V/Gov Piyapong explained yesterday (July 25) that he saw a news headline from the BTimes website stating 3,000 Sandbox tourists had decided to go home due to a combination of newly infected cases rising and stricter land border entry conditions implemented to contain the virus.
“Between the opening of the Sandbox scheme on July 1st through to yesterday (July 22), a total of 10,849 people have arrived,” V/Gov Piyapong said.
“Approximately 3,000 have returned to their home countries as they had completed their holidays before or at the 14 day mark.
“I want to clarify that these tourists left Phuket as per their original plans and not because of the higher number of infected cases.”
V/Gov Piyapong added that of the total 10,849 arrivals since the Sandbox launched, 4,692 remain on the island, of which 4,568 have already completed their 14 day mandatory stay, meaning 3,157 have left the island to destinations elsewhere in the country. Of the 4,692 still remaining, some will stay here, some will head elsewhere in Thailand and some will head back to their home countries, he said.
V/Gov Piyapong confirmed that two more arrivals into Phuket tested positive yesterday, bringing the total number of infected sandbox arrivals to 25.