I just checked my thai embassy website ( helsinki) and it seems they starting to let retirees back to Thailand..

https://helsinki.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/application-procedure-for-certificate-of-entry-coe-for-the-holder-of-a?page=5f49f4a199a85e260f4278de&menu=5d80876d15e39c3354007bb1

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by thaitero

It's a good news

 

i just hope all the countries are concerned, and not only the ''pratet scandinavian'' lol

 

it should be difficult to justify to still refuse the entry for the ones already having an OA visa 

and at the same time allowing the chinese tourists to comeback in Thailand

 

anyway the process for the return is still a painfull and a costly obstacle course

if it wasn't for the girls (In a way or another) i don't see any valid reason for someone

to comeback here going trough this circus, few others coutries with an overall better

environment are now open 

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by kingofthemountain

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by damascase

5 minutes ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

Helsinki/thai embassy do not give O-visas based on retirement.

1 hour ago, thaitero said:

Helsinki/thai embassy do not give O-visas based on retirement.

 

1 hour ago, thaitero said:

Helsinki/thai embassy do not give O-visas based on retirement.

Thanks, that could be the explanation. However, just read on a Dutch blog that someone was told by the Thai Embassy in The Hague that all non-O’s were invalid from now on and only O-A en O-X visa holders would qualify. I can hardly believe this to be correct, but we’ll learn more about it soon, I hope.

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by damascase
Typo

2 hours ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

We O-A holders can't think of a reason for the difference in treatment of insurance requirments either considering identical requirements for extensions. But Thai policy is often illogical and confused 

32 minutes ago, tonray said:

We O-A holders can't think of a reason for the difference in treatment of insurance requirments either considering identical requirements for extensions. But Thai policy is often illogical and confused 

Probably in the small print somewhere that you can go back as long as you can prove you can hop on one leg and cluck like a chicken whilst juggling 4 balls !

3 hours ago, damascase said:

 

Thanks, that could be the explanation. However, just read on a Dutch blog that someone was told by the Thai Embassy in The Hague that all non-O’s were invalid from now on and only O-A en O-X visa holders would qualify. I can hardly believe this to be correct, but we’ll learn more about it soon, I hope.

At the moment they want people with "healthier bankaccount balances" so it does not suprise me that non-O’s based retirement are not welcomed..

Just now, thaitero said:

At the moment they want people with "healthier bankaccount balances" so it does not suprise me that non-O’s based retirement are not welcomed..

That doesn't make any sense. For annual extensions the financial requirements (except insurance) are exactly the same. 

7 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That doesn't make any sense. For annual extensions the financial requirements (except insurance) are exactly the same. 

Yes it does,,New people coming within covid-19 time should be screened more strict for finances also, is their thinking,,,

For not having valid O-A visa rather than wanting to apply new one and especially using incomemethod, you should contact the embassy before sending the paperwork by post. This advice is for Finland only.

9 hours ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

Yes, not all retirees, just those who possess O-A Visas. Those on a still valid retirement extensions with a Re-Entry permit is not mentioned, and likely there are a good number of those around the world hoping to return. And those whose Extension expired as they were unable to return in time.

16 hours ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

O visa , you don't have to have that crazy health insurance that the O-A visa requires.

 

This is one of the requirements for the Helsinki Embassy

 

1.4 Cover letter/email stating urgent need to enter Thailand

 

If one is on an OA and is not married to a Thai or has children then what would qualify as “urgent”?   

 

At this time I cannot find any other Thai Embassy that is considering an OA holder for a COE.  

"O visa , you don't have to have that crazy health insurance that the O-A visa requires." 

 

Yes, but all entries would still require the $US100, 000 COVID cover regardless of visa type. Also, Someone who bought their O-A a while ago may not have the covid cover in their original policy! 

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by biggles45
Typo

48 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

This is one of the requirements for the Helsinki Embassy

 

1.4 Cover letter/email stating urgent need to enter Thailand

 

If one is on an OA and is not married to a Thai or has children then what would qualify as “urgent”?   

 

At this time I cannot find any other Thai Embassy that is considering an OA holder for a COE.  

Good point but it is possible not needed because fin lang version of that page there is no 1.4..

But of cource if there is some "urgent need" you want want to tell no harm telling that to embassy, i quess

Edited September 30, 20205 yr by thaitero

57 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

This is one of the requirements for the Helsinki Embassy

 

1.4 Cover letter/email stating urgent need to enter Thailand

 

If one is on an OA and is not married to a Thai or has children then what would qualify as “urgent”?   

 

At this time I cannot find any other Thai Embassy that is considering an OA holder for a COE.  

The Thai  Swiss embassy allows O-A and O-X  visal holders to get a COE

3 minutes ago, howerde said:

The Thai  Swiss embassy allows O-A and O-X  visal holders to get a COE

Yes click https://thaiembassy.ch/Content/Embassy/163.html  

and point 8

The Covid, is a very reasonable one.

2 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

This is one of the requirements for the Helsinki Embassy

 

1.4 Cover letter/email stating urgent need to enter Thailand

 

If one is on an OA and is not married to a Thai or has children then what would qualify as “urgent”?   

I wonder if an email from a Thai girlfriend stating she is actually running out of money

could be accepted? Or maybe a self declaration about the ''balls'' being more than full

so they need an urgent milking ? ????

 

19 hours ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

O-A visa holders have have family in Thailand, wifes children etc.  So a big difference

1 minute ago, John Sutherland said:

O-A visa holders have have family in Thailand, wifes children etc.  So a big difference

 

Many, arguably most, do not. It is a retirement visa.

The Thai Embassy i nthe US site says

 

">> For Thailand long stay/retirement visa (O-A & O-X) **the embassy has received new protocols and is currently updating information**"

 

So it does indeed sound like the guidance going out to Embassies specified O-A and O-X.

 

I suspect the powers that be that formulated this guidance are unaware that there are many people with extensions of stay for retirement whose original visa was O not O-A or O-X. Indeed, many retired here before O-A and O-X even existed.

19 hours ago, damascase said:

Apparently for non-Immigrant O-A visa holders, and still not for O. Can’t think of a reason for difference in treatment.

 

19 hours ago, thaitero said:

Helsinki/thai embassy do not give O-visas based on retirement.

When you are abroad with a still valid re-entry permit based on a 1-year extension of a Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement, that means that you did met the financial requirements for such 1-year extension.  So there should be no reason to treat such applicants different than those on a Non Imm O-A Visa.

But Thai logic is an oxymoron, so useless trying to find clear reason for the difference.

It doesn't really matter what visa types they're allowing back in, if there are no approved flights other than the fully-booked repatriation ones then it will be a l-o-n-g wait.

Royal Thai Embassy Canberra - Australia commenced issuing COE for retirement holder per the link bellow, you need to apply online for

your COE and attached the required document

https://canberra.thaiembassy.org/11-2-long-stay-o-a-and-long-stay-10-years-o-x-visa-holders-retirement-visa-holders/

 

screen shot attached as well

13 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Yes, not all retirees, just those who possess O-A Visas. Those on a still valid retirement extensions with a Re-Entry permit is not mentioned, and likely there are a good number of those around the world hoping to return. And those whose Extension expired as they were unable to return in time.

More than likely it is a nothing story. The only reason to seperate the non-o visa from the non-o-a visa is the insurance requirement for o-a holder. But a little embassy in a little country, non-sense

2 minutes ago, moe666 said:

More than likely it is a nothing story. The only reason to seperate the non-o visa from the non-o-a visa is the insurance requirement for o-a holder. But a little embassy in a little country, non-sense

hehe I guess I missed the boat on that one.

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The Thai Embassy i nthe US site says

 

">> For Thailand long stay/retirement visa (O-A & O-X) **the embassy has received new protocols and is currently updating information**"

 

So it does indeed sound like the guidance going out to Embassies specified O-A and O-X.

 

I suspect the powers that be that formulated this guidance are unaware that there are many people with extensions of stay for retirement whose original visa was O not O-A or O-X. Indeed, many retired here before O-A and O-X even existed.

Any thoughts or insight about whether this (if indeed true) would apply only to existing O-A’s or might new O-A applications be considered as well?

 

From the same page I suppose American’s shouldn’t get their hopes up...????

 

“Due to a high number of infection rate, the APEC card holders and the applicants who are currently in the USA and wish to obtain Special Tourist Visa (STV) do not fall under the categories that could enter Thailand at the moment, please check back regularly for any updates.“

 

https://thaiembdc.org/visas/

 

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

It doesn't really matter what visa types they're allowing back in, if there are no approved flights other than the fully-booked repatriation ones then it will be a l-o-n-g wait.

Lots more scheduled flights are now permitted to bring in passengers with COE etc.