jayboy

28 minutes ago, Tim16 said:

If you are fully vaccinated

This is what you need to do if you qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England. Before you travel to England – fully vaccinated

Before you travel to England you must:

book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England

complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England

You will need to enter your COVID-19 test booking reference number on your passenger locator form.When you arrive in England – fully vaccinated

After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2.

You must book this test before you travel.

there is talk that  at the end of October the day 2 test will be changed from a PCR test to a cheaper lateral flow test

other parts of UK have their own rules

Thanks.Very useful summary

9 minutes ago, WhiteBuffaloATM said:

BUT i have made some other steps towards PR like Residence Lease Owner ( 10 mill baht invested 2007), Tabien Baan, Pink ID, Alien Reg. No. and Thai Dependent Child.

Unfortunately none of these are steps towards PR.

12 hours ago, treetops said:

It's not the vaccine going into arms that doesn't pass muster it's the vaccine program, which encompasses all stages including the actual jab.  The medical infrastructure is only part of that program and there are lots of areas where Thailand could well fall short.

Looks as though you were mostly right and I was mostly wrong.See BBC's Jonathan Head's tweet.

Jonathan Head

@pakhead

Question for

@AstraZeneca

and Siam Bioscience. The European Medical Agency says Thai SBS vaccine is not approved because it has never been asked to inspect the SBS plant. Also AFAIK no clinical trials were run on locally-made AZ vaccine. So, harder for it to be accepted overseas.

9 hours ago, treetops said:

More than just the documentation, it is being satisfied that the whole vaccination program, from procurement, handling and storage, distribution, record keeping etc etc meets satisfactory standards

Some of this is bound up with certification issues.But unless you have evidence to the contrary, I doubt whether scrutiny will extend to such matters as procurement, handling and storage.Thailand has an excellent medical infrastructure and is certainly not in the group of countries where delivery systems might be suspect.In short I doubt whether the whole Thai program needs to be checked.

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Sorry, I have no idea what you are going on about now. 

The Thai Constitution is written to protect Thai Citizens, full stop. 

 

I'm afraid I'm a cynic.The 1997 Constitution, though far from perfect, was certainly drafted with the interests of Thai citizens foremost. The current constitution enshrining the present sham democracy was drafted in the interests of those who pushed it forward and of course their patrons and paymasters.

35 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I agree if that is this unelected government that is being referred to.

But from my experience of living here for 15 years, I do not get the impression that I am just tolerated

by the ordinary Thai people, apart from them trying to jump queues, or riding their motorbike through the market next to me, and that is nothing with me being a foreigner. I have never had any altercations with any of them.

It's not a question of not having altercations.Thais are generally a polite people with foreigners.That does not alter the fact that, as with most countries, foreigners are tolerated rather than welcomed.Those who mix with the classes catering to farang "customers" or who live in towns associated with the "water trade" may get a different impression but it isn't representative.Over time foreigners can become assimilated but that is unusual in Thailand for Westerners.

4 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

the presence of foreigners in Thailand is tolerated rather than welcomed. 

 

To be fair that can be said of most countries.

1 hour ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

I believe we, myself included may have confused two issues.The first one is Recognition of the AZ vaccine produced in Thailand and the second issue is where the vaccine was administered.  There is no doubt in my mind that the UK DOES recognise the vaccine produced in Thailand (see my thread above)

 

However the issue that requires to be resolved is the proving the authenticity of the documention of the country administering the vaccine.

 

Let's hope the powers that be can come up with a solution soon.

 

If I have come to the party late, I apologise.

That is my understanding too. It's a pity that the recent advice from the British Consular Team doesn't make it specifically clear that it's a certification issue.

My greater concern with the Consular advice is the wording, "working to extend its approach to vaccinated passengers from other places." This is a generic "line to take" comment that doesn't actually convey much information. I don't even understand what "to extend is approach" actually means. We are all very well aware that no answer can be given now and that it probably isn't even possible to provide an estimated likely time frame.But surely it would be possible to set out some general background on the criteria required.

5 hours ago, khunPer said:

Not at all "neglected to advise some relevant information but there is something distinctly peculiar in your account of this incident" - there are 21 other Danes on the tax-list besides me on the island where I live, so it's about all Danes, furthermore numerous Danes further up north have shared about it in a Danish-language forum, many are retirees with no other income than their government pensions - so please don't speculate in something you have no knowledge about, and make accusations based on your speculations. The basics of a DTA is to share tax-information between the two states...????

 

I have based on this incident been in contact with the Danish tax authorities, who confirms in writing that they share tax-information with Thailand...

I'm not questioning your veracity but since this is a discussion forum feel entitled to point out some aspects that are peculiar, even outrageous.

To be specific and as an example it is a bizarre that a Danish government pensioner with no other income, who has paid all due tax, is visited by the Thai tax authorities.Why on earth should that happen? It simply doesn't make sense.

2 hours ago, khunPer said:

The source is "the taxman" - i.e.that's what the kind people from the tax authorities have told not only me, but also other Danes in Thailand. 

That's not authoritative.Is it just what the "kind ladies" told you and some other Danes? Other expatriates have been told completely different stories by Thai tax officials on retirees liability for tax - there are many such accounts on this forum.

I certainly don't disagree that expatriates tax affairs are likely to be more closely scrutinized in the future.But there's something "off" in your account of the Danish authorities passing on tax information and contact details of their citizens (who have already paid tax in Denmark) to the Thai tax authorities who then send "kind ladies" to investigate.I don't buy it.You have perhaps neglected to advise some relevant information but there is something distinctly peculiar in your account of this incident.

36 minutes ago, khunPer said:

You said "...I never ever heard of anyone being taxed for bringing money into LOS to live on as a retiree as you propose to do."

 

Then you will hear about the first case right now - and I'm just one of several - the Thai tax authorities has begun to check retirees for retirement pension taxation. I, and many of my fellow Danish countrymen (and women) have had visit of the kind taxman (often a pair of ladies) that already have full statements about income from our home country. We need to prove that we have paid income tax in our home countries, and that the income tax is higher than it would be in Thailand (no problem when one's country is number one in the World). Mind you that the base of a DTA is that the two states share tax-information. According to the Thai taxman, retirees from Denmark and Finland, are only the beginning; however, you might not need to pay tax in Thailand, but they do wish to know about your income, in principle you are tax-resident and fully income taxable...????

Interesting.From what you say the Danish authorities, despite the fact you pay tax - at a higher rate than in Thailand - in your home country, have supplied the Thai tax authorities with details of your Danish income and your contact address in Thailand.It's true that most DTAs include provision for exchanging information but this would normally be in respect of people/entities "of interest" - not typical retirees. As a practical point there so many areas areas of greater interest to the Thai tax authorities that paying visits on blameless foreign retirees is odd to say the very least.Still I don't feel surprised particularly that the tax affairs of foreign pensioners would be further scrutinized. Most international banks have been asking similar questions over the last few years

One question.You quote the Thai taxman that scrutiny of Danes and Finns is only the beginning of retirees tax position being checked.What is your source for this?

I suspect we will have to wait until Thailand is back on the green list before this issue is resolved.

We are told the issue is being worked on but needless to say there have been no update reports for several weeks from the British government or the British Embassy.

Thailand is not the country involved by any means.By the way don't bother looking for weird conspiracy theories about UK's concerns about Thailand's alleged shortcomings in administering vaccines.As in most cases the explanation is almost always in the bureaucratic sluggishness.In Whitehall terms it's not a great priority.

22 hours ago, gamini said:

Trump clone, Boris Johnson obsessed with pushing brexit through ignored the pandemic resulting in a death rate 10 times higher than Thailand even with the smaller population

Brits who criticise Thailand regarding the pandemic are just hypocrites.

Four spectacular lies in three lines.Is this a record?

Turning to the topic there are several factors to account for the difference.Obesity is absolutely critical.Most of the victims in the UK under the age of 60 were morbidly obese with underlying conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. I don't think that obesity is a significant problem in Thailand.When I visited my sick father in Manchester a few years ago it was very obvious there was a huge obesity problem among NHS workers particularly nurses.

59 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

I presented some possible reasons for why, in my opinion, Thailand has failed to meet the criteria set by the UK. before

 

You don't agree with them. Fine, that is absolutely your right. Ignore them then, but as I said before,  if you are going to issue a blanket dismissal of them as "complete rubbish" and "errors" you could offer alternative suggestions? 

The certification issue has been detailed in several posts over the last few days.We haven't yet been given the details.

I see you are now placing caveats and qualifications on your previous "explanation." It makes no difference:it is still mostly nonsense.

On 9/24/2021 at 11:57 AM, Havenstreet1940 said:

One further thought on this subject.   If the lack of recognition is due to the question of authenticity of the vaccine documentation, could not the record of vaccination contained on the Ministry of Public Health Mor Prom App be the key to unlocking the impasse?  Or is there no trust from the UK of a Thai Government body?

I don't think it's even that.My hunch is that while Thailand is on the red list there's no real urgency to find a solution, the usual bureaucratic sluggishness that's too endemic in the British civil service unless there is focused and imaginative management.It's the "computer says no" mentality.

However Thailand is but one of several countries affected and credit where credit is due, the new Ambassador seems an energetic and capable person and will keep the expatriate community informed.I would be surprised if we didn't have a way forward by the end of next month.

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

So, what are your suggestions as to why the UK has taken the position it has?

 

It would help to know them, before dismissing other, reasoned, suggestions out of hand as " complete rubbish" wouldn't it?

It wasn't a suggestion from you.You presented your collection of errors as facts.

The issue relates to certification of vaccines and Thailand is not an isolated instance.We await clarification from the UK government on the details.

17 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

The bottom line is that there are big red question marks against the conduct, planning and efficacy of the vaccination programme, along with testing and the actual as  against the expected, as announced or hoped for supply of vaccines. Hence the decision.

Complete rubbish. There is no evidence this is anything to do with the UK position

13 hours ago, Havenstreet1940 said:

I have a further question for the British Embassy Bangkok.   Looking at the revised Grreen List and what was called the Amber List(Low Risk) countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia,Laos, Vitetnam and Myanmar all appear.

To ensure quarantine free visit to UK,  travellers from those coutries must be fully vaccinated.   However as Astrazeneca received in SE Asia is not to be recognised in the UK, travellers from those countries would still require to quarantine in either a hotel or at an address in the UK.    Makes no sense!

 

Thailand has been isolated.   Why?  what are we not being told here in Thailand?

Good luck in getting an answer.We can but live in hope.

Reading the UK press particularly the Guardian, it seems that the problem is not with Astra Zeneca but with the certification process.There is a very similar sense of outrage in India for the same reason.

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Farang is commonly used to describe white western people. Not for people from Asia or Africa.

Exactly.It's a group which has minimal impact on the property market with the exception of the condo sector - and even there farang are very much minority players.Personally I don't think opening up the property sector to all comers would do anything but good, but it will never happen.

5 hours ago, Mansell said:

This is to stop the farang buying all the choice places. Example: In Nicaragua you can buy property everywhere except land by the sea. Makes sense if you think about it. In a very short time here all the good stuff would be farang owned…..not great for Thai people. 

Do you know what "farang" means?

It's a rather poorly written article but the quoted comments of Dr Wichai are quite revealing because they so clearly demonstrate the mindset of the Sino-Thai commercial class. Looking at Dr Wichai's handsome features I'm guessing his not so distant ancestors hailed from the rice fields of Southern China.If a bunch of foreigners ever cornered the Thai property market, his lot did.

On 9/18/2021 at 1:30 PM, Upnotover said:

• full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines from a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea or Taiwan – mixing between two-dose vaccines (Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna) in this list is also recognised

My understanding from Astra Zeneca in Bangkok is that France and Germany both recognize AZ vaccinations performed in Thailand ( these countries' approval remove the possibility of any quality control difficulty.)The UK at present does not recognize AZ vaccinations performed in Thailand for reasons which are unknown.The new British Ambassador is aware of the problem but has not explained why there is an issue here nor given any kind of estimate when the issue will be resolved.