Information on current situation in Thailand, Phuket

[hermitage]

Thanks Discovery, didn't know the ASQ at a hotel is still needed.

[hermitage]

Hi Tamvong, thanks! Good to know that cruising around thai waters is still allowed.

How about the ease of getting boat maintenance parts? Are the yachting industry still in operation?

[Tamvong]

Originally Posted by hermitage

Hi Tamvong, thanks! Good to know that cruising around thai waters is still allowed.

How about the ease of getting boat maintenance parts? Are the yachting industry still in operation?

No real problems although Thai customs can be a hassle if you need parts shipped from overseas.

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by hermitage

Hi,

We're planning to cruise the region this year and was wondering if anyone from there could provide more information as to what is happening in Thailand, Phuket?

As far as noonsite is concerned, they're open....but are we allowed to cruise the island there?

How difficult is it to get supplies for boat maintenance and repairs?

If you're crusing there right now, we'd like to hear your views please.

TIA.

Elaine Cadman on S/V Paw Paw in Malaysia just reported that their shipping agent in Thailand informed them the STV visa on arrival process for entering Thailand by yachts is not going to be extended.

There is no further info at this time.

[Tamvong]

Here's something for you:

https://www.facebook.com/marinehardwareimport/

https://eastmarineasia.com/

[endlesspursuit]

Originally Posted by philiosophy

Its hard to know what to say tho the western world US, Europe etc is full of people wanting to do what they want when they want despite this pandemic. Of course thats why its still not under control. You are looking for someone to give you the answer you want to hear so you can have your entitled way. Your probably just a Troll

What you don't realize is that tourists bring much needed revenue to these places. Most traveling by sailboat have probably been isolated anyway so are virus free. Its not feeling entitled its starting the world again. Ask the Bahamas if they want tourism. The answer is a resounding yes because the money drives the economy. You can stay in your cave and starve while the rest of us face the world and make it work.

[NCWDave]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

What you don't realize is that tourists bring much needed revenue to these places. Most traveling by sailboat have probably been isolated anyway so are virus free. Its not feeling entitled its starting the world again. Ask the Bahamas if they want tourism. The answer is a resounding yes because the money drives the economy. You can stay in your cave and starve while the rest of us face the world and make it work.

Yup thank you,

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by endlesspursuit

What you don't realize is that tourists bring much needed revenue to these places. Most traveling by sailboat have probably been isolated anyway so are virus free. Its not feeling entitled its starting the world again. Ask the Bahamas if they want tourism. The answer is a resounding yes because the money drives the economy. You can stay in your cave and starve while the rest of us face the world and make it work.

Oh...the "tourist revenue" and "cruisers are virus free" arguments.

Yes, the Bahamas do get somewhere between 40-60% of it's GDP from the 3.2 million tourists that visit the islands. A big portion of Hawaii's economy is also based on a robust tourist economy. But, the dirty little secret is that Japanese and Korean tourists contribute about 30% more revenue compared to the average tourist from the US. Cruiser's who visit island nations and stay on their boats anchored in some harbor contribute very little to the overall economy in the big picture (unless of course you're dropping about $10k per visit).

Yes, I agree that cruisers may very well be virus free, and that's great. It's also important that "cruisers" leave no wake. Violating the laws and regulations of a country is not 'facing the world and making it work.' "Leave no wake" means respecting the laws and regulations and the people of various countries who may not have the same medical care systems to which you are entitled and are concerned with the welfare and safety of their citizens.

You are not special, you do not really contribute to the bottom line of tourism, and with apathetic elitist attitudes like this, you are likely more of a pain in the butt to the locals rather than a welcome guest in another country.

But, that's just my opinion.

[CabrillosGhost]

Have never come ashore in Phuket, but have been on the island for an extended period under lockdown and maintain ties. Current state of Phuket is total lockdown, with exceptions for tourism visitors under the "Phuket Sandbox" scheme.

Essentially, as of today, hotel guests in all-inclusives on the island are in a kind of a quasi-quarantine resort circumstance. It's a very high standard of quarantine luxury, but the stays are for a predetermined length of time, and tourist guests must arrive through the international terminal of the Phuket airport, and also depart from the international terminal of the Phuket airport.

There is to be no movement of foreign tourists onto the mainland after arrival by air.

Arrivals by sea, at this point, I think would have to establish that they have either been in Thailand's waters since the latest revision of the quarantine regulations on a valid visa, or that they represent crew members on a commercial vessel and not tourist arrivals, or that they are majority Thai nationals on a Thai vessel returning home, with the rest departing shortly by air.

Thai business interests at the ports in Phuket are very eager to resume business but, despite the sandbox experiment in a new tourism paradigm, the government will certainly err on the side of caution in every instance until the pandemic has passed.

Thailand is known for tourism but it is also known for making public health a priority.

https://www.thephuketnews.com/island...ents-81060.php


It's been my recent experience in Phuket, both before and then through the first year of the pandemic, that even prior to the COVID emergency, that the red light districts are beginning to lose money and many bars along Bangla Road are failing, the growth in that sex-oriented tourism sector is finally over on Phuket, if not elsewhere in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

I was seeing a stark difference in the quality of the people through the international, versus the domestic arrivals terminals at the airport, having traveled though each more than once recently. Phuket appears to be seeing a surge in family arrivals from the former Soviet states bound for theme parks and family villa type accommodations, which may be in terms of immediate dollars into the legitimate industry, a lateral move, but it reduces the demand for traffic in people and drugs out of Surat Thani and other Thai mafia areas in the south of Thailand.

That is causing the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phagnan to look all the more like international motorcycle gang havens run by drug cartels with vast armies of sex workers and slaves. It may be that the Tourism Authority is indirectly exercising some strategic authority to loosen controls in Surat Thani as they tighten in Phuket, I'm not sure. However I am sure that the largest crime bosses in Thailand are in control of the drug traffic again on Samui, and that there is a tremendous amount of activity related to 14K Triad allied gangs in traffic up the peninsula.

Leaving the Phuket sandbox may not be something that you are going to want to do at the moment, unless you're planning to go directly to Bangkok.

Since the coup in Myanmar, perhaps nobody was thinking about cruising in the Andaman Sea either.

It is my strong opinion that you may want to leave well enough alone in Thai waters until the pandemic plays out here, and it's because of factors more serious than COVID. The drug traffic has intensified in seriousness since the beginning of the lockdowns, they're fighting for territory, the foreign mules are gone, it's higher stakes, more directly related to the insurgent wars.