Thailand Elite Members officially on the list

[alyx]

Hello everyone, 

 

Not sure if that is the right forum 

 

Nevertheless, it is now official: Stranded abroad Thailand Elite members are able to travel back to the kingdom under the program called TEMQ (Thailand Elite Member Quarantine)

[alyx]

Same conditions as everyone else apply of course but it is not, and for from it, a pass to go back and forth....

[ubonjoe]

It is shown on Thai embassy in the US.

"For Thailand Privilege Card holders, please contact Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (Thailand Elite) directly to request for an authorization. At this stage, without an authorization from Thailand, the Royal Thai Embassy can’t issue COE for Elite card holders."

[ukrules]

It's a lot to digest but.......TE will make your arrangements and book the ASQ hotel for you based on a list of hotels you provide.

 

They do appear to be making the process a lot easier than what I've read elsewhere

 

Anyway, this is the full text of the announcement :

 

Thailand Elite Members Quarantine Program

 

Terms and Conditions

 

1. Members must agree and apply for our Thailand Elite Member Quarantine program by signing the application form attached along with this email and reply back to us.

 

2. Under Thailand Elite Member Quarantine (TEMQ) program, members can travel to Thailand using Elite visa and will be checked in at one of the Alternative State Quarantine Hotels (ASQ) approved by CCSA for 15 days (Day0 until day14) The cost of stay is vary depending on the ASQ hotel selection and all expenses will be on members’ responsibility.

 

3. After receiving your completed application form, we will send your information to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and start contacting your selected ASQ hotel. If your first choice of ASQ hotel is not available, we will contact the second, third, fourth and fifth ASQ hotels you ranked in the application form. Once members’ information is approved by the government, members will get confirmation emails from us and can start preparing documents to contact the nearest Royal Thai embassy/ Consulate for Certificate of Entry (COE) and available seat on repatriation flights.

This process may take from 5 days up to 2 weeks and we may contact you in between if the government requires more information from you.

 

4. For those who have not got the confirmation email from us, your name will be put in the next quota we are now negotiating with the government and it seems very positive at the moment. We will send the confirmation email to you once it is approved.

 

5. After receiving confirmation email from us, members are to contact and provide support documents by him/herself to Royal Thai Embassy or consulate at the country members are now in and have stated in the application form. The support documents are:

 

5.1 At least 6 months valid Passport and valid Thailand Elite Visa affixed on it.

 

5.2 The ASQ hotel booking confirmation document received from us or the ASQ hotel staff via email

 

5.3 Health Insurance (cover COVID19) at least 100,000 USD

 

5.4 Medical Certificate of COVID19 free and result of COVID19 test within 72 hours before departure date to Thailand

 

5.5 Fit to fly Medical certificate within 72 hours before departure date to Thailand

 

5.6 If you would like to travel on your arranged private jet flight, the information on private jet flight such as booking itineraries including flight number, date and time are to be provided to both Royal Thai Embassy / Consulate and Thailand Privilege Cards Co., Ltd. (TPC) Private jet needs permission for landing in Thailand which we will help rechecking on this issue for you.

 

5.7 Other support documents may be required by Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in the country you are now in.

 

6. Members must have a mobile phone that can be used and download the assigned applications during the time members stay in Thailand.

 

7. Once Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate approves all documents, the Certificate of Entry (COE) will be granted. The quota of available seats on repatriation flights from the country members are now in will be assigned. Please note that only repatriation flights are now allowed to land in Thailand. Those flights being advertised elsewhere that allow you to book the flight freely

without comments from Royal Thai embassy/ Consulate mostly end up being cancelled. Unless you would like to arrange your own private jet flight to Thailand, you need to contact us and provide your booking itineraries including flight number, date and time. We will recheck their landing permission for you.

 

8. Members are to contact TPC via email sending us the copy of COE and confirmed date and flight of arrival into Thailand. TPC will pass information to your ASQ Hotel to finalize your booking and send the hotel confirmation back to members.

 

9. On the day members depart for Thailand, we recommend that all the documents mentioned in 5. and the T.8 form should not be loaded in your checked in baggage as the documents will be checked again at the airport departure gate, and on arrival check points.

 

10. After arriving Thailand, our meet and greet staffs (EPA) are not allowed to welcome members at the gate due to CCSA quarantine restriction. Our operation at arrival area is out of service at the moment. CCSA staff will lead members to the medical test point and other control points at the airport. Members will meet the hotel staff at the arranged point at the baggage belts. (Members will be informed if there is a change of meeting point)

 

11. Transportation from BKK airport will be provided by the ASQ hotel. Before checking in at the hotel, COVID19 test will be done and members must download applications and quarantine manual following the recommendation from the hotel staff.

 

12. Once the quarantine is completed and members are free of COVID19 until the last day, members will be approved to check out. It is important that members sign the quarantine completed form and hand it to the hotel staff or send to us via email. The form will be returned to TPC as an evidence, if final check is required by CCSA.

 

13. Only members who are ready for doing 14 days quarantine and also ready to cooperate with CCSA and Thai government are to join the program. The process and negotiation for more quota will be difficult without your cooperation. Any rudeness and misbehavior toward staff of Thai embassy/ consulate will only create less chance of approval as a person fail to convince the government that he/she will follow CCSA guidance. Your previous emails to us regarding this matter can also be asked to show as support documents to the government as well.

 

14. For those members, staying in Thailand at the moment, who wish to travel out of the kingdom and need to arrange for return in short period of time. We would like to recommend you to please reconsider the trip as the government is now only allowing those who have stranded abroad for a long time before CAAT’s ban on landing of international flights announcement to return to Thailand first. Unless you plan your return on the end of 2021 or the year after. Though, we can not guarantee the process or documents to be required for travel at that time as we believe it will be what we call “New Normal”

 

15. This program is approved by CCSA for helping only those who had Elite Visa already affixed on the passport. For those who have not got Elite Visa affixed, you can start the process requesting for affixing. Please note that we are unable to interfere any process to be done/approved by Thai Royal Embassy/ Consulate regarding visa affixing. The period for the process will vary depending on amount of request at Royal Thai Embassy/ Consulate in each different areas. Though, for TEMQ program, those who have just affixed Elite Visa will be put on a waiting list after those who have already had Elite Visa affixed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

[Caldera]

That doesn't sound too bad, compared with the hassle other visa holders seem to have.

 

[Searat7]

It appears that TE is booking ASQ hotels before the request for repatriation flight is submitted to Thai Embassy.  You would think they would have fixed the whole process by now.

[Bender Rodriguez]

elite prices for elite quarantine hotel ?

[Ohyesuare]

34 minutes ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

elite prices for elite quarantine hotel ?

Of course, I imagine.

[sqwakvfr]

“ Health Insurance (cover COVID19) at least 100,000 USD”

 

So now Health Insurance has been made mandatory for Elite Visa Holders?   I was considering this for next year but the cost now just went up additional 65,000 for me.  A 5 year Elite Visa is 500,000+ Mandatory Covid 19 coverage health insurance.  The text clearly states “health insurance”.  Doubt Travel Insurance will be accepted.  

Edited August 21, 2020 by sqwakvfr
Grammar

[howerde]

5.1 At least 6 months valid Passport and valid Thailand Elite Visa affixed on it., that will disappoint those that applied overseas as you dont get the visa n you passport until you arrive.

and item 14 does not sound good either for Thailand opening up anytime soon

Unless you plan your return on the end of 2021 or the year after. Though, we can not guarantee the process or documents to be required for travel at that time as we believe it will be what we call “New Normal”

[ubonjoe]

48 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

So now Health Insurance has been made mandatory for Elite Visa Holders?

It is not required to apply for one. It is only needed if you have one now and are trying to enter the country that does require it to get a certificate of entry to board a repatriation flight. It is required for everybody that qualifies to get a certificate of entry

 

[sqwakvfr]

“It is not required to apply for one. It is only needed if you have one now and are trying to enter the country that does require it to get a certificate of entry to board a repatriation flight. It is required for everybody that qualifies to get a certificate of entry”

 

Yes, I realize if one does not leave the county then the mandatory $100,000 will not be a factor.  But I would venture to guess that the majority of new Elite Visa applicants are outside of Thailand and the COE requirements would apply.  I have read Elite has received many new applications from people  in Hong Kong.  Then those in Hong Kong who are approved would have to complete the COE process which entails the health insurance requirement.  

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Then those in Hong Kong who are approved would have to complete the COE process which entails the health insurance requirement.

I think it's a fair assumption that most of them will already have a health insurance policy.

 

I do and it does cover COVID, I'm not sure if I could get a certificate from them though but as I'm already here I don't care.

[sqwakvfr]

“I think it's a fair assumption that most of them will already have a health insurance policy”

 

I try and not assume.  I learned this from watching the movie Bad New Bears(famous scene about the word ASS U ME).  

 

TIT.  Getting this government to accept any kind of foreign health insurance is difficult.  I obtained a new Non Imm OA earlier this year and kept it KISS and purchased from Pacific Cross. I wonder how the new Elite Visa Holders will be treated if they present foreign health insurance?  Presently the foreign health insurance certificate requires two signatures from the insurance company(at least one has to be from someone with the title  of “Director”).  We shall see what kind of VIP service 500,000 or more buys?  

[FlyingThai]

FYI I was offered a 10% Discount on the official ASQ price from the Le Meridien Bangkok for having a Long Term Stay Permit including Thailand Elite Visa.

 

Rates:

90,000 Tax incl. for Standard Room

120,000 Tax incl. for Avantec Corner Suite

 

Minus 10% for TE

Rates include full board (choice of 3 different menus for Bf/Lunch/Dinner) and 2 pc of laundry per day

 

NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED FOR THE ENTIRE STAY OF ASQ!

[FlyingThai]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

I think it's a fair assumption that most of them will already have a health insurance policy.

 

I do and it does cover COVID, I'm not sure if I could get a certificate from them though but as I'm already here I don't care.

Do you have a local Thai insurance?

 

Mine is Aetna (former Bupa) and they issued me a certificate in June confirming coverage. I didn't need it but asked them for one just in case I do in the future.

 

 

[ukrules]

9 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

Do you have a local Thai insurance?

No, I use 'BUPA Global', like regular BUPA but worldwide and with large amounts of cover, I think it's about 60 million Baht a year (1.5 million pounds/year)

 

They confirmed to me that they will cover COVID even though their terms and conditions say they don't cover epidemics and pandemics.

 

If they did not do this then I would have cancelled my policy with them immediately, I clarified about 2 weeks before it was due for the annual renewal right in the middle of this pandemic.

 

I guess they chose not to lose all of their customers.

Edited August 21, 2020 by ukrules

[G950]

On 8/21/2020 at 6:57 AM, ukrules said:

5.6 If you would like to travel on your arranged private jet flight, the information on private jet flight such as booking itineraries including flight number, date and time are to be provided to both Royal Thai Embassy / Consulate and Thailand Privilege Cards Co., Ltd. (TPC) Private jet needs permission for landing in Thailand which we will help rechecking on this issue for you.

Hahaha.. time to fire up the Jet that has been parked in the garage since March. I wonder if it will start first time.