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

[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.

[jerolamo]

6 hours 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.

 

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?"

yes correct, i do understand now. Thank you.

[Stargeezr]

I am glad that the ridiculous requirement has been scrapped, as it should not have been even

made public as just a suggestion.  The Thai government and TAT certainly have not made themselves

popular with these kinds of requirements.  I am hoping that the visa requirements are

simplified, and border runs are a thing of the past. Many of my friends and I will not be returning until

there is effective vaccines in use, and the chance of getting a virus enroute to anywhere

have been reduced a lot.  Tourism will not be good in most countries until this virus is not

a worry to us.

Geezer

[daejung]

On 11/19/2020 at 3:13 PM, misterphil said:

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

43.200 bahts for french having 1 year Non O extension. I would have to subscribe for 1 year till the end of my extension even if spend only half of my time in Thailand.

[daejung]

15 hours 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.

In case I come back before my current 1 year extension expires at the end of march, I would ask for a next extension then I guess the insurance should cover 1 more year (my arrival till end of march 2021 + 1 year till march 2022), since Immigration would ask for if for renewal, right ?

 

Paying one year to keep this new extension but not using that insurance for 1 year because I would stay few months only in 2020... ? When I stay less than 6 months out of France, I need no extra insurance.

[ChakaKhan]

On 11/18/2020 at 8:55 PM, 2long said:

Any news on the smart watch tracking things that can give the wearer a full medical diagnosis while tracking their whereabouts and forewarning the locals that a dirty infected farang is nearby? That story only lasted 48 hours, didn't it?

Reminds me of the free tablets for students program years ago......or the "Trust Me Im Thai" slogan.....

[ChakaKhan]

On 11/18/2020 at 9:31 PM, darrendsd said:

 

Promised by who?

Somchai.

[david555]

So there goes the abandoning already for the" premium tourists " plan already .....14900 € on account 6 month's seems to high limit .....

 

So we... retirement people are automatic premium now ????... as 800 000 baht for 5 months must have on account in total not touched a year....

 

Nice to become apreciated by  Thailand now...????????????????

[ChakaKhan]

On 11/19/2020 at 3:55 AM, robsamui said:

I actually think that Thai people - particularly the people running the country - don't have a clue about farangs, our  lifestyle, society, or the way we live. 

Agreed..the game I always play with thais is I ask them to name 3 things they know about my country..silence

[Salerno]

21 minutes ago, daejung said:

In case I come back before my current 1 year extension expires at the end of march, I would ask for a next extension then I guess the insurance should cover 1 more year (my arrival till end of march 2021 + 1 year till march 2022), since Immigration would ask for if for renewal, right ?

 

Not at this time. The insurance is just to get into the country, it's not a requirement for extension.

[ChakaKhan]

On 11/19/2020 at 6:20 AM, sanuk711 said:

it will rise some more.

Overheard behind the curtain next to me last time I was in the massage shop..   ????

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, daejung said:

In case I come back before my current 1 year extension expires at the end of march, I would ask for a next extension then I guess the insurance should cover 1 more year (my arrival till end of march 2021 + 1 year till march 2022), since Immigration would ask for if for renewal, right ?

You only need covid 19 insurance that is valid for the permit to stay you will get when your enter the country. In your case it would need to be valid until March when you current extension ends (expiration date on your re-entry permit).

[StrandedBusinessPerson]

On 11/19/2020 at 2:36 PM, Thomas Hannah said:

 the price has nothing to do with it. will it increase in value.no.i remember people that i knew for many years telling me.how there condo s was worth some up to 8 million and he sold for 3.2 million.he had paid 5 million when new,in pattaya.there are at this moment over 2000 condos for rent. 8000 baht a month will get you a new one bedroom with huge communial pool. 100,000 baht a year with water and gas.same type to buy are minimum 4million.now this is something that will loose value from new. do the maths.and also go look condo,s and housing that was built 30 years ago.if its not already pulled down.it is empty and falling apart. unless its a bar area.and there going to get pulled down aswell soon.

I just look at the adverts on this site. Prices look cheap to me, especially in Hua Hin and surrounding. Don't know how real any of that is however, when we go, I just stay at cheap resorts and never think to check things out.  Maybe next time... 

[daejung]

On 11/20/2020 at 9:35 AM, jomtienisgood said:

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

Some vaccines do. We don't know yet for vaccines to come

[daejung]

9 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You only need covid 19 insurance that is valid for the permit to stay you will get when your enter the country. In your case it would need to be valid until March when you current extension ends (expiration date on your re-entry permit).

Thanks a lot Ubonjoe. I have few months to decide whether I accept to go to prison in ASQ in order not to lose the possibility to extend again or not. I hope that vaccination certificate will permit to cancel quarantine by that time.

[Pattaya46]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:51 AM, Thomas Hannah said:

// in pattaya // also go look condos and housing that was built 30 years ago. if it's not already pulled down. it is empty and falling apart. unless its a bar area. and there going to get pulled down as well soon.

Looks a lot like B.S. to me.  ;(

I just don't know any such condo in Pattaya that has been pulled down. And the Center Condo I was living in until this year is nearly 30 yo, but well maintained, with many residents and nothing "falling apart", and still here for many many decades again ????

 

[VBF]

34 minutes ago, daejung said:

Thanks a lot Ubonjoe. I have few months to decide whether I accept to go to prison in ASQ in order not to lose the possibility to extend again or not. I hope that vaccination certificate will permit to cancel quarantine by that time.

Whilst is is just my opinion, I rather think that this will become the situation world-wide.

Countries anxious to open up but also anxious to remain safe will I think make this a requirement to get a visa or maybe insist on vaccination on arrival if no certificate is proffered.

[CharlieH]

Reported conspiracy theory posts removed.

[Polaky]

I do hope that they reinstate the multi entry tourist visa which allowed a stay for up to 9 months, but I guess the Stv has replaced it, still the setv might work ok with a 30 day extension, then apply for 3 month non-0, by that time should be able to do a border hop.

[Peter Denis]

53 minutes ago, Polaky said:

I do hope that they reinstate the multi entry tourist visa which allowed a stay for up to 9 months, but I guess the Stv has replaced it, still the setv might work ok with a 30 day extension, then apply for 3 month non-0, by that time should be able to do a border hop.

Somebody please correct me < @ubonjoe ? > but I thought that you can extend the STV two times in-countrty, but that you then have to leave Thailand, because the STV does not allow you to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa while in country.  Now that is of course no issue if at the end of your 2nd extension (max 9 months) the borders would be open again, because you could then do a simple border-run and return VisaExempt which would then allow you to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa in country (you could of course also apply for the Non Imm O Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate of the country to which you did a border-run).

The STV is different from the 60-day Tourist Visa which you can apply for in your home-country.  Not only can you apply for that 60-day Tourist Visa at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country, irrespective of whether your country is deemed 'high-risk for covid', but the 60-day Tourist Visa DOES allow you to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa once you are in Thailand (it has to be done when you still have at least 15 days left on the permission to stay that 60-day Tourist Visa provided you on entry).

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Somebody please correct me < @ubonjoe ? > but I thought that you can extend the STV two times in-countrty, but that you then have to leave Thailand, because the STV does not allow you to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa while in country. 

That only applies to the STV that is not a standard tourist visa. Most embassy websites that have the STV shown state that it cannot not be changed to another visa.

The single entry tourist visa being discussed is not different from the the ones being issued before.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, Polaky said:

I do hope that they reinstate the multi entry tourist visa which allowed a stay for up to 9 months, but I guess the Stv has replaced it, still the setv might work ok with a 30 day extension, then apply for 3 month non-0, by that time should be able to do a border hop.

See my earlier response and UJ's confirmation of it being correct.

But the question is WHY would you do a border-hop at the end of the 3-months the 90-day Non Imm O Visa will provide after you successfully applied for it from the SingleEntry 60-day Tourist Visa?  To apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa you would need to meet the financial requirements for that application, and subsequently applying for the 1-year extension of that Non Imm O Visa only requires you to maintain the financial proof you provided for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa application.

[treetops]

On 11/20/2020 at 8:43 AM, 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.

There is no requirement to show a booking as paid, only that it exists, so this and the subsequent posts on the point are only a distraction.

 

The requirement as stated on my local Embassy's webite is:

 

Proof of accommodation in Thailand e.g. hotel booking, invitation letter from family or friend in Thailand (All tourists are subject to 14-day quarantined at ASQ hotels at their own expenses.)

[ubonjoe]

A off topic post has been removed.

[VBF]

1 hour ago, treetops said:

There is no requirement to show a booking as paid, only that it exists, so this and the subsequent posts on the point are only a distraction.

 

The requirement as stated on my local Embassy's webite is:

 

Proof of accommodation in Thailand e.g. hotel booking, invitation letter from family or friend in Thailand (All tourists are subject to 14-day quarantined at ASQ hotels at their own expenses.)

That is useful - thank you - one brief sentence summing it up. ???? 

[hashmodha]

Single biggest blunder on the Financial side of travel requirements so far!....I will check with Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore later!????????

[Polaky]

16 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

See my earlier response and UJ's confirmation of it being correct.

But the question is WHY would you do a border-hop at the end of the 3-months the 90-day Non Imm O Visa will provide after you successfully applied for it from the SingleEntry 60-day Tourist Visa?  To apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa you would need to meet the financial requirements for that application, and subsequently applying for the 1-year extension of that Non Imm O Visa only requires you to maintain the financial proof you provided for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa application.

My bad, I was assuming that to obtain a 90 day non o you did not need funds, and only needed funds 2 months prior to applying for a one year extension.

[thaijett]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:05 AM, Cabradelmar said:

drop quarantine and $100k covid insurance and Thailand will be open. 

not while Europe & USA are CoVid19 cesspools !

[John Drake]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:05 AM, webfact said:

In contrast, the Thai Embassy in Washington appears to have reverted back to the previous requirement of “Copy of recent bank statement ($700 per person and $1,500 per family)”.

 

Convenient if your some poor <deleted> like me who has an account with Bank of America, where the $1500 minimum is what is needed to avoid monthly account fees. Irrelevant, too, if your some poor <deleted> like me who only keeps that account open to transfer Social Security, retirement funds, and tax refunds back to Thailand.