Phuket Sandbox

[noosard]

The first failure of many to come
Not going to help the confidence in the tourist industry

[Niggly]

More random numbers though just tacked on the end in the hope no one notices though.
It was being hailed a success (up to today anyway) but weren’t they expecting something like 630,000 visitors (international AND domestic for DooDoops benefit) over the 90 day period?

From July 1-7 a total of 2,113 had arrived in Phuket under the Sandbox programme, the governor said.

If my basic maths is still correct 2113 ÷ 6 = 352 x 90 = 31695. These arrivals can hardly be hailed a success in attaining the desired number unless they’re secretly expecting a massive uplift a bit later that no one else knows about

[stattointhailand]

I think the idea was that you had small numbers to start and then when everyone saw what a good idea it was they would come flocking back in much greater numbers (as opposed to the same amount on day one as day 90)

[Niggly]

Well I hope ramping up of arrival numbers still works then.
I’m sure everyone thinking of booking is going to ignore the fact you can still just be whisked off to 14 day quarantine (at your own further expense) due to a positive test result effectively making the whole exercise a bit pointless

[Niggly]

From today’s government presentation

The CCSA are asking for people to avoid interprovincial travel in order to stop the spread of #COVID19 around the country. People living in the red and dark red zones are urged to #StayHome or at least in their own province. This is not the time for a holiday

Seems to be at odds with the Phuket TAT trying to get 500,000 domestic travellers to visit the island doesn’t it?

[Drunk Monkey]

From today’s government presentation

The CCSA are asking for people to avoid interprovincial travel in order to stop the spread of #COVID19 around the country. People living in the red and dark red zones are urged to #StayHome or at least in their own province. This is not the time for a holiday

Seems to be at odds with the Phuket TAT trying to get 500,000 domestic travellers to visit the island doesn’t it?

Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted ... same as last Songhkran only this time its all the transient construction n factory workers who headed home to their villages from Bkk.. with covid hitching a ride.

YCMTSU

[Niggly]

Asking (or urging whichever way you say it) people not to travel doesn’t work. It’s been proven a few times already here in Thailand & the world over, ask Boris. Everyone from red zones will travel home up country to their families because of all the other half assed restrictions meaning they can’t earn money for food or rent.

Meanwhile, back to Phuket, I hope domestic travellers won’t be welcomed for defying the governments recommendations on inter provincial travel

[Doodoo]

Defying the Governments recommendations LOL

Please dont ride motorbikes without helmets/licenses/insurace
Please dont ride/drive the opposite way on the roadways
Please dont lend money at exorbanent interest rates, 10% a day if not higher
Please dont gamble and drink in enclosed areas especially during this Covid situation
Please Please Please.......
etc etc etc

The only way to identify people Defying is to Enforce

[Niggly]

^ And

Posts going over your head is getting a regular occurrence isn’t it. Do try to keep up

[Doodoo]

"I hope domestic travellers won’t be welcomed for DEFYING" the governments recommendations on inter provincial travel"
I read this in someones entry recently and was ammused by the word DEFY

and No it certainly didnt pass over my head

[Niggly]

& if it didn’t go over your head when reading it in context, your point is?
Please explain, I’m sure it will be fascinating

[Doodoo]

Nibbly
AS you have indicated before. If it has NOT gone over your head it therefore needs NO expalanation

[Niggly]

Fascinating

[stattointhailand]

From the Thaiger ..... Three escapees from the sandbox quickly recovered

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism ... kly-caught

given all the hoops that need jumping through and all the bells and whistles that need to be in perfect alignment to get a COE to be in Phuket in the first place, someone suffering enough dementia to not know where they were or why seems a bit hard to believe

[pipoz4444]

Not entirely un-expected. Had a probability chance of 99.9% Just sooner, rather than later.

So one guy flying into the Sandbox, tests positive at some time after arriving, somewhere ??, and now a number of those who have been in contact with him and presumably some from the same flight as him (number being undefined by the TG) are also now quarantined somewhere, for the next 14 days in Phuket.

Have a happy holiday in Phuket, staring at the four walls, in your room, for the next 14 Days.

You just can't pick your friends on the Flight.

(As reported on the Thaiger, today)

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/as ... x-15172620

pipoz4444

[stattointhailand]

I wonder if that smug b*stard from Abu Dhabi? that was on Good Morning a couple days ago is one of those now quarantined, after his everything is wonderful speech (didn't notice the Thaiger displaying a "TAT paid Promotion" marker that you normally have to on you tube) ........... mind you one look at the presenters face (cringe) told you all you needed to know

[rick]

One little snippet of information on that link above - Emirates flight to Phuket had 14 passengers - I see the Phuket Sandbox is really pulling them in!

[Khun Paul]

You know if you were writing a book, you could not even think of the situation as we have here, unfolding before our eyes, the story line would be amazing, tested vaccinated tourist , reveals a Covid infection and three escaping the travel sanctions re-captured. While the Government Officials are left scratching their heads as the Boss ( PM ) is quarantining because he met a Covid positive person on the same Island designated to be safe in its own bubble. Could the story line get any more convoluted .

The usage of the most used saying Amazing Thailand is so true in this instance !!

[papafarang]

Funny though , the poor sods who thought they were going on holiday. The guy testing positive means everyone in his hotel are now locked up in their rooms for 14 days. The cunning plan isn't going to work I'm afraid. They could do the 14 days locked up but the day they are cleared they could have someone else test positive ,maybe in the hotel or at a restaurant and bang they'll be back in the room for another 14 days .

[pal52]

The tourists who were put into quarantine have now all asked to be flown home.
Not a good start to the Sandbox scheme and will certainly stop a lot of tourists coming in future.