superal

Self certification on covid reports is really worthless , a bit like an in house audit . The W.H.O. should be using different tactics that are more reliable and without a conflict of interest . To get a true picture of a nations covid infection rates should come by way of a non announced separitist inspection or else the info from within is worthless . Unless from a trusted western country such as the UK etc. The Asian figures are not reliable to be polite .

A friend of mine was playing golf last year in Lam Chabang and fell in love with his caddy on the first time he played there . Caddy had long black hair and brown eyes and about 5 feet 5 inches tall . He went back to the course the following week to try and meet the caddy again but he could not find the caddy or remember his name

Yes but 2 wrongs do not make a right . All unecessary red tape . All that is needed is status of your vaccination which will determine your requirements of entry , because easier for a fully jabbed person who only has to book a day 2 arrival test and is free to go if a negative result , proof of a pcr test prior to flying and a passenger locator form , as is the format with the UK entry system . All the uploading of various documents for Thai nationals or visa compliant ex-pats is not needed as they are known to the Thai immigration authorities already . So, vacc certs proof of pre flight pcr test results day 2 booking of pcr test locator form , all of theses to be shown at checkin in the airport , no need to upload to others where there can be delays or mistakes made . BTW all the afore mentioned documents have to be shown at checkin already as I am sure you know . Thailand has lost visitors because of the red tape and will continue to do so . We have to get used to living with the covid virus which seems to be weakening and with more new medicines coming to the task , things can and will improve

I thnk the answer is probably yes but by the amount of replies suggest that there are many who do not want to reveal their alcohol intake . I had a doctor friend in the UK who could drink me under the table every night and he is still going strong , aged 65 years old . I am 74 years old and still like to indulge beyond the reccomended limits . Have had numerous medical tests and life style questionairres but still manage to avoid the ticking off of the doctors . I do stay away from the top shelf .

But lets get things in perspective . Who are the people coming to Thailand right now ? Cannot be tourists or if so very few and persistent but if returning as a person with an existing visa , there should / could be a simpler system . E.G. Me returning on a re-entry visa , why should I have to go through all the rigmoraal of re- qualifying to enter Thailand when I have all of the requirements ? Covid testing understood as the exception but the re-entry visa should give some sort of excemption to the Thai Pass cert ?

Me same same . All day trying to send correct file format . Finally achieved but rejected twice , saying please resend hotel booking again . Now I am panicking cos have to fly in 2 days so I went to the affiliated business name A.Q. , sent exactly the same files to them and all approved in 4 hours , I wonder why ?

You seem up to speed with sandbox info so can you confirm that the Phuket sandbox 5 day stay is still on ? If so , how many pcr tests are needed in Phuket ?

Beware of a company that I used named " Testngo " . They advertise ( and still do ) a 12 or 24 hour test result . I tested on my day 2 on December 3rd and still have no results . Paid £50 . I sent many emails to them with no replies and even had a live online chat with them where they said they were unable to help as they were not connected to their lab . Their phone is an answering service . They are a UK government approved company , so I contacted the government office who replied and said they were having problems with several testing companies and that they could withdraw their services . Absolute scam and they must be making a fortune by just sending out test packs with Royal mail return bags but not using the laboratory testing which is the expensive part . I heard yesterday of a friend of my son who used the same company and still waiting for results after 4 days and he is unable to return to work which is costing him a big loss of wages . Sounds like some previous posts on here were successful and they are the ones to go with .

My last BA flight was also 3 or 4 years ago BKk to UK return . BKK to UK flight , food was disgusting , seats were old and uncomfortable ( economy ) , leg room was tight . All the flight attendants were middle aged gay guys with the 5 day beard growth look . They appeared quite manly , until they spoke . However on the plus side I ordered a bloody Mary which must have been 80% vodka that put me to sleep for a few hours . There was one female stewardess who looked old enough to be my mother and I am 74 . Uk to BKK was much better with good food and service and not too many passengers which allowed me to lay down for some sleep . BTW , I never found their fares to be cheap , in fact quite the opposite , especially if I wanted to book a one way ticket which often came out as more costly than the return ticket .

Commitment to buying the health insurance up front and then the flights is a bit daunting , especially if buying to travel in the next 10 days and hoping that your application is dealt with quickly with no errors but for those who are booking months in advance so as to be comfy that they have secured their TP , there is no knowing the future of the pandemic and its effect on the aviation industry /flight cancellations . This may be a risk too far for some folks . Visa and vaccination certs should be enough to get an under consideration stamp with final approval upon proof of hotel /PCR test paid for, flights & insurance which would give some degree of booking confidence . Not too dissimilar to the C.O.E.

It is not a problem for computer literate ppl when applying for the T/P but for some of the older generation it can be puzzling . Also the fact that you have to pay up front for your flight & insurance , does make you concerned , hoping there will not be a problem or delay with your application which could lead to a lost flight . So I suppose flexible flights are the answer ? I had reason to call the Thai embassy in London yesterday . After listening to all the recorded messages about the opening times etc I was told that I was in position number 40 . I hung up . Earlier this year I had a similar experience and so I tried emailing them but what I got back was a pre written standard reply which was irrelevant to my enquiry . Good old customer service seems all but gone and has been replaced by faceless robots , not just talking about the embassy but across the board in most consumer services .

So true . Seldom are you allowed/ invited to join the main traffic from a side road . There is no signal /gesture for you to proceed first . Traffic light junction with say 3 or 4 lanes . The 2 outside lanes are to turn right , good idea ? yes , accept when a truck in the outside lane is not turning right but going straight on . Then the crazy U turn junction that allows a U turn from both directions which means that your vision is blocked by the vehicle from the other direction . Oh and then as you are preparing to do a U turn , a truck undertakes you on the left to do a U turn , takes all the road space and blocks your vision completely . Park your car and when you return you are surrounded by motor bikes all but touching your car and you cannot drive away . The list is endless . Thai folk are a bit like Jekyll & Hyde , nice people until they use a motor vehicle . Many carry a weapon , I have been told .

In the western industrial world , health & safety / accidents at work will all end up for the companies top dogs to address . Such is the severity of punishment to the directors , cos that's where the buck stops , many steps are taken to ensure that h&s , inductions and training are part of the working scene . It is a similar scenario with governments to ensure that qualified road users obey the driving rules and highways are of a decent standard . Road safety videos are often shown on national tv . But TIT and it seems that apathy rules and nobody carries the can for the road accidents figures . Responsibility has to come from the top . As it stands the annual carnage continues without any signs of attempted mitigation . Until there are major changes to driver education , Thailand will always be a third world country . I think that most aseannow readers could lead the renaissance . Certainly not do any worse .

My lady has a restaurant 60% Thai 40% farang customers . I normally make the chips exactly as you described above plus sometimes I make potato wedges that are topped with paprika prior to serving , very tasty . I have given free to the Thai customers home made chips to try but they prefer french fries . French fries are consistent in their form and taste , unlike the home made chips that I will only make if I can buy some large potatoes of decent quality ( normally Makro ) . Most spuds come from China and are normally good but I have had some that were black inside and were chucked out . IMO you cannot beat a homemade chip with a little malt vinegar .

Well without the Chinese who are 30% of the tourist numbers to Thailand plus other countries whose folks will not take a risk of losing big money spent on flights and hotels etc the Thai tourism will be well down in the next year . Most adventurous males like a bar scene with some female company but that has all but ended . Below is a scale of tourists to Thailand in 2019

Below is an extract from the link that you gave and it says 72 hours , not 48 hours before travelling Obtain a negative COVID-19 test result (RT-PCR), issued within 72 hours before travelling

Sorry pal , I should have made it clearer , I was asking the rules for a farang expat , returning to Thailand long term .

Thanks for the info . 48 hours ? no room for errors or contingencies . So if you test positive you will lose your flight unless the airline will allow a date change ?

Trying to keep up to date with vaccine requirements is not too easy in an ever changing rules saga . So what is the rule , vaccine wise , for a returning double jabbed farang please ?

I was told it is 72 hours before check in as that nullifies any possible departure delay of the aircraft .

I left Thailand 3 days ago going to the UK . I have a retirement extension running for another 9 months. I left with a re-entry permit . I asked the IO the following . If I return to Thailand for 2 weeks with a return flight ticket , plus health insurance for the 2 weeks but decide to stay beyond the 2 weeks as I have the duration on my visa extension , would that be OK as my insurance would have expired . He replied , no problem Sir , just see the local immigration office to renew your visa when it finishes in 9 months and no insurance is not a problem . .

Thanks but what about the rest of the question / health ins

If I return to Thailand next year with a re-entry permit on retirement extension , which is valid till next September , buy just a 2 week health insurance policy , I will be stamped in for the 2 weeks only ? will have to show an exit flight ticket ? can throw away the exit ticket and continue to stay in Thailand legally till the end of my extension ? If that is the case do you have links to throw away tickets ? Finally is the 30 day v.o.a. still available ?

Is the Pfizer vaccine available privately in Thailand at the moment ? ( wanting a booster jab )

Indeed , not a good time to be a tourist , could be very expensive if locked out of your home country with ever changing covid rules .