BAD NEWS FOR COE APPLICANTS

[KhaoYai]

I have no idea if this will apply to other countries but I received an e-mail from The Royal Thai Embassy in London yesterday that effectively suspends applications for COE until futher notice.  I know they are wrong about flights as I follow the airport's live arrivals and departures online everyday - nevertheless, this is what they had to say (inc errors).

 

Dear Sir/Madame,

 

Thank you very much for your enquiries and the request of the COE, please kindly understand that all commercial flights are now banned to enter the country. The COE can be quick and easy to issue. If you already have the visa, we will issue it straight away BUT we need to make sure that you really have the plane to travel. You can submit the application to this email with the heading that 'already have visa'

We would like to emphasise that there are no commercial flights allowed to get into the country at the moment. However, the airline would like to sell you tickets that cannot really fly. They may be able to refund it later but there is no point applying or requesting COE now.

At the moment, we have some seats already occupied on the repat flight on 26 July as
we prioritise Thai national to go back to the country. We would like to recommend you to wait a bit more and update information and instruction to go to Thailand again later.

We are now stop processing the COE for those who do not obtain the real flight ticket that will really go. Once you have the flight which really exist (not at the moment as they are all banned to get in to the country), you can apply for the visa and COE at the same time as the document is the same via our website.

We will update the information as soon as the information becomes available
at http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services

 

Thank you very much for your kind understanding

 

My take on that is that it is quite clear, for the time being that they say there are no flights so they will not issue COE.  I don't see what difference it makes to them - just issue the COE and let us take our chances with the flights.  I suspect that this is just some weird, nonsensical response to the situation with the Egyptian military guy/Diplomat's daughter - there were rumours speading to this effect immediately afterwards.

 

I had already given up on visiting my wife for the foreseeable future so this no longer affects me but I really feel for those who are still wanting to return.  We have had almost daily changes to the COE application process, until yesterday we were asked to book flights without being given a date or indeed a guarantee of entry - now this.  We have a saying in the UK they 'couldn't organise a p*&%up in a brewery!

 

 

[ukrules]

I wonder if they're talking about direct flights only?

[stubuzz]

It looks like it has been written by a non native speaker. I don't believe it.

[richard_smith237]

There is a slight miss-wording in their response. 

 

Commercial ‘Passenger’ flights are banned from entering Thailand under the current Emergency Decree. 

 

Thus, the Qatar Airways, KLM and other flights you can see on Suvarnabumi Airport arrivals webpage are landing, but only as ‘cargo’ flights. And perhaps also flying some passengers out of Thailand. 

 

It seems any existing repatriation flights are full (business class too?), thus, they [the Embassy] are unable to process any Certificates of Entry as there are no flights to go on anyway. 

 

It seems the Embassy are creating extra work for themselves - they could simply provide the CoE  at this stage and offer seats on available flights as they become available. 

 

 

Of course, they could issue the CoE and passengers with clearance and ASQ bookings / Covid-19 free Certificates etc could travel at their convenience, it could work, but the government are clearly worried about loosing control of the numbers under such circumstances. 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by richard_smith237

[SVC Porter]

At least you actually got a reply!  I got a standard bounce back email from their visa dept.  I tried phoning The London office but it just rang off. Looks like I like many will have to sit tight here at home until commercial flights are up and running again.  

 

I can only hope my employer in LOS will hold my job!

[Dan O]

The wording on this announcement is very suspicious. It  seems very awkward and not typical of the normal confusing government statements. The bit about commercial flight I think is correct I believe but worded awkward. they are calling all these approved return flight are being called repatriation flights controlled by the government.  They did announce after the Egyptian issue that they would stop incoming flights and persons temporarily until they tightened the loopholes for diplomats, government invitees etc. 

[KhaoYai]

Guys, I'm fully aware of the 'argument' regarding whether flights are landing or not and what those flights actually are. A guy who left Thailand recently confirmed that he'd spoken to the Qatar staff on his flight out - they told him that the flight landed empty.

 

Strangely, all EVA flights from London to Bangkok have now disappeared from their website until 2 September. They were there a few days ago - given that EVA operate the repat flights for the Embassy in London, I suspect either some underhand dealings or that EVA had prior knowledge that COE applications were going to be suspended.

 

[KhaoYai]

9 minutes ago, Dan O said:

The wording on this announcement is very suspicious. It  seems very awkward and not typical of the normal confusing government statements. The bit about commercial flight I think is correct I believe but worded awkward. they are calling all these approved return flight are being called repatriation flights controlled by the government.  They did announce after the Egyptian issue that they would stop incoming flights and persons temporarily until they tightened the loopholes for diplomats, government invitees etc. 

The wording is typical of other communications I've had with the London Embassy - presumably the same person although they never give their name.

 

Yes, they did talk about some tightening but I don't see why COE should be affected. I know of no cases where someone who has been quarantined, then brought in the virus.

Edited July 17, 2020 by KhaoYai

[reallyaffiliated]

KLM is also nothing until september. Maybe there's going to be some new announcements soon, and the airlines already know more?

[86Tiger]

Guys, they are shut down.  They can say whatever they want in a email reply. 

 

Bottom line is they are not accepting foreigners until told otherwise.

[KhaoYai]

4 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

Guys, they are shut down.  They can say whatever they want in a email reply. 

 

Bottom line is they are not accepting foreigners until told otherwise.

Well we would like to know why? I don't know of a case where a foreigner has left quarantine and infected someone - so where's the justification for doing this?

 

They have let some people pay for their flights and quarantine hotel. They may get a refund on the flight but only if its actuallly cancelled by the airline. If the passenger doesn't fly because they don't have a COE they've got very little chance of a refund.  Some of the ASQ hotels require up front payment and have no refund policies. 

 

We don't yet know if those who's applications are already in will still get their COE or not but they've laid out considerable amounts of cash because of the Thai Embassy's insistence that they could only apply for COE if they had a ticket and booked quarantine - not an easy thing to do when they don't give you a date to fly!

 

In the course of less than 2 weeks The Thai Embassy in London have gone from, buy your own ticket to, tickets must be purchased through us, then back to, buy your own ticket and now, buy your own ticket but we won't allow it because its not real!!!

 

Their insistence that the flights are not real will probably prove to be true now because the airlines are pulling out - but note they are still landing today.

 

Its been a complete and utter shambles from day 1 and its not much better for the Thai's stranded in the UK - some of them have been waiting since April.  The logistics of getting both Thai's and eligible foreigners home would be much better if they just left it to people to arrange their own way back and book their own quarantine. They get involved and it all goes to pot.

 

I've heard of many Thai's here who have lost their tickets home because they weren't allowed to fly on any other than the repatriation flights and wait their turn.  They now have to fork out extortionate prices for the repat flights. The Embassy say that its because there have to be quarantine places available and only they can arrange that yet my wife's friend is in state quarantine in Bangkok and says there are rooms empty. So there are flights arriving empty and state quarantine rooms empty - great organisation.

 

Shambles ain't strong enough!

Edited July 17, 2020 by KhaoYai

[samsensam]

4 hours ago, 86Tiger said:

Guys, they are shut down.  They can say whatever they want in a email reply. 

 

Bottom line is they are not accepting foreigners until told otherwise.

 

agree, best to manage expectations and not get hopeful about the situation changing in the  foreseeable future, thailand is terrified of the virus being brought into the country.