Phillip9

I "retired" very young and have always just put "Investor" when asked for an occupation.  I've never had any question about it in visa applications for more than a dozen countries, including thailand.

2 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

no need to be so dramatic.

i think that within few months this whole corona travel restrictions will be over.

the vaccines, combined with herd immunity, will do their work, infections levels will be much lower and

all the world will go back to thailand.

Keep in mind that the Thai PM has reiterated multiple times that the quarantine will stay in place until the Thai population is vaccinated, and the first vaccine is not expected to be available here for 5-6 months.  Surely it will take many many months after that to get most people vaccinated.  And 90% or more of the population agree with keeping the quarantine.

44 minutes ago, Don Chance said:

KUL or Jakarta/ I Heard you can get to Bali these days too.

No way.  Definitely not.  All those are completely closed.

I just remembered....I know Ethiopia airlines has tickets that can be refunded anytime(more than just 24 hours).  I bought one about a year ago to use as an onward ticket and then refunded it later with no problem.  I think ethiopia is open and should have flights from bkk.

6 hours ago, cubism001 said:

Need proof of onward. Praying i don't have to leave while conversion occurs.  Thanks.

Many airlines also allow you to refund a ticket within 24 hours of purchase.  You can search expedia and priceline and they will show which flights are refundable.  

Many times I've bought a return ticket a few hours before departure and then just refunded it after I checked in for my flight.

Singapore is definitely not open, unless you meet one of the very few exceptions, and get a visa in advance.  Nothing nearby is open.  I think the closest country would be the maldives.

5 hours ago, asiacurious said:

You are definitely better off getting an education visa wherever you currently are before coming to Thailand, than trying to convert it to one after you get here.  Or do the Special Tourist Visa, which currently can give you up to 9 months total time in Thailand.  While the STV won't (currently) let you convert to another visa inside of Thailand - you would have to leave Thailand to get another kind of visa - education visas are normally only issued outside of Thailand anyway.  You're not supposed to be able to convert to an education visa inside of Thailand.

 

That said, there are schools - mostly in the provinces - that have (cough) devised ways (cough) of converting to an education visas without leaving the country.  If you want to stay in Bangkok to study, there are a couple of schools that can (cough) arrange the conversion.  They do this by sending all of your paperwork to another province's immigration office and when it's time to do the stamps in your passport, the school arranges to take you to the province for that.)

 

Schools require 30 days to process the conversion (2 weeks for the Ministry of Education to do their paperwork, and 2 weeks for immigration.  (If borders were open, you would still need at least 2 weeks for the school to process paperwork with the Ministry of Education, before you then leave the country to process the new visa at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in another country.)

 

Finally note that you can expect to pay a (cough) fee of anywhere from about 30,000 to 50,000 baht for an in country conversion.  This fee (cough, cough, cough) in addition to the cost of classes you'll pay the school.  3 months of classes will run you an additional 25,000 to 30,000 baht.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

I personally paid less than 30,000 baht total for 6 months classes and the extra fee for visa conversion. 

True, this is difficult to arrange in bangkok, but in any other location with language schools,  this is not so difficult to arrange, and not so expensive.  If you want to stay in bangkok, you could easily arrange this in nearby hua hin or pattaya.  Most classes are online anyway.

The whole process is also not as shady as you described.  When I got my visa, I went to immigration with a representative from my school, and paid all visa fees directly to immigration, out in the open in front of the entire immigration office.  

5 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

I had the same plan (going with a Education visa first-on) but since I'm unable to verify if the school is legit or not, it sucks to pay all the money upfront. I've tried several times to be recommended actual schools/websites - but to no success. 

As the STV just recently was relaxed - that will be my plan. Have you considered it? Gives you atleast 9 months. 

Most language schools are legit.  If you pick any well established school, you are very unlikely to get scammed.  I would avoid any school that was recently established.  You can check out the schools facebook page to see if they have been around a few years.  You could also check out google maps and street view to verify they actually exist.  Or pick one of the well known schools with multiple location, such as prolanguage.  

You could also arrive on a TV and then visit the school yourself before you make any payment.  Just do it immediately after quarantine because it takes about 5 weeks to convert to the ED visa.

41 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/03/opinion/covid-19-vaccine-timeline.html

Interesting.  Only 268 million people ahead of me.  Maybe I can get it this time next year if I am lucky. 

2 hours ago, George36 said:

A question please.  My wife is 62.  I am 66.  Both have Feb birthdays and 35th anniversary.  Would love to get to Thailand in February to surprise her.  Both of us believe we will have our vaccine completed by end of April, two dozes.  
 

We would move up our trip to Thailand if we could procure the vaccine in Thailand before the end of summer  of 2021 figuring Thailand will stay Covid free until then.

 

Is this a “money talks” situation where you will be able to procure the vaccine?
 

Or, perhaps, our age would allow us to get it?

 

Might changing to retirement visa move us under the line to receive vaccine?

 

Thanks so much.

Thailand has not preordered any of the initial doses of the vaccine, so it won't be widely available here for a long time.  They are talking about 6+ months from now before any will be available.   No one knows any more than that at this point.

14 hours ago, Ole Michelsen said:

Final destination is Oslo, Norway with a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam. So I reckon given the information from the map posted and the two of you, that the Norwegian regulations are the relevant ones for my trip.

 

Thanks a lot, and let me know if I have missed something.

 

Ole

 

Some countries also require a test just for transit.  For example, I think the UAE still requires it,.  I don't think Amsterdam requires it, but its best to double check with your airline.

5 hours ago, LizT91 said:

Can you change to an ED visa (regular Thai language school) from TR?

• If so, do you have to leave the country? Can this be done in Thailand?

Yes, it has been possible to convert from a TV to ED visa recently without leaving the country.  A lot of us that arrived back before the border closure converted to ED visas a few months ago.  I arrived visa exempt and changed to an ED visa.  Others have changed from TV to an ED visa.

You will need to contact schools directly and ask them if they are still offering it.  The school handles all the paper work and most of the interaction with immigration.  Not every school can do it so, don't get discouraged if the first couple you contact say its impossible.  

There will be some extra unofficial immigration "fees" for this service.  It will cost you at least couple hundred usd extra in addition to the normal immigration fee.

I don't think any schools in bangkok were offering this, but it was available from schools in most other locations with language schools.

1 hour ago, Salerno said:

 

On the Thai Embassy website for whatever country you're in (multiple threads on the subject here but might as well go to the source).

 

Things have relaxed a little; more visa options without ridiculous show 500K Bht (equivalent) in bank account for six months but still insurance, quarantine etc.

 

Without specifics of your situation not likely to get specific answers.

 

You will need to get a visa and Certificate of entry in advance from the thai embassy in your country.

You will need to do a two week quarantine in an approved hotel when you arrive.  You will also need insurance covering covid for the duration of you stay.

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I see it differently. 

Thailand itself must widely vaccinate its own population. 

That's the only way they can really fully open up.

Sure, thats what I meant.  They must maintain no local cases until Thais are vaccinated.  After that, they will open, and a few local infections won't matter. 

23 minutes ago, polpott said:

Makes no sense to quarantine someone who has had the vaccine.

Why does it make no sense?  Even assuming a vaccine is 90% effective, that means it doesn't work for 1 in 10 people.  With Thailand trying to maintain zero local cases, they would never take that risk.  

Other countries that already have covid infections will probably open to vaccinated people, but it makes no sense for thailand to open.

9 hours ago, VBF said:

Might I correct you....

Until then, or until he changes his mind whether you are vaccinated or not will be meaningless.

So give it a week....... ????

A very valid correction.   I think he may change his mind.  Eventually.  But I see no hope of that in the near term.  But maybe in 6-9 months.

6 minutes ago, polpott said:

Wrong again. When given as a regimen of a half dose followed by a full dose its 90%+ effective.

That result was based in a small subset of 2800 patients, and not considered meaningful without significantly more data.  

24 minutes ago, Tagged said:

The question is, if you still need to go quarantine with vaccine taken? 

The UK vaccine is claimed to be only 70% effective.  Meaning it doesn't work for 3 out of 10 people.  If they just opened the country up to anyone who is vaccinated, there would be many vaccinated but still infected people arriving daily.  

47 minutes ago, polpott said:

51 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

The Thai PM has already said the quarantine will remain in place for everyone until the Thai population is vaccinated.  That will probably not be for another year or two.  Until then, whether you are vaccinated or not will be meaningless.

Says you and nobody else.

11 minutes ago, polpott said:

I plan to get the Covid vaccine in the UK. Hopefully that may circumnavigate a lot of the requirements to return. Fingers crossed.

The Thai PM has already said the quarantine will remain in place for everyone until the Thai population is vaccinated.  That will probably not be for another year or two.  Until then, whether you are vaccinated or not will be meaningless.

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Countries such as USA have indicated perhaps a 50% intention to have the vaccine.

I think a lot of those people will change their mind when they realize they will need to be vaccinated if they want to travel anywhere, or to get a new job.

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Also can't see a vaccination certificate from another country being acceptable - too easy to fake - for entry, and a waiver of quarantine.

They will accept certificates from another country eventually, after the Thai population is vaccinated.  The process is already in place for other diseases.  Many of us already carry our yellow fever vaccination certificates.   When you get vaccinated, you get an official sticker from the vaccine vial.  It would be really hard to fake and can even contain a hologram like some currencies to prevent fakes.