smylee52

When are they going to wise up and stop putting an actual date on their prognastications ?  Take the time frame off and eventually you are right . Some day 10,000,000 visitors will return to Thailand .  In the meantime maybe focus on resolving the cluster*uck they call an immigration policy .  Stop paying lip service to "Welcome to Thailand " and

institute processes and procedures that assist entry rather than impede it .  Educating front line immigration staff on their role as public servants  would be very helpful as well . 

Why do you care about what some embassies say ? All you need to know is what your embassy says . Print a copy of the requirement if you fear being challenged at the airport . I had a problem with my  Covid insurance  document not containing my middle name so it didn't match my passport so i would want to be as prepared as possible when arriving at the airport . I have only seen the stipulation that RT PCR be no older than 72 hours from report time ,

Where are you seeing 72 hours from test time ?

Be interesting to see when all the conditions come out .  Will 90 day reporting still be mandatory . Rentry permits ? 

800,000 in a Thai bank account ?  Insurance ?  Is it open ended for 10 years or is there a minimum time you need to spend in country within the 10 year period . Can't help but think after it does through the different levels of approval it will end up as another cock-up . 

I was in Thailand in mid March when the train had left the station and the panic was on to escape Bangkok and get back to your village before travel was shut down . We packed up the truck and went to the village arriving home in the middle of the night . First thing in the morning a rep  of the village head man was at the door . First thing was taking our tempertures and then she informed the girlfriend , nicely , our names have been recorded and we are required to quarantine for 14 days . Permissable  to venture out to buy food only and always with a mask on .

I made a bad decision and arranged to get on one of the last flights out of Suvarnhabhumi to return home . I had to arrive at airport 7 hours before 3a.m flight because Bangkok was under curfew that had been established to be 9 p.m. .  Entrance to airport restricted to specified doors , temperature taken , hand sanitizer applied before entry allowed . 

When landing at Heathrow I saw few people wearing masks  and people being crowded into lifts and corridors leading to flights . Little if any sign of a country under a virus watch . On getting home I received a handout asking me to quarantine but no follow up as to whether I complied or not .

Pretty clear to me why Thailand has had low incidence of the virus while the rest of the world kept (keeps) their heads way up their asses . 

The doubters need to understand that this is 2021 and containing a severe illness or death rate is extremely difficult . I know a nurse working in a  rural Thailand hospital (GF's cousin )and she reports  they have yet to see a case of Covid 19 . 

I wondering if any film buffs  picked up on the irony of prefacing Pattaya with Neo . My mind jumped to Neo in the Matrix movies and I think the lads at City Hall should just take the blue pill and carry on . 

I am a fan of sleaze city because it is sleaze city .  Sodom and Gomorra that has to be seen to be believed . The City Hall asshats continue to be all talk and not a lot changes for the betterment  of the town . Funny when brazenly corrupt people demand a "high quality" tourist . I have seen a few people come to Pattaya over the years to see what all the fuss was about and after their visit vow to never to return to this toxic waste site .

Us hardcase veterans have gotten used to the smell of an open sewer throughout the town and the mounds of

garbage that would see perpetrators paying massive fines for dumping in a civilized country . You can't walk safely on the side walks and you can't cross the road without holding onto your rosary and saying a Hail Mary .

Fix simple problems like getting people to not discard the garbage any where they want . Deal with areas where you have to hold your breath just to  traverse . If you can't do that then <deleted> and be happy with the pussy hounds who put up with all that <deleted> just to get cheap boom boom ,

2 hours ago, arick said:

Yes driving 120kmph with cataracts........ 

I've never seen a Cataract in Thailand . I have seen a few Rincolns  ????

On 11/29/2020 at 2:36 PM, smylee52 said:

"issued within 72 hours before departure".

Thanks for asking this question as I assumed it was the time the test was administered . I 

 

Upon applying to some ASQ hotels I see they interpret Covid testing to be within 72 hours of

arrival at Hotel which is just another way of for some of them to extract more money from people . If you are outside the 72 hours which is more than likely given the day of travel for most people then they insist on performing a Covid test on your arrival at hotel for an additional cost of 4-5K baht . TIT .

Previously Non - O extension did not require proof of insurance .  With all the current focus on foreigners

having substantial insurance are they still offerring Non - O extension without insurance ?

"issued within 72 hours before departure".

Thanks for asking this question as I assumed it was the time the test was administered . I 

3 hours ago, Gerard052 said:

It might have been answered before but I have seen conflicting answer regarding health insurance. I plan on going to Thailand in January on a TR (single entry)  Do I require a health insurance for that type of Visa or only the COVID-19 insurance?  Thank you very much for your help.

Foreigners entering Thailand require proof of at least $100,000 US  . Without proof you cannot complete the Certificate of Entry application . Plus Covid 19 coverage. 

To add insult to injury I have to give up the insurer I have used for 10 years because they will not commit to Covid 19 and this outfit never asked for a medical when I first signed up so my preexisting conditions were covered . All the new insurances for Covid that I have looked at specify no coverage for prexisting conditions .

Reading the fine print on one of the offerred insurances they specify no coverage if you contract Covid 19 prior  to policy activating so to guard against getting infected in travel I will date the policy at least 5 days prior to flight to counter any possible challenges should the worse case be realized and we discover I am infected  during quarantine .

"High-income tourists to return next year despite K-shaped recovery:"

I don't know if  this guys institute is government sponsored but someone needs to get in front of these guys and explain what Thailand wants is high-spending tourists which is not necessarily related to their income . The "two week millionaires" saves up all year for a holiday blowout and everyone benefits from their largesse . The expat with a home and family drops over 500,000 baht during his 6 month stay . Not to mention homes they build , cars they buy , trips they take , insurance they pay and so on and so on.

They need to stop focussing on "high-income" tourists with their unappealing incentives and focus on regular tourists/expats that make tourism profitable .

You have to give them points for self importance because they keep pretending like they are the cat's ass but really have neither academic or cultural significance in the world . I mean when Red Bull is your most famous discovery then it is time to lower the expectations and stop trying to punch above your weight class . 

When people have to hold their nose when walking down streets of your citiesand towns  because of rotting garbage you need to address a clean up/anti-littering  plan not think you are so desirable because you tell people you are .  When people who have some epperience living in your country can tell stories of police and  immigration corruption that they have personally been sublected to  then it is time well spent on fixing these issues and not just telling everyone how great you are. 

Every year I spend 6 months in Thailand and have a smashing time because I have learned to never stand on principle and just pay (haggle if you can) but at the end of the day the Falang must pay . After all ,Thai thinking reasons there would not have been a problem if you had not come to their country .

The irony is their simplicity is both endearing and frustrating at the same time . 

"under the plan to revive the sector in 2022 and 2023."  ROFLMAO . TAT couldn't plan a <deleted> up in a pub .

Get serious about wanting to get people back without trying to do them over  on re-entry . 500,000 baht in bank account , buy million baht  elite visa , buy 5 million baht condo . #uck off.

1, Covid test

2, Covid insurance

3, Quarantine 

Job done.

Talk about a super spreader party . Once those booths get set up there isn't enough room to slide by each other sideways and if you have an erection it is damn near impossible . Just ask the Ladyboys ????

11 minutes ago, drenddy said:

So... Did anyone have a thai wife/friend on a semicommercial flight yet? 

Just to confirm, there are no issues regarding NO requirement on Covid-19 test prior flying for thai nationals? 

 

I must be very stressed... It says clearly on Qatar Airways homepage, thai nationals are exempted for presenting Covid-19 test, but I am afraid, some staff would get too zealous... 

I will skip the total absurdity of exempting Thai Nationals from testing only to say please get her tested as a courtesy to the non Thai Nationals who may be on the flight and have jumped through all the hoops only to risk exposure on the flight . After all they tested to make sure her risk exposure was greatly reduced .

If they are really concerned about people's health then they should ban  7/11's . Obesity kills more people than smoking and 7/11 is a huge pusher of high calorie low nutritional value junk food . 

Forbidding people to smoke in their condo is a bridge too far . The black diesel smoke from one bus travelling from one end of beach road to the other probably puts more carcinogens in the air than the cumulative contibution of smokers in  a 30 floor condo in a year .

Maybe show a serious concern by going after diesel emissions and if successful look at other low hanging fruit before bothering people in their homes.

On 11/23/2020 at 5:35 AM, TigerandDog said:

It's a complete waste of money paying for golf club memberships at any golf course in Thailand as you don't really receive any benefit for being a member. Membership ideally should mean free green fees, no caddy fee and at least 2 members competitions per week for which a comp fee of 500 baht should be paid. Clubs do not provide these services to their members. For Thais it's nothing more than a status thing to be able to say they are a member of a golf club. 

Played Springfield in Hua Hin a few years back and we were joined by a member . Soon found out he spends 4 months in Hua Hin and golfs 3 times a week at Springfield but usually plays alone . I asked why he didn't participate in member events and found out that none were offerred . He was very happy to play with us that day as it made the round more pleasant . Played the following week and joined by another member and same story . So much for benefits of membership .  They club can't be arsed to even put a weekly comp together .

Joining a club in Thailand is a matter of prestige or convenience , It is not an economically driven decision . 

BTW people who calculate playing 3 times a week must have unbeleivable constitutions to play in the 44C heat of April and May followed by the monsoon season .

6 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

7 out of 9 posts attacking Trump on this page. What are you guys going to talk about when he's gone? LOL.

 

Hopefully we will see a few years of litigation and eventually Trump in a striped suit if the new Attorney General has the green light . Trump Made America Grab it's Ankles and now it is his turn  along with his low life henchmen .

7 hours ago, BigStar said:

 

 

Our naive noob members, babes in the wood, seem never to have learned the classic, shrewd, street-smart TVF Poster Three Primal Laws Of Survival In Thailand:

 

1. Never invest in anything you aren't ready to lose;

2. Never own more than you can carry with you or freely leave behind;

3. Keep your suitcase packed at all times.

 

Experienced, knowledgeable members follow these religiously. Why are you still here, anyway?

 

Now quoting one or more of the Laws entitles you to an extra ten (+10) instant points of TVF posting cred from our peanut gallery, but you blew it. Still, you have time to RUN! NOW! You've been warned!!! Meanwhile I'll continue to enjoy the good life in Pattaya. ????

 

 

4. Never trust a fart .

Low rent country looking to entice high rollers . No clue of their market as they continue to let the regular joe know they aren't wanted .  It is now a toss up as to what is damaging Thailand  more : covid 19 or TAT.

So many useless machinations to create new processes when they can just use what is already in place .

Really brings into question the agenda of this government . None of what they have done so far is helping the working Thai . 

I think he is just giving Tiger a subtle dig for his 10 on such an easy course  ????.

Jack's had a great career but he is 80 and might be time to spare us his opinions when they can be

insulting and minimizing the achievement of an outstanding athlete like DJ .

37 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Be aware that it seems they also added the 400K/40K in/out-patient health-insurance requirement on the Non Imm O Visa for retirement application.

So there are now Thai Embassies that do offer that 90-day Non Imm O Visa for retirement purposes, but it requires the same IO-approved health-insurance as the 1-year Non imm O-A Visa application.

That being the case, one wonders why slamming the insurance requirement on that 90-day Non Imm O Visa and thereby making it a 'watered-down' version of the Non Imm O-A Visa.

Yes I will insure I have good travel insurance . No idea why i was allowed to get my Non Imm O extensions without proof of insurance even though I had it but now I just need to remember to bring the documents on my next renewal . i never look forward to spending time at Thai IO .