Phuket Ready for Foreign Tourism in July Despite Thai Covid Wave

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

By Randy Thanthong-Knight

 

● Thailand panel affirms island reopening date for travelers

● No quarantine for vaccinated; 9 other place ready in October

 

Thailand is sticking to its reopening plan for its resort island of Phuket even as the country struggles to contain its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began amid slow vaccinations.

 

The national tourism panel met Friday and affirmed the timetable for Phuket to be back in business on July 1, when the mandatory two-week quarantine will be dropped for vaccinated visitors, according to government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. The committee also endorsed Oct. 1 openings for nine other popular destinations, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with restrictions eased in the rest of Thailand in January, she said. Thailand Rethinks Vaccine Plan as Virus Flareup Hits Economy

 

The success of these plans hinge on the ability of each province to meet the vaccination coverage of 70% of its residents and hospitality workers, Traisuree said. The government will soon accelerate inoculation programs “to build confidence in both the public and foreign tourists,” she said.

 

Full story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-07/phuket-ready-for-foreign-tourism-in-july-despite-thai-covid-wave

 

-- © Copyright Bloomberg 2021-05-08

 

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[impulse]

I'm in favor of it as an experiment to see if opening up has any negative affect.

 

At the same time, I hope they offer financial assistance to any Phuket natives that don't want to participate.  That is, assistance to relocate elsewhere temporarily if that's what they choose to do.

 

But I'll bet there's a lot more Thai people who want to move TO Phuket to capitalize on the tourist $$$.  That should be voluntary and managed.

 

And, of course, it would be great if they can contain the experiment to the island.  Both for better control of the data as well as protecting the rest of Thailand if it doesn't pan out.

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by impulse

[madmen]

That's my window back in. I should be happy but find myself unable to press the pay button for my flight ????

[BritManToo]

 ..... and Chiang Mai (Mae Rim and Mae Tang) in October.

It'll never happen (Phuket or CM), all more fever dreams of TaT.

Not that anyone would want to go to Mae Rim or Mae Tang for more than a day trip.

Edited May 7, 2021 by BritManToo

[Los Luver]

Great news!!!

But I wonder if one would be allowed to visit BKK & Pattaya

[anchadian]

How many news articles have we seen with the same type heading?

 

Getting monotonous now.

[Flying Saucage]

If they open for vaccinated tourists, this will be a good decision for Thailand.

 

Vaccinated people pose very little risk to others, less risk than locals without inoculation pose. And, they are also not at risk themselves. But they help the Thai tourism industry to survive. 

[baansgr]

As it's predominantly the old and at risk that have been vaccinated....it's unlikely many of this group would want to travel..May receive a few hundred tourists a month...but the tens of thousands they expect just isn't going to happen

[ikke1959]

Yes Phuket can open for tourists.. today already in the news that the new cases have dropped to only 5. But the question is will there be tourists willing to come already?? Some countries discourage travel  and other maybe have a mandatory quarantine if they come back and besides that mostly a holiday to a far destination needs some preparation and because it is still not sure if Phuket will be open I am wondering if the tourist take the risk of booking  a trip that will be cancelled. Everything in THailand is not sure .. and it can change day by day or even hour by hour

[nkg]

17 minutes ago, baansgr said:

As it's predominantly the old and at risk that have been vaccinated....it's unlikely many of this group would want to travel..May receive a few hundred tourists a month...but the tens of thousands they expect just isn't going to happen

 

The UK is currently vaccinating anyone who is 40 or over.

 

[Thailand]

The main golden goose of China is a no go for sometime. Returnees are having 14 days in hotel quarantine and the 7 days monitored home quarantine.

Staycations are the new normal in most countries for the time being.

[nkg]

19 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Yes Phuket can open for tourists.. today already in the news that the new cases have dropped to only 5. But the question is will there be tourists willing to come already?? Some countries discourage travel  and other maybe have a mandatory quarantine if they come back and besides that mostly a holiday to a far destination needs some preparation and because it is still not sure if Phuket will be open I am wondering if the tourist take the risk of booking  a trip that will be cancelled. Everything in THailand is not sure .. and it can change day by day or even hour by hour

 

 

It's supposed to be a trial run for going back to large-scale tourism. Nobody is expecting millions of Western tourists to turn up in Phuket in low season during a pandemic.

 

The relatively small numbers involved will make it easier to cope with any covid-related problems.

 

[xtof2]

I am far to be sure that they are ready.... but I am sure that not many are ready to come

[Rhys]

....selected options by concerned business/politicans la 55555.

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, Los Luver said:

Great news!!!

But I wonder if one would be allowed to visit BKK & Pattaya

I think the idea is to isolate Phuket we only have one exit via the bridge or a flight out

[ChipButty]

31 minutes ago, xtof2 said:

I am far to be sure that they are ready.... but I am sure that not many are ready to come

I dont think the locals are ready

[Sametboy2019]

Come to Phuket. F'all is open and there could be curfews, alcohol bans or lockdowns. 

Sign me up.

[Rhacsyn]

28 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

I dont think the locals are ready

 

The locals that I know are desperate, prepared and ready. I accept that there are other local though....

[Rhacsyn]

2 hours ago, nkg said:

 

The UK is currently vaccinating anyone who is 40 or over.

 

The UK is one, and other countries are vaccinating the "younger" generation too

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The national tourism panel met Friday and affirmed the timetable for Phuket to be back in business on July 1, when the mandatory two-week quarantine will be dropped for vaccinated visitors, according to government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. The committee also endorsed Oct. 1 openings for nine other popular destinations, including Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with restrictions eased in the rest of Thailand in January, she said. Thailand Rethinks Vaccine Plan as Virus Flareup Hits Economy

Are they actually on this planet?

[zzzzz]

I imagine the Chinese are getting their shots and are ready to fly direct into Phuket come July>

BUT how will this help the local economy as the Chinese stay in Chinese owned hotels, tour with Chinese companies, eat in Chinese owned restaurants and shop in Chinese owned shops

 

Will Patong, Karon, Kata open for them?

Edited May 8, 2021 by zzzzz

[Pattaya Spotter]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

I'm in favor of it as an experiment to see if opening up has any negative affect.

 

At the same time, I hope they offer financial assistance to any Phuket natives that don't want to participate.  That is, assistance to relocate elsewhere temporarily if that's what they choose to do.

 

But I'll bet there's a lot more Thai people who want to move TO Phuket to capitalize on the tourist $$$.  That should be voluntary and managed.

 

And, of course, it would be great if they can contain the experiment to the island.  Both for better control of the data as well as protecting the rest of Thailand if it doesn't pan out.

 

Google "Seychelles Covid surge."

[Pattaya Spotter]

29 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

BUT how will this help the local economy as the Chinese stay in Chinese owned hotels, tour with Chinese companies, eat in Chinese

Who do you think works in all those businesses...virtual Chinese employees...who do you think supplies goods and services to all those businesses (and work at these businesses)?

[pagallim]

Relevant though Phuket's preparedness is, of far more relevance are other countries criteria in allowing travel and their own quarantine requirement for people returning.

[KarenBravo]

The problem is that tourists aren't ready for Phuket.

Still has increasing Covid cases and airfares are very expensive now. Who would want to come?

[xylophone]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The success of these plans hinge on the ability of each province to meet the vaccination coverage of 70% of its residents and hospitality workers, Traisuree said. The government will soon accelerate inoculation programs “to build confidence in both the public and foreign tourists,” she said.

Whoops, I see a fly in the ointment, as the saying goes.

 

The article mentions that "slow vaccinations" are a problem and of course we keep getting the different messages from various officials (I do believe the TAT is missing a W from its abbreviation) so it seems a bit of a lottery that the 70% figure will be met by July 1.

 

Aside of that, is the fact that in Patong for example, long touted as a major playground for tourists, the state of the town is in abject disarray, with shops previously catering for tourists, falling down and many others in dire need of repairs.

 

Then of course there is the fear factor and I believe that will drive would-be tourists to Thailand, to seek holidays in the likes of Spain and Greece, for example, and with a much shorter aeroplane journey.

 

Much work needs to be done here to be able to get back on a level footing, and I really don't believe that will happen for another year or two, sad to say.
 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

I imagine the Chinese are getting their shots and are ready to fly direct into Phuket come July>

BUT how will this help the local economy as the Chinese stay in Chinese owned hotels, tour with Chinese companies, eat in Chinese owned restaurants and shop in Chinese owned shops

 

Will Patong, Karon, Kata open for them?

Not always the case lots of independent travelers

[madmitch]

3 hours ago, nkg said:

 

The UK is currently vaccinating anyone who is 40 or over.

 

Yes, but the UK also has just issued a list of countries it deems safe for its citizens to visit and Thailand isn't on that list, meaning a strict 10 day self-isolation period upon return. I shouldn't think there's much chance of Britain, or any other country that has similar conditions, allowing Phuket in isolation to be added to a green list.

 

Incidentally, during previous sandbox press reports, The Maldives was sometimes quoted as an example of how mass tourism has opened up during the Covid crisis. Yesterday The Maldives went onto the UK's red list!

[ChipButty]

39 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Who do you think works in all those businesses...virtual Chinese employees...who do you think supplies goods and services to all those businesses (and work at these businesses)?

Big problem now is getting the staff back here and getting them vaccinated 

[newnative]

"...accelerate the inoculation program".  Ha. That's rich. It's going so glacially slow none of us are getting our hair messed up from the wind.