Thread: First Phuket Sandbox tourists arrive

PHUKET: The first tourists to arrive in Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox scheme were 25 tourists arriving on Etihad Airways Flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi, which touched down at Phuket International Airport today (July 1).

The passengers were welcomed to Phuket then escorted through the procedures at the airport to ensure they are fully vaccinated and comply with all the requirements for being permitted to enter Thailand through the Sandbox policy, which begins today (July 1).


The passengers had their body temperatures checked and then had their documents checked to confirm that they had been vaccinated, had the US$100,000 health insurance coverage and had booked to stay at least 14 nights at SHA+ approved venues, among other requirements.

Once cleared by officials checking their Sandbox credentials, the tourists were then escorted to clear Immigration and Customs procedures before being taken to have swab test samples taken to be tested for COVID-19.


As for the atmosphere in the international arrivals hall today, it’s starting to come back to life. Shops selling goods and souvenirs are back open again, noted those present at the airport this morning.


Phuket officials today confirmed that just four flights are to land in Phuket today, not five as previously announced.


The Etihad Airways flight, scheduled to touch down at 10:20am, arrived at about 11am.


In total, just under 400 tourists are expected to arrive in Phuket today under the Phuket Sandbox scheme.

According to Phuket officials this morning, Qatar Airways Flight QR840 from Doha-Phuket is to land at 1:30pm with 136 passengers on board, El Al Israel Airlines Flight LY87 from Tel Aviv is to land at 1:45pm with 137 passengers on board, and Singapore Airlines Flight SQ736 is to arrive at 5:10pm with an estimated 100 people on board.


Prime Minister Prayut is scheduled to be at Phuket airport in person to welcome the passengers arriving on the Singapore flight, Phuket officials noted.

First Phuket Sandbox tourists arrive

Sandbox tourists stuck in quarantine ask to go home

PHUKET: Twelve tourists now stuck in “alternative local quarantine” (ALQ) in Phuket after one person who arrived on the same flight to the island tested positive for COVID-19 have asked to fly home.

Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon confirmed the news yesterday (July 8).

Dr Kusak explained that the 12 tourists who have asked to fly home were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378, which landed in Phuket on Tuesday (July 6). On the same flight was one man from the United Arab Emirates who tested positive for COVID-19 after landing at Phuket International Airport.

As is now standard procedure under the Phuket Sandbox model, once the man tested positive for COVID-19, he was taken into care at a local quarantine venue, while all people deemed to be high-risk contacts were taken to ALQ venues. According to the terms of entering Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox policy, tourists are responsible for all costs related to any COVID measures. As such, Dr Kusak yesterday confirmed that 12 tourists now in ALQ “have informed their intention to return to their countries”.

“At this stage about 20 people, including foreign arrivals under the Phuket Sandbox scheme, hotel staff and taxi drivers, have been been taken to quarantine venues and gone through the testing process,” Dr Kusak said. “The 20 people tested negative in the first test, and we will test them again six days after this,” he added. “Do not panic because our medical staff have tested at-risk people. Please trust our disease control measures and follow them,” he said.

SANDBOX UPDATE

According to the ‘Phuket Sandbox Daily Report’ for yesterday (July 8), issued earlier this morning, 125 more arrivals landed in Phuket yesterday on two flights: one operated by Singapore Airlines and the other by Etihad Airways. All 125 tested negative for COVID-19, said the report. The report also noted that a further 182 Phuket Sandbox arrivals had now tested negative following their second COVID test as past of the Sandbox conditions, bringing the total number of Sandbox arrivals passing their second COVID test to 475. So far one Sandbox arrival has tested positive for COVID-19, the report noted.

In total, from July 1 to 8, 2,524 arrivals have entered Thailand under the Phuket sandbox scheme, said the report. The report also marked that so far in total 143,025 room nights have been booked from July to September under the Sandbox scheme, as follows: 130,113 room nights in July; 11,623 in August; and 1,289 in September. A further 1,094 room nights have been booked for Oct to Feb, the report added.

LOCAL INFECTIONS

According to the PPHO daily report for yesterday (July 8), Phuket recorded seven new cases of infection. The new infections brought the total number of COVID infections recorded on the island since Apr 3 to 766. Of those, 714 had been discharged from hospital care, while 54 remained under medical care and supervision. Since Apr 3 Phuket has suffered seven deaths attributed to COVID-19.

The PPHO’s updated map showing the locations of infections across the island since Apr 3 reported as follows:

Wichit - 99 infections
Patong - 80
Phuket Town - 82
Rassada - 72
Kathu - 60
Chalong - 53
Rawai - 47
Cherng Talay - 45
Thepkrasattri - 38
Srisoonthorn - 38
Kamala - 33
Karon - 30
Koh Kaew - 27
Mai Khao - 13
Pa Khlok - 10
Sakhu - 9

Sandbox tourists stuck in quarantine ask to go home

PHUKET: The first tourists to arrive in Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox scheme were 25 tourists arriving on Etihad Airways Flight EY430 from Abu Dhabi, which touched down at Phuket International Airport today (July 1).

Dr Kusak explained that the 12 tourists who have asked to fly home were among the 14 people who arrived on Emirates flight EK378, which landed in Phuket on Tuesday (July 6). On the same flight was one man from the United Arab Emirates who tested positive for COVID-19 after landing at Phuket International Airport.

They should have just limited it to Abu Dhabi folk. Never know what you're gonna get from the DXB crowd.

At what point will Thailand admit it's fucked?

^ You need to visualise it...

I wonder how many tourists know the PM was exposed to Covid while doing the opening ceremony of Phuket and is now quarantining.

Fooking Amazing Thailand

Originally Posted by TheRealKW

At what point will Thailand admit it's fucked?

When they can blame it on someone else.

Just wait for Anutin to declare "Dirty farang ruined our sandbox!".

PHUKET: The first case of the Delta variant has been confirmed on the tourist island as the province decided to close all schools until July 23 after a surge in infections.

Koosak Kookiattikul, chief of the Phuket public health office, said the province found the first patient infected with the Delta variant of Covid-19, the strain first discovered in India. The strain analysis was confirmed by the medical science centre on Friday.

He said the patient, a foreign businessman who lives in the province, is suspected to have contracted the virus from a visitor from Bangkok. The patient's contacts are being placed under quarantine.

Ten Covid-19 cases were reported on Saturday, the highest in several days, raising concerns. Most patients were Thai nationals who travelled from other provinces.

According to Dr Koosak, three variants of Covid-19 have been reported in the province and most are the Alpha variant, first detected in the UK. Six cases were found to be the Beta variant, first identified in South Africa, and one is the Delta variant.

He said it will take two weeks for the result of a strain analysis of an infected tourist under the Phuket Sandbox tourism scheme to be available.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...s-up-in-phuket

If only they could be that straight up about it.