Retired US citizen bereavement trip to States and back.

[Guest Miguel Delrio]

Does anyone have the latest on travel to the US by a US citizen for a funeral. . .with a quick return to Thailand? ( Family funeral)
Retirement visa.
Single entry but needing multiple entry of course ( where to get this?)
Fully vaccinated AZ. No card . . .just the paper certificate saying so.

Testing and timing? Quarantine in US? Quarantine In Thailand on my return?

 

I know these things change week to week . . .that's why I am asking here for the latest

Any help much appreciated.

Edited October 13, 2021 by Miguel Delrio
clarification

[NanLaew]

Can you be more precise on what 'retirement visa' you are currently allowed to stay in Thailand on including the validity dates?

[skatewash]

I'm going to guess you are on a retirement extension of stay (a year's permission to stay obtained at a Thai immigration office based on once having obtained a Non-O visa).  If I'm wrong about that you can ignore the next paragraph.

You need to determine the end date of your current permission to stay, for instance, go to your last entry to Thailand stamp and look at the Stay Until date.  Should match the permission to stay until date on your stamped retirement extension in your passport.  If that's going to expire while you are in the US that's a problem.  If not, make sure you have an  unused re-entry permit (single or multiple entry).  If you don't you can get one from immigration or at the airport on your way out of Thailand (1,000 baht for single, 3,800 for multiple, a little more at the airport).  You need the re-entry permit to re-enter Thailand and resume your current permission to stay.

Going to the US:  you need to get a negative covid test within 3 days of departing Thailand for the US.  There are no quarantine issues in the US.

Going back to Thailand:  This is more complicated.  The re-entry permit will get you back into Thailand but you will need several other things.  For example, covid insurance coverage of $100,000 for the period of time you will be stamped into when you land in Thailand (up until your permission to stay expires).  That's typically sold by the month, you need to cover the entire period of your initial permission to stay in Thailand you will receive on re-entry.  If vaccinated you will be able to use the Phuket Sandbox, meaning you will have to pay for 7 days lodging in a SHA Plus hotel.  You would also need to pre-pay for two (2) RT-PCR test while in Phuket (5,200 baht ?).  You also need to get a Certificate of Entry (CoE) from the Thai embassy/consulate in the US.  Potentially, you will need $400,000 inpatient and $40,000 outpatient health insurance coverage if you have a Non-OA visa or an extension of stay based on a Non-OA.  (A good reason to hope you have a Non-O visa or extension derived therefrom.).  Of course, Phuket Sandbox is just one way to get back into Thailand.  You could also do ASQ quarantine in Bangkok (7 days if vaccinated, 10 days if not).  There are some other options as well but those are the two most popular.  You need a negative RT-PCR covid test within 72 hours of boarding the plane back to Thailand (unless you transit in Singapore in which case it has to be within 48 hours).  Most of the hard work is getting back into Thailand.  Lots of hoop-jumping.  Also, at the moment you must land in Phuket, not in Bangkok even for transit, if you want to participate in Phuket Sandbox (there's a lot of scuttlebutt that it's allowed to land in Bangkok but it's not true, maybe true in the future, but not now).

Phuket Sandbox is island quarantine (meaning after your first test results come back negative from the airport test, usually within 6 hours, you can leave your hotel room and roam the island at will, returning to your hotel to sleep at night).  Bangkok ASQ is confinement in a hotel room for 7 or 10 days.  Not a tough decision I would imagine.

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by skatewash

[skatewash]

I'm assuming you were vaccinated with AZ in Thailand.  One would imagine then that they would accept whatever documentation of that you were given when coming back into Thailand.  If you want a better, warmer and more fuzzy, feeling about that you can get a more formal looking Thailand National Vaccination Certificate at the hospital that staffed your vaccination center (cost about 50 baht). This comes with a QR code that when scanned takes you to a Ministry of Public Health page that shows a digital record of your vaccinations.  Or if you want even warmer and fuzzier you can get a yellow vaccination booklet also for 50 baht but processing time on that can be as long as 5 days and the places you need to go to get it are not as convenient or numerous (probably not worth it under your circumstances).  

While you are in the US you might even consider getting a booster shot if you meet the FDA recommendations.  Probably not as I think they are not recommending booster shot until about 6 months after your 2nd AZ jab.  But if you have underlying medical conditions you might investigate further.

Edited October 13, 2021 by skatewash

[bluebluewater]

The OP would now be the third American that I have heard of wanting to attend a funeral back in the States.  The other two I knew personally.  They too were hoping for a "quick return".  It was not to be and they were both travel and Thailand savvy.  FAR too many hoops to jump through as noted above and WAY too much money to spend and it certainly was NOT going to be a quick return no matter what they did.  They both opted not to even try.

 

It's a shame but I would not even try either .  .  .

 

 

[dddave]

2 hours ago, skatewash said:

you can get a more formal looking Thailand National Vaccination Certificate at the hospital that staffed your vaccination center (cost about 50 baht). This comes with a QR code that when scanned takes you to a Ministry of Public Health page that shows a digital record of your

Both of my jabs were at Bang Sue Vaccination Center.  How does one determine which hospital did the staffing.?  I tried to get a certificate while I was there for my 2nd jab but just got "Mai dai."

[EricTh]

2 hours ago, skatewash said:

Going back to Thailand:  This is more complicated.  The re-entry permit will get you back into Thailand but you will need several other things.  For example, covid insurance coverage of $100,000 for the period

 

I thought after 1 Nov, there's no need for any quarantine nor covid insurance for fully vaccinated people? Just the Covid test before departing USA should be sufficient.

 

It's best to come back after 1 Nov to avoid the quarantine.

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by EricTh

[EricTh]

12 minutes ago, dddave said:

Both of my jabs were at Bang Sue Vaccination Center.  How does one determine which hospital did the staffing.?  I tried to get a certificate while I was there for my 2nd jab but just got "Mai dai."

That's strange, I got my vaccination certificate at the same hospital as my jabs after the 2nd jab.

 

Perhaps there is a miscommunication because of the language barrier. You might want to bring someone who can speak Thai with you to the center.

 

 

 

 

[Tropicalevo]

1 minute ago, EricTh said:

 

I thought after 1 Nov, there's no need for any quarantine nor covid insurance? Just the Covid test before departing USA.

 

It's best to come back after 1 Nov.

No quarantine but still 7 days in a 'sandbox' hotel. The difference is that you can now leave the hotel.

Still need insurance and COE.

[EricTh]

Just now, Tropicalevo said:

No quarantine but still 7 days in a 'sandbox' hotel. The difference is that you can now leave the hotel.

Still need insurance and COE.

That is for Oct entry but after 1 Nov, there is no quarantine for fully vacc.

[Guest Miguel Delrio]

Thanks so much everyone! This is really helpful to know. My retirement visa was renewed last month so that is not an issue and I fully realize that I need a reentry permit . . .I usually get the multiple but didnt expect to need it this year.

My retirement visa is Non-O.
We also already have Covid insurance.

So far nobody here has been able to solve the "green card" official Thai National Certificate problem. Several people here in Hua Hin are trying desperately for something more official than the A4 paper for the first jab at Bang Sue with the second jab at Hua hin Hospital represented by a tiny stick on stamp on the same piece of paper. Nobody at HHH seems to be able to solve this problem and the answers appear to differ day by day.  Evidently there is no communication between the two jab sites.

 

Skatewash . . .your post is exactly what I feared and expected. Absolutely no way I will spend 7 days quarantined in an expensive hotel in Phuket.

 

Thanks again for your help. 

[skatewash]

9 hours ago, dddave said:

Both of my jabs were at Bang Sue Vaccination Center.  How does one determine which hospital did the staffing.?  I tried to get a certificate while I was there for my 2nd jab but just got "Mai dai."

Sorry to hear that.  A much different experience in Phuket where after getting jabbed and waiting in the recovery room staff in English told us how to go to a particular hospital the next day and get a Thailand National Vaccination Certificate.  We had it very easy in Phuket.

I'm not sure how Bang Sue Vaccination Center works for getting your vaccination certificate.  I'm not sure where the staff that works at Bang Sue Vaccination Center comes from.  I've read online that many of the people working at Bang Sue were actually volunteers.

So lets work with what you have.  Where you given any sort of documentation while at Bang Sue?  For example, an appointment slip for the second jab after receiving the first jab.  If so take a look at it.  Does it look anything like the one attached?  Do you have a QR Code in the upper right corner like the redacted one attached?  If so, if you scan that QR code with your phone camera it should take you to a Ministry of Public Health database online with details of your vaccination history (date you received your jabs, lot number, location of jab, etc.).  

Do you see on your receipt any ID number.  It will be 13 digits long and start with "60000".  

You can try calling the call the Mor Prom Call Centre.  Ask for an English speaker and they should be able to look up your details after a few questions re name, dob, date first jab etc. very helpful.  Hopefully they will be able to give you your ID number.   Ask where you can go to get a vaccination certificate with your ID number.

The Mor Prom Call Centre number is 02-792-2333.

 

 

[skatewash]

9 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

I thought after 1 Nov, there's no need for any quarantine nor covid insurance for fully vaccinated people? Just the Covid test before departing USA should be sufficient.

 

It's best to come back after 1 Nov to avoid the quarantine.

 

We will know for sure on 2 November what will happen on 1 November. ???? 

But seriously, there is a lot that must happen between now and 1 November for there to be the kind of big changes that are being "discussed."  Many steps, approvals, changes, approval by cabinet, publishing in Royal Gazette.  It cannot be seen as a done deal.  We don't even know what the final form of the new rules will be.  However, the likelihood is that the requirements will be relaxed.  How exactly is what we don't know.  The devil will be in the details.  We know none of that yet.

So I advised the OP on the current rules in effect now and that may or may not be in effect after November 1.  I think it's most prudent to plan for continuation of the current restrictions and be pleasantly surprised if they are relaxed.  It's best to know what the worst case is.  Things might be different on November 1 and then again they might not be different.  We've been through this kind of thing before.  It's best to remain skeptical until things actually happen.

[dddave]

2 hours ago, skatewash said:

Sorry to hear that.  A much different experience in Phuket where after getting jabbed and waiting in the recovery room staff in English told us how to go to a particular hospital the next day and get a Thailand National Vaccination Certificate.  We had it very easy in Phuket.

I'm not sure how Bang Sue Vaccination Center works for getting your vaccination certificate.  I'm not sure where the staff that works at Bang Sue Vaccination Center comes from.  I've read online that many of the people working at Bang Sue were actually volunteers.

So lets work with what you have.  Where you given any sort of documentation while at Bang Sue?  For example, an appointment slip for the second jab after receiving the first jab.  If so take a look at it.  Does it look anything like the one attached?  Do you have a QR Code in the upper right corner like the redacted one attached?  If so, if you scan that QR code with your phone camera it should take you to a Ministry of Public Health database online with details of your vaccination history (date you received your jabs, lot number, location of jab, etc.).  

Do you see on your receipt any ID number.  It will be 13 digits long and start with "60000".  

You can try calling the call the Mor Prom Call Centre.  Ask for an English speaker and they should be able to look up your details after a few questions re name, dob, date first jab etc. very helpful.  Hopefully they will be able to give you your ID number.   Ask where you can go to get a vaccination certificate with your ID number.

The Mor Prom Call Centre number is 02-792-2333.

 

 

Thanks for the comprehensive reply to my query.  I do have my stamped form from both jabs so I will scan the QR code as you suggest.

Thanks again.

[skatewash]

54 minutes ago, dddave said:

Thanks for the comprehensive reply to my query.  I do have my stamped form from both jabs so I will scan the QR code as you suggest.

Thanks again.

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