four and we'd go for a month. We would be thrilled to contribute to the Thai economy, but I'm not risking it on someone else's results from the same plane. If we tested positive, sure.

Nothing official but, as you note, there are no stories of anything like this happening since the July incidents. My big concern, going as a family, is not getting locked up because you were sitting near someone on the plane, but that if one of your kids is young enough to not be vaccinated and they were to test positive then they go into hospital isolation and you go into quarantine as a close contact.