Bourney0

Another option: https://www.thaipolicecertificate.org/

We thought we needed a certificate for my wife recently and are way outside Thailand. Turns out we didn't need it, but we did some research into different options.

The company at the above link (Resolution Immigration) allow the required copies of the passport, Thai visa/stamps, and fingerprints to be emailed to them. They are quite responsive, English is good, and they have a couple of positive reviews on Facebook but we have not been able to find much in the way of referrals otherwise. We would be curious to know if others have used them.

The prices are a bit higher than A-Plus but they allow everything to be done via email and they fill out the application for you, so there is some added value. 

2 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

Current example for you:

Salerno, this is quite helpful. Thank you for the Facebook group link. 

12 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

That doesn't happen, your wife/you/both of you would go to the hospital with your child (most likely your wife obviously).

Source? How can we be sure of this?

13 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I agree it is not pleasant I have had 2 in the last 6 months pri.or to operations carried out the first by a male nurse was very rough

The second time It was carried out by a female nurse who was very gentle and although it’s not something I enjoyed I have had worse procedures in my life

Thanks. It could be that they don't use the nasopharyngeal swab in Thailand. If that's the case, good on them.

On 2/13/2021 at 2:06 AM, simon43 said:

 

 

I'm 62 years old and teach Science and English (ESL) 'online' to young students (5-16 years old) all over the world, but primarily in Korea and China.  I live in Laos now (but the scenario would be much the same if I were still in Thailand).  I teach from my home and earn about 100,000 baht a month. 

 

You could do the same ????

Simon, which online platforms do you use for teaching?

On 2/13/2021 at 4:25 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

Why should there be any exemptions for  children?

They can catch Covid19. They can transmit Covid19. 
 

If you feel that the test is not suitable for your child DO NOT try to bring him to Thailand. 

If, for whatever reason, you feel you have to bring him accept that he needs the same test however uncomfortable that is. Accept that your bringing him to Thailand means subjecting him to the tests and possibly an isolation suite/room in a hospital where you may not be allowed to be with him or have contact with him. Research what happens if there is a positive test.

 

 

These are good points. Our baby actually caught the virus before us and it seems that we caught it from him.

We have all had the virus and recovered so it would seem that none of us would be bringing the virus in but rather contributing to herd immunity at this point.

It would be a nightmare if he got a false positive test in ASQ and was forced into isolation.

15 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I don’t wish to sound uncaring, but I live in Thailand and have a daughter who is close now to five years old.

Unfortunately in life there are often medical procedures that have to be carried out for the benefit of the child.

I can recall when she was younger her being admitted to hospital and being placed on an intravenenous  drip, having that placed in her arm and changed every few days was far worse than any Covid test which involves having a type of cotton bud lightly moved around the nostril for a few seconds.

I had one last week not particularly pleasant but I have had a lot worse procedures during my life.

Stevie, how deep would you say that they inserted the swab? Was it just inside the part that protrudes from the face?

Typically a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR is inserted 8-10cm inside the nose in adults--practically to the back of the throat. That's downright unpleasant--even dangerous for a young child. At best, it makes your eyes water.

Perhaps they gave you a different type of test. The problem is, there are at least three different methods for doing a COVID PCR test. There's a nasopharyngeal swab, a more "gentle" swab, or a saliva test.

The saliva test is the least invasive. You simply spit into a collection cup and that's what's used for the test. It seems like that's the rarest type, unfortunately.

We are leaning toward scrapping any plans for Thailand until the entry restrictions have been relaxed to some extent. 

Even if we went now there's also the risk that one of us gets a false positive test in ASQ. If it were the baby or my wife it could be a total disaster as the baby is still dependent upon breastfeeding. If one of them were to get a false positive (there's about a 4% chance, so I have heard) then one of them would be whisked off to a hotel and put into isolation for 10+ days. If it were my wife I would be forced to transition the baby to bottle formula. If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

We aren't interested in starting a debate on immunology here, but we have all already had the virus and recovered so I am confident that any near-term PCR test would be a false positive for any of us.

It would be great if Thailand and other countries accepted a serum (antibody) test in lieu of PCR tests and quarantine for those of us that have had the virus and recovered.

1 hour ago, rct99q said:

My 7 year old had two of the nadal swabs done in Canada before departure and I believe three upon arrival in Thailand. One at the airport and two at the ASQ. May be wrong about the on upon arrival though. 

Slightly unpleasant was how she put it. Not painful, but an activity she would not want to repeat often. 

It did break up the boredom of the stay. Gave her and mommy something to talk about for an hour.

Good to know. Do you know if it was the deep swab or a shallow one?

We are leaning toward scrapping any plans for Thailand until the entry restrictions have been relaxed to some extent. 

Even if we went now there's also the risk that one of us gets a false positive test in ASQ. If it were the baby or my wife it could be a total disaster as the baby is still dependent upon breastfeeding. If one of them were to get a false positive (it's about a 4% chance, so I have heard) then one of them would be whisked off to a hotel and put into isolation for 10+ days. If it were my wife I would be forced to transition him to bottle formula. If it were our baby I can't imagine we would be comfortable letting him be abducted to some hospital and put into isolation.

We aren't interested in starting a debate on immunology here, but we have all already had the virus and recovered so I am confident that any near-term PCR test would be a false positive for any of us.

It would be great if Thailand and other countries accepted a serum (antibody) test in lieu of PCR tests and quarantine for those of us that have had the virus and recovered.

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

I am not sure what sort of testing they carry out in your country but I had a Covid test carried out at a private hospital here in Thailand last week

There was no use of rods only a type of cotton bud which the nurse lightly moved around one nostril.

Nothing being inserted in your nostril is pleasant but what’s the option ?

Steve, how deep would you say that they inserted the swab? Was it just inside the part that protrudes from the face?

Typically a nasopharyngeal swab for PCR is inserted 8-10cm inside the nose in adults--practically to the back of the throat. That's downright unpleasant. At best, it makes your eyes water.

Perhaps they gave you a different type of test. The problem is, there are at least three different methods for doing a COVID PCR test. There's a nasopharyngeal swab, a more "gentle" swab, or a saliva test.

The saliva test is the least invasive. You simply spit into a collection cup and that's what's used for the test. It seems like that's the rarest type, unfortunately.

That's correct, each person seems to need a full stack of documents. That's what we were also told by the Thai consulate in LA.

As for the risk to a young child, I can only guess that having a young child screaming and squirming while a rod is inserted through deep through his nostril into his throat carries a risk of something inside the nasal passage being damaged.

We were wrong about the U.S. policy. Children 2 years old and younger are exempt from PCR testing. For Canada the age ceiling is 5 years old. In any case these exemptions indicate some common sense.

We would argue that PCR testing in general is not a good policy for diagnosis due to the inherent inaccuracy of this type of testing but that's fodder for another debate.

 

Thanks, Joe.

According to an email from the Thai consulate in Los Angeles, everyone needs a PCR test in order to enter Thailand. Whether there will be tests of a young child at ASQ we do not yet know.

My wife and I would like to do the same thing. We have a six-month-old son and recently contacted a prominent language school in Chiang Mai. Their answer:

"For your 6 months old son, he can stay in Thailand without a visa up to 7 years old."

That said, our main concern is the COVID PCR swab tests. We are not comfortable with our son getting this intrusive and very uncomfortable test three times. We have been asking around to find out if there is an exemption for young children like in Canada, the USA, or presumably many other countries but have not turned up much information.

The Thai consulate in Los Angeles replied that they believe that even everyone (including infants) need this test in order to get COE.

Me, my wife, and our 6-month old son are considering a long stay via STV or Non-ED. I have been digging around for information on the entry requirements for our son and have not turned up much useful information.

He is a U.S. citizen and can enter visa-exempt. My wife is not Thai.

We are wondering whether he will need to undergo PCR tests. Nasal COVID tests on such a young child seem like a bad idea.

For example, the USA does not require minors under 12 years old to get a PCR test for entry. Does Thailand have a similar age exemption?

Also, does he need his own STV or Non-X visa, or will he be somehow covered under our status?
 

Bonus question: can anyone who has done the ASQ comment on how gentle the nurses have been with the nasal swabs? I have had a test done in another country and it was extremely uncomfortable. It felt like they were reaching for the edge of my brain. 

27 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

We went for lunch yesterday.

Beef with greens - just OK. Beef Tuff

Stir fry veggies OK

Chicken with garlic and chili - excellent.

What wrecked it for us was the owner - presumably - fat Chinese guy with a scraggly bunch of chin whiskers sat on the far LH side of the place, farthest away from the kitchen. Kept up a constant shouting match with the staff, all in Mandarin or course. But this seemingly is a trait of theirs.

When paying our bill was entertained by a large rat climbing the wall and scampering along the beam.

Final straw.

I agree. The spicy chicken dishes are usually my go-to.

The rest comes with the territory, I suppose. I spent six months traveling across China on a bicycle and this place brought me back like no other. But it's not for everyone.

I forgot to mention that the area can be quite noisy when there is a concert going on in the parking lot. It can be a bit of a nuisance.

1 hour ago, Vacuum said:

Reading your post, I find this hard to believe. 

Suit yourself. 

1 hour ago, tlandtday said:

Do they have bat soup or 3 squeaks for appetizers?

I highly recommend the bat soup. ????

I'm going to be in town for a month and would like to have a deviated septum taken are of while I'm there. Have any of you had surgery for to correct a deviated septum, or endoscopic sinus surgery, in Chiang Mai?

After extensive research on this forum I'm leaning toward Suan Doc (aka Maharaj) Hospital and Sriphat because I'm on a tight budget and uninsured.

I would love a recommendation for an ENT specialist and also how much it might cost (ballpark) all said and done.

Thank you!

I've learned how to ask if someone has these (lily bulbs - but not tiger lilies, if that matters) but I don't know where to start, and I only have one more day to shop for them: tomorrow (Sat)! I need to bring them to Singapore for a friend and I leave on Sunday. I've already hunted around the flower market behind the big Tesco near the Superhighway to no avail.

Does anyone have knowledge of where one may find bulbs for sale?

Thanks.

They (at Na Na) just got a new espresso machine...someone's been reading this thread!

IMO, the coffee now is as it should be, rich and strong.

Unfortunately, no more croissants for me in the foreseeable future. I leave CM for a sojourn across the breadth of China in a couple of days.

All the best to ya'all!

I'd worry about rain wrecking the phone. The standalone Garmin units seem pretty much immune to that problem.

Yes, the Garmins are pretty water resistant. Another advantage is that the battery life of a Garmin is typically 12-15 hours, whereas a smartphone with the GPS in operation and the back light on will not last nearly as long, so I've heard.

i did my shopping at Tanin Market yesterday but couldn't find Nana. Is it on the fresh market it self or one of the streets on both sides?

It's not in or around the Tanin Market itself, it's a few hundred meters down the road to the west. If you follow Tanin Road away from the market toward Doi Suthep it will end in a 'T' and you take a left. The road then turns to the right. You'll see Na Na Bakery on the right side 20 meters after the turn, before the intersection with Santitham Road.

I linked to a Google Map in the very first post but I'll add it here again: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=18.804083,98.979041&num=1&t=h&sll=18.78036,98.832329&sspn=0.041284,0.41345&ie=UTF8&ll=18.804095,98.979373&spn=0.000983,0.001725&z=19

I was there this morning and found out some new information to share. Na Na supplies many of the local coffee shops and "bakeries" from this location, so if you show up after 9am or so you may miss out on the large pains au chocolat and croissants. The large ones (30 baht), oozing with melted dark chocolate, are, in my opinion, preferable to the smaller pastries (17 baht) by a small margin. Also, if you buy them here, at the source, not only will you get these wholesale prices, but they'll be a little fresher! I hear that the retailers mark the big pastries up to 40-45 baht.

Swazibird, it was a pleasure to meet you and your wife this morning!

I tried the croissants once, with high expectations as they looked delicious in the glass cabinet. Unfortunately, despite being the only customer, my coffee and croissant took ages to arrive. The espresso was way to watery, and the croissant, disappointing and more like a piece of bread. That was a few months ago; I've not returned.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. In my limited (1 month) experience has opened on time consistently (with the exception of Sunday morning) and the butter-based pastries are superb in the morning when fresh out of the oven. Like all croissants, however, the shelf life is probably about two hours before they begin to become 'bread-like', though I have not yet tested the theory here. I'm guessing they'll still be delicious for an early lunch, but after that...

Butter is Better and W for Wanlaman also make great pastries.

Yes, I also like Butter is Better, but I don't think they do any French pastries.

The ginger snaps and Italian loaf at BiB are top notch but I have yet to try the fabled peanut butter-chocolate cake!