Ed Reports Back: Visiting the Phuket Sandbox [S5.E18]

Ed relates his 4-day adventure in the much-reported-on
Phuket Sandbox. But spoiler alert: It wasn't a great trip, mostly
due to bad luck: it was gray and rainy almost the entire time,
thus denying him quality beach time. Oh well. 


But what was not bad luck was the way that the Thai
government has marketed the Sandbox. The Tourism Authority of
Thailand has repeatedly stated that Phuket is 'open' to tourism
as of July 1st, and Ed took that to mean that the most popular
area on the island, Patong, would actually be ready for tourists.
Alas, this was not the case, with only a third of restaurants
open and 95% of everything else closed. 


With bad weather and not much to do, the trip was more or
less doomed, but a glimmer of hope presented itself with a chance
meetup with friend of the podcast Dan Fraser, travel expert
extraordinaire, who coincidentally has been hired by the TAT to
market Phuket to foreign tourists. Dan was able to explain that
the TAT was focusing on 'non-beach activities' on the island of
Phuket, such as environmental tours, museums, and local arts and
culture events. Ed and Greg discuss this approach and largely
agree with the TAT's strategy; Ed just wishes he knew about it
before booking a hotel in Patong. :)


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