Calls for Pattaya to become a controlled Sandbox as hotel bookings drop

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 been left out in the cold.

The CCSA last Tuesday afternoon suspended the Test & Go re-entry option until at least January 4 when the system will be reviewed. But the government has promised to honour all existing, and approved, Test & Go applications before the option was closed down (as well as applications made before the cut off time and are still being processed – but not all will be approved).

The government also shelved the country’s Sandbox options, where people could stay for at least 7 days roaming around a region, before then being allowed to go anywhere in Thailand… a sort of ‘regional quarantine’.

But the Phuket Sandbox was left to operate, whilst the other Sandboxes will remain suspended until at least January 4 (when the CCSA says they’ll review the options).

So, with no new Test & Go applications, the tourist trickle will continue for a few more weeks into places like Pattaya. But then what?

Hotel room bookings in the seaside party town have dropped significantly, according to local tourism leaders, leading to a call for Pattaya to become a controlled Sandbox zone like Phuket.

But people wishing to travel to Pattaya, or anywhere else in Thailand, even if they missed the cut off date last Monday, will still be allowed to enter Thailand through the Phuket Sandbox.

The Phuket Sandbox is available for fully vaccinated tourists but requires them to do a number of PCR tests before and after arrival, and stay on the island for at least 7 days.

The must arrive at the Phuket International Airport as their entry point into Thailand.

After 7 days on the island, travellers are permitted to travel anywhere in Thailand.

Agencies