Phuket
- Phuket News
New Phuket checkpoint rules see 392 people denied yesterday
New restrictions for entering Phuket announced Sunday went into effect yesterday, causing a rash of nearly 400 people to be turned away at the entrance checkpoint. While previous rules allowed unvaccinated people meeting certain criteria to enter, now everyone who enters Phuket needs to be fully vaccinated in addition to testing negative for Covid-19. This new strict requirement applies to…
- Phuket News
Boat tours to nearby islands offered to Phuket “Sandbox” travellers
“Phuket Sandbox” tourists can travel to nearby islands on special “sealed” boat tours during their required 14-day stay in the province. Travellers must enable the tracing application “Mor Chana” and notify the Phuket Marine Office or the Phuket Sandbox Command Center at least 6 hours before the trip. Groups of tourists who wish to travel and participate in marine activities…
- Phuket News
Sandbox traveller escaped to Chon Buri, faces prosecution
A person who came into Thailand under the Phuket Sandbox plan left the island before completing the 14-day stay and now faces prosecution. A Thai national stayed just 9 days in their SHA Plus hotel before disappearing without checking out, according to Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon. The person’s gender was not revealed, but it was…
- Phuket News
Bus services in and out of Phuket suspended for the next 2 weeks
For the next 2 weeks, all interprovincial bus services entering and leaving Phuket will be suspended. The move is intended to prevent the spread of Covid-19 on the island province as it reopens to travellers from overseas under the “Phuket Sandbox.” The president of the national bus service company, known in Thai as “BorKorSor,” Sanlak Panyawatthanalikit, ordered for the “temporary…
- Travel
Top 5 budget hotels in Phuket
Phuket is a beautiful island with so many exciting things to do. From stunning beaches and beautiful nature to lively nightlife and delicious food, it’s easy to see why people keep coming back to this island. While Phuket is well-known as one of the most expensive places to travel to in Thailand, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a…
- Best of
Phuket’s best local seafood restaurants
If there’s one thing you have to do in Phuket, it’s sampling the local-style seafood. With fishermen bringing in local catches daily, there’s never a shortage of restaurants on the island that serve up mouthwatering seafood cooked in authentic Thai style! From beachfront restaurants to hidden venues set on the edge of mangrove swamps, here are our picks of the…
- Phuket News
All domestic travellers entering Phuket need to be vaccinated against Covid-19
All domestic travellers entering Phuket must be vaccinated against Covid-19 and also test negative for the virus. The new rules imposed by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew go into effect today and will be in place until at least August 2. The island province reopened to foreign tourists who are vaccinated against the coronavirus on July 1, amid the most severe…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Sandbox report card, Flightus Interruptus, poll results
(Sorry, internet cut out near the end of the program) Jay and Tim present the Sandbox and Samui Plus report card. Has the Sandbox been a success? Whilst the cases pile up in Thailand’s Dark Red Zones, Samui and Phuket battle on in a parallel Covid world. Jay also presents the poll results about the main issue that should concern…
- Phuket News
Phuket officials concerned over “Sandboxers” who test positive for Covid on arrival
Out of the so-called “Sandboxers” who tested positive for Covid-19 since the Phuket reopening started on July 1, half of the infections were detected after the first test taken at the airport on arrival. The positive results conflict with the travellers’ negative results issued no more than 72 hours before departure, a requirement under the “Phuket Sandbox” model. Noticing a…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 10,082 new infections, provincial numbers
This morning the public health department has announced 10,082 new infections & 141 Covid-related deaths over the past 24 hours across Thailand. The two figures are a record number of cases for the Kingdom and sweep the numbers over the psychological barriers of 10,000 cases and 100 sad deaths. Yesterday there were 3,367 in ICU and 847 on ventilators. 127…
- Covid-19 News
Home Covid-19 test kits approved, but not for travel
With Covid-19 on the rise, screening kit shortages have left people waiting for RT-PCR tests from professional testing sites and medical facilities. Now Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration approved 4 Covid-19 antigen test kits that can be purchased over-the-counter for home use to test for the virus. The 4 approved self-testing kits will allow people concerned that they may have…
- Phuket News
Phuket Sandbox looking ahead to Russian, UK travellers
While the daily rollercoaster ride of the Phuket Sandbox tourist launch, with the jump from 7 to 14 days, the last-minute approval, the problems getting a Certificate of Entry, and the few cases of Covid-19 infections, it’s easy to overlook the forest for the trees. But if viewed not as a full reopening to the pre-Covid-19 heydays but rather as…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | The Thai time machine, Thai paperwork and red tape, Covid update
Have you ever experienced Thai time? Thai time seems to tick by at a totally different pace. Some people find it exasperating, others recognise it as part of the Thai ‘sabia sabia’ culture. And then there’s Thai paperwork. When efficiency sometimes takes second place, there’s still mounds of paperwork to fill out where red tape becomes a national sport. Jay,…
- Covid-19 News
Bars can reopen in Rawai Phuket.. but not like we hoped
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! After mounting pressure and a meeting today with Aroon Solos, the mayor of Rawai, Phuket, bars, pubs and entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen. Just without any of the things that bring customers. The mayor of Rawai met with the Muang District Chief and a select group of…
- Phuket News
Meeting reveals Thai vs foreigners in Phuket Sandbox, other stats
Statistics and data regarding the Phuket Sandbox can be cloudy and conflicting, but at yesterday’s meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee, some rarely shared figures were discussed. One often questioned detail is how many people in the numbers reported for international traveller arrivals are truly tourists and how many are even foreigners at all. During the meeting, it was…
- Tourism News
Royal Thai Army to help tighten overland checkpoint into Phuket
Following reports of insufficient security on the land borders into Phuket, the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee made the decision to have the Royal Thai Army assist in monitoring the Phuket Checkpoint at Tha Chatchai for Covid-19 safety. There have been concerns that the land crossing into Phuket is understaffed and not secure. The committee meeting was Chaired by Phuket Governor…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | What are your rights in Thailand? Sandbox and Samui Plus update
Today Tim and Sumi talk with Benjamin Hart from Integrity Legal regarding your rights for ASQ and enforced quarantine. Sandbox and Samui Plus Update. Your questions answered. Covid latest and the main headlines from Thailand today.
- Tourism News
Officials argue most leaving Sandbox aren’t unhappy
Nothing shows confidence more than repeatedly shouting “fake news.” But amid growing negative press regarding the Phuket Sandbox, officials find themselves continuously denying rumours that Sandbox arrivals are fleeing the island and going home unhappy. While many have left the Sandbox, more have arrived, and the government’s argument isn’t without merit as those who left the Sandbox have various reasons.…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Samui Reopens tomorrow, your responses to the vaccine survey
Today Tim and Able talk with Khun Chat from Bliss Events Thailand about The Samui re-opening and if they are ready to open under the Samui Plus program. We take a look at your responses to our vaccine survey yesterday. Covid latest and the main headlines from Thailand today. To follow Able visit her @emceeable and @findyourvoiceasia
- Koh Samui News
Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Stefanie the Sandboxer Update, Covid latest, Viewer questions
Today Jay and Tim talk with Stefanie about her situation in her ASQ hotel and if there have been any developments over the past few days or a possibility of getting out of quarantine. Covid latest and a chance for our viewers to ask Stefanie some questions. You can watch the full video about Stefanie’s story here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_91SYF456UU For more…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui opens for bookings from vaccinated foreign tourists
Koh Samui’s sealed route programme, Samui Plus, has opened for business, with vaccinated tourists now able to apply for a certificate of entry. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says some details need to be ironed out, including determing the cost of a 7-day stay at an alternative state quarantine facility, to include Covid-19 tests and medical…
- Thailand News
6 “Phuket Sandbox” travellers have tested positive for Covid-19 since July 1 reopening
So far, 6 people who entered Phuket under the “Sandbox” reopening scheme have tested positive for Covid-19. Those in close contact need to quarantine for 14 days. The reopening scheme allows travellers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, as well as their children, to enter the island province without undergoing quarantine. Nearly 4,000 tourists entered Phuket from July 1…
- Thailand video news
Good Morning Thailand | Restrictions and curfews start today in Bangkok, Sandbox update
Today Tim and Bill talk with Caitlin about the restrictions, curfews and roadblocks that start in Bangkok today (and other red zone provinces). Sandbox update. Also update on the ‘Stefanie’ situation, the German lady shuffled off to an ASQ hotel, at her expense, last week. You can watch the video about her story here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_91SYF456UU
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 9,539 new cases, provincial totals
The CCSA has confirmed 9,539 new Covid infections & 86 coronavirus-related deaths over the past 24 hours. 103 of today’s cases were reported from the Thai prison system. Here are today’s Thai provincial totals… • HERE is a list of restrictions starting tomorrow for all dark red provinces. It includes all the transportation restrictions, curfew details and provinces in the…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE Sunday: 9,539 new cases, news briefs
Today the public health department reported 9,539 new Covid infections & 86 coronavirus-related deaths. 103 of today’s cases were reported from the Thai prison system. Today’s numbers indicate a flattening of new infections but still much higher than the week before. Provincial totals published just after lunch time. • The ministries of Public Health and Transport have prepared a 5,000-bed…
- Phuket News
Phuket Sandbox woes: 2 more foreign Covid-19 cases, Delta variant
The Phuket Sandbox has hit a few hurdles with the revelation of 2 more international arrivals testing positive with Covid-19, as well as the first cases of the Delta and Beta variants on the island. The news comes in the wake of the Governor ordering most of the islands’ schools to close for 14 days due to the rising risk…
- Transport News
All buses from Bangkok to Phuket and south cancelled from today
In response to Bangkok’s new lockdown measures from today, all bus service between Bangkok and Phuket has been cancelled, along with buses to the dark red zone southern provinces. Interprovincial buses will stop running, effective immediately until further notice, with no set end date. The announcement was made by the president of the public company Transport Co which supervises all…
- Phuket News
Phuket daily Covid-19 hits 10, 3 short of Sandbox threshold
As Covid-19 surges throughout Thailand and the provinces in the south and around Bangkok enact curfews and other lockdown measures, Phuket has been relatively safe with just a trickle of infections. Yesterday for the first time in weeks though, Phuket recorded double-digit new Covid-19 infections, edging closer to the threshold for reconsidering the Sandbox scheme. Phuket Provincial Public Health Office…
- Covid-19 News
Sandbox tourist forced to stay in ASQ hotel after fellow passenger on her flight tests positive
Stefanie came to Phuket as a kick start to a new adventure and a long term stay in Thailand. The Phuket Sandbox option would allow her to visit around the island for 14 days before heading off to other destinations in Thailand. But it didn’t work out as planned. Now, she’s stuck in a small room for up to 14…
