CCSA reduces stay in Thailand sandbox to 5 days One of the things that has prevented many international tourists from visiting places like Phuket and Krabi has been the mandatory 14 day stay that has been in place since these ‘sandbox schemes‘ opened in early summer. Mandatory stays that have meant the rest of Thailand…
With Thailand’s tourism industry counting on the success of the Phuket Sandbox, an international tourist scheme that has limped along for the last few weeks due to rising Covid-19 cases, the Thai island has begun to implement a mass Covid testing scheme in an attempt to save it. When the Phuket Sandbox kicked off on…
As Thailand’s Covid-19 cases continue to surge, hundreds of British tourists are canceling Phuket Sandbox holidays as Thailand has been placed on the UK’s ‘Red List’. The Red List is the British government’s list of countries they advise against all but essential travel to due to widespread Covid-19 cases. This has caused British tourists to…
While the rape and murder of Swiss diplomat Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, 57, this week is incredibly sad, one thing it has brought to light this morning is how much everyone is being tracked while in the Phuket Sandbox. So much so, Thai authorities can pinpoint exactly where Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf was at just about every second of…
According to the Bangkok Post, the body of a 57-year-old Swiss woman has been found lying on rocks near a Phuket waterfall. Authorities say they believe she had been raped and murdered. The woman’s partially nude body was found by a Thai local early this afternoon near the Ton Ao Yon Waterfall, but police believe…
Tourists planning on visiting Phuket via the Phuket Sandbox in August will be upset to hear alcohol is banned in Phuket restaurants. Again. The latest banning of alcohol in Phuket restaurants is due to a new order from Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew that prevents alcohol being served or consumed in any restaurant on the Thai…
Just over a month ago, most commenters on Thailand-focused social media warned would-be international tourists planning on visiting the country via the Phuket Sandbox they needed their heads examining. After all, anyone with more than a modicum of common sense could see the Phuket Sandbox was doomed before it even started. Plus, with the threat…
As the Thai government’s handling of Covid-19 continues to worsen, Phuket governor Narong Woonciew has ordered Phuket sealed off from the rest of Thailand. This means, from August 3rd, travelers from other Thai provinces will be banned from Phuket, and a whole host of stronger restrictions will go into place. The August 3rd date —…
With Covid-19 cases on Samui and Phuket now surging, it is looking increasingly likely the Samui Plus program will end, along with its sister program the Phuket Sandbox. Both programs, which allow vaccinated tourists to travel to Thailand and stay on one or both of the Thai islands, are in danger of imminent suspension or…
When the Phuket Sandbox first kicked off on July 1st, island authorities announced if Covid-19 cases rose to more than 90 a week on Phuket the program would be shut down. Now, with at least 125 Covid-19 cases on Phuket in the last seven days, will the Phuket Sandbox be canceled as Covid-19 cases rise…
As a very small number of foreign tourists are still taking advantage of the Phuket Sandbox, Phuket authorities have announced bars, pubs and other entertainment venues will be closed, and shopping hours reduced. Stores selling alcohol will also be mandated to close at 9pm, and drinking will be banned in public parks and on beaches….
One of the things would-be tourists to Phuket, Thailand during the Phuket Sandbox have been asking is this: What happens to your children in the Phuket Sandbox if they test positive for Covid-19 during one of the regular mandatory tests, and you do not? Will your children be allowed to stay with you in the…
With an increasing number of studies being published showing Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are not as effective against Covid-19 as mRNA vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna, it was announced today the UAE tourist who tested positive for Covid when arriving in the Phuket Sandbox had been vaccinated with Sinopharm. The man was apparently fully vaccinated…
One thing social media users have been predicting when it comes to the Phuket Sandbox is tourists testing positive upon arrival in Phuket. That event happened yesterday when a tourist from the United Arab Emirates was found to be positive for Covid-19 upon arrival on Phuket, just seven days into the Phuket Sandbox scheme. The…
Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha joins a list of world leaders who have gone into isolation after being near someone who tested positive for Covid-19. Prayut’s self-isolation, however, is only for a week, unlike the 14 days his government mandates all foreign travelers who arrive anywhere in Thailand except Phuket must be subjected to. Prayut’s…
With the Phuket Sandbox kicking off on July 1st, most of the rules and regulations that must be followed in order to be admitted to Thailand have already been announced. Both by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), and the governor of Phuket. What has not been announced — and something many foreign tourists to…
One of the things tourists considering taking a vacation in Phuket during the Phuket Sandbox in July, 2021 are worrying about is a potential lockdown while they are on holiday there. Especially as Covid-19 cases in Thailand are still rising, with 4,059 new cases recorded in the country today alone. Could Phuket lockdown while tourists…
While some tourists are still willing to deal with the strict restrictions imposed upon them by the Thai government in order to travel to Phuket in July, 2021 and beyond, many are still on social media worried about booking tickets, and asking this question: What can you expect when you arrive in Phuket in July,…
If you are one of the tourists who would like to travel to Phuket, Thailand under the ‘Phuket Sandbox’ plan, the The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has published all the requirements you must meet to be able to travel to the Thai island from July 1st. Do remember, however, those requirements have not…
OPINION With only 11 days to go before the so-called ‘Phuket sandbox’ begins, and foreign tourists can return to Thailand once more, it has become obvious to everyone except the Thai government, the CCSA and the Tourist Authority of Thailand the Phuket sandbox will fail. That became even more obvious this morning as the Thai…
One thing the Thai government of Prayut Chan-o-cha does not seem to understand when it comes to location-tracking wristbands is, when it comes to tourists from developed countries, there are few that would ever visit a country requiring them. Not when they have complete freedom in most of the EU to travel anywhere, and beyond….
One does wonder why the Thai government and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) believes international tourists will flock to the country when all nightclubs, bars and entertainment venues in Thailand will be closed until at least mid-January, 2022? After all, one of the things most international tourists enjoy is a drink in a…
AirAsia flights from Kuala Lumpur to Phuket are operating again now that Thailand has begun to reopen to the rest of the world, 20 months after the country’s borders were first closed to most international visitors. The AirAsia flights to Phuket are primarily being run for those international travelers who are entering or exiting the…