Relocating to Thailand in the age of Covid

[thaibook]

My wife (Thai national) and I plan to move to Thailand at the end of July.

 

My plan is to enter without a visa (visa exempt), obtain a 60 day extension based on marriage, apply for 90 day non-O and then

apply for 1 year extension based on marriage.  Are any of these steps no longer possible, especially entry without a visa?  

 

I gather I shall need insurance to enter the country.  Do I need to show insurance for any of the other steps?

 

I have Medicare plus cover that will pay for emergency treatment in any country.  Will this satisfy the Thai insurance needs?

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

You only need the covid coverage.

The steps you outline visa exempt, extension to visit wife then non o marriage is one correct pathway.

Do you have Thai bank account in your name?

 

Finally currently coming to Thailand is imo crazy. Why not put it off for few months.

 

You could look at the Phuket sandbox for first 14 day. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by DrJack54

[KhunBENQ]

16 minutes ago, thaibook said:

My wife (Thai national) and I plan to move to Thailand at the end of July.

I am afraid you have not followed the rules/regulations (piling up) for entering Thailand.

The standard route goes through 14 day Bangkok hotel quarantine.

Basically locked up in your room with some walking in the garden.

No contact to the outside. Expensive and arduous.

Before digging deeper about visa etc.: think about postponing if possible.

[KhunBENQ]

22 minutes ago, thaibook said:

I gather I shall need insurance to enter the country.  Do I need to show insurance for any of the other steps?

Yes a dedicated Covid19 insurance with 100'000 USD coverage.

I doubt they will accept your health coverage.

You will have to contact the Thai consulate/embassy anyway as you need a CoE (certificate of entry). I guess the consulate will have a list of the requirements.

 

I don't know about the requirements for Thai people.

[Skallywag]

28 minutes ago, thaibook said:

I have Medicare plus cover that will pay for emergency treatment in any country. 

Believe part C or Medigap only covers for 60 days....used for temporary travel in foreign countries.  

Believe you need Thai health insurance good for 1 year

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Skallywag said:

Believe part C or Medigap only covers for 60 days....used for temporary travel in foreign countries.  

Believe you need Thai health insurance good for 1 year

No need for any insurance other than the $100,000 covid 19 coverage for the length of stay allowed when entering the country.

[BritTim]

As @ubonjoe states, your only requirement is $100,000 Covid insurance for the 45 days permitted by visa exempt entry. There is no insurance requirement at the current time (subject to change) for conversion visas at immigration or any extension. If you can get a formal letter to the effect that your "emergency health care" includes Covid coverage of at least $100,000, this should be sufficient.

 

I endorse the recommendations others have given that you defer your arrival in Thailand. Coming in late July would be arriving in the teeth of a catastrophic Covid wave that is already overwhelming hospitals and set to get much worse.

[thaibook]

thank you all who replied to my post.  I will consider the suggestion by many to postpone our move although from the outside the Thai data do not seem catastrophic.  Many Thais seem to be reacting emotionally and be fearful but the rate of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths is much lower than it was in Florida or the UK.  Access to vaccines is more difficult but I have been vaccinated and it does nto seem that the primary variant ciculating is delta.  Nonetheless I shall consider postponing.

 

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, thaibook said:

thank you all who replied to my post.  I will consider the suggestion by many to postpone our move although from the outside the Thai data do not seem catastrophic.  Many Thais seem to be reacting emotionally and be fearful but the rate of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths is much lower than it was in Florida or the UK.  Access to vaccines is more difficult but I have been vaccinated and it does nto seem that the primary variant ciculating is delta.  Nonetheless I shall consider postponing.

Thailand has fewer critical care beds than the US. The fact is that (already) there are no hospital beds for some of the people who are infected. That is in spite of setting up "field hospitals" that bear little resemblance to what you and I would term a "hospital". Most important, in Greater Bangkok, infection rates are still rising alarmingly.

 

A year ago, there was irrational panic in Thailand over a risk that was very low. However, the number of deaths from Covid-19 reported in Thailand today was equal to the total number of deaths for the whole of 2020. The current wave is unlikely to peak for at least four weeks. Infections may or may not be under control by September.

[DrJack54]

6 hours ago, thaibook said:

thank you all who replied to my post.  I will consider the suggestion by many to postpone our move although from the outside the Thai data do not seem catastrophic.  Many Thais seem to be reacting emotionally and be fearful but the rate of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths is much lower than it was in Florida or the UK.  Access to vaccines is more difficult but I have been vaccinated and it does nto seem that the primary variant ciculating is delta.  Nonetheless I shall consider postponing.

 

Put it bluntly. That is a very naive post.

Your on Thaivisa so I would suggest look into Thai news forum. Then in particular spend time in the thread that concentrates on the daily numbers here.

 

You almost certainly would already have had your vaccine shots. So that's in your favour.

 

Frankly anyone coming to Thailand right now (especially to relocate) is just plain foolhardy.

 

[rickudon]

As for Covid variants, the Delta variant is currently becoming more common and is expected to be the dominant strain within a few months. Given the current rise in infections, lockdown in Bangkok AND provincial quarantine, you may end up having to do 2 lots of quarantine plus COE, extra insurance and pay for Covid tests. By October, situation MAY have improved and the hurdles lowered. Enjoy the Summer before you come.

[Road Warrior]

DONT do it 

[BritManToo]

On 7/1/2021 at 2:04 PM, thaibook said:

thank you all who replied to my post.  I will consider the suggestion by many to postpone our move although from the outside the Thai data do not seem catastrophic.  Many Thais seem to be reacting emotionally and be fearful but the rate of infections, hospitalisations, and deaths is much lower than it was in Florida or the UK.  Access to vaccines is more difficult but I have been vaccinated and it does nto seem that the primary variant ciculating is delta.  Nonetheless I shall consider postponing.

 

All entertainment is closed, no alcohol served in restaurants, regional travel requires 14 days quarantine, you can be arrested for having friends over for dinner.

 

Best to wait until all the silliness is over (if ever).

Edited July 3, 2021 by BritManToo