More foreigners to be allowed entry into Thailand

[Mike Teavee]

On 9/28/2020 at 3:47 PM, SEtonal said:

Retirees will be allowed back into Thailand when mass international tourism to Thailand resumes.  A Non-O or Non-OA holder is nothing more than a long-stay tourist age 50 and older.  It makes no sense for Thailand to welcome retirees earlier since their demographic is very susceptible to Covid-19.

Yes but if it's really about age, then make it about age and say that nobody over xx years of age can enter.... Maybe even go a step further and say that anybody who is at risk of serious illness from CV 19 (e.g. those with diabetes) are also not allowed. 

 

It's ridiculous that a 55 year old "Business Man" on a Non-B with 500K in the bank can enter, but a 54 yr old "Retiree" on a Non-O with many times that amount in the bank cannot.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Mike Teavee

[uncle_tom]

Quote

Yes but if it's really about age, then make it about age and say that nobody over xx years of age can enter.... Maybe even go a step further and say that anybody who is at risk of serious illness from CV 19 (e.g. those with diabetes) are also not allowed. 

Age can affect the risk to the individual - but makes them no more likely to spread it..

[Jumbo1968]

2 minutes ago, uncle_tom said:

There has never been an effective vaccine against any type of corona virus before, which does not bode well for that avenue of attack.

 

I expect that when the clinical trials are completed, there will be something called a vaccine marketed. I suspect those raising doubts as whether it actually works or not, will find themselves shouted down.

 

Too many governments have backed themselves into an economic corner over Covid. I expect that any vaccine will be hailed as a game changer - even if it's totally useless..

I think the Thai Government and the population are being misled about a vaccine, when it’s  introduced and we all receive it it’s back to normal in their eyes.

[El Matador]

And then there are all those articles about that American guy who is in prison because of a bad review he wrote on Trip Advisor.

Good luck to promote those golden holidays with special charters.

[GeilGeilertzen]

Seems like the farang riff raff are worthless for a good period of time ahead now ????

 

 

[daveAustin]

There will be changes - you can bet your bottom dollar on the nitwits in power to make it awkward, because they can - but if looking to get back in I'd sit tight and wait the nonsense out.

[Jumbo1968]

16 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

There will be changes - you can bet your bottom dollar on the nitwits in power to make it awkward, because they can - but if looking to get back in I'd sit tight and wait the nonsense out.

TBH they are control freaks, they think they can run Thailand is the same as running an army, yes sir no sir etc.

[jethro69]

Meanwhile, I put my flight to September 2021, by then it might become a bit more clearly.

[Stargeezr]

It is only coming up on October and the  house of baht is starting to fall.

By November I think the chances of getting to Thailand will be even better for retirees and the 

like, after all most countries are ran by money. Asia is no different. Just keep the USA, India and other high

numbered infectious countries out. That is keep out any passports from these countries, as there

are sure to be cheaters trying to escape to the tropics anyway they can.

Geezer

[heybuz]

23 hours ago, Don Mega said:

They gave George Pell permission to leave.

H'es in the club.

[heybuz]

18 hours ago, rumak said:

I once looked into retiring to Australia.   Margaret River area was really nice when i was there 15 years ago.     Heck,  i got 800 k  BAHT  in the bank.    So,  had a look at requirements :

          OOPS  !!!      better stay here 

The two-part application fee is in excess of AUD$11,000, while you will also need to prove that you have an annual income of AUD$50,000 in rural areas and AUD$75,000 elsewhere. The Investor Retirement Visa does not lead to permanent residency in Australia.

My cousin retired there and is on the pom pension been here for 10yrs.

 

[smylee52]

Time they got someone involved who understood the existing processes .

 

I have an O visa . It comes due in February so 3 months prior to  that date I deposit money into

my Thai bank account to top it up to 1,100,000 baht . This will satify the visa renewal in February and gives me the money to live off when in Thailand . By the time I leave several months later the account may have between 3 and 4 hundred thousand left in it.  This is how it works . Why would I keep more in a Thai bank then I need to satisfy renewal and a few hundred for emergency purposes .

 

So now the pandemic hits and we have a government in panic mode issuing edicts that O visa retirees need to have had 500k baht for 6 months prior to applying for entry . I don't have access to bank info of others but I would bet retirees WHO ARE ALREADY IN THAILAND  can satisfy this requirement . On the other hand people like me who are not in Thailand probably have the same modus operandi of topping up 3 months prior to arrival and then running it down . Issuing this unrealistic demand of 500k baht for six months at this time means it wil be next April before I can qualify if I deposit the funds tomorrow . I have no interest in going to Thailand as the weather warms up at home .

 

The other minor detail is how do you provide proof of funds in a Thai bank . Currently I need to go to the bank and have them provide a stamped ,signed print out of the last 3 months activity on my account . In the past I have tried to deal with Kasikorn over the phone from abroad and I would not be happy to try that again.

 

People with retiree visa's have pumped millions of baht into the Thai economy and the smart thing to do would be honour the O and OA visa's and let us get back to our Thai families , girl friends , boy friends , houses , condo;s , bars , etc .  14 day quarantine makes sense but that's about the only thing I have heard that does make sense .

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, smylee52 said:

Time they got someone involved who understood the existing processes .

 

I have an O visa . It comes due in February so 3 months prior to  that date I deposit money into

my Thai bank account to top it up to 1,100,000 baht . This will satify the visa renewal in February and gives me the money to live off when in Thailand . By the time I leave several months later the account may have between 3 and 4 hundred thousand left in it.  This is how it works . Why would I keep more in a Thai bank then I need to satisfy renewal and a few hundred for emergency purposes .

I think you're a little behind in your knowledge of how retirement extensions based on the 800K in the bank work as since March 2019 you need 800K in your Thai Bank account for 2 months before & 3 months after your extension, then the balance cannot go below 400K for the other 7 months. 

 

I think the majority of Retirees who live here year round & use the 800K in the bank method, just leave it there to save messing around.

 

Also the proof of 500K you mentioned can be in Thai Baht or equivalent so you can use your home account or one you may have in a 3rd country. 

 

 

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, smylee52 said:

Time they got someone involved who understood the existing processes .

 

I have an O visa . It comes due in February so 3 months prior to  that date I deposit money into

my Thai bank account to top it up to 1,100,000 baht . This will satify the visa renewal in February and gives me the money to live off when in Thailand . By the time I leave several months later the account may have between 3 and 4 hundred thousand left in it.  This is how it works . Why would I keep more in a Thai bank then I need to satisfy renewal and a few hundred for emergency purposes .

 

So now the pandemic hits and we have a government in panic mode issuing edicts that O visa retirees need to have had 500k baht for 6 months prior to applying for entry . I don't have access to bank info of others but I would bet retirees WHO ARE ALREADY IN THAILAND  can satisfy this requirement . On the other hand people like me who are not in Thailand probably have the same modus operandi of topping up 3 months prior to arrival and then running it down . Issuing this unrealistic demand of 500k baht for six months at this time means it wil be next April before I can qualify if I deposit the funds tomorrow . I have no interest in going to Thailand as the weather warms up at home .

 

The other minor detail is how do you provide proof of funds in a Thai bank . Currently I need to go to the bank and have them provide a stamped ,signed print out of the last 3 months activity on my account . In the past I have tried to deal with Kasikorn over the phone from abroad and I would not be happy to try that again.

 

People with retiree visa's have pumped millions of baht into the Thai economy and the smart thing to do would be honour the O and OA visa's and let us get back to our Thai families , girl friends , boy friends , houses , condo;s , bars , etc .  14 day quarantine makes sense but that's about the only thing I have heard that does make sense .

I'm here as a retiree on a multiple entry visa, and I had never any problem to get my extension of stay extended. I could leave the country any time and come back. The only problem is really the quarantine (which is understandable) 

[oceanbreeze851]

I have read this topic with great interest. We are waiting to retire to Thailand. My wife is Thai and I'm am from the USA. I have read many post complaining about life in Thailand. It all depends what you want in life. We want a place where we can retire and live comfortable and not have to work a job. I'm 68 y/o and I'm still working full-time. If I can get to Thailand, I will not complain. Right now flights are impossible and the restrictions to get to Thailand are not the best. I am not looking forward to the number of covid test it will take to get into Thailand as I have had 2 covid test so far.  But I will do it to move to Thailand. Living in Austin, Texas, it is costing us about $4000 a month to live. I know we can live a much better quality of life for less than $4000. I am calculating all the cost of completing the trip (hotel for quarantine, flight and shipment of goods). Thank you for all the good information that has been provided by everyone. 

[losername]

20 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Probably just Covid insurance which is readily available up to age 99 and easy to buy online.

https://covid19.tgia.org/

I played with this but it seems that it only accepts those from the special travel groups already listed by the government.  It also seems only to be available for persons outside Thailand and wanting to travel to Thailand.  Us oldies hunkered down in Thailand clutching our extensions of stay and wanting to protect our finances are at sea with no paddles.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, losername said:

I played with this but it seems that it only accepts those from the special travel groups already listed by the government.  It also seems only to be available for persons outside Thailand and wanting to travel to Thailand.  Us oldies hunkered down in Thailand clutching our extensions of stay and wanting to protect our finances are at sea with no paddles.

 

It is indeed designed for people coming from abroad as that is the only group for which COVID specific insurance is required.

 

A COVID only policy won't do much of anything to protect your assets if living in Thailand. For this you need general health insurance and there are many options for that, contact a broker for details.

[losername]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

It is indeed designed for people coming from abroad as that is the only group for which COVID specific insurance is required.

 

A COVID only policy won't do much of anything to protect your assets if living in Thailand. For this you need general health insurance and there are many options for that, contact a broker for details.

My view is that one should not just take out insurance because the government requires it.  I have had my general health insurance policy for well over a decade and it has served me well as an essential part of my financial planning.  Annoyingly, a policy that old has neither the 40k outpatient cover nor, I presume, Covid cover.  I consider that, provided I don't die, Covid cover would be essential in protecting a large slice of my financial assets.  If Covid kills me I won't be caring too much either way.

[Sheryl]

6 minutes ago, losername said:

My view is that one should not just take out insurance because the government requires it.  I have had my general health insurance policy for well over a decade and it has served me well as an essential part of my financial planning.  Annoyingly, a policy that old has neither the 40k outpatient cover nor, I presume, Covid cover.  I consider that, provided I don't die, Covid cover would be essential in protecting a large slice of my financial assets.  If Covid kills me I won't be caring too much either way.

On the contrary, it almost surely will cover COVID. It would need a specific exemption not to. Contact the insurer to confirm.

 

40K outpatient is an issue only for those with O-A visa and has nothing to do with COVID.

[losername]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

On the contrary, it almost surely will cover COVID. It would need a specific exemption not to. Contact the insurer to confirm.

 

40K outpatient is an issue only for those with O-A visa and has nothing to do with COVID.

Wow.  I am excited.  I certainly will check with my broker.  Many thanks.

 

I know the 40k is nothing to do with Covid.  My mentioning of it relates to my general health insurance that you introduced in one of your answers.

[varun]

More like Stupid Tourist Visa - only the die-hard and desperate will jump through all those loops.

[katatonic]

On 9/28/2020 at 3:47 PM, SEtonal said:

Retirees will be allowed back into Thailand when mass international tourism to Thailand resumes.  A Non-O or Non-OA holder is nothing more than a long-stay tourist age 50 and older.  It makes no sense for Thailand to welcome retirees earlier since their demographic is very susceptible to Covid-19.

I could point out that being 50 or older does not necessarily make you 'susceptible' to Cv19 and it certainly doesn't affect one's ability to transmit or catch it. Are you trying to say that they shouldn't let them in because they're all going to die?

[teacherclaire]

The CCSA has agreed to allow sportspersons who will compete in a closed area to enter Thailand for tournaments. The first group will be international cyclists participating in the royal marathon cycling event. The badminton world tour is being held in Thailand in January 2021.

 

Rubbish. A friend of mine had to go through all the hassle with quarantine, hotel, tests, and documents and insurance to get back to his family he lives together with for more than ten years.

 

 

  And they talk about cyclists they want to let in 2021?
 

Edited September 30, 2020 by teacherclaire
MTGA- Make Thailand Great Again in 2050

[Dmitry2222]

Do i allowed to enter Thailand with non-o upon marriage?

[Sheryl]

19 minutes ago, Dmitry2222 said:

Do i allowed to enter Thailand with non-o upon marriage?

Foreigners married to Thais have been allowed in for some time now. Subject to quarantine, insurance and all other conditions of a COE.

[Don Chance]

12 hours ago, varun said:

More like Stupid Tourist Visa - only the die-hard and desperate will jump through all those loops.

Seems like a small price to pay to get out an endless situation of people getting infected in my country. To get out of winter, to get out of high prices, to get out of boredom.

[Sumarianson]

COVID is now treatable with a combination of hydroxycloroquine, zinc and Azitromycin. All these drugs and suppliment are cheap. Doctors using this combination are getting a 100% recovery rate. So why all these rules and regulations? If tourists have to quarentine in an expensive hotel where they cannot even use the facilities they are paying for then they will not come. Most people other than those retired have only 2 weeks holidays to enjoy. They wont enjoy being caged in an expensive hotel "they are paying for" with no use of facilities. Also paying extortionate sums for insurance against a completely curable weak virus! Extortionate sums for quarentine hotels. Some hope of seeing tourists especially when the world is going through an enforced dowturn.

[Jumbo1968]

56 minutes ago, Sumarianson said:

COVID is now treatable with a combination of hydroxycloroquine, zinc and Azitromycin. All these drugs and suppliment are cheap. Doctors using this combination are getting a 100% recovery rate. So why all these rules and regulations? If tourists have to quarentine in an expensive hotel where they cannot even use the facilities they are paying for then they will not come. Most people other than those retired have only 2 weeks holidays to enjoy. They wont enjoy being caged in an expensive hotel "they are paying for" with no use of facilities. Also paying extortionate sums for insurance against a completely curable weak virus! Extortionate sums for quarentine hotels. Some hope of seeing tourists especially when the world is going through an enforced dowturn.

Not discounting what you say but there is no cure for a virus even the common cold, the drugs will alleviate the fevers etc, most non vulnerable people recover from Covid without any treatment. The reason people are hospitalised in Thailand is the hospitals can claim from the Health Insurance and probably because the hotels don’t want Covid people in their rooms.

[Sumarianson]

4 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Not discounting what you say but there is no cure for a virus even the common cold, the drugs will alleviate the fevers etc, most non vulnerable people recover from Covid without any treatment. The reason people are hospitalised in Thailand is the hospitals can claim from the Health Insurance and probably because the hotels don’t want Covid people in their rooms.

You have valid points however, there are doctors who are using the above combination and they are getting 100% recovery results. They are literally screaming at other doctors who are following the narrative put out by the Fauci' and Gates of the world.

[losername]

On 9/30/2020 at 2:46 PM, Sheryl said:

On the contrary, it almost surely will cover COVID. It would need a specific exemption not to. Contact the insurer to confirm.

 

40K outpatient is an issue only for those with O-A visa and has nothing to do with COVID.

As I said below, I have checked with my broker and she confirms that my Aetna insurance does cover Covid exactly as you say.  Thanks.