Transcript of the Above Video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the possibility of three new "Sandboxes" opening. For those who are unaware, there is the Phuket "Sandbox", we did have the Samui "Sandbox" back in 2021. These protocols basically, folks will go ahead and travel into the country; they will fly into the "Sandbox" generally directly. For example in Phuket there is an International Airport down there. Folks fly in; they go ahead and undertake a brief quarantine directly in a hotel. So long as they are testing negative they are allowed sort of free reign; we have been getting kind of joking here in the office, we were calling Phuket "Devil's Island" sort of in reference to the old prison island, the Dreyfus Affair and all of that in French history. I don't know, we have got to have something to joke about in these times. Obviously Phuket, it has been pretty pleasant from what our clients have told us but you are stuck on Phuket Island until you are cleared to be able to go further afield here in greater Thailand. It does afford the ability to not be fully quarantined just in a room for multiple days on end depending on your circumstances, multiple days on end. One can at least have free rein to kind of go out, go to beaches, maybe grab some food or something in Phuket so for what it is worth, it is a little bit better than sort of standard quarantine. 

A recent article from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled, Bangkok, Pattaya Eye Sandbox Deal, but pertinent to this video was this small excerpt. Quoting directly: "The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration on Friday approved three additional Sandbox destinations covering Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao), Krabi and Phangnga, in addition to Phuket." So it looks like Surat Thani, Krabi and Phangnga are going to have some sort of Sandbox protocol. While I am happy for any of these developments, I have done other videos just kind of on a personal note, I kind of think we have made maybe one step forward and two steps back during the last roughly 3 weeks with the end of "test and go", the reversion to the Phuket Sandbox, now this kind of baby step to the creation of these new “sandboxes”. I mean I would honestly, it kind of begs the question to me at what point does this end? 

Leaving that aside, long story short yeah it looks like three new places are going to be opened up to some "Sandbox" entrants which should provide a little bit more relaxing accommodation when coming into Thailand and having to deal with all these protocols.