jphasia

I have read about this visa but I am not clear about the qualifications and what you get in return.

What I read is:

1/ you need to have a yearly income of 80,000 USD/ year

2/ you need to have health insurance with minimum coverage of 50,000USD/ uear

3/ you need to 100,000USD minimum assets or in a bank account.

Is that correct?

That will give you a 10 years visa? What else? Can you work with this visa? Is it a 10 years visa but renewable every year?

Is there a minimum age to qualify?

I am 54 years old. Not married. My yearly income is above 80,000USD/ year (working contract but not in Thailand. My health insurance coverage is about 150,000USD/year.

Even if i own property in Thailand, they are not under my name but my son name.

Does it make me qualify?

I have done the Thaipass yesterday afternoon for a depart from Vietnam on 23 April (SGN-BKK-HKT) and it was approved this morning. Very fast!

My problem now is that i have been tested positive today! Done with a quick test because i was not feeling well.

I am not sure how it will go then for the 23rd April.

Here in Vietnam, as there are a lot of positive case, if you test positive with a quick test, it is not officially recorded. You stay at home and do other quick test until it become negative. Most of the people I know here have been positive sometime and it take between 7 to 10 days to become negatif again.

So my company feels confident that i will recover sometime next week and advise me to do a PCR test on 21 to be sure i am negative when flying.

If not, i guess I will have to update the Thaipass with a new departure date?

35 minutes ago, Agusts said:

Phuket also has Test & Go, but generally if you arrive directly at Phuket airport...

 

So doesn't your itinerary support this version...!? On Thai Pass application there are 3 options...

You are correct. Actually i was a bit lost but message again Thai Pass who confirm me that too. So seems all good.

Thanks for the feedback

On 4/8/2022 at 3:21 PM, Agusts said:

Try to get a direct flight to Phuket, or stay over night in Bangkok hotel until your test result comes...

 

Otherwise check and double check you can transit through BKK, it must be a sealed transit that transfer your luggage automatically, not many transfers in BKK qualify - check with all or it won't work...

I checked with Thaipass messenger and they confirmed me that this itinerary will work.

However, I found out that if you do the Phuket sandbox, you still need to book 5 nights in SHA+ hotel? In this case, I rather do the test & go in Bangkok, spend a night in Bangkok and take a flight to Phuket the next day.

Does any knows if the latest Windows Surface Pro 8 is available in Thailand? And if yes, where?

I searched on internet, checking shops like IT City, Banana IT which I know they are selling Surface Pro but can't find on their listing.

Thanks

4 hours ago, Agusts said:

Try to get a direct flight to Phuket, or stay over night in Bangkok hotel until your test result comes...

 

Otherwise check and double check you can transit through BKK, it must be a sealed transit that transfer your luggage automatically, not many transfers in BKK qualify - check with all or it won't work...

Thank you. Yes, actually this one does. One ticket Ho Chi Minh - BKK - Phuket with check in luggages to Phuket. 1 airline only.

On 2/27/2022 at 10:56 AM, ubonjoe said:

Yes you can if you can find a connecting flight that allows you in transit in clear and clear immigration in Phuket.

Bangkok Airways has flights that depart from Bangkok that meet the requirements if you can arrange it.

I think it may easier and less costly to do the one night test and go in Bangkok and then fly domestic to Bangkok.

I am coming back again about this topic.

I found a travel itinerary SGN-BKK-HKT all way long with Thai Smile. Transiting few hours in BKK before the connecting flight to Phuket. Will it work for the Thai pass and doing the PCR test in Phuket airport with the 1st night quarantine in Phuket while waiting for the test result?

I am travelling a lot for work since many years (Africa, middle east, South east asia, Japan...) and been using my Thai debit cards in all of these countries without any problem to get cash from local ATM's or pay in shops. I am with Bangkok Bank, SCB and Krungsri.

I am in Vietnam since 2020 and used my Thai debit cards  especially the first month before I openned an account here and get paid locally. No issues with the Thai debit for cash or payment in shops, restaurants. We get charges when withdraw cash as it is international cash (I think around 150THB per transaction) but no charge when paying in the shops.

The only problem I am facing since beginning of 2022 is with my Thai credit cards (Visa and Mastercard from Bangkok Bangkok Bank). I have some monthly automatic debit such as Google premium or Neflix. These payments have been rejected as automatic payments since January. My google and Netfix are Thai account.

It doesn't bother too much because I have bank accounts here in Vietnam too with debit and credit cards. So I proceed these paiements with my Vietnamese Credit Card.

I suspect that last year, there was a lot fraud with online paiements and they declined these paiements for security reasons. I will be in Thailand end of this month and will visit the branch to fix it.

Last year, my Krungsri debit card was hacked with an online paiement of 7,000 THB while I was in Vietnam. The online paiement was an airline ticket from Philippines airlines which of course was not from me. I called Krungsri who cancelled the card and as I had to go to Thailand few weeks later, they give me a new debit card and the 7,000b was refund to me few days later.

At the meantime, I got an sms from Bangkok bank asking me to closely check the transactions from my account as they might be some suspecioius transactions. Indeed, when i checked, i found some unknows small transactions of few bahts online. Total was not more than 100b (10 or 20b per transsctions). I highlighted these transactions, signed a paper in BBL branch and was refund a week later.

For me, i did a will through a lawyer few years ago. I am not death yet...so not sure how effective it is.

I asked my lawyer few years and explained him that in case of something would happen to me, I was concerned about the money that is sleeping in my bank accounts will be lost (not to everyone of course...) but I would prefer my son to get it. 

As my son has 2 nationalities (French /Thai), houses are already under his name. But what would happen to the bank accounts?

I have been dealing with reputated law firm in Bangkok for many years who help me on some legal aspects (such as transferring the ownerships of my properties from limited company to my son name).

They asked me to list with details (bank, branch, account numbers...) all the bank accounts I have in Thailand. I provided the details of the beneficiary (my son) with necessary documentations (copy ID cards, ta bien baan...). Once done (3 originals), they give 1 to my son, 1 to me and they kept one for them with a process to follow in case of something happen to me.

What they made clear to me is that in case i died, it is not easy and straight like my son will show up to the banks with the will. He will need to contact the law firm who will start a legal procedure to the court which will take time.

It cost me of course few tousand bahts and of course i am not sure how effective it is.

If there are other and better ways, i am very interested to hear.

26 minutes ago, beechbum said:

The scrambled eggs are excellent.

 

Mayday Café

089 890 3790

https://maps.app.goo.gl/5bmZmWH9ePoemyL68

Thanks. Look good. I will try

9 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Are you walking, if so, from where exactly ?  Kathu isn't exactly small, and do you mean town or district.

 

Internet to work ... plan on being there more than an hour after eating ?  That comes off as a bit rude to the owners, unless set up for digital nomads.

 

Are you on holiday, or live there ?  If on holiday, simply pick hotel with buffet brekkie and you got wifi all day poolside, balcony or workspace in room.

 

 

Motorbike or car. Next to loch palm golf.

Not staying in hotel. The primary interest is good coffee and breakfast. Wifi is the 2nd interest if comfortable to open my laptop.

I wondering if anyone in Phuket would recommend a good place for breakfast in Kathu area.

What i mean by good is good variety of western breakfast, Thai food, real good coffee, reasonable prices and comfortable with good internet to eventually work online.

Nearby in you are located in Kathu and don't want to go to in other districts such as Patong...

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassies and consulates that were issuing multiple entry non-o visas before only did them based upon marriage. They would only do a single entry non-o for being the parent of a Thai.

Penang was issuing the multiple entry non-o visa for being the parent of a Thai if you had proof of 400k baht in a bank or proof of 40k baht income.

Yes, i used to read that too. The thing for me is before Vietnam, I have been working 7 years in Myanmar and I got the 1 year multi every years from the Thai Embassy in Yangoon without any specific requirements (just explaining that I was working in Myanmar and had to go and back very frequently to Thailand to visit my son). They never asked me bank statments...only the birth certificate of my son. I am also divorced with his mum. So probably lucky. 

I got my last non O multi in November 2019, even my son was over 21 years old (there are been always confusion for me about the maximum age of the kid).

Then Covid came and I was in Thailand unable to cross the border every 90 days as required for this type of visa. Anyway, I was under the special covid exemption.

In October 2020, I left to Vietnam due to the Covid situation, I didn't focus of Thai visa due to travel restriction. I was even thinking that I should go for the route of 90 days non O with extention now with this difficult time of travel restrictions.

In October 2021, as I decided to go back to Thailand, i decided to enquire anyway for Non O multi, either based on my son or retired as I am over 50. But the answer for any of these options were negative and the only option was 90 days Non O.

I am fine with this option but the only issue is that I rarely have the time to proceed the extension when I am back to Thailand.

I am also concerned that as it's getter easier again to travel and I might come back more regularly to Thailand for short period (maybe every month or 2), if i keep doing it on Visa exempt, I might be flag at the immigration.

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes you can.

Thanks! Are you also allowed now to transit through Bangkok? I mean, I am in Vietnam now, purchase a ticket SGN-BKK-HKT?

Last time I went back to Phuket was in November with the sandbox program and I had to do a SGN-SIN-HKT with Singapore Airlines. By the time I did the sandbox booking, they released the test & go, so i spent only the 1st night in hotel and free to go. I was refund the 2nd PCR test.

There are more flight options between Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok. That's why I am considering this option.

Hello, I am bit lost on the latest entries rules from abroad.

My final destination to Thailand will be Phuket.

Can I now fly directly to Bangkok. Do the test and go there and once I got the negative result (let's say 24 hours later), catch a domestic flight to Phuket?

Or do I still need to apply for the Phuket sandbox and get a direct flight to Phuket?

I am fully vaccinated of course.

Thanks

Hello, I am French, currently based in Vietnam for work. I need to do a business trip for few days in Phnom Phen next month (or March). I would love to use this business trip to extend few more days and visit Koh Rong.

I haven't been to Cambodia since very long time (at least 15 years ago), to Phnom Phen and Siam Reap only so I don't know much about this country.

What is the best way for short trip to reach Koh Rong from Phnom Phen? I would expect a flight to Sihanoukville? As my business trip to Phnom Phen would for 2 or 3 days, I will try to get an addionnal 3 to 4 days before returning to Vietnam.

Thanks

Hello, I am planning to go to Koh Tao next week to spend the new year'eve.

My wife and me will be driving from Phuket.

What is the best way to reach Koh Tao? Take the ferry to Koh Samui and leave the car in Samui then take a speed boat to Tao? Or is there any speed boat to Tao from Surathani (maybe Donsak pier?). And what is the frequency of the speedboat?

I am looking for the fastest and easiest way to reach Koh Tao.

Just a quick confirmation.

I coming to Phuket next Saturday.

I am coming from Vietnam

I recieved COE the last week of October. So all in order. Flight confirmed, 7 days hotel Sha+ confirmed, insurance, Sha+ ID...

On 31 October, they added Vietnam on the list of country for the test & Go.

1/ do i need to apply to Thailand Pass or the COE is good to go?

2/ Once in Phuket, will i have to sleep the first 7 days in the Sha+ hotel booked as plan or i will be free to go after the 1st test? 

Well, definitely something going wrong with the banking system at this time.

I live in Thailand for long time, but came 1 year ago in Vietnam for work.

When I arrived in Vietnam, I used my Thai debit card (Krungsri) the first week only to withdraw cash here before I could open a local bank account. After a week, I got a bank account here with debit card so stopped using my Thai debit card.

My Thai debit card is registered to get the service of SMS notifications.

This week, I recieved a SMS notification for a payment of 6,700bahts done with my Thai debit card. No OTP were requested.

I called then Krungsri hotline and they told it was a purchase from Philippines Airlines. Never purchased anything from Philippines airlines.

As it was evident that it was a fraud, the bank cancelled my card, invited me to go to my local branch, get a police report and fill a form for investigation. As I will be back to Thailand next month, I will do that.

On 8/23/2021 at 12:36 AM, BritTim said:

When they reintroduced visa exempt entry after the first Covid-19 wave, they added 15 days to the previous 30 days to allow for the time in quarantine. Thus, right now, you get 45 days on entry which can (as in the past) be extended for an additional 30 days at immigration.

 

If entering visa exempt, you will need an onward ticket anywhere out of Thailand within 45 days after entry. There are a few options: fully refundable ticket (expensive, and often slow to refund), a cheap throwaway ticket somewhere, or a "rental" ticket provided by some services that are automatically cancelled after 48-72 hours (enough time to print necessary paperwork). The last option is the cheapest, but not 100% risk free.

Hello, correct me if I am wrong but i have seen on the recent news that visa exemption is back to 30 days? Is it extendable for another 30 days in the case?

Thanks

On 9/9/2021 at 1:39 PM, cmarshall said:

As I said fraud protection in Thailand is at the discretion of the bank, not statutory as in the US.  So, you might be made whole, but you might not.  I wouldn't use such a card.

Maybe not. But me too, I have Thai Credit Card, 2 from Bangkok Bank (Visa + Mastercard) and 1 Amex for the last 20 years. My Amex, which is not through bank but directly from Amex Thailand has been hacked 2 times. 1st time, Amex called to inform me that there was several suspiscious transactions and wanted me to confirm it was not from me. Actually, several transactions done from differents golf shops but I don't play golf. Once I confirmed, they immediately cancelled the card and sent a new one 24h later. All the illegal transactions were removed from my statment.

2nd fraud with my TH Amex was a transaction of 10,000 USD from abroad that appear on my statement. I called Amex and after explaining that it couldn't have done by myself, then again they simply removed the transaction and sent me a new card.

I also was hacked with my Bangkok Bank Mastercard Air Asia 2 years ago. There was multi small transactions done online while I was sleeping for a total of 70,000 THB. The bank woke me up to inform me about the issue and cancelled immediately the card and recieved a new one few days later. As I was sleeping during the fraud, I didn't here the hundred sms on my phone for each transaction...

So there might be no fraud protection law in Thailand but based on my experience, i find the credit card safe here.

21 minutes ago, Espanol said:

Once you book your SHA + hotel, they will book PCR for you and will bill you 8000 bahts. 

 

Once you pay for them, hotel will send you certificate for COE. 

Ah perfect then. 

My company is paying all my expenses for my trip. I need indeed to provide all the details as I will be chosing the accomodations, flights but they will pay directly on my behalf. 

I am preparing my trip to Phuket at the moment. My trip should be around end of October, beginning of November.

I will be coming from Vietnam and most probably through Singapore.

I already few valuable answers in this thread but I have one more question:

I understand that as part of the requirements, you must book in advance and fully pay 3 Covid test that is part of the COE approval.

How do you do that? I mean where can you book?

11 hours ago, 2Amusing said:

My pensions are direct deposited into a USA bank. I use the ATM card for PayPal purchases and for ATM machines in VN. Never paid attention to the fees charged by the ATM for withdrawing MILLIONS of VND which would last me the entire month. In the Phils I used both BPI & BDO but discovered BDO was too restrictive when I was traveling from Ilocos Norte down to Zamboanga. Withdrew USD then exchanged them for pesos at any outside money changer to recover whatever I could. Money changers ALWAYS did better than either bank. As this is an older post and you've likely solved your issue, hopefully others reading this will have gained knowledge via my experiences.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Yes, this is an old post and since I solved my issues to transfer money to Thailand.

First I was using my Vietcombank to transfer money to Thailand but it could be done only at the counter.

Since, I opened an account at Standard Chartered which are friendly with expats.

Transferring money outside Vietnam can be done with their bank app. Transfer are quick, depend what time you do the transfer but it is credited the same day in Thailand or the next day.

The fees for international transfer is about 0.20% and exchange rate based on the day exchange rate.

Actually, I just transfered 8,500 USD yesterday morning and it was credited in the afternoon in my Thai account. The fees was 22 USD.

I am getting paid in Vietnam in USD to my USD account in Standard Chartered. So international transfer can done directly from USD account.

For my living expenses in Vietnam, i transfer what i need to my VND account without any fees and use my SC debit card.

All transactions can be done with the banking app. I actually never been to their branch. They came to my account for account opening and deliver the cards to me.

But of course, you must have a local salary, work permit and TRC for that.

Very convenient bank. They even gave me  a credit card.