BREAKING NEWS COVID-19: Thai Consulate in Penang requires some foreigners to provide medical certificate

[Jonathan Fairfield]

COVID-19: Thai Consulate in Penang requires some foreigners to provide medical certificate

 

 

The Thai Royal Consulate in Penang, Malaysia has announced that some foreigners are now required to provide a medical certificate together with their visa application.

 

The new requirement, which came into effect on 9 March 2020, concerns passport holders from the following countries:

 

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Iran
• China
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan
• Japan
• Korea
• Singapore

 

By ‘medical certificate’ it is presumed that means an official document that confirms the applicant has not been infected with the coronavirus, COVID-19.

 

Image: Samui Visa Run

 

While some of the countries listed in the announcement had already been certified as “Disease Infected Zones” and therefore anyone travelling to Thailand is regarded as ‘high risk’, France, Germany and Spain were not included on the list released last Thursday.

 

A photo of the notice was shared by the Samui Visa Run visa service.

 

It is not known if the requirement is being applied only at the Thai consulate in Penang or at Thai consulates worldwide. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-03-09

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[lopburi3]

The same information seems to have been published by CAAT for airlines not to accept anyone without such a certificate for flights here.  Looks like another major error and no other sources seem to be willing to confirm it.  We live in interesting times seems to be an understatement.

[fforest1]

Whats the point of needing a medical certificate for tourist visas and not visa exempts......There is no point its just stupid....

 

Never mind how hard it would be to find a doctor to certify someone Coronavirus free....

[brewsterbudgen]

So someone with a passport from one of those countries who has been in Thailand continuously for some time and needs a new B or O visa, needs a medical certificate?

[SpanishExpat]

10 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

So someone with a passport from one of those countries who has been in Thailand continuously for some time and needs a new B or O visa, needs a medical certificate?

I guess so, as they don`t differentiate between living in LOS or having recently traveled from a risk-country.

Had the same issue at a land-border last weekend. Told them they can check my passport and see I haven`t been to a risk-country since the virus stuff started. They didn`t care at all. It was just a screening in my case, but that proves they just look at your passport and NOT your recent travel history.

 

Thus it means you either have to pay that expensive test on your own or (after all that`s LOS) bribe a doctor to sign you such a certificate. 

Edited March 9, 2020 by SpanishExpat

[ukrules]

It's going to be almost impossible to get one of these certificates during a pandemic when every test is being used for people who are ill in hospital.

 

They could simply ban people from the list of countries but instead they do it the normal Thai way - they obstruct and throw up road blocks / add hoops to jump through making it almost impossible but not quite impossible to comply with.

Edited March 9, 2020 by ukrules

[Caldera]

7 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

So someone with a passport from one of those countries who has been in Thailand continuously for some time and needs a new B or O visa, needs a medical certificate?

Looks a lot like that, and yes, it makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Traubert]

8 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

So someone with a passport from one of those countries who has been in Thailand continuously for some time and needs a new B or O visa, needs a medical certificate?

No. It's for new travellers incoming from now.

 

Unless you need to leave Thailand to get your visa and I suggest you don't go to Italy to get it. Plus there's exemptions for people who would normally have to do that.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Traubert

[bodymassagemyfriend]

Seems like the best way to deter the very few remaining tourists taht could have brought a bit of cash to Thailand

[Borzandy]

Certificate costs only 200 Baht....

[metempsychotic]

3 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

Certificate costs only 200 Baht....

Exactly, but that is a fact that is easily overlooked for dramatic purposes.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

Certificate costs only 200 Baht....

And you base that on what?  We know some, if done in Thailand, are cheap but we do not know what they want certified in this case - unless you have done and can advise?

[tifino]

Singapore for example, is amongst 64 countries, that are Visa Exempt!

 - there won't be a Visa, to Pin the Certificate to!

[justin case]

if you are of those nationality, but been living 10+years in thailand...

 

again ...stupid rules for us the sheeple

 

 

you could say : at least, if every AIRPORT would have a medical crew that could certify you on the SPOT ... but that would be too easy, right ...

Edited March 10, 2020 by justin case

[Tops]

1 hour ago, Borzandy said:

Certificate costs only 200 Baht....

That's a price to get a driving license !

- A blood test for Corona costs at least 5,000 THB.

- A X-ray of your lungs for Corona costs at least 9,000 THB and you also need a X-ray for TB what is a different X-ray will cost the same.

- A blood test on all kind of diseases costs at least 3,500 THB. HIV is included.

These are the prices for Thai at Ramathibodhi Hospital what is a university hospital and is certified by immigration.

 

Immigration at Chang Wattana has a list with all the hospitals that are certified. When I came on Feb 5 to pick up my visa extension that was under consideration a panic broke out because I had a bandaid on my left thumb after cutting myself in the kitchen. I had to prove that I was disease free. This took a day resulting in a 1 day overstay. All together it has costed me over 25k THB. And as Ramathibodhi is my regular hospital, having a Thai wife, I pay as the Thai pay. Foreigners normally pay double !!! There are private hospitals on the list at immigration but those prices are trippled of more.

 

A guy I know, not to be named, having a restaurant also had to get himself a health certificate. He thought he was smart and got the 200 THB certificate after he was laughing about the price I paid. Being a day on overstay he went to Chang Wattana immigration. Got arrested, thrown in the detention center for 3 weeks and is now in the USA after having a 5 year ban. His wife told me because she is now running his restaurant.

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by Tops

[Tchooptip]

18 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

So someone with a passport from one of those countries who has been in Thailand continuously for some time and needs a new B or O visa, needs a medical certificate?

I have exactly the same question! I am in Thailand for more than seven years, so?