The tourism sector also wants Bangkok to be included in the 'Sandbox plan' that Phuket will implement. According to that plan, which has now been approved by the government, vaccinated foreign tourists will be allowed to travel to Phuket from July 1 without any quarantine obligation.
Bangkok wants the same scheme or Thailand will miss its target of 6,5 million foreign tourists this year, tour operators say.
Vichit Prakobgosol, Vice President of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said Bangkok is a strategic tourism hub as 90% of tourists visiting Pattaya have to depart from the capital. In addition to Phuket, which will reopen for the first time on July 1, five destinations will follow in October: Krabi, Phangnga, Koh Samui, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
TCT predicts the number of tourists visiting these six destinations at 3 million, which will bring in 156 billion baht. According to Vichit, an additional 3 million tourists could be added if Bangkok is also allowed to participate.
The government plans to allow Songkran celebrations to continue without strict travel restrictions. The Tourism Authority of Thailand estimates that the six-day holiday (April 10-15) will lead to 3,2 million trips bringing in 12 billion baht.
I don't think it's wrong to wait until the Thai population has been vaccinated for at least 60 to 70%. This creates a certain population immunity that offers a high degree of protection. I expect that this percentage will be reached in 2022. I also assume that I will have had a vaccine myself given the pace that Hugo de Jonge organizes. Tourism is surrounded by a high number of contacts with all kinds of people of all kinds. Visiting Bangkok or Phuket just because of Thai economic interests is not recommended. For me, my own health comes first!
“For me, my own health comes first!”.
It's okay, corona is not a real problem or anything, the measures are annoying but if most of them survive 😉
I think Jos2 means he doesn't want to be among those who don't survive. That seems like a good goal to me, which means that I also wait until all signals are green.
I hope I can go to Bangkok without ASQ (With Vaccine) in Q4 of 2021.
Has the quarantine exemption on July 1 in Phuket also been officially confirmed by the Royal Gazette? So how official is this now? (The embassy site still contains old data regarding quarantine, etc.)
Can you travel throughout Thailand after the 7 days?
Nothing is official yet; many things have not yet been worked out
A 'detail' is that it has been set as a condition that 70% of the population of Phuket must be vaccinated. So there is still work to be done…
If the government now wants to encourage a different kind of tourism than before the covid crisis, those 6 destinations should be replaced for a period of e.g. 1 year by other places such as Ayuttaya, Khampeng Phet, Sukhotai, Khao Yai and Kanchanaburi .
Indeed! Always complaining about tourists who walk down the street in little clothes, who drink all night, men who only come for the ladies, etc. They are suddenly all welcome...
Do not expect too much from the so-called “”sandbox model””
They say "no" quarantine, however, you will have to stay in a designated Hotel for 7 days. The freedom is a bit more (WITH guide)
In short for me it's just a 7 day Quarantine with more freedoms...nothing more..nothing less.
You will also have to take the flight to Phuket or the other sandbox cities
If you stay 3 days more in an ASQ hotel (bangkok or otherwise) WITHOUT vaccination,,,,slightly less
liberties, then you are also ready. Costs from 21.500 baht
It's all still very far away. If you think that plan for Phuket is already 'rounded', read in this morning's Bangkok Post that it is not further than Prayut is willing to think about it:
'Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has agreed to consider a proposal by the Phuket business community to allow foreign visitors to the island province who have already been vaccinated against Covid-19 bypass regular quarantine'.
So as far as Bangkok is concerned, the realization is much further away, I suspect…