When through 2020 did Thailand start permitting foreigners entry

[PeeJayEm]

I’m a Brit.  I had a commitment to keep in Thailand earlier in 2020 and have only now (20 December) got Certificate of Entry to enter with Non-O retirement visa.

Now I am beating-up myself that I didn’t make efforts to do it earlier.  But now my recollection is hazy of the dates/timing of developments with FCO dropping advice against travel to TH; and Thailand ending the ban on international flights and then opening up with the CoE process - and I’m wondering if I could have gone much earlier.

 

Can anyone with a better memory tell me when would have been the earliest possible that I could have got entry to Thailand in 2020 if I had been fully on the ball.

-  It would help assuage me feeling of guilt. Grateful of all input

[ubonjoe]

They started doing repatriation flights last April for those that qualified at that time.

Entering for those with extensions or visas based upon retirement started in late October if I recall correctly.

[rwill]

Before March you could have...

[PeeJayEm]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They started doing repatriation flights last April for those that qualified at that time.

Entering for those with extensions or visas based upon retirement started in late October if I recall correctly.

Thanks - Joe. That helps

[PeeJayEm]

9 hours ago, rwill said:

Before March you could have...

At that point I think the UK govt FCO site started advising against all but essential travel to Thailand - which disabled most insurance policies. I might be wrong but I seem to remember that in that period.

[sometimewoodworker]

16 hours ago, PeeJayEm said:

At that point I think the UK govt FCO site started advising against all but essential travel to Thailand - which disabled most insurance policies. I might be wrong but I seem to remember that in that period.

Why would that have stopped you? 
 

I only ever had travel insurance for the first few of my hundreds of flights. I do have worldwide health insurance that is uneffected by travel. By now any travel related costs will be far less than the premiums I would have paid.

 

Also, though not what you mean, the literal answer to the question you asked is, January the 1st 2020 was the first day you could have entered Thailand last year.

[treetops]

23 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Why would that have stopped you?

 

Potential medical bills or travel disruption/cancellation costs that would be borne by the insurance company if incurred and the cover was still in place.

[PeeJayEm]

On 1/2/2021 at 5:16 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

Why would that have stopped you? 
 

I only ever had travel insurance for the first few of my hundreds of flights. I do have worldwide health insurance that is uneffected by travel. By now any travel related costs will be far less than the premiums I would have paid.

 

Also, though not what you mean, the literal answer to the question you asked is, January the 1st 2020 was the first day you could have entered Thailand last year.

The reason it stopped me was because the insurance I was talking about is not just about costs of travel which I don’t care about.  The insurance I’m talking about, that was disabled is for the emergency medical treatment and repatriation in event  of such illness.

Anyone who travels without emergency medical insurance is foolhardy.

[PeeJayEm]

On 1/3/2021 at 4:32 AM, treetops said:

 

Potential medical bills or travel disruption/cancellation costs that would be borne by the insurance company if incurred and the cover was still in place.

Wrong. As soon as the FCO slaps and “avoid non-essential travel” label on a country or region, most policies have a clause that triggers cancellation of cover. Mine was with Virgin and the whole policy was curtailed.

[treetops]

29 minutes ago, PeeJayEm said:

Wrong. As soon as the FCO slaps and “avoid non-essential travel” label on a country or region, most policies have a clause that triggers cancellation of cover. Mine was with Virgin and the whole policy was curtailed.

 

I thought my post said the same?