COE issues

[PoorSucker]

On 9/25/2021 at 3:49 AM, sqwakvfr said:

Phuket sounds more attractive

My experience. 

Came to Phuket 10 days ago. 

Came first off the plane (get a good seat) 

Paperwork checked before immigration. 

1. COE

2. Proof of vacation. 

3. Health insurance 

4. SHABA hotel booking. 

5. Negative PCR-test before flight. 

 

Went through immigration. 

Got my luggage. 

Outside airport, first PCR test. 

Taxi to hotel. 

Waiting 3h until PCR-test came in. 

Hotel staff called me telling I'm cleared (also got email from testing center) 

Rented a bike and went to a bar for a well deserved gin tonic. 

 

I'm now on Samui, my son is here. 

Much more closed down than Phuket, if you're planning Samui, don't. 

Heck yeah, Phuket much more attractive. 

[PoorSucker]

19 hours ago, wraithy said:

My fingers are crossed that they start opening a few bars etc soon ????

Plenty of bars open in Phuket when I arrived 10 days ago. 

Now on Samui, nothing open. 

[PoorSucker]

16 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I wonder at what point the Thai embassies and consulates abroad become overwhelmed with COE requests and either outsource the process or have it significantly streamlined. I can't imagine Thai consular staff keeping up with applications if tourism picks up in any significant way for the coming high season, or what there may be of it. Perhaps this outage is in preparation for a new system that is outsourced. 

Think they have time, when I picked up my visa at the Stockholm embassy we were 3 people getting a visa. 

[PoorSucker]

For my COE the Stockholm embassy required a return ticket. 

Bought a refundable ticket to Singapore and it was accepted. 

[xylophone]

11 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Plenty of bars open in Phuket when I arrived 10 days ago. 

Phuket Town maybe, but Patong is a different story at the moment............. 

 

More than a week ago, on a Friday evening, there were quite a few bars open in Bangla Road and quite a few people milling around, and a few friends of mine who were there thought it was the beginning of the end for the closures, and the start of the good times again!

 

However last week the BIB raided a few bars and fined them for selling alcohol, and now there are no bars open in Bangla, so the place might not be as attractive as it was thought to be! 

[PoorSucker]

50 minutes ago, xylophone said:

More than a week ago, on a Friday evening, there were quite a few bars open in Bangla Road

I was there Friday evening on Bangla.

Rest of my stay was in bars on soi Nanai.

Better with the expat crowd.

[LoudHailer]

I had the same problem but overcame the issue of no attachments holding. 

 

When you initially upload the attachment, notice three little diagrams within the bottom of the attached item - a bin to delete, a magnifying glass to enlarge to view the attachment and most importantly, a little arrow pointing upwards. You must click that little arrow to fully upload your attachment. Done! 

 

I tried three times but the solution, when discovered, made it EASY! ????

[Jeffr2]

3 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

For my COE the Stockholm embassy required a return ticket. 

Bought a refundable ticket to Singapore and it was accepted. 

Thanks for the info! Quick question. Do you have health insurance. I've never been required to get insurance. Got my visa in Thailand years ago, so no requirement for health insurance.

 

But I'm hearing it is a requirement now. For the duration of your stay or until your visa expires. Quite an expensive item!

[PoorSucker]

55 minutes ago, LoudHailer said:

tried three times but the solution, when discovered, made it EASY! ????

You're not the only one that tried 3times. 

Also no explanation when applying went wrong. And no support. 

[PoorSucker]

4 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Thanks for the info! Quick question. Do you have health insurance. I've never been required to get insurance. Got my visa in Thailand years ago, so no requirement for health insurance.

 

But I'm hearing it is a requirement now. For the duration of your stay or until your visa expires. Quite an expensive 

I bought 14 days insurance with covid covered. 

You need it for your COE

 

My insurance cost 3400 baht

[Jeffr2]

7 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

I bought 14 days insurance with covid covered. 

You need it for your COE

 

My insurance cost 3400 baht

Thanks! Never needed a return ticket either as I've got a visa extension. 555. Oh well. Crazy times.

[PoorSucker]

34 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

Thanks! Never needed a return ticket either as I've got a visa extension. 555. Oh well. Crazy times.

Had bussines visa.

Still needed ticket out.

[KhaoYai]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If the quarantine is reduced to 7 days for those vaccinated it would apply to Thais as well.

Thanks for that Joe. What I was meaning was if the suspension will apply to my wife - I guess we'll find out when she sends in the details for full approval today. As for getting any benefit from the proposed changes, I think she'll probably miss out if her flight goes ahead on the 7th October.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Thanks for that Joe. What I was meaning was if the suspension will apply to my wife - I guess we'll find out when she sends in the details for full approval today. As for getting any benefit from the proposed changes, I think she'll probably miss out if her flight goes ahead on the 7th October.

I assume you mean the suspension of COE's. That should be sorted out this week.

The 7 days for being vaccinated has been preapproved and may go into effect on October 1st.

[khunkarl]

On 9/24/2021 at 5:55 PM, placeholder said:

What I found really annoying is that they rejected my application on the grounds that I hadn't submitted a certification that I had been in the same country at least 21 days before departing for Thailand. The thing is, that was never requested on the original online forms. And now I can't upload the document via the route they advise to use because the system doesn't even recognize my ID number. I decided to reapply and when I did, then it told me I had already filed. Clearly one part of the system is in a snit and wants nothing to do with the rest of it.

Where on earth do you obtain a certification that you been in the same country for 21 days? I'm asking because I'm completely clueless..

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, khunkarl said:

Where on earth do you obtain a certification that you been in the same country for 21 days? I'm asking because I'm completely clueless..

That is for the Phuket sandbox and Samui plus.

You must be in the country where you are applying for the COE for 21 days.

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pksb-Eng-768x1152.jpg

 

[khunkarl]

6 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

For my COE the Stockholm embassy required a return ticket. 

Bought a refundable ticket to Singapore and it was accepted. 

What kind of visa are you on? 

[khunkarl]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

That is for the Phuket sandbox and Samui plus.

You must be in the country where you are applying for the COE for 21 days.

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Pksb-Eng-768x1152.jpg

 

But as a Samui resident it would not apply right? I'm working on a ship in Ireland now and then traveling to Sweden a few days before heading to Thailand. Both countries are on the list, so it should be alright then?

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, khunkarl said:

But as a Samui resident it would not apply right? I'm working on a ship in Ireland now and then traveling to Sweden a few days before heading to Thailand. Both countries are on the list, so it should be alright then?

I think they may process the COE if you have been in both listed countries. You would apply for the COE at the embassy in Sweden.

[khunkarl]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think they may process the COE if you have been in both listed countries. You would apply for the COE at the embassy in Sweden.

Do you have any idea if I need a return ticket? I'm on a Non-O Family and it has never been a requirement before. 

[Zyte]

MERCURY RETROGRADE , from the 25th , say no more on that.

 I made my application the wrong way round , I booked everything first , the flight and accommodation and so on intending to start the coe from the beginning of october. The london Thai embassy saying apply for Phuket a maximum of 30 days in advance and I didn’t want to try making bookings at short notice after I got the coe , say perhaps two weeks before travelling.

So I finished making the bookings , relaxed browsed the internet for one  happy hour and looked at this website and saw the problem with the coe. Oh well I will be philosophical I always expected problems and I have made several rebookings already. I will wait on events for the next few weeks and see what the embassy says and what is possible.

My flight and accommodation can be changed , I don’t know about the insurance and pcr tests.

Has anyone else noticed how many hotels on booking.com and agoda advertise sha+ status but are not in fact so.

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, khunkarl said:

Do you have any idea if I need a return ticket? I'm on a Non-O Family and it has never been a requirement before. 

It is not normally required if you have valid visa or re-entry permit.

Perhaps he needed it to apply for the non-b visa he had on entry.

 

[raptorea]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think they may process the COE if you have been in both listed countries. You would apply for the COE at the embassy in Sweden.

Has there been any word on land borders opening back up? If I wonder if a COE will be needed example coming in from LAO border? 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, raptorea said:

Has there been any word on land borders opening back up? If I wonder if a COE will be needed example coming in from LAO border? 

No info about the land border crossings opening yet.

There was a news article stating January they may open as a travel bubble.

[khunkarl]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It is not normally required if you have valid visa or re-entry permit.

Perhaps he needed it to apply for the non-b visa he had on entry.

 

Could be...

 

Thanks Ubon Joe! ????

[The Farang]

You sure you want to fork out all that money to come to ground zero?   Hope you read up on everything that's going on in Phuket before you go through with it...

Edited September 26, 2021 by The Farang

[EricTh]

On 9/24/2021 at 7:32 PM, Eve2004 said:

Any idea when they will lift the suspension my flight is booked for mid October:(

 

That's the problem with the Thai government simply changing the opening dates. It messed up all our travelling plans.

 

The 1st of November might even change if something unexpected comes up. I think it's safer to postpone to December.

 

[scoutman360]

On 9/25/2021 at 7:27 PM, scorecard said:

"Make sure you have a hotel booking and evidence the deposit has been paid."

 

Can you please confirm you only need to submit receipt to prove the DEPOSIT has been paid.

 

Just yesterday I paid my ASQ hotel deposit (5,000Baht ) and I got a message immediately saying that the balance would be processed (using my Visa cc) 3 days before the end of my 14 days stay, and will include any additional charges for room service, 7/11 purchases and service charge, extra laundry  etc. 

 

The Thai Embassy (Los Angeles) was happy with my 5,000 bht deposit receipt and a copy of my hotel booking together with it.

The ASQ hotel later emailed with a request to pay the balance due in advance. I emailed them and requested I pay upon arrival  because their online system does not accept AMEX. "No problem!", they said.

I had to pay in advance the hospital portion of the bill directly to the hospital (covid testing, etc.).

 

 

 

[SunsetT]

18 hours ago, scorecard said:

Have any Australians experience difficulty with this?

 

My middle name starts with W.

My full middle name is shown on my passport.

But on my Medicare immunization history it only shows W.

I'm hoping this will be acceptable.

 

On the other hand have any ozzies ever expanded their name on their Medicare on-line records to show their full middle name?

 

Dont think you will have an issue with this as my UK NHS Covid pass only gives my 1st and last names but not my middle name which is on my passport.

[Banana7]

17 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

Dont think you will have an issue with this as my UK NHS Covid pass only gives my 1st and last names but not my middle name which is on my passport.

Canadian passports don't have to have a person's middle name or initial(s). But the provincial health cards, which are used for all health related procedures including vaccinations do contain full and complete names including all middle names. So when the inoculation document is issued it has the person's full name, birth date and partial health card number. The passport has 2 names and the inoculation document has 3 names, of course the birth dates match, will this be a problem for entry?