TallGuyJohninBKK

Re the TM 30, I've never changed my address since moving to Thailand many years ago. But the IO last year for the first time specifically asked me for a copy of my TM30 receipt last year. And this year, I simply gave them a copy of the same receipt, which they accepted and did not turn back.

On the day I was there, I did a walk-around survey on what bank branches were there and/or open. And, AFAIK, it looked like the K-Bank branch was NOT open that day, although their outside ATM and CDM machines were functioning. [The Siam Commercial branch appears to be gone entirely]. The various other commercial bank branches were open. AFAIK, the advance appointments system for BKK CW is still down. --As for timing, I arrived BKK CW about 9 am, and was done with my retirement extension, re-entry permit and updated 90-day report by 11:15 am. The bulk of that time was spent waiting in the outside seating area for my extension queue ticket to come up. Once the IO finished her part of my retirement extension package, the ensuing wait to get my passport back from the L section was maybe only 10 minutes, whereas last year it was closer to an hour wait. Obviously, that time can vary a lot, depending on whether the various sign-off supervisors are there and available vs. off doing other things.

Went to BKK CW Immigration last week for my annual retirement extension re-issuance, which went as smoothly as I've ever had, although there were several changes/clarifications from the same process I experienced there last year. Some of the notable items included: BANK DEPOSIT LETTER --The IO handling my extension via Thai bank deposit confirmed that the Thai bank deposit confirmation letter of your 800,000+ baht deposit can be dated up to SEVEN days prior to your application, at least at BKK CW. Can't speak for other Immigration offices. And, the same SEVEN day period was also confirmed to forum member @Pib who went for a marriage extension a few days later. [However, you still need to update the printed balance in the physical Thai bank book you're using earlier on the same day of your Immigration application.] 90 DAY REPORTING --Unlike past years, BKK CW Immigration is now allowing retirement and marriage extension applicants to complete their upcoming 90-day reporting obligations while there at BKK CW doing your extension. You just need to bring along or complete while there the standard TM47 90-day reporting form. Upon request, the IO handling your extension should handle that for you and give you a new slip for your future 90-day report right there in their cubicle, without having to go anywhere else or deal with any other IOs. In my case, since I had a completed TM47 in hand, that whole part of the process took about two minutes. In my case, my future reporting date was about 3 weeks into the future--no problem. In Pib's case, his future date was almost 6 weeks into the future--no problem. ADVANCE APPLICATION PERIOD The short-lived recent rule Immigration announced a few months back that, supposedly, you could only show up for your new extension no more than THREE days prior to your current extension expiring because of COVID is now GONE. And, the BKK CW Immigration office appears to be back to their prior, long-time rule of allowing extension applications up to 45 days prior to your expiration date. [Also, if you got a new/different Sept. 26 expiry date last year from BKK CW because of COVID, they're sticking with that time frame this year, so my new extension for the year ahead carries forward the same new Sept. 26 expiration date they gave me last year.] FOURTH MISC FORM TO FILL OUT & SIGN --For a long time, BKK CW Immigration has had three misc. single-page forms that they want retirement extension applicants to fill out, sign and submit, in addition to the TM 7 extension form and various photocopies. There now is a FOURTH single-page form, which is a copy of the actual Police Order rules for retirement extensions. Unlike past years, all four of the misc paper forms now seem to be readily available upon request from the Immigration info counter on the way into the main queue ticket counter inside. However, for convenience, I'm attaching here PDF files of the four single-page forms (I like to have them completed and signed ahead of time): 2 Ret Exten Reqs from Imm 2020 version.pdf 2 Ret Exten Overstay Penalties Form.pdf 2 Ret Exten Statement 2.pdf 2 Ret Exten Statement 3.pdf INCLUSION OF 90 DAY REPORT SLIP, TM30 RECEIPT & HOME MAP --This was I think my first ever retirement extension application visit where the IO had absolutely nothing to request of me or complain about. She was satisfied with my package exactly as I submitted it. And while your mileage may vary, that included a package with copies of: --my latest 90-day reporting update slip --my most recent TM30 residency confirmation receipt --an annotated Google Map printout that I enhanced on the computer to more clearly show the route to (and location of) my home. All of the above were accepted by my IO and kept by her to use in my packet. None of those forms were returned to me. Likewise last year, the IO handling my retirement extension then specifically requested copies of the 90-day report receipt and TM30 receipt, which I had in my possession, but hadn't initially included in my paperwork submission then. COVID RESTRICTIONS / WAITING AREA ACCESS --Compared to last year this same time, there was a different COVID restrictions process in place. This year, once you got your queue ticket number from the main counter, there was an IO staff member standing at the entrance to the L Section (extensions area) entrance, and at least on the day of my visit, she would not let you into that area to sit and wait until your queue number was close to being called. My number was about 15 down upon arrival, so I had to sit outside the main interior entrance where they've set up a socially distanced seating area for people who already have their queue tickets. The queue ticket Immigration gives you also has a QR code on it, which if you have a mobile phone that can read QR codes, gives you access to a live webpage version of the Immigration queue system and shows you how many people are ahead of you for your queue. Though I believe you have to periodically refresh the webpage in order for the changes to get reflected on the screen you're seeing. The IO staff member finally let me into the L Section waiting area by the time I was only 4 or 5 people down in the queue for extensions. Here's the full list and details of what went into my retirement extension paperwork package this year for Immigration: -- Completed TM7 form printed on a single sheet front and back. Your color photo pasted on the back side, and your mobile phone number hand written at the top of the back side. -- Official Thai bank letter confirming you have a qualified Thai bank account with at least the 800K required current deposit, with the letter dated no more than SEVEN days prior to your Immigration visit. -- Thai bank book for that account print updated earlier on the day of your Immigration visit, showing the required deposit and signed regular photocopies of your bank book pages showing account activity during the prior 12 month period. The current rules at BKK CW require a retirement extension applicant to show the 800K deposit for at least two months prior to the application, and then three months after, while the remainder of the year must have a balance of no less than 400,000 baht. -- the four misc. single page forms listed listed above and included as PDF files. -- Hand-signed portrait-orientation photocopies of the following: (they want photocopies, they don't seem to like printed scans): -- Passport face page -- if you've obtained a new passport any time after your most recent actual visa, the front two pages of that where Immigration has copied over the visa and stamps info from your prior passport. -- Most recent visa or extension stamp page -- Most recent arrival/entry stamp page -- Airport departure card front and back -- Hand-drawn or printed map showing the location & address of your home. -- Latest 90-Day Report receipt -- Latest TM30 receipt Ahh, and let's not forget the money -- 1900 baht fee for the annual retirement extension, and 1000 baht fee for a single-use re-entry permit. Lastly, this year, I took the new SRT Red Line for my trip to and from BKK CW, which was an interesting experience. And although the new Red Line has a Laksi station at the corner of Chaengwattana Road, my conclusion was that taking the BTS Light Green/Sukhumvit Line to Mochit Station and then a regular meter taxi onward to BKK CW is still the quicker, easier and simpler way to travel. I did a separate thread on all the details of that, as follows: Comments and personal experiences about all of the above at BKK CW welcome!

I tried to get my second shot as a Pfizer dose -- without mentioning my prior AZ first dose. I got preregistered and confirmed OK, and on the day of the appointment, the second hospital let me in, took my BP, other stuff. But on the last step prior to the actual shot, the hospital rep went into an online computer system, I believe the MoPH database keyed to my passport number, and as soon as he saw the reference to the first AZ dose in their database, he said, cannot get Pfizer for the second dose. You have to go back to your original first dose hospital for the 2nd AZ as scheduled.

Under the government's vaccine program, up until now at least, they haven't given expats any choice as to the second shot following a first AZ shot. I got my first AZ shot via the government's program in late June. And then was scheduled for my second shot in early Sept. At that time, I begged at two different participating hospitals to be allowed to have my 2nd shot be Pfizer instead of AZ. And at least in early Sept., was told in no uncertain terms, if you got AZ as your first shot, you can only get AZ as your second shot via the government's program.

When the now-under construction Pink Line opens in the coming years -- assuming BKK CW Immigration is still housed there in the Govt. Complex building -- you'll be able to get there directly from downtown BKK by in theory using only THREE different rail lines: --MRT Blue Line: downtown BKK to Bang Sue --SRT Red Line: Bang Sue Grand to Laksi --Pink Line: Laksi to whatever they're going to call its closest station near CW Soi 7 And then, the free electric shuttle tram running between the main CW Road at Soi 7 down to the Govt Complex B building that houses Immigration. But by then, they'll probably move the whole thing to MTT!!! ( j/k ???? )

BKK CW is now directly handling 90-day report updates for people going there to process extensions of stay. Just bring along a completed TM47 form along with your various extension docs. The same IO handling your extension should do the 90-day report update for you right there in the same cubicle while you wait, once you let the IO know that you also have a 90-report upcoming and ask if they can process it for you. I did my retirement extension and 90-day report update there last week, and they did my 90-day report update for a due date that was still 3 weeks into the future. Forum member @Pib just did his marriage extension there this week, and they handled his 90-day report update for a due date nearly 6 weeks into the future. In my case, I waited until the IO was nearly complete with all my extension stuff, and then at the very end, asked about doing the 90-day report and showed and gave her my completed TM47 form. The whole process took about 2 minutes from start to finish.

Last year, when my retirement extension was due, I tried out taking the then-newly opened BTS extension line north to Wat Phra Sri Mahathat Station (the BTS's closest stop to BKK CW Immigration), and concluded for various reasons that it wasn't a better or faster travel option for someone coming from the downtown BKK area than the traditional BTS to Mochit Station, and then taxi northward to BKK CW Immigration on Chaengwattana Road. The report on that trip is here: This year, I tried the now similarly newly-opened SRT (State Railway of Thailand) Red Line route that has an even closer new Laksi Station at the corner of Chaengwattana Road. I'll provide the details below, but the short summary is, I once again found that for anyone beginning their trip from central/downtown Bangkok, the Red Line route to the Laksi Station likewise probably isn't either a faster or easier mass transit option than taking the BTS Sukhumvit/Light Green Line north to Mochit Station and then a regular meter taxi onward to BKK CW Immigration. In short, as someone starting out from home and walking to the nearby Asoke BTS station in downtown Bangkok, I can usually make it to the Mochit Station in about a half hour or so from the time I walk out my front door. And then typically, the taxi trip from Mochit is about another 30 minutes more to BKK Chaengwattana, with the meter taxi fare typically around 100 baht, plus some extra for the expressway tolls if you choose to use the expressway (60+ baht or so from past memory). So, the total trip by BTS and then taxi ends up being a bit more than an hour for door-to-door service. No walking of any consequence, and taxis are quick, easy and plentiful to catch at BTS Mochit. Using the new Red Line in comparison, from central BKK (Asoke area) getting to BKK CW Immigration requires a two-part rail trip starting off on the MRT Blue Line and heading north to the Blue Line's own Bang Sue Station, then walking 200 meters or so via an underground tunnel that connects to the similarly named but separate/adjoining Bang Sue Grand Station of the Red Line, and then taking that further north to the Red Line's Laksi Station. That trip, including a subsequent regular taxi trip from the Laksi Station to BKK CW Immigration, takes about 75 to 90 minutes in total, depending... The MRT Blue Line fare from Sukhumvit to Bang Sue is 40 baht, the Red Line fare is free through October (though during the free period they ask you to scan a QR code at the entry gate indicating your destination), and the last-leg meter taxi fare can be 50 to 90 baht depending on traffic. The Red Line option wouldn't be so bad except for what happens once you finally arrive at the Laksi Station. There you face potentially several different problems in getting to your ultimate destination of BKK CW Immigration: -- #1: On my trip there last Thursday, once I came down from the Laksi Station, there were hardly any regular taxis waiting around and no taxi queue visible at the station's Exit No. 1 adjoining the IT Square Complex there that is the closest direction to BKK CW Immigration. There might be motocy taxis around, but I don't/won't take them, and didn't actually see any once I came down from the Laksi Station. Where you land in front of the IT Square complex when coming down from Exit #1 at the Laksi Station headed toward BKK CW Immigration: -- #2: You probably could find a regular taxi if you hiked from the Laksi Station over to nearby Chaengwattana Road, except the whole area is a mess due to the construction of the future Pink Line running along CW Road, making walking around there difficult. Chaengwattana Road near Soi 7 looking in the direction of the Laksi intersection and Laksi Red Line Station in the far distance. Google Maps says 1.6 kilometers and a 20-minute walk to the Red Line Laksi Station, though I found it a bit longer because the sidewalk area was generally torn to shreds as you get toward the Laksi intersection. -- And #3: I tested it, the sidewalk walk from the corner of CW Road and Soi 7 near Immigration back to the Red Line Laksi station is a good 20-25 minutes, with the area at the Laksi intersection significantly torn up. In that same amount of time, a regular taxi from the Immigration building doorway could have you most of the way all the way back toward Mochit BTS. Though for those willing, you probably could find a motocy taxi to take you from Immigration back to the Laksi Red Line Station. Part of the issue may be that the Red Line route between Bang Sue and Laksi right now seems very sparsely used. I landed at the Laksi Station about 8:30 a.m. on a weekday and then headed back around noon. And the Laksi Station was pretty much empty of travelers at both times, and the trains were only lightly used on both trips. So, probably not much incentive for taxi drivers to be parked hanging around the Laksi station waiting to ferry folks onward to BKK CW Immigration or elsewhere. Morning Rush Hour (8 a.m.) on the Red Line northbound: Red Line Laksi Station noon time last Thursday: In terms of some of the finer details of the trip, once you arrive at the MRT's Bang Sue Station, you want to head toward the Gate 2-3 exits that take you via an underground tunnel to a poorly signed point midway down the tunnel where you either take stairs or escalator (I believe) up to and into the Red Line Bang Sue Grand Station (though the EN language signage doesn't appear to say that), as follows: This is the turnoff point on the outbound journey that takes you up into the Red Line Bang Sue Grand Station: And this is where you come out on the return inbound journey where you're heading down the hallway from the Red Line's Bang Sue Grand Station back to the MRT Blue Line's regular Bang Sue Station. Once in the Red Line's Bang Sue Grand Station, you want to end up on Platform 3 for the outbound trip to Laksi (Rangsit), as follows. The trains right now are supposed to be running every 15 minutes during rush hours and every half hour at other times: On the return inbound trip from Laksi back to Bang Sue Grand Station, you want to start from Platform 2 at the Laksi Station: And then the MRT Blue Line Platform 1 from Bang Sue back to the downtown area: (end)

It's one thing to be pushing the cutting edge of medical developments. It's an entirely different thing to be going over the edge into approaches that haven't been scientifically / medically confirmed in any meaningful way.

And FWIW, two different IOs at BKK CW confirmed in the past week -- one to myself and another to forum member @Pib -- that they'll accept bank deposit letters dated up to 7 days prior to your Immigration visit. Though obviously, it's better to get the letter as close to your visit date as possible.

No, it's paying attention to the latest available science based results, even in preliminary form at times: How do China’s COVID vaccines fare against the Delta variant? "A Brazilian preprint study published last week [August] tracked 61 million people in Brazil from January to June, comparing infection, hospitalization, and death rates between unvaccinated individuals and those who received Sinovac or AstraZeneca jabs. The study found that people fully inoculated with Sinovac reduced their risk of infection by 54% and risk of death by 74% compared with unvaccinated populations. Still, the AstraZeneca vaccine appeared to offer more protection, reducing the risk of infection by 70% and the risk of death by 90%. Sinovac’s efficacy also waned in older populations, reducing the risk of death by only 35% in populations over 80." https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ All the available evidence re current vaccines and the Delta variant suggests: --mRNA vaccines are at the top of the effectiveness scale --the AZ vacine trails the mRNA vaccines --and the Sinovac vaccine trails all of the above.

Show me any credible scientific studies that have been done showing the Sinovac vaccine is what any reasonable person would consider "highly effective" specifically against the Delta variant -- especially compared to better performing Delta effectiveness results for the mRNA and AZ vaccines.

But the vaccine trials that the WHO based its original Sinovac approval on from several different countries were done months before that... So your comment above is pretty meaningless. Delta wasn't the dominant virus in those vaccine trial countries at the time those studies were being conducted that formed the basis for the WHO's original EUA.

Correct. They don't. But that doesn't change the facts of the matter, and the reality of what their findings were based on -- the original virus, not Delta. If they were to go back and do some kind of comprehensive assessment of Sinovac vs Delta, they MIGHT find a vaccine not meeting their own requirements for approval. And that vaccine, Sinovac, is currently the most given COVID vaccine in the world. So for that reason among others, WHO doesn't seem to be rushing to re-consider their original findings in regards to the current Delta world: "As of July, Sinovac and Sinopharm were the No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, most used vaccines in the world, according to Airfinity. The two manufacturers have also delivered 693 million shots to foreign countries while supplying the bulk of the 2 billion doses China has delivered domestically. And the shots are providing some level of protection to billions worldwide in places that might not otherwise have access to vaccines." https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ Another case of "something is better than nothing." But if I lived in someplace where I had ANY choice of different vaccines -- mRNA, AZ, or Sinovac/Sinopharm -- I can't think of any reason that I'd want to choose a Sinovac vaccine over any of the others. It would be pretty much at the bottom of my options list. And that's not based on any kind of anti-China rant. It's purely based on the currently available info re vaccine effectiveness.

That finding about "highly effective" was made months ago when the WHO first issued its EUL for the Sinovac vaccine, which was before the substantial emergence of the Delta variant. When they talk today about Sinovac's effectiveness, they're still pointing back to the prior data which is pretty much irrelevant in a Delta dominated world. And curiously, the WHO has yet to update those effectiveness findings/assessments for Sinovac in relation to the Delta variant. Back when the WHO first approved Sinovac based on trials of its performance against the original version of the coronavirus, its effectiveness was significantly less than the same WHO assessments for the mRNA and AZ vaccines, but just barely enough to get approved. Clearly, Sinovac's performance hasn't gotten better -- and instead likely has deteriorated -- with the advent of the Delta variant.

There's been some recent reporting on the effectiveness of the Sinovac vaccine against the Delta variant, with the results showing it to be generally less effective than the AZ vaccine, but still offering some protection: "A Brazilian preprint study published last week tracked 61 million people in Brazil from January to June, comparing infection, hospitalization, and death rates between unvaccinated individuals and those who received Sinovac or AstraZeneca jabs. The study found that people fully inoculated with Sinovac reduced their risk of infection by 54% and risk of death by 74% compared with unvaccinated populations. Still, the AstraZeneca vaccine appeared to offer more protection, reducing the risk of infection by 70% and the risk of death by 90%. Sinovac’s efficacy also waned in older populations, reducing the risk of death by only 35% in populations over 80." https://fortune.com/2021/08/31/china-covid-vaccine-sinovac-sinopharm-delta-variant-effective/ The new Brazil study apparently didn't compare the same results for the mRNA Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but presumably, their effectiveness rates would be even higher than those of the AZ vaccine, as that's what studies have generally shown thus far.

WHO on Sinovac: "Does it prevent infection and transmission? "There is currently no substantive data available related to the impact of COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac-CoronaVac on transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease. In the meantime, WHO reminds of the need to stay the course and continue practising public health and social measures that should be used as a comprehensive approach to prevent infection and transmission. These measures include wearing a mask, physical distancing, handwashing, respiratory and cough hygiene, avoiding crowds and ensuring adequate ventilation according to local national advice." https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/the-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-what-you-need-to-know

Smelling the open vaccine vial coming next?

I'm so glad Thailand arranged to host its own AstraZeneca vaccine production facility.... So the country could then turn around and pay to import millions and millions of less effective Sinovac doses from China. And meanwhile in the rest of the world, people are getting and using the MORE effective mRNA vaccines that remain RARE here in Thailand. Good job guys! ????

There has been some scientific research outside Thailand into what they're proposing, but it involved the Moderna vaccine, and the one I'm reading hasn't been peer reviewed as yet and involved a very small number of subjects: Intradermal administration of low-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induces strong immune response, study finds Scientists in the Netherlands recently conducted an open-level, randomized-controlled trial to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of fractional intradermal doses of the mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine mRNA-1273 (Moderna). The trial findings reveal that the fractional dose regimen of the Moderna vaccine is well tolerated and safe and is capable of inducing robust antibody responses in vaccine recipients. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server. ... In the first part of the study, two doses of 10 µg mRNA-1273 vaccine were administered intradermally to 10 individuals at an interval of 28 days. Similarly, in the second part, two doses of 20 µg mRNA-1273 were intradermally administered to 30 individuals at the same interval. The vaccine recipients were healthy adults aged 18 to 30 years who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 in both serological and PCR-based testing. (more) https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210802/Intradermal-administration-of-low-dose-mRNA-COVID-19-vaccine-induces-strong-immune-response-study-finds.aspx But at least for now, the prevailing and approved method of administration is intramuscular, not intradermal. And there's some thinking that intradermal may make the vaccine less effective: "The manufacturers advise that the vaccine should not be injected intravascularly, subcutaneously or intradermally.3 Injecting a vaccine into the layer of subcutaneous fat with poor vascularity resulting in slow mobilisation and processing of antigen leading to vaccine failure.4 The antigen may take longer to reach the circulation after being deposited in fat, delaying presentation to T and B cells that are essential for immune response. In addition, there is a risk that the antigens may be denatured by enzymes if they remain subcutaneously for prolonged period. Subcutaneous injections can lead to localised cellulitis, granuloma formation and abscess." https://pmj.bmj.com/content/97/1148/400#ref-3

So you're basically saying there's a hidden epidemic raging, and your solution is to add more fuel to the fire.... ????

That's not it at all... The truth is...the emergence of the Delta variant was a game changer. With that variant, it became clear that fully vaccinated people could still become infected, and once infected, could have high, infectious levels of viral stuff in their throats. Meaning they could pose an infection risk to those, vaccinated or not, who come into contact with them while infected. The transmissibility element of things changed from earlier in the pandemic. What didn't change was the continuing fact that especially the mRNA vaccines provide a high level of protection for those infected against serious illness, hospitalization and death. But when you've got places like Thailand where only a relatively small portion of the total population has been fully vaccinated thus far, having fully vaccinated visitors who aren't quarantined and thus have the potential to spread the virus becomes a real risk factor, especially to the unvaccinated majority.

Ever since TBT dropped the pork choice from their menu, I've basically stopped going. For me, their ground beef is tasteless and has no beef flavor or texture that I can discern. And I don't much care for ground chicken tacos or burritos, especially from TBT. And of course, still no frijoles... No, hardly any resemblance at all!! ????

Here's something more useful and informative than anything you're likely to hear from the average Thai doctor during a paid consult regarding vaccines. Hot off the presses.... Among three COVID-19 vaccines, Moderna’s shows highest efficacy against hospitalizations Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization among U.S. adults without immunocompromising conditions was highest for the Moderna vaccine compared with the other two available COVID-19 vaccines, researchers reported in MMWR. “Three COVID-19 vaccines are authorized or approved for use among adults in the United States,” Wesley H. Self, MD, associate professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and colleagues wrote. “Current guidelines from FDA and CDC recommend vaccination of eligible persons with one of these three products, without preference for a specific vaccine.” ... (more) https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20210917/among-three-covid19-vaccines-modernas-shows-higher-efficacy-against-hospitalizations

Bangkok, as of Sept 15, was at less than 40% of its total "official" population fully vaccinated, and that 7.7 million population count those percentages are based on is a considerable undercount to the actual 10 million or so current population here. https://www.facebook.com/informationcovid19/photos/408045277480469