Visa runs in the era of covid

[sbaker8688]

I am planning to try to come to Thailand on either a visa on arrival, or a tourist visa.  In the era of covid, after my visa or voa expires, can I still go to, for instance, Laos overland (that's what I did last time) and get a tourist visa there, and come back?  Or are they blocking overland routes into Thailand, or blocking getting visas from Laos and other countries?  I'd like to get all the info I can before attempting this.

 

Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

You cannot enter Laos or any other neighboring country at this time other than Cambodia if you have a business visa and that is only by air.

[sbaker8688]

Very good info - thanks.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, sbaker8688 said:

Very good info - thanks.

Don't even think of the plan you outlined. Did you mean visa on arrival or visa exempt?

[sbaker8688]

Either visa on arrival, or a tourist visa.  I'd go for something longer stay, but the pain-in-the-ass factor and requirements really ramp up the longer you want to stay.  Any advice?

[lordblackader]

18 minutes ago, sbaker8688 said:

Either visa on arrival, or a tourist visa.  I'd go for something longer stay, but the pain-in-the-ass factor and requirements really ramp up the longer you want to stay.  Any advice?

 

Visa exempt. Given that you're writing in English you're likely from a western country. Visa on arrival only applies to visitors for some countries such as India and China. 

[DrJack54]

20 minutes ago, sbaker8688 said:

Either visa on arrival, or a tourist visa.  I'd go for something longer stay, but the pain-in-the-ass factor and requirements really ramp up the longer you want to stay.  Any advice?

You cannot extend visa on arrival.

Tourist visa can be extended by 30 days. Currently available is 60 day covid extensions. You could obtain that after the 30 day extension to setv. Which country are you from just asking to make sure your not meaning visa exempt entry

Edited April 28, 2021 by DrJack54

[Bangkok Barry]

Most people decide it just isn't worth the hassle and restrictions to travel now unless it is absolutely essential. But each to their own. Are you able to wait until things are closer to normal? Might be a long wait though, with the virus mutating stronger and stronger.

[KhaoYai]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Currently available is 60 day covid extensions.

Are 60 day extensions available for recent arrivals?

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Are 60 day extensions available for recent arrivals?

Yes

[KhaoYai]

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

That's good news for any of those recent arrivals that want an extension but difficult to understand why the Thai government think its justified. I say that in the context of the hoops that have to be jumped through on immigration matters in general. I'm not in any way against such extensions - I just don't understand them given that flights out of the country are readily available.

[Jillie Norman]

It's good to have an option of staying or leaving. Some countries are experiencing surges right now which I think is really scary.

[JasonB]

The Covid extention is available but not really useful unless the extention get extended. 
Last day to obtain the extention is on the 29th of may.

Edited April 28, 2021 by JasonB

[DrJack54]

27 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

That's good news for any of those recent arrivals that want an extension but difficult to understand why the Thai government think its justified. I say that in the context of the hoops that have to be jumped through on immigration matters in general. I'm not in any way against such extensions - I just don't understand them given that flights out of the country are readily available.

Agree 100%. 

All I can come up with is it's done to help with tourist numbers. Even though that would be not many.

Before this current wave it was great way to holiday for many months in Thailand. Visa exempt entry followed 30 day extension then ongoing covid extensions.

I would not recommend coming to Thailand at the moment. 

Stayed on an island 8 months last year and currently back on same island (prior to current restrictions). Can't even get on now.

Edited April 28, 2021 by DrJack54

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, JasonB said:

Available but not really useful unless the Covid extention get extended. 
Last day to obtain the extention is on the 29th of may.

IMHO they won't stop covid extensions until land borders are open. Situation worse than ever. Vaccine roll out hopeless. Covid extensions will continue for quite some time.

 

[Fromas]

If you plan on cross border trips, this is a good resource

https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm

 

[JasonB]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

IMHO they won't stop covid extensions until land borders are open. Situation worse than ever. Vaccine roll out hopeless. Covid extensions will continue for quite some time.

 

You are perhaps correct, but as of now the Covid extention is not available when the OP need to extend. (hard to plan a vacation after something that might happen) 
I am sure that its a hard one to swallow for the government. For years they have tried to make it harder for long stay tourists, and now people can stay long time without have a defined purpose other than holiday. 
At least fewer people are using all the bogus "agent visas", so something good have come out of the Covid extention. 

 

[Tanoshi]

17 minutes ago, JasonB said:

You are perhaps correct, but as of now the Covid extention is not available when the OP need to extend. (hard to plan a vacation after something that might happen) 

Unless it's essential, anyone planning a vacation must have been wearing blinkers.

 

The average tourist would spend 2/3 weeks enjoying sand, sea, sun, entertainment and nightlife, not the current situation with bars, shops, clubs closed (some probably never to reopen.

 

For anyone considering such a vacation, my advice would be save your money for better days ahead.

Buy a pair of goggles, snorkel, flippers and jump in the fish tank at home - you'll have more fun, for a fraction of the costs -COE not required.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Tanoshi

[JasonB]

2 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Unless it's essential, anyone planning a vacation must have been wearing blinkers.

 

The average tourist would spend 2/3 weeks enjoying sand, sea, sun, entertainment and nightlife, not the current situation with bars, shops, clubs closed (some probably never to reopen.

 

For anyone considering such a vacation, my advice would be save your money for better days ahead.

Buy a pair of goggles, snorkel, flippers and jump in the fish tank at home - you'll have more fun, for a fraction of the costs -COE not required.

I very much agree. 
If you are a typical tourist, there is really nothing to come here for at the moment. 
From quarantine to lockdown with nothing to do. Rules and regulations change overnight, and the island / hotel you plan to visit, can be closed down while you sit quarantined. 
I wont even leave Phuket, as a false negative test on the way back would send one to the hospital. 

[noone223]

Check out the Balkans .

Cheap,open, no need to do visa runs since you get 90 days on arrival.

Most places are lifting up restrictions,

And there are some nice beaches from Bulgaria & Romania (Black sea) all the way to Albania (Adriatic Sea)

Sarande, Vlora, Durres in Albania are a fraction of thai prices.

Amazing wine, beers, all for around $1 usd.

The best seafood you've ever had, not kidding. It's insane.

 

Burgas and Varna in Bulgaria are great too, once again, a fraction of the price.

You might need a PCR test to enter, but even these things change.

In between you have Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, all hand out 90 days visas on Arrival.

Found some incredible beachfront airbnb's around Albania & Bulgaria for $300 usd a month.  (That's 9000 baht through airbnb, if you take a night, you can even drop it lower by talking directly to the owner)

Yes, beach front, luxury studio apartments, AC, WiFi, and Seafront balcony.

 

In Thailand you get a bad bungalow for that price, and a small chang costs $2 in 7-11.

 

You won't want to go back to Thailand after being in the Balkans.

Oh, best part is, you won't be considered farang,

Local people will treat you with respect.

Edited April 28, 2021 by noone223

[Tanoshi]

9 minutes ago, JasonB said:

I wont even leave Phuket, as a false negative test on the way back would send one to the hospital. 

A positive positive will get you to hospital quicker    ????

[JasonB]

4 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

A positive positive will get you to hospital quicker    ????

I meant false positive of course haha ????
(Doubt that I am infected) 

[edwardandtubs]

1 hour ago, Tanoshi said:

Unless it's essential, anyone planning a vacation must have been wearing blinkers.

 

The average tourist would spend 2/3 weeks enjoying sand, sea, sun, entertainment and nightlife, not the current situation with bars, shops, clubs closed (some probably never to reopen.

 

For anyone considering such a vacation, my advice would be save your money for better days ahead.

Buy a pair of goggles, snorkel, flippers and jump in the fish tank at home - you'll have more fun, for a fraction of the costs -COE not required.

I agree. I went to Phuket when there were 0 cases and even Kata was a ghost town. Personally I liked the empty beach and sitting on my own in the hotel eating dinner from the food panda app but it's not for everyone.

 

But now do you really want to risk being fined 20,000 baht for not wearing your mask on an empty beach, not to mention the 10pm "soft" curfews?

[tomazbodner]

Given how much your visa runs would cost you, I think you are well-off enough to apply for an Elite card which will allow you long stay in the country.

 

Each time you leave, you'll be left with fair chunk of Elite card fees for ASQ, plane tickets, possibly a month in quarantine in both countries together for each trip, and very high expenses in hospital that your insurance might not cover if you actually test positive on arrival.

 

It's not worth it. Get Elite card or wait until this is over.

[sbaker8688]

12 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You cannot extend visa on arrival.

Tourist visa can be extended by 30 days. Currently available is 60 day covid extensions. You could obtain that after the 30 day extension to setv. Which country are you from just asking to make sure your not meaning visa exempt entry

I live in the USA.  Here, they call it 'visa on arrival,' but for you, I guess that means 'visa exempt?'  I would get either a multiple entry tourist, or something else, but like I said, jumping through hoops and pain-in-the-ass factor really ramp up, so I was planning either coming without a visa and get 'visa on arrival' or 'visa exempt,' or get the single entry tourist, which isn't as many hoops to jump through as the others.  Then I was going to just go to Laos or someplace to get another visa when my time in Thailand expired.

Having said all of that, the more I read, the more I'm thinking "this is not a good  plan."

[edwardandtubs]

53 minutes ago, sbaker8688 said:

I live in the USA.  Here, they call it 'visa on arrival,' but for you, I guess that means 'visa exempt?'  I would get either a multiple entry tourist, or something else, but like I said, jumping through hoops and pain-in-the-ass factor really ramp up, so I was planning either coming without a visa and get 'visa on arrival' or 'visa exempt,' or get the single entry tourist, which isn't as many hoops to jump through as the others.  Then I was going to just go to Laos or someplace to get another visa when my time in Thailand expired.

Having said all of that, the more I read, the more I'm thinking "this is not a good  plan."

You're talking about visa exempt. Visa on arrival is something completely different in Thailand and only available to people from certain countries like Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

 

I agree with the above post about the Balkans though. Or how about Turkey? There tourists are exempt from lockdown rules unlike in Thailand where politicians and the media like to point fingers and blame farangs for everything covid related.

[geisha]

sbaker8688 I think you better contact your Thai embassy about the visas, and the procedure for quarantine, flights etc plus COE. The visas aren’t the same as in normal times.

[impulse]

7 hours ago, noone223 said:

You won't want to go back to Thailand after being in the Balkans.

Oh, best part is, you won't be considered farang,

Local people will treat you with respect.

 

 

April in the Balkans...  What's not to like?

Edited April 28, 2021 by impulse

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

I agree. I went to Phuket when there were 0 cases and even Kata was a ghost town. Personally I liked the empty beach and sitting on my own in the hotel eating dinner from the food panda app but it's not for everyone.

 

But now do you really want to risk being fined 20,000 baht for not wearing your mask on an empty beach, not to mention the 10pm "soft" curfews?

Got to say it - the new Covid Tsar is 100% responsible for this situation. Everybody was saying cancel Songkran and lockdown - he refused and continues to do so.  Now Phuket's hopes for 1 July are almost certainly out of the window.

 

I'm sorry to say it but last year when everyone was claiming Thailand had done so well at tackling the virus - I didn't buy it.  In my opinion it was more luck than judgment - the lockdown, when it finally came obviously did a lot of good but I was very surprised the virus didn't go crazy before that. They were still accepting Chinese tourists until close to the end of April. There's also some question over official figures.

 

Clearly closing the borders has prevented outbreaks to a large extent but the Chiang Mai/Samut Songkran outbreaks were caused by illegal crossings and you can bet your last dollar that such crossings have been taking place for a long time - just a ticking time bomb.  Anyone who thinks the government didn't know about the illegal crossings needs to consider that they were so blatant - there was a mini-bus service waiting for the illegal crossers up in the North.

 

This latest outbreak has changed everything - its knocked the planned return of tourists on the head and made visa runs highly unlikely for the forseeable future.

 

So sad for the Thai people who are likely to see their economy take a serious nose dive now.

[NoshowJones]

13 hours ago, JasonB said:

You are perhaps correct, but as of now the Covid extention is not available when the OP need to extend. (hard to plan a vacation after something that might happen) 
I am sure that its a hard one to swallow for the government. For years they have tried to make it harder for long stay tourists, and now people can stay long time without have a defined purpose other than holiday. 
At least fewer people are using all the bogus "agent visas", so something good have come out of the Covid extention. 

 

"At least fewer people are using all the bogus "agent visas",  Can you name these bogus "agent visas" so I can avoid them in the future? If you are worried about defamation laws, a PM will be fine.