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Qatar passed a landmark law to grant permanent residency cards to some foreigners. As per the law, people eligible for the card will include children of Qatari women married to foreigners, those who have special talents "needed by the state,, and others who have extended notable services to the country. The executive regulations will be issued soon. Cardholders will be able to avail benefits of state-run educational and health-care services. They will also be given priority, after locals, for military and civilian public jobs, QNA reported. They also would be allowed to own property and to run certain commercial activities without a local partner. Country's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin <keyword id="3394317" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamad-Al-Thani">Hamad Al Thani</keyword>, had instructed officials to expedite measures to lure investments and to reduce the economy's reliance on energy after Saudi Arabia and three allies severed their diplomatic and transport links with the country in June. With this step, Qatar is giving expats more stake in the country. The idea of giving expats permanent residency has been long thought after as Gulf countries want to bolster non-oil revenue after the plunge in crude prices. Last year, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince <keyword id="2750192" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mohammed-bin-Salman">Mohammed bin Salman</keyword> told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-02/qatar-passes-landmark-law-to-grant-permanent-residency-to-expats">Bloomberg</a> in an interview that the government was weighing a green card-type program for foreign workers. The U.A.E. said in February it was working on a new visa system designed to attract top foreign talents in fields such as medicine, science and research to the country.

Qatar to grant permanent residency to expats

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div></div>My family and I moved to a small town just outside of Zurich when I was younger and lived there for five years.Switzerland had the fifth highest GDP per capita in the world at <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD">$84,815</a> in 2013, coming in close behind China, Qatar, Norway, and Luxembourg.That's a whole $30,000 more per citizen the US, which has a per capita GDP of <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD">$53,042</a>.From its pristine and punctual public transportation to the abundance of clean drinking water, Switzerland brims with the feeling of well-being that goes hand-in-hand with wealth.In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds that the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-countries-on-oecd-better-life-index-2013-5">Swiss have the fifth-highest quality of life</a> out of the 34 countries measured, outranked only by Australia, Sweden, Canada, and Norway.Even as an ex-pat, things were good. Here's where Switzerland shines for anyone who lives there:<h3>Their healthcare is top notch.</h3>While my family was living in Switzerland, my mom had her knee replaced. She spent two weeks recovering in the hospital, and was then supposed to go to a rehab spa in the mountains for three weeks. We would have had to pay out of pocket for the spa, though, so she declined. The surgery happened over 10 years ago and my mom still remembers the care being excellent. The hospital was immaculate, and she says everything ran smoothly and on time. According to <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/07/countries-spending-most-health-care/12282577/">USA Today</a>, out of the 34 developed countries that are part of the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/unitedstates/">Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development</a> (the OECD), Switzerland ranks number three in terms of healthcare spending, preceded only by the US and Norway. The Swiss spend a total of $6,080 per person on healthcare, and their healthcare spending amounts to 11.4% of their GDP. The country boasts the third lowest obesity rate (10.3%), and the third highest life expectancy (83 years).<h3>It's a great home base for traveling.</h3>Throughout my family's five years living in Switzerland, we traveled extensively (see some of my favorites places we visited <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/15-places-in-europe-that-are-worth-seeing-2015-2">here</a>). Our travels were made easier by the fact that we were living in the center of Europe. Switzerland borders France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein, meaning a relatively short drive or train ride can get you to any of these countries.And for such a small country, Switzerland itself has a lot to offer. Its three regions (the German part, French part, and Italian part) are all very different from one another, so visiting one sometimes feels like being in a completely different country.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><h3>Their public transportation is the best I've ever taken.</h3>There's really no need to have a car in Switzerland. The Swiss have their public transportation system down to a science. The trains are on time down to the second - trust me, I've missed enough to know - and you can get across the whole country with just <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/12-facts-about-switzerland-2014-9">one ticket</a> that works for multiple kinds of transportation.And here's the best part: You'll actually want to take public transportation because it's incredibly clean. According to <a href="http://knoema.com/ITF_INV-MTN_DATA/transport-infrastructure-investment-and-maintenance-spending?country=1000450-switzerland">Knoema</a>, Switzerland's gross investment spending in transport was just over $9 billion in 2010.<h3>They're really well-educated.</h3>Although I never went to Swiss school - I went to an international school because their system was more comparable to an American school system - I always noticed that Swiss kids around my age spoke multiple languages. Note that the country has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.According to the <a href="http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/switzerland/">OECD Better Life Index</a>, the average student in Switzerland scored 518 on a test assessing their literacy, math, and science skills, compared to the average student in the <a href="http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/united-states/">US</a>, who scored 492. Almost 90% of 25-34-year-olds have received the equivalent of a high school degree. Maybe the Swiss school would have been a good idea after all!<h3>They have a sizeable expat community.</h3>There were a few Swiss kids who attended the international school I went to in Zurich, but for the most part, it was kids who were expats, just like me. And there were a few other international schools not far from Zurich, which were also attended by mostly expats. Although my family had some Swiss friends from our neighborhood, a lot of our friends came from the large expat community we became a part of while living there.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><h3>Their water quality is amazing.</h3>There are beautiful fountains all over Switzerland, and the best part is, most of the water that spews from them is <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/practical-information/health">100% drinkable</a>. This comes in especially handy when you're doing anything outdoors - whether hiking or exploring a city - and don't have a water bottle with you. If a fountain is not safe to drink from, in true Swiss fashion, they'll warn you with a sign that says either "kein trinkwasser" or "eau non potable."<a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/switzerland/practical-information/health">Tap water</a> is also safe to drink, no need to filter.<h3>The country is very safe.</h3>Even though I was in my early teens when my family lived in Switzerland, my parents had no issues letting my sister and I go into Zurich alone. Had we still been living in the suburbs of Chicago, I know that wouldn't have been the case (my mom was uneasy about letting us go to the mall alone).According to the <a href="http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/switzerland/">OECD Better Life Index</a>, 78% of Swiss people feel safe walking alone at night. The country's homicide rate is a very low 0.5 - just to put that in perspective, the OECD average is 4.1. Although I don't plan to move back to Switzerland - I would just miss the US too much - I'd go back for a visit anytime, to see old friends, enjoy the scenery ... and use the public transportation, of course. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="o2OGM3czpWcydnvhjbkDBd6feXPuExiD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

5 years living in Switzerland convinced me that it's a great place to be an American expat

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey and her husband were living as expats and raising their kid in the Middle East.</li><li>When her daughter became a teen and started drinking, she got nervous about getting into trouble in Dubai.</li></ul>My husband and I were sitting outside our house in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-what-to-know-before-visiting-first-time-from-america-2022-8">Dubai</a>, ignoring the noise coming from partying teenagers inside. They were shaking up cocktails with stealthily smuggled-in alcohol. We were making sure that none of them left our place in anything but a safe ride.By that point, I had heard too many stories of teenagers in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-know-before-traveling-to-dubai-uae-2023-12">Dubai</a> getting ratted out to the police and their parents getting into serious trouble. According to the <a target="_blank" href="https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1529">United Arab Emirates government</a>, the penalty for providing alcohol to anyone under 21 can include fines of up to 100,000 United Arab Emirates dirham, or $27,000, jail time, and deportation. But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/teens">teenagers will be teenagers</a>.It's in their nature to push the limits of what's possible and allowed — be it by parents or the law. <h2>An international upbringing</h2>We moved to the Middle East when our daughter Christina was four years old. We started in Doha, Qatar, then Muscat, Oman, and finally settled in Dubai, UAE. It was a charmed life, full of sunshine, daily pool sessions, a safe upbringing, and, as part of an international expat community, friends from all around the globe. She learned about many cultural variations, religions, and global traditions, all of which, I am pleased to report, turned her into the open-minded young woman she is today.But as with all <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-20-year-anniversary-expat-positive-negative-impact-life-abroad-2024-2">expat life</a>, you have to take the good with the somewhat challenging. Especially in Dubai, where we spent most of her teenage years. There, life was far from normal.<h2>Daily life, but not as we know it</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-economic-jewel-of-the-middle-east-gulf-neighbors-saudi-2024-2">Dubai is known for its bling</a>, its extravagance, and its riches. And should also be known for its utterly spoiled expat brats. Kids allowance is often the size of other people's salary back home. There, it's common for families to have drivers and maids. Weekend brunches in five-star hotels with free-flowing champagne are also attended regularly. It's not the kids' fault when they grow up thinking this sort of life is normal.My husband and I indulged as well, this was, after all, why we moved abroad in the first place: Tax-free pay and a better lifestyle. But as Christina grew up, we became more aware that when she headed off to university, away from the Middle East, she would come down to earth with an enormous bump and few useful life skills.With little viable local transport and a climate that made walking impossible for several months of the year, my daughter had never even taken a bus by herself. Instead, she was used to being brought back by car to our house after a sleepover at a friend's house. The mother would park her personalized Rolls Royce with its Burberry seat covers next to my dusty little Jeep. Another friend lived on the man-made <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dubai-palm-jumeirah-artificial-island-2018-12">Palm Island</a> with her own private beach, while yet another regularly enjoyed weekends away in the family's private jet.<div type="image" title="Parents and teenage daughter on a hot air balloon in Australia" height="3000" width="4000" msid="108928102" hostid="261" sizebytes="616894"></div><h2>Reality check Down Under</h2>After six years we decided that Dubai had too many potential, and life-changing consequences for raising a teenager. We packed up and moved to Australia, in order to allow our daughter a sample of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/homeschool-on-boat-dealing-with-kid-teenager-2023-11">"normal life"</a> as a teenager.The normal life we envisioned included taking the tramway to school, and realizing that not every family can spend the equivalent of the GDP of a small country every weekend.She hated us for taking her away from her friends, from the only life she had known, and would simply not appreciate that it was for her own good. But that's normal teenage behavior too.It wasn't easy, but we weathered the storm, Dubai friends came to visit, we met koalas and kangaroos, she partied without consequences, got her learner driver's license, and finished high school in Melbourne, before heading to university in the UK. She even forgave us for the move. Eventually.Got a personal essay about living abroad or parenting that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: <a target="_blank" href="mailto:akarplus@businessinsider.com">akarplus@businessinsider.com</a>.

Dealing with teenage daughters is difficult. Raising mine in the Middle East made it even harder. 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Emma Morrell was headed back to work after maternity leave when her husband got offered a job in the Middle East.</li><li>After relocating and settling her kids, she struggled to figure out what she wanted next in her career.</li></ul>I was seated at the counter in our brand-new kitchen when the call came from my husband. It only took him a few minutes to tell me it had been confirmed: we would be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/moving-to-nyc-from-london-mistakes-2023-11">moving from London</a> to Doha, Qatar, in six weeks. The transfer wasn't a total surprise. We'd spent three years in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-houston-regretted-it-went-back-portland-2023-11">Houston, Texas</a>, and had been asking for another international assignment since our return to the UK two years earlier. Still, it was in this home that we'd spent weeks deliberating over cream Italian cupboards. It was here where I'd personally stained the wood floors just two weeks after giving birth to our daughter. Now, we'd be leaving it all behind. Again.Excited butterflies and apprehensive jitters stirred in my stomach. We had less than two months to move our lives, two children (a one-year-old and a three-year-old), and a neurotic dog to a place none of us had even visited. Before that, though, I needed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-my-high-paying-corporate-job-2023-10">quit my corporate insurance job</a> in the financial district.<h2>I handed in my notice.</h2>As it happened, I had a meeting scheduled for the following week to discuss my return from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/maternity-leave-around-the-world-2018-5">maternity leave</a>. I took the tube in early and walked the long way to meander through old stone alleyways and stroll past centuries-old buildings before arriving at my office. Located in one of the six-story glass towers that looks over the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/tiktoker-megan-clawson-shares-life-in-the-tower-of-london-2022-4">Tower of London</a>, this was where I'd spent most of my career. Colleagues who were now friends sat inside on swivel chairs at faux-beechwood hot desks. I stared at the familiar glass atrium between the two buildings. All my contacts, industry experience, and everything I had worked toward were here. What would I find in Qatar? Inside a glass-walled meeting room, my boss launched into ideas for when I started back at work. "We need to talk about my husband's job, not mine" I told her gently. She laughed, knowing we both wanted to relocate. "Where are you moving to?" In truth, I found leaving this time easier than when we'd gone to Houston. The prospect of going back while putting two toddlers through day care had been overwhelming. Wasn't there more to life than just going to work and coming home again? Even knowing how much we had left to organize before the packers came, my shoulders relaxed.<h2>My career break </h2>We agreed I would take a career break when we arrived in Doha. I figured settling everyone would take a few months, and then I'd know <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-plan-for-challenges-when-changing-careers-expert-advice-2022-9">what I wanted to do next</a>. Three months turned into 18, and I was grateful we had enough resources to live on one income. I began to explore what my new life might look like. I tried making jewelry, volunteered at school, worked for a women's network, and considered returning to insurance. Nothing clicked. <div type="image" title="Mother and two children standing on top of 4x4 car in Namibia" height="1462" width="2048" msid="106116337" hostid="261" sizebytes="246840"></div>Then we took our first truly successful family vacation and the trip — to Bali — left me euphoric. I wanted to share my experiences of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/family-friendly-trips-asia-australia-tips-where-to-go-2023-2">family travel</a> with the world. A friend helped me set up a travel blog. I named it Wanderlust and Wet Wipes and started out immediately, writing about all the trips we were taking. Soon after I started writing, I met a younger, working woman while helping at a school event. "Are you what they call a woman of leisure?" she asked, smirking. Her stereotypical assumptions shocked me, and I didn't have what it took to defend myself. It wasn't justification that I needed. I couldn't tell her who I was because I didn't know myself. <h2>Turns out, I wasn't alone. </h2>In the safety of my home, the tears flowed, as did the right words. To my surprise, what I wrote became my most popular <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wanderlustandwetwipes.com/expat-life/a-lady-of-leisure/">blog post</a>. My readers were people just like me: accompanying spouses, disoriented in this unfamiliar dusty world. As time went on, it wasn't just friends who were following me, I was connecting with people all over the world. After four years in Doha, we relocated to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/singapore-lifestyle-food-shopping-malls-weather-heat-misconceptions-2023-9">Singapore</a>. The tropical climate and abundance of green intoxicated me. To meet people, I reached out to friends of friends and joined a women's choir where we occasionally broke into tears of happiness while singing. The shared gratitude of finding your people in a transient expat world can be overwhelming. While I waited for friendships to deepen, my online network made the transition easier.<div type="image" title="Woman smiling in yellow tanktop and black hat" height="2097" width="2796" msid="106116339" hostid="261" sizebytes="158186"></div>Today I'm more multi-dimensional than I've ever been. I'm a non-fiction writer and a busy mom of pre-teens, a travel blogger and a loving wife, a choir member and a long-distance daughter. There's a saying that the dots connect backwards. I'm the sort of person who would much rather have a road map to finding myself. Now I understand my life could only have happened this way and in this order. It's easy to say with hindsight, but I wouldn't change a thing. Got a personal essay about living abroad or parenting that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:akarplus@insider.com">akarplus@insider.com</a>.

I gave up my job to move abroad. Getting called out for being a 'woman of leisure' helped me find my new career.      

Dubai, Apr 7 (AFP) Human rights groups have called on the energy-rich Gulf states to release peaceful political activists from jail and scale back detention of migrant workers, to limit the spread of coronavirus.Hundreds of human rights defenders, peaceful activists and opposition members have been in jail for years in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.The region, which takes in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, also detains thousands of expatriate workers for violating strict residency regulations."As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, Gulf states should take prompt measures to protect the health and rights of detainees and staff in immigration detention centres, including by releasing people and finding alternatives to detention," Human Rights Watch said Tuesday."Many migrant workers in the Gulf, especially those who are undocumented through no fault of their own or have fled unscrupulous employers, are in prolonged pre-deportation detention in overcrowded, unhygienic conditions," said its deputy Middle East director Michael Page.Almost half of the GCC population of 52 million are expatriates, hailing mostly from South Asia, the Philippines or within the Arab world.As the pandemic spreads, Gulf states have adopted draconian measures.Saudi Arabia has imposed a 24-hour curfew on most of the country. Dubai too has rolled out a round-the-clock curfew while Kuwait has announced a lockdown on two areas densely populated with expats.Some 8,400 coronavirus cases and 60 deaths have been reported in the GCC states. A majority of the cases in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among foreigners.On April 1, Kuwait offered expat workers living illegally in the country a one-month amnesty to leave, with a free air ticket and without paying delay fines. Some 150,000 people are expected to benefit from the offer.HRW said people in immigration detention in Gulf states pending deportation should be given non-custodial alternatives due to the health risks and global travel restrictions.The New York-based watchdog also urged Gulf governments to consider extending visas to ensure that expats retain their legal residency at a time when they cannot travel home freely.Overcrowding is a serious and recurring problem in many of the Gulf states' prisons and detention centres, it said.A group of 20 human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and HRW, have urged Bahrain to immediately release peaceful activists still behind bars.Last month, Bahrain freed 901 prisoners on "humanitarian grounds" and 585 others were given non-custodial sentences.The groups called for the release of opposition leaders, activists and journalists who remain behind bars.HRW has also called on UAE authorities to "unconditionally release people detained unlawfully, including those detained for peaceful dissent." Amnesty International and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights highlighted the plight of Ahmed Mansoor, a prominent human rights activist who has been held in solitary confinement for three years. (AFP) AMSAMS

Gulf states urged to free activists, migrant workers

Thiruvananthapuram, June 23 (): Kerala is hopeful of implementing the mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing for expatriates at the earliest and talks are on with the Centre in this regard,Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. The state government had extended the implementation of the virus tests for those coming to Kerala from abroad till June 24. "All possible measures should be taken to prevent the spread of the virus and as part of this, we raised the need to test the people who come from foreign countries," Vijayan told reporters here. The state had written letters addressing this demand to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Accordingly, the MEA has been discussing this with missions in various countries regarding the testing of passengers in the Gulf countries. The Foreign Ministry has informed the state Chief Secretary about the progress of discussions, he said. The Rapid Antibody Test is being conducted by the UAE. Qatar has a special mobile app that allows only people with green status on this app to travel. Kuwait currently has testing facility only at two terminals but it can be expanded to more terminals as per the requirement of the airlines. It would cost around Rs 1,000 per test. Oman has RT-PCR tests only. The Embassy has approached private hospitals but it would be difficult to implement the testing by June 25. In Saudi Arabia too, Rapid Antibody testing is being conducted in some private hospitals but it has not been approved by the government. The Foreign Ministry said there were difficulties in Bahrain. We cannot compromise on the safety of those coming back to Kerala from abroad. The government is committed to repatriating all those who wish to return but we should avoid the spread of the virus during the flight. In this context, we are discussing with the central government to find out what best can be done in the interests of migrants," he said. "We expect a decision will be taken soon," he said. As more flights arrive, more personnel would be assigned for checking the passengers at airports. Senior IAS-IPS officers would be tasked with coordinating arrangements at airports. The state had demanded to bring separately those who have tested positive in order to avoid the spread of the deadly virus. He said that there were difficulties in conducting tests in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but the Kerala government was committed to bring all those who wish to return to the state. "As of now, we have said that all those who return to the state in chartered flights and private flights should undergo testing before boarding them in order to avoid spreading of virus to co-passengers. We are holding discussions with the Centre to avoid trouble for the expats..." Vijayan said replying to a question. RRT UD NVG NVG

Talking to Centre on pre-flight mandatory COVID-19 tests: CM

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Under a plan called <keyword id="128633" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Phuket">Phuket</keyword> Sandbox, <keyword id="3739" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Thailand">Thailand</keyword> opened the island of Phuket to vaccinated travelers on July 1.</li><li>Travelers must be vaccinated to enter the island, but do not have to quarantine.</li><li>Locals told Insider that they are proud of their island for reopening, but fearful of a COVID-19 outbreak.</li></ul>"Phuket has done the best in Thailand," said Sornchat Krainara, a 55-year-old business owner who lives on the Thai island of Phuket. The owner of The Living Art Company, which runs a gallery on the island, has only words of praise for the government when it comes to reopening her island to <keyword id="20048" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="tourism">tourism</keyword>.On July 1, Thailand <a href="https://www.insider.com/phuket-thailand-opens-to-vaccinated-international-tourists-2021-7">started admitting fully vaccinated tourists</a> into the country. Dubbed the Phuket Sandbox, the program marks the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that tourists have had relatively unrestricted access to the island's stunning beaches. In addition to being fully vaccinated, travelers are required to take regular PCR tests, use a tracking app, and stay in Phuket for at least 14 days before traveling elsewhere in Thailand.On the first day of Phuket Sandbox, flights touched down in Phuket from Israel, the UAE, Qatar, and Singapore. In the first ten days, 3,917 people arrived at the island destination.It's a far cry from pre-pandemic numbers, but it's also a marked increase from pandemic lows. For comparison, 175,000 tourists a week <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/994693/thailand-number-international-tourist-arrivals/">arrived</a> on the island in 2019. In the first four months of 2021, just 28,701 tourists <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/thailand-economy-tourism-idUSL3N2NR1F1">entered</a> the country.The success of the program is crucial to jump starting Thailand's battered economy. Pre-pandemic, tourism accounted for more than <a href="https://knoema.com/atlas/Thailand/topics/Tourism/Travel-and-Tourism-Total-Contribution-to-GDP/Contribution-of-travel-and-tourism-to-GDP-percent-of-GDP">20% of the country's economy</a>. At the Phuket Sandbox inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called the plan "the hope of everyone in the whole country." (After the event, a guest who had attended the ceremony <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thai-prime-minister-self-isolates-after-covid-19-exposure-at-phuket-reopening">tested</a> positive for COVID-19, leading the prime minister and others to self-isolate.)Twelve days into the island's reopening, Insider spoke to six long-time Phuket residents to see how the tourism scheme is being received locally. Their reactions were split: Some were proud of Phuket for being the first part of Thailand to reopen to tourists, while others expressed concern for the future of their island should another COVID-19 wave break out.<div type="image" title="Welcome to Phuket sign being constructed on the beach with sunset in the background" height="2680" width="3573" msid="84396888" hostid="261"></div><h2>Mixed reactions</h2>Many of the Phuket residents who expressed doubts about the pilot program said they didn't receive clear information or timelines in the lead-up to the reopening."I don't think the 'sand castle' can be successful because it is being managed so badly by the government," 23-year-old Irin Reungpoon, who first moved to the island for her studies as a teenager, told Insider. "Sand castle" is a dismissive term used by critics of the plan, lifted from the Prime Minister's Sandbox speech.Pimchanok KhetARan, a 29-year-old sales executive who has lived in Phuket for seven years, also has her doubts."There has been a lot of misinformation from the government side," she said. "We just need more solid information and a clear timeline so local businesses can prepare themselves better. [Otherwise] they have to absorb the expense of last minute changes."Phuket native Supatchada Nualthongkaew, 28, is a receptionist in a company that runs a chain of tourist shops. She said authorities have concentrated their efforts on informing big business. "There should be more information for local people," she said. "What about merchants and small entrepreneurs who do not know how to prepare for the arrival of tourists?"Bhumikitti Ruktaengam, President of the Phuket Tourism Association, the public arm that oversees tourism in Phuket province, says locals are involved."Phuket Sandbox has been the initiative of Phuket people, not just me," he told Insider. "Ninety-five percent of people [on the island] benefit from tourism." He dismissed criticism of the plan but did not elaborate on how authorities were communicating with locals to address their concerns.<h2>A concentrated vaccination effort in Phuket</h2>In the leadup to the launch of Phuket Sandbox, Thailand concentrated its vaccination efforts on the resort island.As of July 11, 85% <a href="https://www.tatnews.org/thailand-reopening/">of the population was partially vaccinated and 67% of the population had received both doses</a>. The island's vaccination rate far exceeds Thailand's average: Nationally, <a href="https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations?country=THA">13% of the population has received the first dose and a mere 5% are fully vaccinated.</a> Currently the only vaccines that are widely <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/06/08/asia/thailand-coronavirus-vaccine-astrazeneca-rollout-intl-hnk/index.html">available</a> to the public are imported Sinovac and AstraZeneca, produced under a license agreement in Thailand. While Thailand <a href="https://www.facebook.com/83ssj/">reports</a> around 10,000 daily cases, mainly concentrated in Bangkok, Phuket's Public Health Office has reported numbers mostly in the single digits.Krainara, the gallery owner, is among Phuket's vaccinated residents. She told Insider she received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine, the first in May, the second in June.Reungpoon, a recent graduate who is currently unemployed, said she has no faith in the vaccines on offer and has chosen not to be vaccinated. "I am not confident," she said. KhetARan expressed a similar sentiment: "I am quite skeptical because of long term side effects."Pipat Petchlorlean, a 26-year-old mechanical engineer who has lived in Phuket all his life, is more pragmatic about getting vaccinated. "I got Sinovac twice because it was the only choice and it's better than nothing," he told Insider.<div type="image" title="Man stands in front of construction zone in Phuket" height="541" width="720" msid="84397252" hostid="261"></div><h2>Hope for family reunions</h2>Chris Greene, 59, teaches modern languages at the British <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international">International</keyword> School in Phuket. He's been living on the island for 12 years. For him, Phuket Sandbox comes with the hope that he'll be able to reunite with his adult children, who he hasn't seen in 18 months.His 20-year-old son Charlie was able to return to Phuket from the UK last week but was subject to two weeks' quarantine in a Bangkok hotel room because he wasn't fully vaccinated. Greene hopes his 23-year-old daughter Fransiska will have better luck getting fully vaccinated before returning later this month. <div type="image" title="Greene and his family posing outside" height="720" width="1600" msid="84396890" hostid="261"></div>Beyond his hope to make the most of the Sandbox for his family, Greene sees the plan as a positive step for the island. "I think it's a good thing," he said. "They've just got to hold their nerve. If they don't and start closing everything down again, it'll just be a failure," he said. <h2>Unanswered questions</h2>Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy Governor of international marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the initiative's benefits are already being felt."The Phuket Sandbox [is] like a testing ground for the reopening of other destinations in Thailand," he told Insider. "The main benefit will be immediate revenue for the local economy that sorely needs it." He estimates the windfall from the first eight days of arrivals at 151.4 million THB ($4.6 million).But the plans is not without potential dangers. So far, a handful of imported COVID-19 cases have been reported in Phuket.The first was a fully vaccinated man from the UAE who tested positive at his PCR screening on arrival. The next two cases involved children from Myanmar who were too young to receive vaccines. Since then, the mother of the children, a traveler from Switzerland, and a traveler believed to be from South Africa have also <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2147423/three-more-covid-infections-under-phuket-sandbox-scheme">tested positive</a>, Phuket Province Health Chief Kusak Kukiatkoon said in a briefing on July 12. The cases were detected before the travelers were allowed out on the island.Several of the Phuket locals Insider spoke to expressed fear of COVID-19 outbreaks on the island. KhetARan, the sales executive, points to unanswered questions: "If there is another outbreak, what are we going to do? Shut down again? Then what's next?"Krainara, the gallery owner, is preparing for an upcoming festival and a new exhibit in October.<div type="image" title="Owner of Phuket art gallery posing in front of artwork" height="783" width="1045" msid="84396893" hostid="261"></div>"We're still working and preparing every day," she said. "In the past, the government sector, the Thai locals, expats, business people, they were in different groups. But because of COVID-19, they joined together."Others see a more cynical angle.Petchlorlean, the engineer, feels that reopening Phuket was a decision made by the authorities without much consultation and with one motivator in mind above all: "Phuket is their treasure and Phuket makes lots of money."

Phuket, Thailand, reopened to vaccinated travelers on July 1. It has revealed split reactions among locals: Pride in their island - and fear for its future.

<ul><li>The impact of the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> may become more pronounced as India shut down its borders.</li><li>The fate of the Indian Premier League hangs in the balance with 60% of players are scheduled to arrive from overseas.</li><li>Non-resident Indians on vacations are grappling with their choice to either risk flying out or having their visa expires.</li><li>Airlines are offering flight fares at dirt-cheap prices in a desperate attempt to sell some seats.</li></ul>India’s Ministry of Health issued a new travel advisory late last night, March 12, suspended all visas till April 15. NRIs on vacation are stranded, airline stocks are tanking and the country’s most-watched sporting event of the year — the Indian Premier League (IPL) — might be postponed. Locking down borders may seem like a good idea to contain the virus, but it isn’t what is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). There’s no restriction on Indians going back and forth, but the government advises against it. On returning to India, passengers may be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days. The suspension of visas will leave many stranded in the throes of uncertainty and a difficult choice to make. IPL in trouble The IPL is India’s top sporting event. Last year, the cricketing tournament broke viewership records with Star India clocking 462 million viewers on their network. The reach of the tournament was up by 12% in comparison to 2018. 
 
 <div type="image" title="ipl1_edited" msid="74592196" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Crowds at the IPL final last year at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





 However, it’s unlikely that history will repeat itself. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL teams are currently mulling over their options. They can either play the matches behind closed doors — like Spain is doing with La Liga in Spain and Germany with Bundesliga. Else, they can postpone the event altogether. The second option seems more likely since 60% of IPL’s recruits were supposed to arrive from overseas, and they all have business visas — now suspended by the Indian government. 
 
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 The final decision will likely be announced on March 14 when the Governing Council is set to meet in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Maharashtra’s state government has already banned the sale of IPL cricket matches at Wankhede Stadium. “The move is more of a precaution to stop the virus from spreading,” a government source told <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/coronavirus-maharashtra-bans-sale-of-ipl-tickets-in-mumbai/articleshow/74586725.cms">TOI.</a> Stranded NRIs in India and Indians stranded abroad Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) on long vacations are stuck in an awkward position. Even though it’s not advisable to travel, their visa rules might not leave them with a choice. Qatar, which has banned the entry of passengers from India and 13 other countries, has put a few NRIs in a tight spot. Its visa rules state that foreigners with residency permits are not permitted to remain outside the country for more than six months continuously. 
 
 <div type="image" title="covid1_edited" msid="74592151" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Passenger wearing a face mask at one of the international airports in India&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





 Indian nationals abroad have also been asked to avoid travelling back to India. Expats in countries with high migrant populations like the UAE, Singapore and Italy can be quarantined for 14 days on arrival. Markets see red The travel and tourism, already in the midst of a slowdown, may have to hang in there a little longer. In January, foreign tourist arrivals rose by a mere 1.3% — the lowest the industry has seen in a decade. After the announcement, SpiceJet’s shares fell by as much as 19% and InterGlobe Aviation, IndiGo’s parent company, saw its stock dip by 10%. 
 
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 Hotel stocks like Lemon Tree Hotels and Indian Hotels, owned by Tata, also look a nose-dive. Lemon Tree fell by as much as 19.5% and Indian Hotels by 12.4%. 
 
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 When flying away isn’t an option Airlines are struggling to keep up with the number of ticket cancellations on the rise. It’s good news for those still daring to travel since flight fares are on the verge of hitting all-time lows — even on routes that generally see high traffic. With the government’s suspension of visas, Air India is likely to be the worst hit with the largest share of international flights. In order to recover some of the losses, airlines — including Air India — are offering to reschedule flights without any penalty to a later date. Others, like Air Asia and SpiceJet, are running campaigns in a desperate attempt to sell seats. International flight tickets are going for as little as ₹3,079 for travel dates up to 1 July 2021. 

 
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 Domestic travel’s taken a hit as well. A last-minute ticket from Mumbai to Delhi is currently as cheap as ₹5,000. 
 
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 According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the impact of Covid-19 on the aviation industry will be at least $63 billion — with the potential to escalate to $113 billion — in 2020. “We reiterate our call to all countries not to impose restrictions inconsistent with the International Health Regulations,” WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told the organisation’s <a href="https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-technical-briefing-on-2019-novel-coronavirus">executive board</a> “Such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit,” he added. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-travel-ban-india-on-lockdown-till-april-15/articleshow/74586131.cms">Coronavirus travel ban: India on lockdown till April 15</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/news/track-how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-is-affecting-your-travel-plans-and-flights/articleshow/74569280.cms">Track how the coronavirus outbreak is affecting your travel plans and flights</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-how-airports-in-india-are-screening-for-any-signs-of-the-outbreak/articleshow/74569065.cms/india/news/coronavirus-how-airports-in-india-are-screening-for-any-signs-of-the-outbreak/articleshow/74569065.cms">Coronavirus in India: Airports are spraying sanitizer, calling in doctors, and screening international passengers to keep the outbreak under control</a>

Coronavirus travel restrictions affect everything from the IPL to NRIs on vacation

Brian Sloan quit his job as a lawyer to start a sex toy business that generates over $1 million a year, and he did it without office space or full-time employees.
He and his collaborators <a href="http://www.vieci.com/">at Very Intelligent E-Commerce, Inc.</a> have skipped the usual distribution methods, focusing solely on internet sales. The company's most recent product, a sex toy for men, launched as an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. It <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/25/a-word-with-the-creator-of-the-autoblow-2/">turned</a> <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/the-autoblow-2-is-a-robotic-oral-sex-simulator-and-it-looks">heads</a> and <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/autoblow-2-a-realistic-robotic-oral-sex-simulator-for-men">raised over $260,000 - far more than its $45,000 goal</a> - in the process.
"We are sure that we'll at least double revenue within the first year ... and will try our hand at offline sales to resellers," Sloan told us.
He agreed to answer our questions about what it's like to steer the ship of an adult novelty company. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation and the full (lightly edited) transcript appears below that.
<ul>
<li>Sloan started as a lawyer, but made a change early in his career that led him to where he is now. "I used to go to garage sales at 6 AM on the weekends and make as much or more money than I was making in the firm. At that point it really became clear that if what I wanted was more money and a fun lifestyle - working as a lawyer would offer a poor return on my time investment."</li>
<li>The industry is largely filled with people who don't know how to use the internet. "The adult industry was particularly ripe to 'disrupt' because of the combination of unusually high profit margins combined with industry-wide poor e-commerce knowledge," Sloan told us. "Only one brand of male toys and a few adult mega-stores had a high level of internet marketing or online selling technology knowledge."</li>
<li>Sloan moved to China after repeated visits to buy items to resell in the States. He was "buying and selling everything from human bones to alligator shoes to truckloads of furniture to used medical equipment to vintage mannequins."</li>
<li>He cites the merits of doing whatever it takes to succeed. "The key factor in the success of that business was clear: willingness to do whatever it took to grow the business, and not caring what other people thought of it. Once, I even had my mother videotape me and a friend walking through a shopping mall in Skokie, Illinois, wearing giant inflatable rubber suits!"</li>
</ul>
BUSINESS INSIDER: Why the Indiegogo fundraising campaign for a new product when things are generally going so well?
BRIAN SLOAN: There are plenty of businesses with healthy sales who need additional money in times of expansion. It's normal. There are two ways to do that - investment or loans. There were several individuals and a few companies who wanted to invest, but I declined because I did not want to give up shares or control. Adult businesses ... also cannot get bank loans at any rate. We were eligible for cash advances on our merchant processing from third parties, but the rates were mafia-like. Crowdfunding allowed us to raise funds by pre-selling products at a discounted price. In fact we needed more than our $45,000 goal, but we were warned by people who had run successful crowdfunding campaigns that setting a high goal would have a negative influence on funding. 
BI: What was the original motivation in entering law, and when did you realize you were going to quit to start this business?
BS: I did a double major in philosophy and political science in college. Philosophers haven't really been in demand these last 1,500 years, and political science doesn't prepare one for any particular type of work. I bought into the idea that being an attorney would lead to a comfortable and interesting life and it helped that I didn't have any better ideas.
I had a few jobs in law school - one was working at the Cook County Murder Taskforce - the public defenders for people charged with murder in Chicago, and the other one was in a kind of fancy boutique firm in Chicago. Doing murder defense was super-interesting but not well compensated. The work I did at the boutique firm was better paid but uninspiring.
During my second year of law school a classmate took me to an antique auction. I ended up buying a very old version of the Monopoly board game, and I thought it would be fun to see if I could sell it on eBay, and I did, making about $100. I guess you could say from that moment my life changed.
After that day, I became obsessed with buying and selling things. I started studying less and going to auctions more. That part of Pennsylvania had, at the time, at least 10-15-plus antique auctions a week. The local people bought the items to sell locally at antique malls, but there were few if any eBay sellers attending the auctions. It blew my mind that people only knew the value of some really nice antiques locally but had no idea of their global value. I probably shipped 25% of the items overseas.
The second summer of law school when I worked as a summer associate for the boutique firm, I used to go to garage sales at 6 AM on the weekends and make as much or more money than I was making in the firm. At that point it really became clear that if what I wanted was more money and a fun lifestyle - working as a lawyer would offer a poor return on my time investment. 
After law school I expanded from antiques to goods from bankruptcy auctions, but I kept selling on eBay. I spent those two years before I moved to China buying and selling everything from human bones to alligator shoes to truckloads of furniture to used medical equipment to vintage mannequins.

BI: How exactly does one start a sex toy business?
BS: I think like most businesses, one starts it one step at a time.
I began importing latex fetishwear from China during my time as an eBay seller. The reason was simple: going to auctions took a lot of time and effort and was not scalable. I needed high profit margin items I could buy from China, in quantity, to properly grow the business. I used Alibaba.com and connected with a latex factory in south China. I grew the business significantly by making custom sized rubber suits for larger people, and figuring out sub-niches of the latex fetish culture.
The key factor in the success of that business was clear: willingness to do whatever it took to grow the business, and not caring what other people thought of it. Once, I even had my mother videotape me and a friend walking through a shopping mall in Skokie, IL, wearing giant inflatable rubber suits!
At a certain point, the latex business also wasn't scalable enough for me so I moved onto toys. I thought about a few other businesses and got close to launching brands of a few products, including anti-snoring devices and a teeth whitening system. I decided to stay in the adult industry as I had gained so much knowledge about it during my time selling latex.
The adult industry was particularly ripe to "disrupt" because of the combination of unusually high profit margins combined with industry-wide poor e-commerce knowledge. Only one brand of male toys and a few adult mega-stores had a high level of Internet marketing or online selling technology knowledge. 
Ninety percent of adult toy brands only focused on high-volume manufacturing/sales solely to distributors. The breakdown of retail price allotted to manufactures in the adult industry is not pretty. I figured with what I learned about internet marketing from the latex business, and my location near factories in China, I could create internet-only brands and sell them for very competitive prices by cutting out the middlemen - distributors and retailers. 
Executing well on the technology aspect was a huge part of the success of the business at that point, and has been something that sets us apart from competitors even now. I built a team of people all over the world, with a strong concentration in Eastern Europe and began creating niche web presences to compete with the more well-established brands. 
Over the years I built relationships with maybe 20 factories in China to make items that our customers want.
BI: Were you concerned about any stigma surrounding the nature of what you were doing?
BS: Actually, no. My parents are super-supportive, although I found out my mother told her friends I was in the "import-export" business for a few years. Now that the business is more successful, she seems to not be embarrassed anymore and even suggests ideas for me to make late-night infomercials. 
Regarding a stigma - why should I care that some people don't like what I do? The kind of person who would dislike me or not want to know me because of what I do is also coincidentally not the kind of person I would want to know. So it works out perfectly.
Doing this kind of work, strangers sometimes feel its appropriate to open up to me on sexual topics that they would otherwise keep private. Once I was on a flight from Chicago to Qatar and met an oil executive who was working in the Middle East. The first part of our conversation centered around his role in his church in Oklahoma and some stories about his children who were Christian missionaries in Asia. To my surprise, when I told him what I did for a living, he told me that after his kids all left home and him and his wife had a lot of time on their hands - they bought their first sex toys! So… you never know.
From a friends perspective - the story of what I do does well at parties and bars. 
BI: Why the move to China?
BS: I was going back and forth to China buying small antiques, after law school. A friend told me about an antique market there so I took a trip to check it out. Long story short, over the next 1.5 years, I made a bunch more trips to buy things, which I would sell back in the U.S. on eBay. 
I started making friends in Beijing and realized that it was filled with interesting entrepreneurs from all over the world. In Chicago I didn't know or have access to the caliber of entrepreneurs I was able to meet and befriend in Beijing on a regular basis. Moving to China just felt like the right move at the time - especially after getting into the Beijing expat scene. I figured that for my next step in my life - it could only be a positive thing to surround myself by intelligent people who were focused on DOING things. 
Secondarily, China is the factory to the world so it also made sense from that perspective to base myself there. Sex toy factories in China tend to be in the south - around Ningbo and Wenzhou, and then further south in Shenzhen/Dongguan/Guangzhou.
 BI: How difficult is the design and manufacturing process? 
BS: I worked with a company in Taiwan whose normal business was manufacturing Wi-Fi whiteboards and commercial-grade air conditioning controllers. I thought that because they understood how to manufacture complex electronic devices, they could also manufacture my Autoblow 2. I was wrong. Their team lacked knowledge of ergonomics, had no experience working with TPE, the material that now comprises the interchangeable sleeves.
After working with them for 1.5 years, they managed to create a product that essentially collapsed upon itself when one tried to use it. It was a huge disappointment.
Basically you need a designer or two, a sourcing team to source the different components, and a few factories to work closely with to produce the main parts. Picking the right factory partners, and making sure that your main factory picks the right sub-factory partners is probably the most important aspect of the entire process. If one supplier factory is producing a sub-par component and your main factory doesn't catch it, the whole project can fail.
It's frankly not a very sexy process and involves talking with engineers, sometimes via a translator when things get technical, about things that make everyone in the room blush.

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