Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

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Gaybutton
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Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Post by Gaybutton »

This is according to Thaivisa and comes a no surprise to me. Now that the quarantine time has been extended and the bars and nightlife venues in Phuket will have to remain closed, if there is any surprise it's that only 50% of foreigners canceled their plans (if that's the true total that canceled their plans).

If similar restrictions with Pattaya's own "Sandbox Plan" are going to be in place, three guesses what will happen. Or should I say - not happen?

In my opinion, they keep coming up with harebrained schemes that never seem to work. To me, the reason for it is obvious. Look at all the hoops you have to jump through just to go to Thailand and look what awaits you once you get there. What do they expect? I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt Thailand's tourism industry stands a chance of any kind of substantial recovery until everything that attracts holiday makers reopens and the most difficult part about traveling to and from Thailand is enduring the long haul flight.

The authorities keep talking about the high numbers of tourists that will be going for holidays in Thailand. Will that be the reality? As I said, I doubt it. I have no idea how they're coming up with their expected tourist numbers, but I'll believe it when I see it. However, with these restrictions and absurd schemes, I won't be holding my breath expecting to see it.

"Do you think there's any chance of it?"
- Peter O'Toole (King Henry II), 'The Lion in Winter'
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Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Over 50 percent of foreigners who had confirmed they would visit Phuket as part of the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ project have now cancelled their plans, Thailand’s tourism minister has said.

Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, told Spring News that after the Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) increased the minimum period of stay from 7 days to 14 days, 29,700 foreigners have now cancelled plans to visit Phuket.

Under the Phuket Sandbox scheme, vaccinated foreigners do not need to be quarantined in a hotel room, but they are required to remain in Phuket before travelling to other provinces in Thailand.

Initially, the requirement was for vaccinated foreigners to remain in Phuket for seven days after arrival. However, this was recently increased to 14 days.

As a result, a large number of people who had confirmed plans to visit the island have now cancelled.

Mr Pipat said that among the first people to visit the island in July will be sailors from the US and British navies.

The island is pinning its hopes that the Sandbox project will resuricate the local economy, which is so heavily dependent on tourism and which has been left decimated due to the pandemic.

The Phuket Sandbox project, the launch of which is best described as chaotic, suffered another blow last week after it was announced that bars and pubs in Phuket would remain closed when the first tourists start arriving from July 1.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/122042 ... 10614-1303
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Re: Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Post by whitedesire »

One of the reasons IMHO why people cancel is because of all the bother that happens when travelling, getting costly rip off COVID tests etc and ensuring everything is in order according to the relevant country's COVID protocol, let alone catching the virus risk. It baffles me why people want to travel taking the risks of (i) the country stopping people entering; (ii) the country goes on a strictly colour coded list; (iii) the constant refusals at airports even though you comply; need I go on. This is not just one country specific, its happening throughout the world from A to Z. But its their choice.

I could have retired last year; was offered redundancy a few days ago; declined both of them even though redundancy, the money was "ok". Where can I go without the hassle; in the country I want to retire they have stopped the retirement visas. This will come to an end at some point, we know that, until the next pandemic and NATO taking an active role is stopping China taking over the Spratley Islands LOL. I think Thailand now we are looking at next year now, I'm doubtful about the winter season for Thailand, why, because of the vaccination programme, not just in Thailand but in various countries in Asia. Its going to take its time. I reckon to fully get over this, another year.

I remember coming through an airport last year in Asia, when COVID was at its initial stages, but scary. The airport staff didn't do much to alleviate problems, and the queues are horrendous.

Fortunately, what lovely weather we have in the UK at the moment and lovely views of Soho in its entirety, with the ever blooming views of its people - an Asian guy in his 20s 30s the other night, all he had on was a thong and a hat and sat in Neros the coffee shop enjoying his Latte.
Jun

Re: Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:59 pm To me, the reason for it is obvious. Look at all the hoops you have to jump through just to go to Thailand and look what awaits you once you get there. What do they expect? I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt Thailand's tourism industry stands a chance of any kind of substantial recovery until everything that attracts holiday makers reopens and the most difficult part about traveling to and from Thailand is enduring the long haul flight.
I agree -they are not going to get back to anywhere near the 39 million per year, or whatever the claimed figure was until it's approximately as easy to fly to and from Thailand as it was back in 2019.

They do have to start somewhere though. A sandbox scheme could get some numbers in, if Thailand has sensible rules AND the other countries have reasonable rules for tourists returning.

A sensible scheme:
1 7 nights in Phuket -policed only by passport checks when leaving the island. Stay wherever you like on the island. Existing processes mean immigration know where you are staying.
2 Perhaps one covid test before departure and another on day 6. Thai government to pay for the day 6 test since it's about time they supported the tourism industry.
3 Give visitors more days in Thailand to compensate for the 7 day restriction. In fact, why not double the number of days for each category ?
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Re: Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Post by Gaybutton »

Jun wrote: Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:07 pm if Thailand has sensible rules
Now that's definitely a big 'if' - a very big 'if'.

The only halfway sensible rule I've seen in years is the ability to do the 90-day address reports online. Of course it would be much more sensible to do away with the 90-day address report entirely, which they talked about but nothing ever came of it, but at least being able to submit the report online is something. Other than that, the odds of coming up with sensible rules are, shall we say, remote.
Jun

Re: Sandbox: 50% of foreigners cancel plans to visit Phuket

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:47 amOf course it would be much more sensible to do away with the 90-day address report entirely, which they talked about but nothing ever came of it
I get the impression that someone somewhere in Thailand actually thinks it's a good thing to employ people doing something completely useless, or to work with inefficient processes. Such nonsense only entrenches low living standards, since people don't actually produce any useful output from their work.
What they ought to do is delete the time wasting processes, fire the lot of them & in normal times capitalism will ensure they can find some more productive work to do.
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