Thai embassies scrap 500k THB financial requirement for single entry tourist visa

[Hoppyone]

11 hours ago, nursebob said:

I was wondering how long it would take them to back pedal 

 

11 hours ago, nursebob said:

I was wondering how long it would take them to back pedal 

The old regular turn around decision that happens time and time again ,why why why

[mlmcleod]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

All the other requirements needed for anyone to enter Thailand at this moment in time, such as a Certificate of Entry, declaration form, quarantine booking, Fit to Fly Certificate, COVID-19 negative test result and an insurance policy which provides a minimum of 100,000 USD coverage, including for COVID-19, appear to remain in place.

I doubt that there are many who will jump through these hoops to come to Thailand.  The bureaucracy required to accomplish just about anything in Thailand will eventually kill the goose that laid the golden eggs.  The secret change to the income requirements will definitely discourage the Indians and Chinese from coming too.  The savings requirements may not be on the web page anymore but they will be enforced arbitrarily in the future.

[daviddunham]

45 minutes ago, SpanishExpat said:

The only small risk is the ASQ thing...

 

 

The risk is losing all if your Covid-Test is POSITIVE!

[treetops]

4 minutes ago, daviddunham said:

The risk is losing all if your Covid-Test is POSITIVE!

If you saw that as an obstacle then surely you would have tested and self isolated for two weeks before you took it to eliminate the risk?

[misterphil]

12 hours ago, sweetserenity said:

Now its time to remove the 100.000$ covid 19 insurance and we're ready to go!

Its not such a big deal. 4,000 THB a month from Aetna. 

[Eddy Ozark]

The yo-yo keeps swinging up and down. 

[asiasurfer]

I guess they just noted now that it wasn't actually fool's day yet when they brought out this nonsense. Let's wait and see what really is going to happen next 1st April. 

[sweetserenity]

16 minutes ago, misterphil said:

Its not such a big deal. 4,000 THB a month from Aetna. 

Aetna? I found an other link where it was 12k baht for 180 days which is 6 months so 2000 THB per month. But could you give me a link to Aetna just in case?

[SiSePuede419]

17 minutes ago, misterphil said:

Its not such a big deal. 4,000 THB a month from Aetna. 

Do you have a link?

[rabang]

Requirements in Finland, seems like updated today:

 

 

Quote

 

Tourist Visa started 19.11.2020

6. Proof of finance with the sufficient amont to cover the period of stay in Thailand as follows:
    1) 30 euro/person/ day
    2) 60 euro/family/ day
Thus, the bank statement of the applicant showing the balance of said amount every month for the last 3 months in English or Finnish. The bank statement must show account owner. In case that applicants submit the applications as a family, please provide an Extract from Population System in Finnish or English language from Notary Public. 

 

 

 

Of course the quarantine is a non-starter for 999 out of 1000 genuine tourists, me included. Plus I don't find it appealing to spend 10+ hours masked in a plane. At least Qatar also requires the use of face shield on top of mask in the cattle class.

[impulse]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I am reliably informed by a good friend in Scotland that all the local schools in his part of Glasgow have most of their classrooms half full, and also half of the teachers off with the virus.

Does anyone know if that is the case in any part of Thailand?

 

Is that because they're actually sick, or because they're afraid to get sick?  Here in Texas, a lot of perfectly healthy people aren't going out in public because they're afraid.

 

On the topic, I have no problem with the 500K requirement.  It's pretty reasonable to make sure I have the funds available in case of an emergency while I'm in Thailand.  The 6 month seasoning is the issue.  That means I'd have to move some non-liquid money today in order to get a visa in 6 months.

 

 

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by impulse

[dxrdxr]

10 hours ago, Thomas J said:

I have traveled throughout the world and never have I been asked to prove I have sufficient funds to travel.

Travel to the USA on a passport that is not visa exempt! You will be asked for proof at the embassy when you apply for your visa, and border patrol will ask to see your proof or actual funds when you arrive.

[jerolamo]

14 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I think peole would rather the quarantine be removed, the insurance isnt much and probably not a bad idea

Sure, but the bad idea is to force foreigner to get a Thai insurance instead of one from there own country. Because, first, in case of problem to get money, it will be easy to speak your own language than speak with Thai people who will maybe don't want to understand english when it is for give money. And second, in my country, i can get a much better wide cover for 3 times cheaper.

Should then remove the obligation to paid expensive 4 stars hotel for 14 days quarantine... and in fact, remove quarantine.

COVID, by facts, doesn't kill enough to be scare about this. The road in Thailand kill much more... suicide kill much more, and many other problem kill much more than this COVID.

But... is it possible to talk about this true reality you can verify everywhere in official poll institute ? Looks like it can be censored. But why ?

[khunkarl]

14 hours ago, sweetserenity said:

It seems like we are nearing that achievement. Im starting to be confident that thailand will open in january as promised

Yes, January 2022

[VBF]

47 minutes ago, jerolamo said:

Sure, but the bad idea is to force foreigner to get a Thai insurance instead of one from there own country. Because, first, in case of problem to get money, it will be easy to speak your own language than speak with Thai people who will maybe don't want to understand english when it is for give money. And second, in my country, i can get a much better wide cover for 3 times cheaper.  <snip>

Are you sure that an ANNUAL Travel insurance, issued in one's home country would not suffice for a 60 day trip?

Mine (Nationwide) includes Covid and Emergencies for trips not exceeding 90 days away from home.

Doesn't get over the quarantine of course.....

[Blai]

I fully understand the 10 day quarantine and insurance, but I don't understand why the insurance has to be so high AND such a high amount of money. No sane person has 21k CAD just 'laying in the bank for 6 months'. I understand the cost of a hotel, plane ticket, food, buying stuff (plus emergencies), etc, but no way can anyone spend $21k CAD over a period of a month or two unless they buy a vehicle.

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, Blai said:

I fully understand the 10 day quarantine and insurance

 

The reduction to day 10 days was rejected - proposal to be resubmitted in 4 weeks.

 

4 minutes ago, Blai said:

but I don't understand why the insurance has to be so high AND such a high amount of money. No sane person has 21k CAD just 'laying in the bank for 6 months'.

 

The 500K Bht/6 months had nothing to do with insurance and, has rightly, been scrapped. Down to 20K Bht or thereabouts (saw a strange post from the Belgium embassy I think it was that had a weird daily figure?).

 

The insurance requirements still stand.

 

7 minutes ago, Blai said:

no way can anyone spend $21k CAD over a period of a month or two unless they buy a vehicle.

 

Wouldn't be too sure about that. Personally I'd think it was rather ... extravagant; but that's down to my own personal finances. Others I've seen/met do it regularly. But irrelevant now, as it was before it was scrapped, they just wanted to see it, you didn't have to spend it.

 

[Marvin424]

16 hours ago, peeglen said:

The requirement is still on the Vancouver Thai Consulate page, plus the 500k has to have been in the account for 6 months, income verification not accepted.

Correct but I think you would need to call them to find out for sure.  The website info may just have not been updated.  While immigration offices enforcing different rules is legendary it is very unusual for Embassy and Consulates to have different requirements.  I note that the website for the Embassy in Ottawa does not have the 500000 baht.  Unfortunately I think that is because they never had it.  The requirements they list are pre Covid ones.

[roxnadz]

Good. You knew they had to walk this back.

 

LA Consulate website says $700 pp/$1500 pf. Much more in line with what is acceptable. I've gone from laughing my head off to just north of not bloody likely. I need a break from the US of COVID.

 

Quarantine sucks, but I'm useless af anyway the first couple weeks...I'd splurge for the ASQ. Big thing is the fact that there're only still 3 flights a decade going to Thailand now.

Edited November 19, 2020 by roxnadz

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, paulikens said:

can someone clarify...can you actually get in with a tourist visa now then? as far as i know you can't. so all this is totally irrelevant at the moment 

The important requirement is the certificate of entry (COE), and the SETV can be used to get one along with other requirements. 

[ubonjoe]

This topic just got shorter after I removed several off topic post, replies to them and bickering ones.

[Magenta408]

Quid pro quo, if they apply it to foreigners, double the amount for those  nationals entering countries which would be liable to pay this extortion. It's a racket. 

[Peter Denis]

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration will only want to see the COE, covid 19 test, fit to fly certificate and a valid visa in your passport.

Does border-immigration not ALSO want to see the expiry date of your covid-19 insurance policy.

I understood that they would stamp you in for whichever is shortest: the permission to stay your Visa entitles you to, or the expiry date of that coivd-19 insurance policy.

[johnarth]

On 11/19/2020 at 8:58 AM, Peterw42 said:

I think peole would rather the quarantine be removed, the insurance isnt much and probably not a bad idea

Ha how old are you?

[Peterw42]

3 minutes ago, johnarth said:

Ha how old are you?

The covid insurance from the Thai companies costs the same no matter what your age.

 

[rott]

18 hours ago, paulikens said:

@LennyW whats with the WE you're not thai and so its not your country 

It doesn't have to be. 

[rott]

18 hours ago, paulikens said:

@LennyW whats with the WE you're not thai and so its not your country 

It doesn't have to be. 

[rott]

18 hours ago, paulikens said:

@LennyW whats with the WE you're not thai and so its not your country 

It doesn't have to be. 

[elgenon]

On 11/18/2020 at 4:36 PM, bdenner said:

A breath of fresh air. Some embassy staff with more common sense than their counterparts here in Thailand.

Can they really do such a thing without the approval of immigration? Doubt it.

[treetops]

25 minutes ago, Elkski said:

So then you must show accommodation booking for entire stay.  So you somehow have to plan yiur entire trip a week before you leave.   You can tell those in charge dont make their own travel arrangements.  Or book a dirt bag hostel so you can not  check-in amd and can go stay where your feet take you.   I guess no airbnb allowed?   What if you plan to stay  with a couple  different friends? 

 

Just make a cancellable hotel booking and cancel it when you arrive in ASQ.  No big deal.