secondtime

On 6/30/2022 at 12:31 PM, RedArmy said:

Personally, i am pro Covid Extensions for anyone who requires one - I am on one myself currently - These are supposed to be available as per the official Gazette until 25th July - I have been reading these past few weeks of many people being refused CE's in many offices up & down the country, which is really worrying - I will try to get another one myself next week, but am not very hopeful, especially as another poster posted a few days ago about being refused a CE at Krabi Immigration - I feel that i have a good relationship in this particular office, so will try again next week  ~ Will update in due course.

Just got my umpteenth CE in Phuket.  They glance at the papers to make sure you signed everything, take your money, and tell you to come back tomorrow to pick up your passport.  It’s all done outside, so whether you’ve gotten CEs elsewhere doesn’t matter so long as you have a local TM30 printout with your application.

(Malika is close to the immigration office, has a pool, and prints the TM30 with a smile.)

Wear the jewellery and an open necked shirt.  The more body hair you have, the better.

Did my fifth covid extension in Phuket.  It was a breeze - the IO only checked that all the paperwork was signed, then gave me a chit to pick up my passport next week after the holidays (it's a Buddhist one, so remember to buy alcohol on Saturday if you want to drink on Sunday).

4 hours ago, smutcakes said:

I have been drinking in dens of disrepute for 20 years in Thailand and never had a problem with a security guards.... probably as i am polite, play my bills and dont act like a complete <deleted>.

You forget to mention lucky!

I read somewhere on this site that Russians and Ukrainians are eligible for 30 day humanitarian extensions.  This article says Immigration will waive their 1900 baht extension fees and help with emergency housing:

3 hours ago, Pond Life said:

CM Mediclinic, fast, efficient & lower cost than many.

Easy to find on google maps.

Great clinic, and I wanted to use them but my friend needed to leave urgently and CM couldn't do a same-day test on the weekend.  We ended up going to Lanna Hospital.  It was 3000 baht for 24 hours and 4500 for 3 hour results.  Had to take a number and register a patient profile in the admissions area, where nobody spoke English (at least on the weekend) and they didn't understand or care what we were there for, despite me showing them their own website advertisement.  But I realize that was our mistake for assuming it mattered, because once registered in the system you just go to the department you need (in our case, the testing clinic on the 2nd or 3rd floor) and it's a different world - sparkling clean and they all speak English.  I suspect if we just went straight there they could have saved time by helping do the registration.

8 hours ago, anchadian said:

The new rules for covid extensions have started. People on VOA and Non Immigrant visas are reporting they have been refused a covid extension and have been told to leave the country within 7 days. There may be some exceptions, but it’s up to the discretion of the officer [1/2]

 

Immigration are mainly giving the 60-day covid extensions to tourists. For example, those who have a Tourist Visa or who came in on a free visa exemption. In both cases you must extend for 30 days before applying for covid stamp. But no guarantees. You have to give a good reason.

 

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1486654670428782596

Watch for reports from Phuket.  They have been rubber-stamping all the covid extensions.  If they start to get tough then I'd bet the extensions really are done for.

2 hours ago, aggacitto92 said:

I would look into departing from the nearest port city, Tumaco, Colombia. Whether I'd be able to find work on a direct boat to Thailand, I don't know. It's possible I would have to stop in Indonesia and find another boat from there.

I don't know how likely this is to work, but I do wish you the best of luck.  If I see a Colombian monk in Chiang Mai I'll put a beer in a Sprite bottle in your begging pot.

Pay for a Moderna shot.

I've been following a Facebook Cambodia visa group and in the last week there are reports of foreigners (and locals) who test positive for omicron being kept in big run-down concentration camps.  Seriously - they are converted stadiums with no privacy, no plumbing, inedible food, no extra clothing or electricity, and you are held there potentially for weeks until you get 2 negative PCR tests.  By contrast, testing positive for covid besides omicron and you can quarantine at a residence or regular government hospital.

https://web.facebook.com/groups/cambodiaquarantineexperience/

Think carefully about entering Cambodia until they sort out this hysteria.

https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/test-go-registration-back-on-travellers-can-apply-for-entry-starting-february-1

9 minutes ago, sallecc said:

My fiance from China got 2 Covid extension on top of her STV 270 days, without any problem or embassy letter, this was in Phuket immigration office.

 

@Socheng you better contact an agent, if you know one in HH. If not then you can contact ThaiVisaCenter (they are advertising here) or PM me if you like I can ask an agent I know (in Phuket).

 

Cheers and best of luck.

I was about to recommend the same office.  Phuket Town immigration seems to be the most easy-going for giving covid extensions.

Does anyone know if the private hospitals give a certificate for Moderna shots ?  I would guess they do, but I wonder if this can be used for a Thai government vaccination certificate.

I'm on a tourist visa and getting a booster here.  I wonder what kind of proof I'll be provided with.  My principal reason for getting a booster is the bump in protection but it would also be nice to get recognition that I've had it.

2 hours ago, Alldar said:

As far as I know in Phuket it was possible to apply for covid extension right away. This was the case few months ago, I am not sure if the situation changed since then.

That was true with me back in September.  I know other people who also skipped the 30-day extension at Phuket and went right to 60-day covid extensions.  But Phuket seems to have stopped doing that in the Autumn.

I considered doing my most recent extension in Bangkok but I decided to wait until my return to Phuket because I've never experienced or heard of any problems there.

Speaking of being prepared, it seems they also moved all of the forms outside.  I saw some people filling them out at outdoor tables, but before I left I stopped in the office to grab some extras for next time (I'm an optimist ????) but there were none in the building.  The second floor office was very empty without the covid extenders, I'm sure the other visa types will appreciate this.

Today I went for my third covid extension in Phuket Town (I originally arrived tourist exempt in the Phuket sandbox).  Covid extensions were moved to tents outside, and they were busy (long lines at the photocopier and by 10:30 the queue numbers were over 150).  Otherwise it was the usual process.  IOs were very efficient, one was checking documents and another 4 taking applications.  When it was my turn they didn't read my explanation, just checked that all paperwork was present and signed.  No questions about TM30, and my last TM30 was filed in a different province.  Everyone was told they can pick up their stamped passports tomorrow.

13 hours ago, rabas said:

I have a first lot Moderna coupon for Vichaiyut hospital on Rama 6. It's valid until April 30. A coupon is a guaranteed shot. Anyone can register a coupon using:

• Name
•  Passport number
• Address of where you stay
• Mobile number to receive OTP (one time password for site login)

After you register the coupon, you can go to the calendar and chose a date. The calendar usually has 10-15 reservation dates and new ones are added every 2-3 weeks.  I already received one shot on Dec 8 2021, my wife is scheduled for one next month.   If you install LINE they will seen you updates and you can ask them questions visa line messages.

 

PM me if you are interested. If you decide to buy the coupon I can help you through the process. Vichaiyut is very flexible, you can change dates or even unregister the coupon and start again. You could even sell the coupon.

Thanks Rabas!  That was one of the hospitals I was looking at but I wasn't sure if they were already doing vaccinations.  Bangkok Hospital (in Bangkok) was the only one I saw that publicly indicated they were taking reservations for shots right now, and their official stores were already sold out of coupons.

I ended up buying a coupon from another hospital (Med Park) and I've got my shot scheduled.  Thanks everyone for all the helpful replies!

28 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

No problem but you may have to wait for it.

 

 

Thanks, that's what I was hoping.  The Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok is accepting reservations but not selling coupons anymore.  I might try Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya.

Apologies if this has been asked before, I can't find an answer anywhere.  Can someone who is a tourists (entered visa exempt and now on covid extensions) buy a Moderna booster in Thailand?  Or are they reserved for Thai citizens and longer-stay visa holders?

I was there on NYE, just to walk through and see what it was like now, after my last visit years ago.  Arrived at 8pm and there was a long line to enter (no distancing of course, nobody ever distances in lines anywhere in Thailand or my home country).  Had to show a scan of my vaccination certificate and a scan of my ID to enter, but I don't remember them looking at the photo on my ID, or my face.  The road was reasonably busy but not as much as I remember from normal times.  All the restaurants had turned into clubs blaring music, and touts with masks under their chins showing drink menus.  Nobody inside an establishment was wearing a mask, and many of the places were already crowded (packed, really) at 8pm.  Ratio was about 70:30 Thai:farang.  Most of the foreigners were just sightseers like me, walking down the main road as couples or groups.  There were a lot of younger tourists too in the restaurant-clubs but definitely outnumbered by Thai.  I'd guess that the 10 positives were just a drop in the bucket.

On 12/13/2021 at 8:15 PM, Jerno said:

Canada's great place, but housing costs in any major city is horrific.  Average house price in Toronto is over CA$1,300,000.  Try that as expat on a pension or retirement savings.

I think New Zealand, Australia and Canada are meant to be the best retirement destinations for autocrats who stole a lot of money and want to give their children foreign citizenships.