Received Phuket Certificate of Entry

[Philharmonic]

My saga of getting my COE:

 

1) June 14 2021 Submitted first step application (vaccine, passport, visa, health insurance) - approved in one day no trouble

2) June 16 2021 Submitted second step application (hotel, flight) - rejected after three days for "incorrect flight number" presumably because I wrote "singapore airlines 726" instead of "SQ726".  I was invited to reapply.

3) June 19 2021 resubmitted exact same first step application - rejected after one day because "we do not accept insurance cards, you must submit proof of health insurance amount and duration."  What?  First of all, the card was on the first page of the 8 page document, the officer must not have scrolled to the second page.  Second of all, how was this perfectly fine the first time but not ok the second time?  I was invited to amend my application.

4)  June 20 resubmitted exact same application with health insurance details on first (visible) page instead of second page. Application rejected after 2 days for exact same health insurance reason.

5)  June 23 resubmitted application, instead of using my $2500 normal health insurance, I paid another $100 to Tune Insurance for a 30 day policy which specifically mentions covid coverage.  After two days my first step application approved!

6)  June 25 Attempted to submit second step for Phuket Sandbox only to see the warning that Phuket Sandbox registration will only open 28 June ... all SHA+ hotel options have been removed from the site.  I guess the previous process was just for show after all.  Now the dilemma ... play it safe(r) and book the ALQ or wait a few days and take a chance SHA+ will actually happen?  My flight July 4th so that's cutting it awfully close.  Wait a minute, ALQ at Senses is $8000.  SHA+ at Senses is $500. Waiting it is. 

7) June 27 (June 28 0100 Thailand time).  Gamble did not pay off.  Thai website still not accepting SHA+ applications, although perhaps they meant 12pm Thailand time, not 12am.  To cancel or not to cancel?

???? June 27 (June 28 1300 Thailand time).  Thai government COE site is up and running with all Phuket SHA+ destination added back.  I booked 14 days at the 4 star Patong Resort Hotel for total $383.  Wow.  There was some short drama when I called the hotel to get my Safety and Health Administration Booking Authentication (SHABA) form, they couldn't find my reservation from Agoda, but after a phone call the clerk emailed me one within 15 min.  

9)  June 28  Application rejected with the reason "Traveling to Phuket, pls re-apply".  WHAT KIND OF IT SYSTEM ARE THEY RUNNING HERE.  I resubmitted my first step application, but this time there was an additional phuket sandbox option.  I checked the box.  My flight is in six days.  

10)  June 30 First step application approved after impressive 28 hour turnover time.  Perhaps there's hope.  New drama - application site requires "proof of vaccination funds - please contact hotel" but the hotel had no idea what I was talking about.  Well I sent the wire transfer confirmation from my bank and hoped for the best.  With a heroic effort on the part of the thai embassy this could still happen.  Second step application submitted.  

11)  July 1 Logged into my account and found out while everything was uploaded, I had taken too long to complete the form and had timed out of the system before hitting the submit button.  My application had not been submitted.  There was no warning.  Sigh.  I faced the paper tiger and was found wanting.  I submitted one last time (for real this time, make sure to check for your confirmation email), still 30 hours left.

12)  July 1  Six hours later my COE approved.  It's on.  Los Angeles Thai Embassy came through with 26 hours to spare.  I am suitably impressed.  

 

Notes

I've lived and worked in Bangkok for 8 years already traveling to the US on business.  I would have gone back through ASQ program if the Sandbox didn't work out.  We'll see whether absolutely everything is closed in Phuket, but regardless it's better than 14 days trapped in ASQ, and way way cheaper ($742 = $383 hotel + $251 covid test + $108 HKT>BKK cf $2000 for ASQ).

 

 

[r136dg]

Seems to require serious diligence & patience. 

Can you do the sandbox if your flight is to BKK, catching 1st available flight to Phuket?

[tonray]

18 minutes ago, r136dg said:

Seems to require serious diligence & patience. 

Quite the understatement...the whole thing is absurd

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, r136dg said:

Seems to require serious diligence & patience. 

Can you do the sandbox if your flight is to BKK, catching 1st available flight to Phuket?

No. This might change but at the moment you can't.

[pagallim]

Most of these issues were caused by last minute wrangling over the exact criteria to be used for entry, and poor communication between the Government here and the Consulates.   However, I'm sure that within a few days, things will settle down and become routine, and the numbers arriving will increase.   I note that from today, free SIM cards are being given to arrivals at the airport.

 

I'm sure that the extent of business closures will come as a shock to returning visitors, however there is still life to be found.   This from a bar/restaurant in Phuket Town last night, celebrating Canada Day.

[skatewash]

4 hours ago, r136dg said:

Seems to require serious diligence & patience. 

Can you do the sandbox if your flight is to BKK, catching 1st available flight to Phuket?

Not currently.

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, r136dg said:

Can you do the sandbox if your flight is to BKK, catching 1st available flight to Phuket?

No. If there will ever be a transit, it has to be "special" isolated from domestic flights.

There was a vague idea of such special flight(s).

But not yet and my guess:

with the marginal people using sandbox it won't happen anytime soon.

[KhunBENQ]

5 hours ago, Philharmonic said:

My saga of getting my COE:

Thumbs up for your stamina!

Should your saga be amended to the TaT brochures <grin>

(emoticons broken?)

Edited July 2, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

with the marginal people

Oops. Off course not marginal people but marginal number of people!

[gk10012001]

so how does one get from Los Angeles California to Phuket?  What airlines would you schedule or try to schedule?  What cities if you can't fly into BKK and then fly on to Phuket?  If the Phuket sandbox is cheaper than the ASQ then I would be OK going the Phuket sandbox route.  I been there before and did like Karon beach, although I might try Kamala if that is available.  Where do you have to stay in Phuket?  Only the Patong area or can it be any place in Phuket that has ASH+ or whatever hotels?

[sallecc]

3 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

so how does one get from Los Angeles California to Phuket?  What airlines would you schedule or try to schedule?  What cities if you can't fly into BKK and then fly on to Phuket?  If the Phuket sandbox is cheaper than the ASQ then I would be OK going the Phuket sandbox route.  I been there before and did like Karon beach, although I might try Kamala if that is available.  Where do you have to stay in Phuket?  Only the Patong area or can it be any place in Phuket that has ASH+ or whatever hotels?

 

For the flights you can simply do short check on any flight booking websites, I did it for you: Qatar (LA-Doha-Phuket) 1-way $520.

 

You can stay in any ASH+ hotel in Phuket, there are hundreds of them to choose across entire island, area of your choice:

https://asq.in.th/phuket-sandbox-hotels

Edited July 2, 2021 by sallecc

[gk10012001]

4 minutes ago, sallecc said:

 

For the flights you can simply do short check on any flight booking websites, I did it for you: Qatar (LA-Doha-Phuket) 1-way $520.

 

You can stay in any ASH+ hotel in Phuket, there are hundreds of them to choose across entire island, area of your choice:

https://asq.in.th/phuket-sandbox-hotels

Thanks but I would not fly from the west coast of the USA more than half way around the world in the other direction, and I would not go through any Middle Eastern countries. 

 

  So are we free to choose any flights that are commercially available or must we use some flights that are specified by Thailand?

[pentagara]

9 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

Thanks but I would not fly from the west coast of the USA more than half way around the world in the other direction, and I would not go through any Middle Eastern countries. 

 

  So are we free to choose any flights that are commercially available or must we use some flights that are specified by Thailand?

 

You can fly with all airlines that currently fly to Phuket on an international routing via countries that allow transfer for your nationality, recent travel history and vaccine/testing status. You currently cannot fly to the sandbox with a ticket that has a domestic leg within Thailand for your outbound flight from the US.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by pentagara