wpcoe

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

A Pattaya sandbox does not exist. The only 2 are Phuket and Samui.

It is not required to go into one if your are fully vaccinated and traveling from a listed country. You spend one night in a AQ or SHA+ hotel and after getting a negative corvid 19 test you can travel anywhere in Thailand.

1. Is this an official government site:  https://tp.consular.go.th ?

2. This is one of three choices on https://tp.consular.go.th/en/plan: 

3. By "Chon Buri" do they mean the entire province?  

A paid SHA+ hotel reservation is needed for seven days.  So, which hotels are those in "Chon Buri"?

Although I'm a U.S. citizen, I live in Mexico, which is not on the list of approved countries for the "Exemption from Quarantine (Test and Go)" list.  I need a Sandbox.  (I would not bother coming if I had to do the 10-day full-on "Alternative Quarantine".)

Any insights would be appreciated!

PS:  Props to @aussiexpat who posted the same Sandbox list while I was writing this post.

So, at this point (7 days into the Nov. 1st loosening of entry requirements) that there is *NOT* a Pattaya Sandbox?

If there is, where is the official list of (SHA+ ?) hotels for Pattaya?

15 hours ago, LALes said:

Mexico doesn't issue an exit stamp... 

This may be a "YMMV" issue, but I do have entry & exit stamps from Mexico in my passport.

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I believe it is close to 100% mortality rate for cats and dogs too, so I fail to see your point.

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/39/2/278/328860

Because I was replying to @Mikebell (see the quote in my post, do ya?) who said "rabies is often fatal" and I was pointing out that it is much more than "often" it is almost *always* fatal.  Do you see my point now, or shall I type slower?

3 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why would tourists come here with packs of wild dogs spreading diseases - rabies is often fatal, as are the many accidents on the road caused by strays.

Per the WebMD web site:

Quote

Rabies has the highest mortality rate -- 99.9% -- of any disease on earth

... for humans.

22 hours ago, Salerno said:

Just upload a pic/scan; your Embassy/Consulate will be aware of what your local health agencies supply.

I'm a full-time legal resident of Mexico but had the J&J (Janssen) vaccine at a Savon pharmacy in Nevada last year.  Hope the Mexico Thai Embassy folks will accept the USA paper card!

That's just one thing I'm wondering about.  I'd like to start planning a 30-day visit for early next year using the 7-day Pattaya Sandbox (Mexico is not on the white list of countries with just the 1-day ASQ hotel option), but https://asq.in.th/ still shows: 

"The selected entry option is NOT APPROVED yet.
Please be aware that you cannot currently enter the country with the option you have selected."

...for Pattaya Sandbox.  It's now 01-Nov and I still can't find a list of hotels to look for a 7-day Sandbox booking.

On 10/29/2021 at 2:26 AM, sirineou said:

When I entered Thailand on my Non O based on marriage (Last May) , I was requires the 100K covid insurance . 

On 10/29/2021 at 3:00 AM, ubonjoe said:

As I have written already dozens of times no insurance is required for any non-o extension for marriage or retirement.

 

The new insurance is only for new Non-OA visa applications.

And for existing ones and extensions of the permit to stay it will remain at 40/400k baht unit September 1st of next year.

Info is here about the insurance. https://longstay.tgia.org/home/guidelineoa

@ubonjoe Have the rules on that changed since @sirineou entered Thailand in May, or was he wrongly required to have the insurance?

I wonder what the person with the puppies in the OP uses as a life expectancy target for expats?  Would she allow adoption of an older dog, say a 5-10 year old abandoned dog, rather than a puppy?

11 hours ago, Salerno said:

Depends on where you are flying in from. Sandbox (basically re-branded to Blue Zones) is only relevant to fully vaxed people flying in from countries not on the "safe countries" list.

 

Can't say I've looked for that option but as far as I'm aware details are still being finalised (as in what accommodation will be available).

I would be flying from a country not on the "safe countries" list, so would need to sandbox/Blue Zone it.

It is delightful that they are still finalising details when the changes are effective in two days, especially when the SHA+ hotel info must be submitted via the online application in advance of travel.  Luckily I'm not planning to visit for at least a month or two, but it would be helpful to know what hotels I can use in the Jomtien area to start planning.

3 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Where is there an official list of SHA+ hotels for the "sandbox" plan?  In my case, I'm interested in SHA+ hotels in Jomtien.

FYI, when I went to https://asq.in.th/ and selected Sandbox Hotels and clicked on Pattaya, I got:

So... Is Pattaya not really a sandbox option?  If so, where the heck is the list of SHA+ hotels?

Where is there an official list of SHA+ hotels for the "sandbox" plan?  In my case, I'm interested in SHA+ hotels in Jomtien.

The information at the TAT web page  is slightly confusing (surprise, surprise):

Shouldn't Step 6 be before Step 5?  Or, is Step 5 done at a location in Bangkok/at Suvarnabhumi before heading to the Jomtien hotel?

46 minutes ago, Wydahoan said:

 

(I am not directing this question at @Wydahoan I am merely using the graphic.)

Step 01 clearly says that a "VISA EXEMPTION ... period of stay can not be extended."

A 30-day visa-exempt entry can no longer be extended in-country for an additional 30 days?  (Is that graphic actually from an official Thailand government web site?)

I could maybe understand a driver requesting a photo of you wearing a mask, but what purpose would face recognition serve?

To do a Pattaya Sandbox, would I have to fly into U-Tapao directly from overseas, or can I fly into Suvarnabhumi and take ground transportation to Pattaya?

... dreaded double-post.   Mods feel free to delete.

6 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Been with them for 33 years and the last two have been very disappointing.  Losing trust in them and discovered not so easy to open an account at another US Institution while I am sitting in CNX.

What a quaint, old-fashioned notion.

Business today (including banking) is being run by a generation (generations?) of people with no sense of long-term loyalty.  Or, long-term anything.  They eschew pensions because they want to port their 401k as they flit from employer to employer.  They (for whatever reason*) place no priority on seniority or longevity.  If it suits the moment (short-term) they will abandon an employer, customer, bank, whatever, in a heartbeat.  It's all about now.  (And, all about me, of course.) Those of us who would think that 33 years of loyalty to an institution meant anything positive are almost laughably out of date.  </end rant from cynical, aging Boomer>

*Although the previous paragraph is truly how I feel, I sometimes wonder if their attitude is the result of the world we are leaving them.  Maybe they feel the future is so bleak, dark and useless that they feel helpless when facing it.  That could/would turn ones perspective to be more short-term focused.  What's the use of long-term planning if there may be no future worth living? </end philosophical pondering by cynical, aging Boomer>

12 hours ago, webfact said:

Both flights were as full as they were allowed to be under the protocols.

12 hours ago, webfact said:

75 were on the flight to Hua Hin and 125 made the return journey that represents 80-90% capacity.

 

Airport authorities are allowing only 130 seats to be used out of the 180 on the aircraft.

Which was it?  Were the flights full or did they only have 75 and 125 passengers?

Which was it?  Were they "allowed to be full under the protocols" or are "airport authorities only allowing 130 seats to be used out of the 180 on the aircraft"?

16 minutes ago, garyk said:

Hahaha, I am in an upscale condo furnished 24/7 security. 650/month. Includes a washer. Brand new condo. 

 

I find posts like this pretty comical.

Yeah.  Would somebody characterize all of Asia with a single comment like that?  Latin America is a huge area with a wide variety of situations.  No doubt that poster encountered some issues whereever s/he was, but by and large, Latin America is very livable for folks from the rest of the western world.

I live in Mexico in a large furnished & renovated colonial rental house and pay even less than you.  I have washer/dryer, stable internet, and CATV.  Quiet, safe neighborhood.  Electricity & running water, too. ????

4 hours ago, anthos said:

Who would've expected Moldova to become a leader in pandemic management.

Aren't the Shinawatras holed up there?  You *know* the PM would like to entice them to return, or at least remove any barriers to their return...  ????

For over ten years now I've been able to access my pension account by going directly to the PBGC web site, but now:  "Based on your feedback ... we are partnering with Login.gov to provide an extra layer of security, through two-factor authentication..."

My feedback, your ass.

To sign up for login.gov access they require a US address *and* a US phone number registered in your name (and specifically exclude Skype.) Has anybody here found a work around for that?

I did successfully upload a scan of my NV drivers license, and also set up 2FA using Google Authenticator, but that's not enough.  You need to jump over the address/phone hurdles, as well.

(For the photo/scan of the drivers license, they will not accept a scan/photo of less than 2MB.  <deleted>?  I had to artificially inflate the file size in Photoshop and save as a bloated .PNG file to satisfy them...)

The USA is on the list of low-risk countries.

Mexico is not on the list of low-risk countries.

Can a US citizen living in Mexico enter Thailand on 01-Nov?

Can a Mexican citizen living in the USA enter Thailand on 01-Nov?

I realize they have to use *some* yardstick to alert to a possible infection, but with me a temperature check may not work.  My resting body temperature is a full degree (C) lower that what they expect for a "normal" person.  So I could easily be running a slight fever and they'd never realize it.  I pity the folks who have a higher-than-normal resting body temperature, they must be setting off alarms everywhere.

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you do not return to the hotel to stay the night they report that to the authorities.

There was news articles about couple of people that go chased down by the authorities after not checking in at the hotel for the night at the Phuket sandbox.

Spoilsport! ????

What is the rationale for requiring someone to sleep in a specific bed at night, while they are able to roam willy nilly throughout the city during daylight?