Phuket sandbox
- Thailand video news
Thailand Tourist Sandbox and Test & Go Experiences | Vox Pop Ep. 4
We go around Patong in Phuket to ask the tourists what their experience has been with the Test and Go entry scheme into Thailand. We let the people tell us about the moods and vibes of the place and what the situation is really like on the island as well as details of the quarantine experience in the hotels. Watch…
- Phuket News
Police find Covid-19 infected missing Russian tourist… In his own hotel room
After frenzied reporting on Thai news yesterday, the police manhunt for a Covid-19 positive Russian tourist thought to have escaped his Phuket Sandbox hotel is over and considered a false alarm. The police 191 hotline received notification from the Patong Parak Hotel in Phuket that the man had disappeared from his room after testing positive for Covid-19. The man was…
- Phuket News
Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Covid-19 infections could reach 20,000 per day
In today’s news, CCSA says new Covid-19 infections in Thailand could reach 20,000 per day, the ghost ship reported yesterday is now believed to be a smuggler’s vessel, and a hospital denies its 39 million person database was hacked – well how did it get the internet then? All this is coming up in today’s program. You’re watching Thailand News…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Test & Go update, ‘Ghost ship’ found sinking in Thai gulf
In today’s news, yet another update on the Test & Go cutoff date, a “ghost ship” was spotted in the Gulf of Thailand, and man drives into a pond while looking at his GPS. All this is coming up in today’s program. You’re watching Thailand News Today, bringing you the latest headlines in Thailand and beyond. And in case you…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Test & Go, Sandboxes and Blue Zones?
Last Friday’s announced new Covid-19 restrictions and regulations were passed into law yesterday and enacted in the Royal Gazette. The Test & Go program, that allowed people to enter without quarantine, requiring only a short wait while their PCR test results came back, has been suspended indefinitely since December 22. So new applications for Test & Go into Thailand are not…
- Thailand video news
Thailand Pass, Punishing the government, Firing Jay | Thaiger Bites
Jay and Tim go through your messages, comments and feedback from Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and the Thaiger Talk forum on the website. Thaiger Bites, Ep.81
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Test & Go closed Indefinitely & Sandbox destinations added
In today’s news, the government has finally announced the office deadline for arriving under the Test & Go program. Meanwhile, more destinations are added to the Sandbox scheme. That’s all coming up in today’s program.You’re watching Thailand News Today, bringing you the latest headlines in Thailand and beyond. Let’s start with the bad news first, Registration for Thailand’s Test &…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Meeting today about Thailand Pass and local restriction updates
So we start Friday with a focus on this afternoon’s CCSA meeting. Apart from confirming the further postponement of the Test and Go program and a possible sunset date for existing Thailand passes, it looks likely that there will be some new restrictions coming down from the meeting.Here are some of the matters being discussed in the media following quotes…
- Phuket News
Phuket governor vows to iron out issues with sandbox requirements
The governor of Phuket has pledged to sort out a number of issues with the island’s sandbox scheme as infection rates continue to rise. According to a Bangkok Post report, Narong Woosiew says the matters identified will lead to improvements, adding that he will soon introduce “Phuket Sandbox Version 2“. “Currently, the local economy is doing well due to the…
- Thailand video news
More restrictions in Thailand imminent from today | GMT
The health ministry of Thailand and government officials have proposed stricter restrictions for incoming tourists and people living in Thailand. Phuket is changing and tweaking the sandbox scheme to better fit and add ease to incoming travellers. Big meeting up ahead today where the CCSA will decide on a lot of topics that will have huge impact on Thai Tourism.…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Is the tourist high season over already?
In today’s news, Thailand’s public Health Ministry gives its proposed cut off date for travellers that were approved for the Thailand pass, although no official decision has been announced yet. And with the suspension of Test & Go are we bidding an early farewell to the high season? All this coming up in today’s program. You’re watching Thailand News Today,…
- Phuket News
Phuket governor says island will remain open for tourists, despite rise in infections
The governor of Phuket has reassured local businesses that the island remains open for tourists under its sandbox scheme. Narong Wunsiew says that despite a steep rise in Covid-19 case numbers, there are no plans for a lockdown. “As we aim to contain Covid-19 while boosting the economy, we have received pleas for us not to shut down the island…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | No plans to resume the Test & Go scheme
The government currently has no plans to resume the Test & Go scheme. Thailand’s Health Minister says the re-opening of nightlife venues should be postponed given the number of businesses that failed to implement disease prevention measures. Phuket hotel operators have come up with a solution for asymptomatic guests who test positive for the Omicron variant but refuse to be…
- Covid-19 News
Suspension of Test & Go entry scheme will “definitely” continue, spokesperson says
Suspension of the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme will “definitely” continue, a spokesperson said during today’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration press briefing. More details and a possible cutoff date for approved travellers will be discussed and finalised on Friday at the general CCSA meeting, which is usually chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Registration closed for both the Test…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News update | Hotel isolation for asymptomatic guests & Re-opening bars
Thailand’s bars were being told that they would have to wait until after January 15 to reopen. But the business owners and staff’s patience is going to be tested again after the health minister is trying to postpone that date as well. The hotel industry in Phuket is preparing to offer a hotel isolation for asymptomatic guests in a major…
- Thailand News
UPDATE: Talk of Test & Go cutoff date, approved travellers can’t reschedule flights
UPDATE: At the conclusion of a Cabinet meeting this morning, a spokesperson for the Thai PM noted that Prayut Chan-o-cha supports extending the current suspension of the Test & Go program. The PM also indicated support for a January 10 sunset date for currently approved Thailand Pass applications – those approved before December 21 and for those applications made before…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Proposal to extend T&G postponement & New Chon Buri rules
Public health minister says… in the interests of health and safety, we have decided to delay the Test & Go scheme further. Proposal to go to CCSA. In Phuket, the local Public Health Office is urging tourism and business operators to strictly comply with all disease control measures, in particularly the regular use of rapid antigen test kits. The situation…
- Tourism News
Government to discuss delaying resumption of Test & Go until end of January
Following an inevitable rise in cases of the Omicron variant in Thailand, the government will discuss postponing the resumption of the Test & Go entry scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says that the scheme was originally suspended due to concern over mounting Omicron infections globally. However, imported Omicron cases have now been detected in people arriving through Test &…
- Phuket News
92 Phuket Sandbox, Test & Go travellers positive for Covid, tests to determine variant
Phuket’s Public Health doctor, Kusak Kukieatsak, says the Covid-19 test results for 92 travellers who recently entered the country from overseas are being examined to determine if they are infected with the Omicron variant. The doctor added that he believes most of the results will come back positive for the mutated strain. The travellers tested positive for Covid-19 after entering…
- Covid-19 News
Pattaya tourist leaders call for local Sandbox as hotel bookings drop
“The permit to arrive in Thailand is the least of the problems for many potential international tourists as airlines around the world have been cancelling services.” Whilst the southern island of Phuket appears to be a winner in the government’s recent, and selective, alterations to its Thailand Pass options, Thailand’s other main tourist hot spot outside Bangkok, Pattaya, has again…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Phuket hotels punished for Covid oversights
Oxford University releases a study on AstraZeneca versus the Omicron variant. Meanwhile, Thailand pushes for Thai cannabis to be registered with UNESCO, and will Bangkok go ahead with its New Year countdown events?
- Phuket News
Phuket officials crack down on hotels that let tourists leave before Covid test results
Officials in Phuket are to get tough on SHA Plus hotels that allow foreign tourists to leave before they’ve received their Covid-19 test results. Deputy governor Phichet Panapong says many properties are openly breaking the rules and officials plan to make an example of 2 hotels known to have broken the law. According to an ASEAN NOW report, this has…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Omicron Update & Impacts on Thai tourism
Thailand has suspended its Test & Go program that allowed vaccinated travellers to enter the country with only one night of quarantine, Singapore is also putting their quarantine-free travel plans on hold for now. Phuket seems to have emerged as a slight winner in the mess, with the Phuket Sandbox remaining open. A 29 year old Israeli tourist who escaped…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui tourism officials, businesses call on government to open Sandbox registration
The Phuket Sandbox is now the only quarantine substitution programme open for registration, but those on the Gulf of Thailand island Koh Samui are calling on the government to allow the Samui Sandbox scheme to continue as usual. Since the government’s announcement yesterday on closing registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme and the Sandbox scheme, with the…
- Thailand video news
Thailand suspends ‘Test & Go’ program | GMT
GMT Ep.158 Thailand has suspended the Test and Go entry program for tourists into Thailand. Thailand has also suspended the sandbox program except ‘Phuket sandbox’. Bangkok vaccination center in Thailand will be on a 7 day break for the new year holidays and sex workers in Thailand are protesting against the government. All these topics and more coming up on…
- Covid-19 News
OPINION: Test and Go, up and gone, where to from here Thailand?
OPINION A crazy day in The Thaiger office as we pushed out all the latest Test & Go Thailand Pass info as fast as we could, translated and checked. I forgot a number of important meetings as we knew people wanted to know what was happening with the Thailand Pass. We wanted to know too as we are also directly…
- Phuket News
More and more digital nomads choose Phuket for a “workation”
Many digital nomads call Thailand home, and more and more people are choosing Phuket for their so-called “workation,” using coffee shops on the island as an office. The BBC’s Thai reporters spoke to several people on the island who work remotely for companies in other countries. For 34 year old American Andy Lee, he runs his business from a cafe…
- Phuket News
Direct flight between Istanbul and Phuket reopens
A direct flight into Phuket operated by Turkish Airlines has just reopened. The first flight of this renewed Istanbul to Phuket route landed on Saturday, according to the Phuket News. This is the first flight directly from Istanbul Airport, historically a major travel hub, since the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown disrupted international air travel. The Turkish Airlines flight landed…
- Tourism News
Phuket post-Sandbox arrivals double, surge in domestic tourism
Thailand has only been reopened for 2 weeks, but the Phuket Sandbox was the tourism experiment that started it all. And though Phuket has been welcoming international travellers since way back in July, the November 1 reopening saw a noticeable boost in arriving visitors, both foreign and domestic. The Sandbox scheme that required a soft quarantine where travellers could roam…
