Goodbye Test & Go. Hello Sandboxes, but extra Sandboxes. But all the Sandboxes are in Thailand’s south and Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, to name the plain victims, have been overlooked in the chilly the latest re-arrangement of Thailand Pass re-entry situations.
With the Sandbox programs, originally launched in Phuket on July 1, travellers can enter Thailand, stay and freely roam across the Sandbox area for the primary 7 days, then head off to other elements of Thailand. To be clear, you are NOT locked up in your room (once you’ve examined unfavorable along with your arrival PCR test).
Currently, with the Test & Go program suspended indefinitely, travellers can solely apply for the Sandbox or AQ (quarantine) entry packages. People with present Test & Go approvals should enter Thailand (the CCSA will hopefully present definitive information about a deadline over the weekend. January 15 was announced as a deadline at yesterday’s briefing, which was reported extensively in Thai media, however there was some further deliberations later within the day. The CCSA will make a decision on this matter, not the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the TAT).
For a minimal of the instant future, locations like Bangkok and Pattaya, which are also home for a lot of companies and expat households, are being sidelined as entry points for travellers into the nation. Patient tourism operators and enterprise homeowners are interesting to the Thai government to offer some ‘Sandbox’ or different answer to take care of some sort of re-entry program for these who don’t want to arrive in Thailand through the southern vacationer areas.
Currently accredited for Sandboxes, under yesterday’s raft of bulletins from the CCSA, are Koh Samui (then journey on to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao), Krabi, Phang Nga, and a continuation of this system into Phuket.
With the arrival faucet turned off for Bangkok and Pattaya, in addition to different in style traveller areas across the nation, occupancy rates are set to plummet all through the relaxation of January and into February as the current dribble of vacationers full their holidays and head home.
It was also introduced yesterday that the variety of Orange Zones has been increased and that there’ll now be only 7 ‘Blue’ Zones which allow eating places to proceed serving alcohol, however only as a lot as 9pm. Blue Zones embrace Bangkok, Chon Buri, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang Nga, and Phuket. The new zoning goes into effect tomorrow (Sunday).
Alcohol sales at restaurants in Orange Zones might be prohibited while in Blue Zones eating places can serve alcohol till 9pm every night time. To serve alcohol, those Blue Zone eating places must abide by the government’s “Covid Free Settings” measures and be certified underneath SHA+ requirements.
So at least the loophole stays for the battered Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket bar companies that ‘sort of’ allows bars to serve alcohol underneath the guise of being a restaurant, as long as they fulfil the mandatory pointers, including serving food. Greatest solely until 9pm… legally.
A wider roll out of Sandbox packages might be problematic in regions, apart from islands the place entry is way simpler to manage. Krabi and Phang Nga, too, have restricted highway access so are extra easily managed.
Meanwhile, the Phuket Sandbox received a couple of tweaks this week with extra PCR testing facilities and higher entry to ‘hospitels’ and isolating in SHA+ resorts should you test optimistic during your keep. Phuket had 385 new infections prior to now 24 hours, up from 256 the day before. 435 Test & Go arrivals in Phuket have tested constructive for the reason that program’s introduction on November 1, 2021. 699 arrivals have examined positive within the Sandbox program since it began on the island on July 1, 2021.
For the few thousand people currently between approval and arrival, under the Test & Go program, you’d be nicely suggested to contact your embassy or entry the Thailand Pass, through the web site, email or telephone, to make clear your travel plans.
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If you may be fully vaccinated, and seeking to travel to Phuket, you’ll have the ability to enter by booking a 7 Day Sandbox Hotel package..