Anyone "on the ground", Phuket Sandbox scheme

[bolt]

7 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

I'm a member of this travel groups FB page and they have been involved with the organisation for opening Phuket on July 1st and they made this statement 53 minutes ago;

IAsia Thailand updated the description.

  · 53 m  · 

 

Phuket WILL open on the 1 July 2021. Come and join the group to learn the official news from people who are attending the meetings, local hoteliers living in Phuket and local businesses offering deals. Here you can ask your questions on your trip to Phuket.

I Asia Thailand is one of the largest Thailand DMC offering hotel accommodations, day tours and attractions, airport rides and RT-PCR tests in Phuket. Winner of Tripadvisor Choice Awards. Actively involved in the opening of Phuket.

That FB Group has been set up by companies and individuals who are directly involved with tourism, fair play to them.

But

I will continually mention to tourists DON’T spend ANY money until its confirmed through the proper channels, right now anyone can book a flight, they can book a hotel, if you hold a flight ticket and an hotel booking it doesn’t mean you will be allowed to travel after 1^st of July.

 

The Thai Embassies will issue you an COE Certificate of entry, without a COE you cannot enter Thailand, it doesn’t matter if you have vaccination, flight ticket, hotel booking etc

 

Be very careful with what you read online, unless it’s from the Embassy it’s NOT confirmed.

I’m on the FB group and its very clear nothing is confirmed; we keep seeing screenshots of documents that will be released LATER.

I privately spoke to one tour operator who told me that I can transit in BKK I even sent a ticket route showing transit, they told me “no problem with your flight route its fine’

3 days later we were told DIRECT flights only.

Is clear the Thais are not sure yet, meaning they will understandably get very protective and be very strict with the rules.

 

We had this early March with the new regulations set to start 1^st April, that was eventually confirmed April 2^nd, and the scheme was promoted to start April 1^st, some tourists booked to arrive on the 1^st and ended up doing 14 days FULL quarantine locked in hotel loom.

 

So to summarise my rant

Wait and don’t spend any money until its been officially released from Thai Embassy

 

Don’t worry if seats are selling fast or hotels are nearly full, that’s not entirely true

[zzzzz]

ITS a GO

Phuket Sandbox starts on July 1: TAT

PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given the green light and Phuket will reopen to fully vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn has confirmed.

 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-starts-on-july-1-tat-80136.php

[stevenl]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

ITS a GO

Phuket Sandbox starts on July 1: TAT

PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given the green light and Phuket will reopen to fully vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn has confirmed.

 

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-sandbox-starts-on-july-1-tat-80136.php

Thanks, another confirmation it will go ahead. Unfortunately still no details.

[bolt]

here is another thing to consider 

when does Day 1 of your Quarantine Start 

the below pictures are from CCSA in March 2021

[stuarty]

On 5/28/2021 at 2:06 PM, bolt said:

here is another thing to consider 

when does Day 1 of your Quarantine Start 

the below pictures are from CCSA in March 2021

There’s no quarantine under the sandbox scheme

[bolt]

24 minutes ago, stuarty said:

There’s no quarantine under the sandbox scheme

We will be quarantined on the island of Phuket for 7 days or nights, then we can travel to any other part of Thailand

when you do think Day 1 or our quarantine Starts 

Edited May 28, 2021 by bolt

[stuarty]

11 minutes ago, bolt said:

We will be quarantined on the island of Phuket for 7 days or nights, then we can travel to any other part of Thailand

when you do think Day 1 or our quarantine Starts 

Who is we? Your choice whether to transit through Phuket or not

[zzzzz]

16 minutes ago, bolt said:

We will be quarantined on the island of Phuket for 7 days or nights, then we can travel to any other part of Thailand

when you do think Day 1 or our quarantine Starts 

ur free to book ur own room, eat where you wish, drink ( hopefully by than ) where you wish, go where you wish, hardly call that a quarantine

day 1 is day you arrive same as ur entry date on ur visa or visa exempt

Personally bet many will not be traditional "tourists" but will use the sandbox to gain entry to Thailand

7 days on a lovely island sure beats 14 days locked up in  a hotel in Bangkok   ????

Edited May 28, 2021 by zzzzz

[bolt]

2 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

ur free to book ur own room, eat where you wish, drink ( hopefully by than ) where you wish, go where you wish, hardly call that a quarantine

day 1 is day you arrive same as ur entry date on ur visa. visa exempt

if you arrive after 18:00 that will be day ZERO, 

your 1st day of quarantine will be the next day

 

if you’re not allowed to leave the island, what would you call that, 

1. imprisonment
2. detention
3. interment
4. confinement
5. captivity

 

[bolt]

[stuarty]

8 minutes ago, bolt said:

if you arrive after 18:00 that will be day ZERO, 

your 1st day of quarantine will be the next day

 

if you’re not allowed to leave the island, what would you call that, 

1. imprisonment
2. detention
3. interment
4. confinement
5. captivity

 

I would call it 6. A condition

and only applicable if your intention is to only pass through Phuket 

[bolt]

51 minutes ago, stuarty said:

I would call it 6. A condition

and only applicable if your intention is to only pass through Phuket 

I will say, I’m using the Sandbox to reduce my normal quarantine time, I’ve already done 2 rounds of quarantine and its not fun.

I’m 99.9% sure I will fly to Phuket my other option is to stay locked in a loom for 15 nights, it actually works out for me as I can hopefully bring the wife over to Phuket so we can get some time away from the kids.

 

But this 7 day Sandox will stop middle to end of July and we will return to 14(15) day quarantine in Loom only, it will be the same scenario as what happened in April.

 

Also

So many people are thinking, buy a flight ticket, book hotel and that’s all I need to enter Phuket, its soooooooo misleading  

Edited May 28, 2021 by bolt

[boogiewoogie]

1 hour ago, bolt said:

if you arrive after 18:00 that will be day ZERO, 

your 1st day of quarantine will be the next day

 

if you’re not allowed to leave the island, what would you call that, 

1. imprisonment
2. detention
3. interment
4. confinement
5. captivity

 

Are u seriously comparing Phuket to captivity?

[stuarty]

41 minutes ago, bolt said:

I will say, I’m using the Sandbox to reduce my normal quarantine time, I’ve already done 2 rounds of quarantine and its not fun.

I’m 99.9% sure I will fly to Phuket my other option is to stay locked in a loom for 15 nights, it actually works out for me as I can hopefully bring the wife over to Phuket so we can get some time away from the kids.

 

But this 7 day Sandox will stop middle to end of July and we will return to 14(15) day quarantine in Loom only, it will be the same scenario as what happened in April.

 

Also

So many people are thinking, buy a flight ticket, book hotel and that’s all I need to enter Phuket, its soooooooo misleading  

A loom?  Been watching too many Peter sellers movies have we?

[bolt]

3 hours ago, stuarty said:

A loom?  Been watching too many Peter sellers movies have we?

No Loom is Thai for Room, 20 years of Ploblems 

[merijn]

10 hours ago, bolt said:

if you arrive after 18:00 that will be day ZERO, 

your 1st day of quarantine will be the next day

 

if you’re not allowed to leave the island, what would you call that, 

1. imprisonment
2. detention
3. interment
4. confinement
5. captivity

 

I life on Phuket so I don't called it quarantine and sure beats the 14 days in a hotel room in Bangkok.

[bolt]

9 hours ago, merijn said:

I life on Phuket so I don't called it quarantine and sure beats the 14 days in a hotel room in Bangkok.

I agree it will beat sitting in a locked loom for 10-14 days, thats why i'm coming in July

[aussiexpat]

Here is how the SHA+ sandbox will work

https://royalvacationdmc.com/phuket-sandbox/

 

In summary:

(a) you can transit through BKK

(b) you must stay 7 nights in an SHA + approved hotel (quite reasonable pricing)

(c) you must use SHA approved transport from airport to hotel

(d) Must use monitoring app but free to go anywhere in Phuket

(e) PCR test required day 5

(f) free to go anywhere in Thailand after the the 7 nights 

[merijn]

6 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Here is how the SHA+ sandbox will work

https://royalvacationdmc.com/phuket-sandbox/

 

In summary:

(a) you can transit through BKK

(b) you must stay 7 nights in an SHA + approved hotel (quite reasonable pricing)

(c) you must use SHA approved transport from airport to hotel

(d) Must use monitoring app but free to go anywhere in Phuket

(e) PCR test required day 5

(f) free to go anywhere in Thailand after the the 7 nights 

The transfer option is not confirmed yet as the systems to segregate the Phuket passengers from the rest is not set-up yet and it is not known if this will be happening before 1 July.

Also the whole Sandbox program is depending on the percentage of vaccinations achieved in Phuket as this has to be at least 70% of the population and currently they are around 55% 

[Peterw42]

6 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Here is how the SHA+ sandbox will work

https://royalvacationdmc.com/phuket-sandbox/

 

In summary:

(a) you can transit through BKK

(b) you must stay 7 nights in an SHA + approved hotel (quite reasonable pricing)

(c) you must use SHA approved transport from airport to hotel

(d) Must use monitoring app but free to go anywhere in Phuket

(e) PCR test required day 5

(f) free to go anywhere in Thailand after the the 7 nights 

 

Has any of that information been officially released by the Thai Government ????

 

Thats a tour company, and on the site, they use the word proposed an awful lot.

 

"The Phuket Sandbox model was Proposed by Thailand Authorities in order to reopen the Country for International Tourists without the need of Quarantine Upon arrival. This Project will only be applied for Vaccinated Tourists and will be applied starting from the 1st of July. The Proposal States that the tourists arriving to Phuket must stay at least 7 Days before moving to any other Province in Thailand. In addition to that, The Project will only be applied if at least 70% Of Phuket Population has been vaccinated by that time." 

[aussiexpat]

14 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Has any of that information been officially released by the Thai Government ????

 

Thats a tour company, and on the site, they use the word proposed an awful lot.

 

"The Phuket Sandbox model was Proposed by Thailand Authorities in order to reopen the Country for International Tourists without the need of Quarantine Upon arrival. This Project will only be applied for Vaccinated Tourists and will be applied starting from the 1st of July. The Proposal States that the tourists arriving to Phuket must stay at least 7 Days before moving to any other Province in Thailand. In addition to that, The Project will only be applied if at least 70% Of Phuket Population has been vaccinated by that time." 

The proposal was approved late last week

[merijn]

12 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

The proposal was approved late last week

Yes approved by the TAT and verbally approved by the PM but not published in the gazette yet.

Until then it's only a proposal, It all depends on the amount of vaccinations they can achieve on Phuket before the proposed starting date.

[bolt]

I have landed twice in BKK in last 12 months, and it’s impossible to wander around the arrivals section, there’s literally 2 staff for each passenger, you are made to walk then sit, they give you a number to wear on your shirt, fill in some paper work, then walk to next section get another number for your shirt, sit back down, check paper work.

 

I’m guessing telling the staff you’re TRANSIT since you’re going to Phuket will cause a (Good or bad) scene ( unless it’s a Thai Airways Flight)

 

So I’m thinking to go Direct for July, it’ll be a whole lot easier, unless my Thai Embassy confirms I can transit, I’m NOT going to believe anyone else.

[merijn]

21 minutes ago, bolt said:

I have landed twice in BKK in last 12 months, and it’s impossible to wander around the arrivals section, there’s literally 2 staff for each passenger, you are made to walk then sit, they give you a number to wear on your shirt, fill in some paper work, then walk to next section get another number for your shirt, sit back down, check paper work.

 

I’m guessing telling the staff you’re TRANSIT since you’re going to Phuket will cause a (Good or bad) scene ( unless it’s a Thai Airways Flight)

 

So I’m thinking to go Direct for July, it’ll be a whole lot easier, unless my Thai Embassy confirms I can transit, I’m NOT going to believe anyone else.

Your right, in the plans presented now there is no option to fly via Bangkok.

It's one of the ideas but like everything else not confirmed yet.

[bolt]

13 minutes ago, merijn said:

Your right, in the plans presented now there is no option to fly via Bangkok.

It's one of the ideas but like everything else not confirmed yet.

Some tour operators are telling people

Yes, You can Book the Flight to Phuket through Bangkok (Transit in Bangkok). But Make Sure that your Original Flight will Land in Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the Connection has to be at Terminal E9 (The Only Designated Area)

 And unfortunately many people will book tickets based on that assumption, and later on “Don’t blame me, you booked the ticket and somebody changed their mind with the rules, “

 

I’m not telling people NOT to book, but make sure you can cancel or change dates Free of any charge

[treetops]

3 hours ago, bolt said:

Yes, You can Book the Flight to Phuket through Bangkok (Transit in Bangkok). But Make Sure that your Original Flight will Land in Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the Connection has to be at Terminal E9 (The Only Designated Area)

 

This would appear to be about right as that area has been approved for transit passengers for some time now.  You wouldn't know it was there unless you were using it.  It's not quite as restrictive as it appears and the order also allows for expansion to other E Gates and even in to Concourse F if required.

 

https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/56377

 

[bolt]

4 hours ago, treetops said:

 

This would appear to be about right as that area has been approved for transit passengers for some time now.  You wouldn't know it was there unless you were using it.  It's not quite as restrictive as it appears and the order also allows for expansion to other E Gates and even in to Concourse F if required.

 

https://www.caat.or.th/en/archives/56377

 

Your post could be the best post on the Sandbox subject ever.

Well done????