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

[Elkski]

I should not try posting on my phone in the hot tub.  Here is a better  version. 

  Joe, I wish you deleted the posts from people who didn't read the thread.   A good 25% of  posts wasted my time.   Whew that was a long thread. 

Stop talking or bitchng about the 500k.  Its been changed to the old visa numbers like 20,000 or 700$us.    

 

Someone said  its only 70,000 for the first 2 weeks of ASQ

  

So  you must also  show accommodation booking for entire stay.  So you somehow have to plan your 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?  

Only  people with a SO will consider traveling now.   I support the 14 day quarantine.   But I would need 2 beers after 5pm each day even if crappy thai  swill. 

Seriously I have never been to jail or stayed in one hotel room for  more than a day.  Im not a Netflix or room service guy.  I'm not sure I could survive.  

I still don't know how the 72 hour test results  can work.  My test results last  week took 4 days to get.  Plus is it prior to my first flight of 3 required?  What if I have a layover on the west coast?  

[Truth Will Set You Free]

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

People are coming in affected. Are you aware of this? Who going to pay for the people they infect if there is no quarantine. Anyone who thinks this, isn’t thinking nor using common sense.

[jerolamo]

13 hours ago, VBF said:

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.....

What i'm sure is that insurance from my own country will cover more than Thailand insurance for all the year (or for 2 month if you choose this option) at cheaper price (3 times cheaper).

I read articles propaganda there and other places around this crazy world COVID flue story time (kind of story it can be done with any other disease or story concern who kill more) and seems like Thailand blackmail to buy there own insurance instead. But it change so quickly... it has been long time before i wrote to the Thailand embassy of my country to get new details.

So no, i'm not sure for the new actuality requirement to be and i feel myself locked out of the country of my wife (11 month now) because i have no money to loose for any scam around. When i come back Thailand, i not stay Krungtep, i move by sky train to the bus station and rich my end destination in Loei by night bus ("pai Loei krhap !"). I have a house to finish to build and a life to have, but all of this seems to be locked by kind of any blackmails by fear and authority excess.

I have no other choice than to wait they stop to blackmail foreigners or consider we are not, all foreigners, "tourist", stop the luxury quarantine, stop this expensive insurance requirement (or accept the other one much better than there own from any other places) and all the excessive story time around who kill the economy of country, increase poverty, and show a very bad image of some of them in charge.

 

If you add the fact they doesn't test enough (or doesn't test at all in deep country) to know how many are contaminated or not but speak as if they know something about, then you get the actual painting of the situation.

[2530Ubon]

That's the first thing they've done that's made sense.

Who leaves half a million in a bank for 6 months just to come to Thailand?

It's hard enough to get in now anyway with quarantine, covid tests and airline prices skyrocketing so we can safely assume that these people have adequate funds.

[Truth Will Set You Free]

I think every country should have quarantine and insurance to cover this pandemic.
 

This way it would ensure the inbound country would not have to foot the traveler bill if they are infected. 

Once there is a vaccine in place, quarantine can be replaced by official medical certificate of being vaccine by a known medical center of that country. 

That being said, I give the government credit in protecting it borders.  As for all the internal things they don’t do, that is the people and government problem. 

[hexa]

imo 14 days quarantine is fine. Insurance also (tho they should accept every country insurance that covers covid). Now that this 500k thb requirement is gone i think thailand is doing really good. They shoouldent be careless as i wish they would be able to control covid. No use of having country open for a month or 2 and then closed another 6 months.  Wish philippines would follow really soon. 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, hexa said:

Insurance also (tho they should accept every country insurance that covers covid).

Any $100,00 insurance that covers covid 19 for the length of stay will be accepted. Be sure it covers you from the date of entry without any delay.

No sure where people are getting the false info that it has to be from a Thai insurance company.

[chainarong]

It doesn't apply to OZ, you can't get out to go to the toilet at the moment . ????

[jomtienisgood]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:36 AM, bdenner said:

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

Embassy Staff only obeys to the instructions of their Countries.......

[jomtienisgood]

1 hour ago, Truth Will Set You Free said:

I think every country should have quarantine and insurance to cover this pandemic.
 

This way it would ensure the inbound country would not have to foot the traveler bill if they are infected. 

Once there is a vaccine in place, quarantine can be replaced by official medical certificate of being vaccine by a known medical center of that country. 

That being said, I give the government credit in protecting it borders.  As for all the internal things they don’t do, that is the people and government problem. 

A vaccine doesn't guarantee you cannot be transmitting.... Only your own protection....  

[VBF]

24 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

A vaccine doesn't guarantee you cannot be transmitting.... Only your own protection....  

But it gives you the choice to be protected, therefore IF everyone is vaccinated, or at least sufficient numbers  are,the the only people catching CV will be those who choose not to be vaccinated.

Edited November 20, 2020 by VBF

[VBF]

2 hours ago, treetops said:

 

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

That might work IF you didn't need to show you'd PAID up front.

You know how difficult it can be getting refunds in Thailand.

[jomtienisgood]

5 minutes ago, VBF said:

That might work IF you didn't need to show you'd PAID up front.

You know how difficult it can be getting refunds in Thailand.

Thailand is not responsible for your Bank policies.      

[VBF]

1 hour ago, jerolamo said:

What i'm sure is that insurance from my own country will cover more than Thailand insurance for all the year (or for 2 month if you choose this option) at cheaper price (3 times cheaper).

I read articles propaganda there and other places around this crazy world COVID flue story time (kind of story it can be done with any other disease or story concern who kill more) and seems like Thailand blackmail to buy there own insurance instead. But it change so quickly... it has been long time before i wrote to the Thailand embassy of my country to get new details.

So no, i'm not sure for the new actuality requirement to be and i feel myself locked out of the country of my wife (11 month now) because i have no money to loose for any scam around. When i come back Thailand, i not stay Krungtep, i move by sky train to the bus station and rich my end destination in Loei by night bus ("pai Loei krhap !"). I have a house to finish to build and a life to have, but all of this seems to be locked by kind of any blackmails by fear and authority excess.

I have no other choice than to wait they stop to blackmail foreigners or consider we are not, all foreigners, "tourist", stop the luxury quarantine, stop this expensive insurance requirement (or accept the other one much better than there own from any other places) and all the excessive story time around who kill the economy of country, increase poverty, and show a very bad image of some of them in charge.

 

If you add the fact they doesn't test enough (or doesn't test at all in deep country) to know how many are contaminated or not but speak as if they know something about, then you get the actual painting of the situation.

Interesting response, but you're clearly NOT a genuine tourist - I am. No criticism there, merely an observation that an SETV isn't actually intended for you, even if it happens to suit your purpose.

 

So my original question doesn't actually apply to you...it was "Are you sure that an ANNUAL Travel insurance, issued in one's home country would not suffice for a 60 day trip?"

[Truth Will Set You Free]

7 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

A vaccine doesn't guarantee you cannot be transmitting.... Only your own protection....  

is it not required you be tested first before travel? I have been vaccine and tested prior to departure/arrival. Why I need to be quarantine? ????????????????

[VBF]

1 minute ago, jomtienisgood said:

Thailand is not responsible for your Bank policies.      

Nothing to do with the bank - it's the individual hotel who would have to refund if you cancelled a paid booking - hence what I said about it being difficult to get refunds in 

Thailand, as I'm sure you know if you've tried.

[VBF]

11 minutes ago, Truth Will Set You Free said:

is it not required you be tested first before travel? I have been vaccine and tested prior to departure/arrival. Why I need to be quarantine? ????????????????

Of course, but what I replied to was a comment "A vaccine doesn't guarantee you cannot be transmitting.... Only your own protection....  "

The inference there is that you can be carrying CV without being sick with the further inference that just because you're vaccinated, doesn't stop you passing it to other people. I honestly don't know if that's true as I'm not a medico - clearly!

 

So I don't know if you could be carrying it and also be vaccinated. Obviously, other people who had also been vaccinated would be protected by their individual vaccination.  

Edited November 20, 2020 by VBF

[Salerno]

12 minutes ago, VBF said:

That might work IF you didn't need to show you'd PAID up front.

 

Where have you read you have to prove you've already paid? Can't say I'm fully investigating everywhere but the little I've read on the information relevant to my home country it doesn't mention anything about being paid.

[VBF]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

 

Where have you read you have to prove you've already paid? Can't say I'm fully investigating everywhere but the little I've read on the information relevant to my home country it doesn't mention anything about being paid.

Oh dear - back up a little @Salerno please.

What I'm saying is that a hotel might require you to pay before issuing a booking for, say 2 months. If you then cancelled, then you might find a refund is not forthcoming which would be typical in Thailand.

However, if the hotel would issue a reservation, and if the embassy would accept that without proof of payment, then there would be no problem.

 

What I do not know is if it is required to show a fully paid booking to satisfy the Embassy - is there a definitive answer to that question?

[VBF]

57 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Any $100,00 insurance that covers covid 19 for the length of stay will be accepted. Be sure it covers you from the date of entry without any delay.

No sure where people are getting the false info that it has to be from a Thai insurance company.

Thank you @ubonjoe - I certainly wasn't clear before.

Therefore my annual travel insurance should fit the bill as it covers me from when I leave my UK home for up to 90 days per trip, and a SETV is for 60 days.

 

I presume the extending of the SETV to 90 days, as i often have, would be up to the local Immigration Office.

[Salerno]

4 minutes ago, VBF said:

Oh dear - back up a little @Salerno please.

 

Mate, enough of the passive aggressive posts. It was a simple question to garner information I may have missed which is quite easy to do given the constant changes re travel requirements.

 

If people stick to facts and are civil about it it's better for everyone.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, VBF said:

I presume the extending of the SETV to 90 days, as i often have, would be up to the local Immigration Office.

Yes But it should not be problem since there is no difference between it and a standard tourist visa.

[Peter Denis]

35 minutes ago, VBF said:

Interesting response, but you're clearly NOT a genuine tourist - I am. No criticism there, merely an observation that an SETV isn't actually intended for you, even if it happens to suit your purpose.

...

The 60-day SETV can be used as 'entry-ticket' to Thailand and allows to subsquently apply at your local IO for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  Those from countries that do not provide the Non Imm O Visa for retirement (e.g. USA or Australia) and that cannot meet the requirements for a Non Imm O-A Visa, could now use that 'tourist option' and once in country apply for the 90-day Non Imm O visa for reason of retirement and subsequent 1-year extension of that Visa.

Edited November 20, 2020 by Peter Denis

[jomtienisgood]

36 minutes ago, VBF said:

Nothing to do with the bank - it's the individual hotel who would have to refund if you cancelled a paid booking - hence what I said about it being difficult to get refunds in 

Thailand, as I'm sure you know if you've tried.

Sorry, but has everything to do with Bank policies if prepaid.... 

[jomtienisgood]

38 minutes ago, Truth Will Set You Free said:

is it not required you be tested first before travel? I have been vaccine and tested prior to departure/arrival. Why I need to be quarantine? ????????????????

Where did you get the vaccine???

[VBF]

59 minutes ago, Salerno said:

 

Mate, enough of the passive aggressive posts. It was a simple question to garner information I may have missed which is quite easy to do given the constant changes re travel requirements.

 

If people stick to facts and are civil about it it's better for everyone.

 

 

I thought i was being polite with "back up a little" actually - we appeared to be going off-track and I was trying to steer the conversation back.

No offence intended

Edited November 20, 2020 by VBF

[VBF]

52 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

Sorry, but has everything to do with Bank policies if prepaid.... 

No it doesn't - if I pay YOU for a service, then don't want the service and cancel with you, then it's up to you to refund me...the bank is required to act on its customer's instructions.

IE..I initially instruct my bank to pay you....subsequently you instruct your bank to pay me.

These are standard payments between customers - the bank is merely the middle man.

Edited November 20, 2020 by VBF

[El Matador]

I can understand they won't scrap the quarantine before a few months.

It would be stupid to get a new vave of covid to attract a few thousands tourists. It would infuriate most Thai people. It is safe to wait for the vaccine to be taken massively in the west in 2021.

 

Just make it easy for people already there. At least, that insane 500k bahts is a thing if the past. It is incredible the amount of time they put to create laws they will never put into action.

[androokery]

22 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

Don`t know where you live, but here in Germany the risk is close to 0 to get trough the process. 

Here you first apply for the visa and after that you start to COE process.  Haven't heard of any case, where the COE was rejected, if you upload the right flight/ASQ booking & the health insurance.

 

Airports like Frankfurt offer PCR tests, where they guarantee 97% will be done within 12hrs and 99% within 24hrs. If you pay premium, you even get your result within 6hrs.

 

The only small risk is the ASQ thing, but for that you clarify their cancellation-policies before you book it. Some hotels offer free date changes. If there is a problem <72hrs before flying with a cancelled flight/ positive PCR test, there are still enough hotels which rebook it for free or allow to cancel it for 10% of the total price. 

So if someone doesn`t check the cancellation policy and looses 50% or even the full amount, it`s that persons fault .

You are right, I’ve rechecked the local labs and they now offer PCR results in 36 hours. That’s one scary obstacle removed ????

[Elkski]

Can someone give me guidance on the 72 hour before flight covid test rules.   Some of talk about having a long   single 10 hour flight but us true Westerners it 3 flights and 24-30 hours of travel.   I usually don't need a layover on the west coast  on departure but most times its required on my return home.  But its always a 2 flight international trip from west coast.  A 13-14 hour flight, then 3-6 hours  layover somewhere in Korea, Japan or never again China.    Then 4-6 hour longer flight into BKK.   What if my 72 hours has expired before boarding my last segment? 

 

Has anyone got true airfare  refund policies of you need to cancel at the last minute?  I would imagine the best you could hope for is 2 year credit.   Then I guess you can try to find a ASQ with a  last minute cancelation figure credit policy. As of i ever stay in one hotel for two weeks

 Are there ASQ'S with full or 90% refund policy..  but all this will tie up a good 100,000 baht for weeks or years.