TallGuyJohninBKK

Just for the record, my retirement extensions at CW have been based on an original B visa... not an O or O-A... But I don't know that that difference has any significance in regards to the TM30 issue.

I'd be happy if BKK CW itself would ever come up with a publicly available list of exactly what documents they want for retirement and marriage extensions. But in more than a decade living here, I've never seen such a list issued by BKK CW, although I do know other Immigration offices in other cities have produced their own such public lists from time to time.

Such groups generally are corporate creations of the Korean (and similarly Japanese) music industries. For the most part, they're pretty/handsome faces / fashionistas that can, if need be, be substituted with others having similar looks / styles. AFAIK, actual composing / writing / playing talent isn't much required of these folks. But looking good on music videos is. So what kinds of actual talents they have might be a subject for some debate. "They returned last year with their Square Up EP, and are set to bring their In Your Area tour around the world this year ...All of the songs on Square Up were written by YG Entertainment’s in-house producer Teddy Park in collaboration with various songwriters." https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8465027/blackpink-things-to-know

That's what I'm planning to do, as a third private purchase dose following two original AZ ones under the government program. From all indications in the private hospital/Moderna world, that's perfectly acceptable. I originally registered with the private hospital for, and then later prepaid for, a single Moderna dose as a booster. But the chart the hospital sent me suggested I might/should wait 6 months after my 2nd AZ dose before getting the Moderna booster.

I tried that back at a private hospital in BKK a couple months back, after I had received my first AZ vaccine via the government's program, and was hoping to get the second shot as a Pfizer vaccine. At the time a couple months back, I got registered and went thru all the preliminaries at the private hospital for the second shot being Pfizer. But just before the last stop to actually get the shot, I had to sit down with a guy hooked up to a computer terminal who took my passport number and promptly pronounced that I could NOT get a Pfizer shot because I'd already received one AZ shot, and would have to wait for the 2nd dose of AZ. Now, since then, they supposedly have laid out plans to allow for mixed doses here in Thailand, including for farangs. But just how and if that's really being implemented, I've lost track of the ability to keep up with that one, other than for Sinovac recipients where they've clearly gone to 2nd doses and booster shots of AZ or other.

Anything about Google Pay or Samsung Pay here, as vehicles for making local payments?

Typical..... What I've [the PM] been saying and promising the country for the past months no longer has any meaning.... Kinda like how the government used to talk about the target of getting 70% of the population vaccinated, meaning typically getting two shots. But these days, they regularly throw out public "vaccination" percentages that list the percentage of the population "vaccinated" with only one shot. As for the second vaccine shot, ahhh.... don't wanna hold up the return to tourism "normalcy."

The other pertinent detail is -- this announcement is from the DPA and relates to Thai ID card and tabien ban photocopies. So it has very little likely impact on most farangs, who generally don't possess Thai ID cards that supposedly no longer need to be photocopied. DPA, for example, has absolutely zero to do with Thai Immigration's rules or the mountains of paperwork that Thai banks require from accountholders, especially farangs.

Note the last FAQ question and answer on the Thai insurance website listed above: "Will COVID-19 insurance be required for the Quarantine Free entry? The the best of our knowledge the answer is YES, but this may be subject to change." https://asq.in.th/thailand-covid-insurance

short answer... YES!

Richard Barrow has posted a full EN transcription of the PM's speech that has a softer version of the Dec. 1 / alcohol comment, as follows. Note the use of the term "consider allowing": “By 1st December, we will also consider allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in restaurants as well as the operation of entertainment venues.” https://www.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/posts/427661562053446

Richard Barrow has posted a full EN transcription of the PM's speech that has a softer version of the Dec. 1 / alcohol comment, as follows. Note the use of the term "consider allowing": “By 1st December, we will also consider allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in restaurants as well as the operation of entertainment venues.” https://www.facebook.com/richardbarrowthailand/posts/427661562053446

Is Sing Air allowing the pre-flight test alternative? (I don't mean on that one special category of VTL flights, but rather, their flights at large...)

The OP article seems pretty clear to me, and not inconsistent with your post. Note the use of the word "OR" in the first sentence. From the OP report: "People wishing to take a flight in Thailand will need to be fully vaccinated or provide a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours before they are due to fly, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has confirmed. 'Fully vaccinated' is deemed as having received two doses of a vaccine approved for use in Thailand, with the exception of the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. For those who are not fully vaccinated, they will need to show a negative test result from either an ATK or PCR test no more than 72 hours before flying." The question I have -- and it's not even addressed in the OP article -- is to whatever extent these rules as listed above are either going to be nationwide OR (as is often the case with Thailand) selectively and varyingly enforced from place to place (airport to airport).... Yeesh!!!!

That link appears to relate to AA's Malaysia operation... Don't see any mention of Thailand domestic flights in that... though TH's apparently going to end up in the same/similar place. Thai AirAsia's domestic flights are coded FD, not AK as listed for Malaysia below. Your link: "In preparation for the full resumption of its domestic and subsequently international flight services, AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) has made it mandatory for only completely vaccinated adult guests to be allowed to board its flights, effective immediately." My link per Thai Air Asia (company news release): https://hub.optiwise.io/en/documents/32621/6443705F1AD3C6382A43725E1ADAC538670F75281CDBC53A6744075719ADB34E6E457A2B1FA9C43C624676571AAECD4A67476C1E4E8DCF3B66437A5C1AD9C43961437B5F1ADBCC3963366C1E4E8D_300820211709100915E.pdf

'When you get a COVID-19 shot, the information goes into a digital record kept by the state where it was administered, and that’s the end of the road. The CDC does not hold records of individual vaccinations, and the White House has indicated that it has no plans for a federal database." ... "On the flimsy rectangle that all Americans get with their shots, doctors and pharmacists record dates of administration, vaccine type, and lot number. Some scrawl the information by hand with a pen; others apply a preprinted sticker. The cards offer no special marker to prove their authenticity, no scannable code to connect to a digital record. At three by four inches, they’re even too awkwardly sized to fit in a wallet. A mid-century polio-vaccine card doesn’t look too different from today’s COVID-19 vaccination records." https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/05/america-covid-vaccine-honor-system/618891/

The OP article appears to be saying they'll accept a single J&J dose, which is an approved vaccine in Thailand (though the article's wording on that isn't so great). The exception the article's talking about isn't an exception to being accepted, but rather, an exception being J&J is a single dose unlike all the other two-dose regimens.

The current vaccines make it less likely that a fully vaccinated person can contract COVID, and are believed to make them less likely to spread the virus, if they do become infected, (by virtue of having lower viral loads and shorter duration). But fully vaccinated people are by no means assured of being incapable of contracting and potentially spreading the virus. Which is among the reasons that even fully vaccinated people are encouraged / required to continue wearing face masks and following various other preventive measures.

They were checking your vaccination status at BOTH departure and arrival for your domestic flight??? And if "it wasn't required," why were they checking or did the issue even come up?

OP, you need to find a private hospital in your area or somewhere you can go that's participating in the Moderna vaccines program organized by the Thai Private Hospitals Assn. Those doses are supposed to be arriving in the 4th quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year. And AFAIK, those are all available regardless of nationality, provided you can find a private hospital still accepting "reservations" for the private (non-government) Moderna doses and you're willing to pony up the 1300+ baht per dose pay in advance fee that's being required. But those private Moderna doses are a relatively hot commodity, AFAIK, especially given the relatively large number of Thais who are adverse to taking the government-offered Chinese-made doses. So I'm not sure to what extent new reservations for those upcoming Moderna doses are still available at this point.

The various reports tonight that have the PM saying that bars and entertainment venues are going to be allowed to reopen and serve alcohol starting Dec. 1 seem more than a bit at odds with this thread's OP news report posted just hours earlier today.... Can they ever keep their story straight??? "Prayut added that restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen and sell alcoholic drinks from December 1." https://www.thaienquirer.com/33850/thailand-to-open-doors-to-vaccinated-travelers-from-safe-countries-starting-november-1/

The Thai Enquirer website has a comparable news report posted tonight: Thailand to open doors to vaccinated travelers from ‘safe countries’ starting November 1 "Thailand will open its doors to vaccinated travelers from a list of ten “safe” countries starting November 1, the Thai prime minister said on Monday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said in a nationally televised address that it was time for the country to gradually reopen in accordance with his government’s plans. The United States, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, and Australia were among the countries mentioned as being on the safe list with more to be announced later." (more) https://www.thaienquirer.com/33850/thailand-to-open-doors-to-vaccinated-travelers-from-safe-countries-starting-november-1/

Gotta love "customer service" here in Thailand.... I didnt get any call back from them with an answer to my question about the availability of their new wifi 6 router here in BKK... BUT, I DID get a phone call this morn from a 3BB service tech who wanted to come to my home this morn to install the new router I had ordered (even though I hadnt ordered anything)! So,I guess tbat's their way of answering my question!

Had a long phone call this afternoon with 3BB customer service about their 3BB GigaTV service and the various details involved in that. Most of it was confirming the things I already knew, but there was one major surprise that emerged. According to the rep I spoke with, the much advertised GigaTV package pricing with their fiber internet of 700 baht per month (749b with VAT) for 24-months service commitment, or 800 baht per month (856b with VAT) for 12-months service commitment are temporary PROMOTIONAL pricing! In other words, after your original 12 or 24 month service commitment is finished, the price for their 1 GB / 500 Mbps fiber internet package with the GigaTV add-on will increase on an ongoing basis to 1,016.50b per month (the post-contract monthly fee ends up the same price, whether you start out with the 12 or 24 month contract.) Under either GigaTV package, just like with their solo fiber internet plans, there are no upfront equipment or installation charges. (Technically there are, but those are automatically waived, unless you fail to keep the monthly service for whatever duration you commit to). As for the situation of a house having more than a single TV, the rep explained that with the GigaTV service, you have the option to add on extra GigaTV Android boxes for the added price of 100 baht per month (107b with VAT). However, it may also be possible avoid that extra expense by sideloading 3BB's GigaTV Android app onto an extra Android-based smart TV or Android-based streaming stick/box/device. I was also curious, because I'd seen them advertising lately a new 3BB Wifi 6 AX router, whether upgrading to GigaTV would mean an automatic upgrade to their newer AX routers. And the rep said NO (at least for their existing internet customers), the basic GigaTV package would be installed with whatever existing 3BB router you may already have. So I asked, "what if I just want to upgrade my existing 3BB router to the newer Wifi 6 AX version separate from any GigaTV discussion?" And she said that might be possible, but would involve agreeing to an additional 12 months service commitment. She also didn't know whether they actually have the Wifi 6 AX routers available and in stock in Bangkok right now, but was going to check for me and give me a call back.

3BB has a graphic on their website with their complete channel roster for the GigaTV service. It seems to include all the normal Thai broadcast channels, apart from the foreign cable ones like HBO, Cinemax, etc. As I see another member has already posted a link to the full channel list above: https://gigatv.3bb.co.th/channellist PS - 3BB these days also has a website for their regular internet subscribers (not GigaTV) where, with log-in, you can stream the regular Thai broadcast channels.