Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the Phuket Sandbox. I have had a lot of correspondence from folks on this wanting to know how this is working, the practical implications of the Phuket Sandbox, what it is like down there and a major question that I have had come up is: "What happens if somebody, myself or somebody else that is on my flight tests positive for COVID going into the Phuket Sandbox?"

Well the following article from Bangkok Post may shed some light on this. The article is titled: TAT Backs Phuket Quarantine - Possibility of Isolation Part of the Rules and this is from July 10, 2021. Quoting directly: "A total of 13 tourists who just arrived in Phuket asked to return home after boarding the same inbound flight with a traveler who tested positive for COVID-19. The Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT, is telling Travelers to acknowledge the risk of quarantine measures upon arrival in accordance with provincial rules. "All of them agreed to return home as the Provincial Health Authority allowed them to depart since last night were considering rewarding them with special privileges if they plan to revisit Thailand in the future, said Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of TAT." Quoting further: "The Phuket Sandbox scheme confirmed the first COVID-19 case from an inoculated tourist arriving on July 6th. The patient was sent to the hospital for treatment while 13 passengers on the same flight from Dubai were identified as a high risk group and transferred to an Alternative Local Quarantine facility." For those who are unaware, that is basically Alternative State Quarantine outside of Bangkok, ASLQ as opposed to ASQ. Quoting further: “Mr. Yuthasak said Travelers in the Sandbox scheme already acknowledged the possibility of a 14-day quarantine if they are determined to be a high-risk group according to the Certificate of Entry application process." 

So yeah those that even go into the Phuket Sandbox if some issue arises with respect to the possibility of testing positive for COVID-19, there is the possibility of quarantine nonetheless, notwithstanding the fact one has gone into the Phuket Sandbox.  

The other interesting point of fact I thought was worth noting in quoting this or when looking at this situation, analyzing it, everybody presumptively coming in has been vaccinated because that is one of the criteria associated with being able to even use the Phuket Sandbox. So I don't exactly know the underlying facts here, what the situation is but it is rather interesting that somebody tested positive and then presumptively other vaccinated travelers then were subjected to the 14-day quarantine or allowed to turn around and leave as was the case here. 

So it may be possible that if someone tests positive on your plane or you test positive immediately you may be able to leave. Another question becomes what happens during the point you are staying in Phuket for the 14 days if you test positive during that time what happens? I have yet to see exactly what the protocols would be. Presumptively that person might then be put in quarantine for 14 days as of that date so they are put in ASLQ, Alternative State Local Quarantine akin to ASQ where you are actually in a hotel room for 14 days as opposed to the SHA plus protocol which is in Phuket where you basically stay in one of these hotels but you are allowed to roam around the island. Again, I don't know what the exact answer to that is. I think presuming one would be quarantined is probably a safe bet. Will they allow that person to leave if they have been on the island a while? I don't know but we will certainly keep people updated on this channel as the situation progresses.