FlyingThai

12 minutes ago, anchadian said:

What's odd in my eyes is that the Frankfurt flights leaves on September 30th, 4 days after the Amnesty is supposed to end.

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Then go for the Munich flight

I'm not going on any flight. But if TG wants to sell additional tickets then it would be prudent to schedule the flight for the 26th IMHO. Nothing keeps those on the amnesty from just leaving on the 30th though, the worst that can happen is a small fine.

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

what do you think ?   they are bankrupt  !!  they owe billions,  they don't have cash for daily operations. Yes,  they will take your money because they are hanging on by a piece of cotton so every baht will keep their staff on the payroll.  They may stop all flights tomorrow .. who knows  ???

Buy a ticket at your own risk.   imo  

These flights will be operated at 100% certainty because they're sent out by the government to pick up Thais and other repatriates abroad. Hence the term "special flight".

Just now, ubonjoe said:

Those will be repatriation flights when they return to Thailand.

Thai is selling tickets out of the country on them to make a little extra money.

Correct but why would they schedule it in a way that is several days beyond the official expiry date of the amnesty?

Doesn't make much sense to me.

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

good luck with that one .... 

Good luck with what? Care to be more specific?

1 hour ago, leicesterguyuk said:

Embassies around the world seem to know nothing about any of this and still say that Elite holders, existing and new, are not allowed entry. I hope they get the memo soon. 

This will all be arranged through TE and the Foreign Ministry which in turn will notify the respective Embassy.

This thread is about Elite Visas and not vaccines or medical discussion. Take it elsewhere guys!

Thai Airways has published a new schedule with additional "special flights" to Frankfurt, Munich & London in the month of September.

https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/book/offers/special_offers/special_flights.page

Prices start at 16,215 THB in Economy for the one way up to 87,000 THB in Business Class.

What's odd in my eyes is that the Frankfurt flights leaves on September 30th, 4 days after the Amnesty is supposed to end.

• Terms and conditons are vary upon fare selection. Please read ticket terms and condition which will be shown in the booking process.
• Existing ticket and ROP award ticket can be used on this flight.
• THAI reserves the right to change fares and conditions without prior notice.

I'd take something else into the consideration as well. With all these anti government protests going on and some foreigners apparently have nothing better to do other than inserting themselves into the masses it's not unreasonable to think that the PM and his cabinet will take this prima facie personal. In the very least it'll rub them the wrong way.

The more foreigners are making headlines in the BKK Post with taking part in protests the sooner they want those people out of the country.

Foreigners in the country aren't really the primary focus of the government anymore. Covid in the country hasn't spread for 3 months.

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

The only thing to watch is ensuring that the extension does come from the correct immigration office. Agents have a nasty habit of processing extensions through offices where compliant officials are cheaper. Ask the question directly: "will my extension be processed through the Bangkok office (presumably Chaengwattana)". Actually, what you should expect from a good agent is transport to and from immigration, with VIP queuing so you do not need to hang around long. The extension is not strictly proper if you do not briefly attend immigration in person.

I wouldn't expect it to be "proper" to begin with if I have to go through an agent and they charge me an amount where I already know it includes a bribe.

3 minutes ago, Caldera said:

That's a lot of nonsense. Firstly, those on automatic extension granted by the government aren't "illegal tourists" - there is nothing illegal about staying for as long as it's permitted. Secondly, nothing stops that group from purchasing medical insurance and I'm sure many have done so - I know I have.

Technically they are illegal. But the amnesty shields them from being prosecuted/fined/deported.

What medical insurance can a non-resident tourist buy for his stay in Thailand while already in the country? I know it's possible to purchase a police for example from World Nomads while already traveling but it has a short period where you can't claim to prevent fraud.

7 minutes ago, PatrickC said:

 

That travel insurance will have long expired.

 

I pay the same at the hospital as Thais do, although I do have Thai medical insurance.

Depends on the policy. Those with a max of 30 days have expired yes. Many can be extended against payment while abroad as I did for my gf who is Japanese.

41 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

They have a valid permission to stay from the Thai government, which may be extended further. Why should they leave a safe place and take the risk of getting infected?

Everything in life has a risk. I dare to say that the average foreigner in Thailand roaming around on a motor scooter (without helmet) is in greater risk of dying or being involved in a serious accident than returning to his clean, western home country during C-19 times.

People should get their head a shake, To suggest that it's unsafe to return to Australia, Germany, UK or U.S. is absolutely laughable. People have been using this Amnesty to make their previous 6 months more comfortable, nothing wrong with that. I don't see a problem for people to stay until the amnesty expires but let's call a spade a spade: This has nothing to do with safety and comfort matters aren't a basis to circumvent the immigration law.

2 minutes ago, PatrickC said:

 

Precisely this. The "we want to stay here and keep breaking the law brigade because Pattaya can not survive without us" will attack you now.

I can handle it. Bring 'em on! ????

Depends how much stuff you have, what these items are and how fast you need them.

Is it possible to transport them in passenger baggage in either 1,2,3 tranches/passengers?

Here is the link directly from Thai Customs. You mentioned "your new residence", what visa are you using to stay in Thailand? Check if that makes you an official resident in Thailand or just a visitor on extended stay.

As far as restrictions go that affect safety measures you should contact a logistics company that handles the container shipment.

I'd do the math carefully if it's worth it to move any type of furniture etc to Thailand. You might run into an issue with art and jewelry (diamonds, gold, watches) when it comes to customs.

1 hour ago, Zikomat said:

This is an obvious misinformation. What about previous amnesty? Those who left thinking it will not be prolonged made a big mistake (in case they wanted to stay longer). Anybody who wants to stay in Thailand for some more time should, at least, wait for an official announcement regarding what happens after 26 of September. 

Let me tell you what disinformation is:

Telling people to wait out until 10 days before an official government deadline expires and then possibly facing flight fares that are thousand of $ one way. Then you can hear all these deadbeats crying again how they can't afford to go home. Booohooo!

Again, you have no right to remain in this country without a proper long term visa. I think you misunderstand the legal definition of the term amnesty. It's not a title that permits you to stay indefinitely. An amnesty is tantamount to a pardon in the legal sense. Those who currently remain in Thailand after their stay permit expired are technically in breach of immigration regulations (the law). The amnesty only shields them from prosecution.

30 minutes ago, PatrickC said:

 

Also important in this argument is that these illegal "tourists" will not have proper medical insurance here, so if something happens to them they will burden the hospital system. It is right and proper that they leave Thailand now before they create a problem for the country.

 

Any medical costs would far outweigh the tiny amount of Baht they contribute.

I wouldn't go that far. Plenty if not most of those currently staying under the visa amnesty have either a proper travel insurance or the means to afford their procedures to be paid in cash.

There is no increased excessive risk of default payments than in the past when there were millions of tourists in the country, some of which indeed didn't pay. Most of the truly destitute individuals however have already been washed out by the general panic and "come back home" calls of their embassies.

And in regards to these defaults on medical bills I'd argue that the hospitals rip off most if not all foreigners who come in for treatments and procedures. Even the best private hospitals in Bangkok have dual pricing for Thai/Foreigner unless you slap them with a local insurance card where everything will be billed directly. Their scam pricing more than pays for those few people who slip away without paying.

1 hour ago, wasabi said:

One thing that is interesting from the flow chart above is - at least for the time being - health insurance is now required for Thai Elite members entering Thailand whereas it never was before. While health insurance is wise to have as an Elite member I do not want to have to go through the additional logistics of proving I have said insurance to enter Thailand. Ideally this requirement drops off once the Covid quarantine goes away too. For reasons such as this I have no intention of leaving Thailand until this pandemic is over which I understand could still be years away.

What logistics are you referring to? My insurance sent me the letter on the same business day.

Or don't you have insurance at all right now?

21 hours ago, Wongkitlo said:

I tried to get a flight refund from an Australian Visa card. They said they do not contest flight purchases during Covid.

File a complaint with the Financial Regulator in Australia and Consumer Protection. They will set the bank straight because you're covered under the cardholder agreement.

Aetna Platinum 5 Mio THB Coverage (worldwide except USA) without deductible.

You can pick between OPD and IPD combinations.

A lot will depend on your age and pre-existing conditions. Even Diabetes is a big no go for many insurances here.

I honestly don't get posts such as the OP.

It was well documented here and elsewhere that Thailand Elite won't give you immediate entry to Thailand and at least since their last announcement it has been suggested that it's for existing VISA (not membership) holders only. The visa can only be affixed in Thailand.

Who would pay 500k Baht before all of this is sorted?? Why???

For what did you send the passport out of the country? To renew it because it was full?

1 hour ago, azaazo9 said:

Yes, but you have to spend a month qarantine, two weeks in Singapore, and two weeks in Thailand. Also this option is very expensive.

Why would you need to serve a quarantine period in Singapore? Applying for the visa in Singapore means you're already there because you can't enter unless you're a resident. And nobody would be as insane to leave SG and then coming back, even if permitted by the government.

11 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Meh.

 

I haven't seen any credit card companies processing chargebacks for TG tickets. Chargeback is different from a refund --> credit.

 

 

 

Amex refunded me all my TG tickets and that decision is now final. Took 60 days for everything to clear through various stages of the chargeback process. My Amex card is issued in the U.S.