AKJeff

Went to Colombia and Panama recently. Of those two go Colombia. Costa Rica is pretty good. Caribbean side if you want quiet, Jaco if you want more night life. Mexico has a lot of good places.

Obesity is not infections. True, but obese people get sicker from this virus. They often have a higher viral load that causes them to need more treatment in hospital. The higher viral load is transmitted easier to others cause more spread. They spend longer in hospital taking up beds that could be used for others and saving lives. Etc. Stoping obesity could be logically argued as an aid to slowing the virus, (as well as many other things). Why not have mandatory diet and exercise. Forcing people to eat better would help society in many ways that effect others not just the patient. And I am overweight almost obese buy medical definition. Do I need to mention sarcasm?

I read about the limit of 20 kilos for luggage as well but I took the Lamprayah ferry from Chumpon a couple of days ago. One of my bags weighed 30 kilos full of scuba gear and my 2nd bag about 20 kilos. They didn't weigh anything and didn't say anything about having two bags. No extra charge for me. I was prepared to pay if they said I had to but the conversation never came up.

I arrived on Koh Tao yesterday via the ferry from Chumpon. I have been back in the country since November. I had to fill out the "save Koh Tao" form on my phone after scanning the qr code that sent me to the website. That gave whoever my basic information about me, my phone number and where I was staying. It also made me choose between options on vaccination and or testing. I chose fully vaccinated with Pfizer. At the ticket counter and on arrival at the pier I was asked to show them my vaccine record. It is a paper copy from the US CDC. The let me through no problem. I don't know if it is the same for foreigners but my Thai GF only had one dose of Pfizer about 6 weeks ago. She was let in also no problem. They did seem to want to know which vaccine it was for her. My suspicion was because she only had one dose. My experience, but TiT. I think Koh Samui is the same at least via the ferry.

I wish I could give you a definitive answer but I can't. I got an e-visa last month and used the flight that I put on the application form. However I think for the visa it is not important to use the same flight. That was the way it was in the past (before covid). The Thailand Pass is different. That needs to be the correct flight and if it were to change you would need to update it or get a new Thailand Pass. At least this is my understanding.

A test was given to me to take home. No instructions in what to do with it at all. After reading here about other people's experiences I figured I should take this a week after entering the country. I email the hotel and they say I can email the results to then. Up to me. I open the box and all the instructions are in Thai. Not an English sentence or sufficient pictures to tell me how to take the test. I think I took it correctly but who knows.

I am fully vaccinated. I believe that vaccines are a good force in the fight against covid. But this kind of statement doesn't serve anyone well. A new mutation might be what we want. Look at the early information out if South Africa. Omicron seems to be a net positive compared to Delta. Less need for oxygen, sorter stays in hospital, no spike in deaths even as cases spike, etc. It is very early in gather statistics for Omicron so these may not hold but right now this mutation is looking good. Okay now everyone tell me how bad I am and call me an anti-vaccer https://www.samrc.ac.za/news/tshwane-district-omicron-variant-patient-profile-early-features

I downloaded the app and tried to register. I went to three different government buildings from vaccine centers to the Public Health Office and none of them could get me registered. The app kept saying something in Thai that I was told meant I was using the wrong phone number. We tried passport number, ID card number, US phone number and Thai phone number, in every combination. Then they said you have a paper card you don't need the app.

I entered at BKK early on November 28th. At the chairs before the first counter helpers wanted to see Thailand pass, passport, copy of vaccine certificate, PCR test results, arrival/departure card and boarding pass. Then allowed to go to the counter and the documents were checked by official. After that we proceeded to immigration and all the same documents were needed as well as the print out if my e-visa approval. I hated all the prep work and process to get the e-visa and Thailand pass but the airport entry was smooth.

I think some if not all of your questions were already answered but here is my response. I don't believe you have to wait to apply for the Thailand pass. I applied in November 7 for a November 26 flight and BKK arrival just after Midnight on the 28th. As long as you have the requirements, hotel, PCR test, flight information etc. You can apply. I was going to wait until after my visa came back but decided to file early since there were a lot of reported problems. As for the email address issue, I have both a Hotmail and Gmail account. I had read that some people were having problems when they used their Hotmail account. Indeed when I went to the website it had a note that Hotmail and outlook accounts might have an issue. I have not hear of any other email services having issues. As for the handwriting being difficult to read I don't really have any experience with that but a couple of weeks ago when I was researching and prepare the documents I noticed that my middle name was not on the CDC card. Knowing Thailand I wanted to ensure all information was there. I went back to where I received both of my shots and explained the situation. I asked if they could rewrite the card for me so it didn't look like it had been modified. They did and I walked out of the pharmacy with a new card with all the information clear, included and readable. If you have access to the same facility maybe go back to them and ask for a new card. It worked for me. I gave them the old card back so I only have one. I made this offer to them when I asked if they could do it. I assumed they would want it back but I am not sure.

True, I am certainly not trying to mislead anyone. My real point is that if a am someone coming to Thailand I would apply for the Thailand pass at least 2 weeks earlier than my flight. ( Well 14 working days, 555). I just can't imagine having to wonder if it will be approved when I am scheduled to fly withing a week. That kind of stress is not why I want to travel. BTW, I received the QR code on a Sunday so I guess everyday is a working day. 55555

Yes, I took a photo of the paper CDC card and uploaded it when it asked for my vacation record. The Thailand pass site actually asks for uploads of documentation for both the first shot and the second shot. These are separate uploads. I used the same .jpg image of the front of the CDC card for both entries. I kind of worried about doing that but it seemed to have worked.

This is really just a post about the current process. The US CDC card is a vaccine certificate issued by a central authority. The QR code might be nice but the current card works for Europe's green pass, and every other place else I have read about. The normal vaccine process in the US does not involve the central government. I have read a number of times that the issuance of the QR code in Thailand is not automatic. I thought you had to tell the place giving you the shot that you wanted one. Simple from what I hear but not automatic for everyone. Some need to register on the MorChana app or something. The paper evidence is what was given with the second shot. Could be wrong and or maybe the process has changed.

I do think, but I could be wrong, that some states have a QR code available. My state does not. Vaccinations and medical care in general has always been a state/local issue in the US.

I could see how a more online system would be beneficial. I will say that there is an online record of my vaccination held by my pharmacy, insurance company and a state system that can be accessed by any of my doctors. I have used an easily faked paper document for all of my pass vaccinations. The "yellow" book for the yellow fever vaccination could be easily faked also. Personally I am not that worried about it. But I do wish all of this was more efficient. I have been to a couple of other countries in the last 6 months. Most have some sort of online form to fill out before you get on the plane but the "approval" is always instantaneous. With these systems you are forwarding your information so Imigration has it on arrival if they need it. It is not really an approval.

Just a quick note for people looking for experiences from the US with the Thailand Pass. I read a lot of the issues that the website was having so I decided to apply early. My flight from the US is departing November 26th. I applied on November 8th in the morning. I had all the requirements in .jpg format and a Gmail address for the QR code. The website took my application on the first try and I received a registration confirmation in minutes. I would check the email address two times a day and was beginning to worry as tomorrow is the 7th day after I filed the application. (The confirmation says that you will receive the " results of your registration" with in 7 days. Today, Sunday the 14th, I received my QR code with my approval to enter Thailand. So as you may know the US CDC vaccination card does not have a QR code. Maybe that is why it takes so long or maybe it is something else but this is my experience. As a side note I applied for a new Non-o from the Embassy in Washington in the 29th of October. It is still "processing."

True the web page hasn't been updated but I applied two weeks ago to the embassy in Washington DC and it is still "processing." No communication from them at all. I have done multiple different types of visas in the past so I am fairly familiar with what the embassy is asking for. For me it is the lack of communication is the worst part.

Well, PADI, SSI, TDI and other scuba agencies all have certifications for solo diving. Properly done with redundant air supplies and other equipment solo diving is not more dangerous. In fact I think it is less dangerous. All of your emergency equipment is already close at hand and you should be well practiced. You don't have to rely on another person that might not be paying attention to you.

I read this all the time on this forum. I am not saying this should or shouldn't be a standard but it is not. I am in Colombia right now. No required vaccine, no required test, no quarantine, no visa, no COE. Next stop in about a week is Panama. If you have had the vaccine then the same as Columbia. If you you haven't then you must present a negative test taken within 72 hours of boarding your flight or take a test upon landing in Panama and quarantine for 72 hours then have a second test. If both are negative then you are out of quarantine. There are plenty of countries and airlines that are not making people take test and certainly not requiring PCR test before flight. This is what Thailand must compete against. Their choice but it is a lot easier to go to many other places. People like to follow the path of least resistance.