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Last week the editorial team of ASEAN NOW asked our readership for their Covid-19 stories.

 

Of course everyone has one after what continues to be a life changing and life-dominating event for most everyone around the world.

 

But we were overwhelmed with the response. So today we start with "Covid Tales" that feature true stories from those that have seen their lives disrupted, have fallen foul of Thai bureaucracy and officialdom.

 

It is hoped that these stories will help others in dealing with the continuing pandemic situation in Thailand or simply getting back to families and loved ones in the Land of Smiles. 

 

Our first story comes from Frank - we're changing the names of all respondents to protect them against possible defamation charges. 

 

He sent us an ironic and sometimes tongue-in-cheek and humorous email about his difficulties with the now infamous Thailand Pass - but his observations were deadly serious.

 

Frank - who lives near Pattaya - said that he had already "survived" a 15 night detention in an ASQ facility during the Covid first wave in 2020 but now in the UK he was having to go through similar hurdles to get back to Thailand again, a country he has lived in for 20+ years.

 

He said that the decisions he needed to juggle to get back on a "Pension Visa" would give a MENSA test (those for geniuses) a run for its money.

 

He said that years in Thailand had changed his perception of what is important and this he hoped had given him the edge - until he tackled Thailand Pass. 

 

Along with many others, and mindful that it is not a specific Thai problem, he said that the government in Thailand was constantly chopping and changing both its rules and advice for returnees. 

 

This added to confusion and bewilderment.

 

Daunted by the rules and time it looked like taking to get a 60 day visa online, coupled with problems changing this to a retirement visa because of insurance difficulties, he opted for visa on arrival and Thailand Pass.

 

This is when he said that "the wheels almost came off" his return.

 

He mistakenly thought he might get it done in 14 days though he said even that would mean having to cut down a tree, such was the bureaucratic paperwork involved!

 

He noted that some rules had changed from last year but it was still "hours of reading" and increasing worry that you might end up being one of the people testing positive on arrival and being whisked away.

 

Another worry was that you might sit next to someone on the plane with Covid and have to quarantine. 

 

Arranging a flight was not difficult for Frank though you had to be mindful of a stopover in a restricted country, if changes would be allowed to flight bookings if the pass did not come through on time or if he failed the UK PCR test, as well as considerations about arrival times.

 

He thought booking a hotel would be easy - think again.

 

He looked through the list of hotels offering one night "quarantine" and decided to book a place in Pattaya but it was 28 hours before he got a response.

 

They didn't respond at all to a specific request about whether he would be met at Suvarnabhumi.

 

This only increased his anxiety that he could get everything sorted in time.

 

He decided to see if Agoda could help describing this idea as an "epiphany" - think yet again.

 

They listed a hotel but even after paying this hote, they left him waiting suggesting they would have a request for further information.

 

He sent both hotels everything in the meantime and made three calls to Agoda, who said they'd chase up the hotel on their site. 

 

He got no answer to a cancellation request at the first hotel so was obliged to contact his bank to stop payment and email the hotel concerned.

 

Now he found himself on what he hoped was "the last leg of his fun filled days".

 

He finally got his Thailand Pass but was still left with worry and questions:

 

Was the PCR test timing 72 hours prior to departure to or arrival in Thailand?

 

Would the UK authorities get his test result back in time for his flight?

 

Would his booking of a flight out of Thailand later in the year satisfy the 30 day VoA requirements?

 

What about that PCR test on arrival or sitting next to someone with Covid?

 

He ended with more tongue-in-cheek observations - or were they!?

 

These about falling foul of dual pricing or people at Suvarnabhumi "in hazmat suits seeing him as a threat to Thai society".

 

It was good that Frank was keeping his British sense of humor. 

 

But clearly an intelligent guy, it showed the enormous difficulty someone like him faced in simply getting back to his home in Thailand. 

 

Stay tuned for more Covid Tales in the coming days. 

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

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See.....now millionaires can afford to employ a MENSA genius to complete the pass.........clever move by the government.......another filtering system along with the 1,000,000 baht bank account requirement to get rid of the hobbledehoy.

I am not mensa, but on return to thailand on thailand pass I got deceived by villa khaosan smart marketing.

It's difficult to avoid scam associated with anything related to officialdom in thailand - they are there to make money over the dead bodies, including their own citizens coming back to their motherland. If they are foreigners it is even less important, as foreigner has very little legal rights in thailand.

The same old country ruled by siamosauruses and "influential figures" from mafia. Nothing changes here

I was expecting to see Frank's own account rather than just an edited summary. Has webfact forgotten to include a link?

As soon as covid was a thing I just knew it’d mean massive headaches with paperwork Thaiside. Not bashing, but those power that be lot do know how to make everyone’s lives a misery. 

you need be a "MENSA" genius to understand requirements

 

Well that rules out 99% !

6 minutes ago, JoePai said:

you need be a "MENSA" genius to understand requirements

 

Well that rules out 99% !

To qualify for MENSA you must be in the top 2%, so that rules out 98% of us, not 99%. 

 

17 minutes ago, champers said:

I was expecting to see Frank's own account rather than just an edited summary. Has webfact forgotten to include a link?

Unattributed belly aching more like. Sounds like 'Frank' is either a bit of a stress monkey, clueless or the OP totally misread his "ironic and sometimes tongue-in-cheek and humorous" emails. Since there's no such beast as a 'pension visa', I would say it's leaning towards clueless.

 

My experience: ThailandPass went 'live' on 1st Nov, I applied 2nd Nov received acknowledgement email 3rd Nov. This included booking an AQ hotel. No word from first AQ hotel by 4th so booked a backup hotel and a third via agoda (all except one fully refundable). Went ahead and booked a FLEXIBLE flight for 11th Nov. Sent emails to the first two AQ hotels and went and booked my local PCR test using the CLEARLY STATED and EASILY UNDERSTOOD "no more than 72-hour BEFORE start of travel" rule. Submitted a second TP application on 7th with a follow up email regarding it and the earlier application. Received confirmation of second application receipt on 8th and a few hours later got the 'No Quarantine' QR code for the second application. The hotels all broke radio silence the same day on the 9th so after doing my PCR test, I confirmed one and canceled the other two. Went online in the evening and upgraded my ticket to get better separation from fellow pax, bought excess baggage and lounge access. Printed out 4 pieces of paper, one each for QR code, proof of insurance, PCR -ve test and the AQ hotel which were quickly approved by two subsequent check-in staff at two different airports. The total time between parking at the jetway to getting my PCR-tested butt into my comfy AQ room was less than 90-minutes.

 

The rest as they say is (easy peasy) history.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

...My experience...

Your experience: three hotel reservations, two Thailand Pass applications. It could have been worse. My reluctance to fly to Thailand is slowly waning.

I really think MENSA is going to file a defamation case over being so degraded.

2 hours ago, Puccini said:

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

...My experience...

Your experience: three hotel reservations, two Thailand Pass applications. It could have been worse. My reluctance to fly to Thailand is slowly waning.

That was in version 1.0 which was an admitted fustercluck made worse by people carpet-bombing the application process.

 

I think the original TP thread has probably slipped in the popularity rankings by now.

 

Oops... Here it is absolutely drenched with more recent success stories from happy campers.

 

 

"Frank" sounds like a bit of a lightweight. I thought all Pattaya Poms were ex-SAS hard men ????

Maybe some of these people should try the actual MENSA test. Yes, it is difficult and it is supposed to be difficult.

If someone is not even smart enough to enter Thailand then maybe they shouldn't try that MENSA test. They might be disappointed when they get the result.

 

14 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

That was in version 1.0 which was an admitted fustercluck made worse by people carpet-bombing the application process.

 

I think the original TP thread has probably slipped in the popularity rankings by now.

 

Oops... Here it is absolutely drenched with more recent success stories from happy campers.

 

 

So there are some people who are good at hoop jumping,so what......For loads of people the Thai Pass is anything but user friendly......I would go so far to say the TP was designed to be a mess.....And its succeeding quite well...

"Frank" stresses out too much!  Maybe I was just lucky. Thai pass submitted 1st attempt on 1st Nov just 30 minutes after system live. Issued on 2nd Nov for flight on 3rd Nov arriving in Thailand 6am on 4th Nov. Very straightforward (although tedious following the "rules") but then I was lucky. Arrived BKK and was first off the plane and through Thai Pass check. 1 minute at immigration and stamped in. Pattaya hotel had staff waiting and private taxi a short while later. In hotel by 08:15am, PCR test and in room by 08:30am. Phone rang at 3:00pm to say Covid test negative. On beach by 4:30pm for sunset. This was before some hotels saw the scam opportunities. It would take a very determined tourist to bother with all this - I forgot to note the insurance and PCR test not more than 72hrs before departure too. What's the website address for Mensa application?   ????   

I think the situation now is different from what it was at the beginning of the month.

I did it this week end and it has been seamless. I registered online for the insurance and got the certificate at once. Booked the test and go room directly on the hotel website, and it was clearly indicated that PCR test and pick up was included. Go the confirmation after a few minutes.

Then converted all my files in jpg using a free software (Formatfactory), followed all instruction and got my acceptance and QR a few seconds later.

Having said that, I have the EU digital Covid certificate which the system is used to process, it may be longer with certificates from other countries.

 

4 hours ago, Kinnock said:

To qualify for MENSA you must be in the top 2%, so that rules out 98% of us, not 99%. 

 

Indeed. But what we should know about MENSA circles is that it's a bit of a scam.....if not rhetorical theatre. 

Also how many real tourist are studying pages and pages here on Thai visa to even have a chance of getting a Thai Pass.....My guess not many...

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Unattributed belly aching more like. Sounds like 'Frank' is either a bit of a stress monkey, clueless or the OP totally misread his "ironic and sometimes tongue-in-cheek and humorous" emails. Since there's no such beast as a 'pension visa', I would say it's leaning towards clueless.

 

My experience: ThailandPass went 'live' on 1st Nov, I applied 2nd Nov received acknowledgement email 3rd Nov. This included booking an AQ hotel. No word from first AQ hotel by 4th so booked a backup hotel and a third via agoda (all except one fully refundable). Went ahead and booked a FLEXIBLE flight for 11th Nov. Sent emails to the first two AQ hotels and went and booked my local PCR test using the CLEARLY STATED and EASILY UNDERSTOOD "no more than 72-hour BEFORE start of travel" rule. Submitted a second TP application on 7th with a follow up email regarding it and the earlier application. Received confirmation of second application receipt on 8th and a few hours later got the 'No Quarantine' QR code for the second application. The hotels all broke radio silence the same day on the 9th so after doing my PCR test, I confirmed one and canceled the other two. Went online in the evening and upgraded my ticket to get better separation from fellow pax, bought excess baggage and lounge access. Printed out 4 pieces of paper, one each for QR code, proof of insurance, PCR -ve test and the AQ hotel which were quickly approved by two subsequent check-in staff at two different airports. The total time between parking at the jetway to getting my PCR-tested butt into my comfy AQ room was less than 90-minutes.

 

The rest as they say is (easy peasy) history.

Haha, easy peasy..

17 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

"Frank" stresses out too much!  Maybe I was just lucky. Thai pass submitted 1st attempt on 1st Nov just 30 minutes after system live. Issued on 2nd Nov for flight on 3rd Nov arriving in Thailand 6am on 4th Nov. Very straightforward (although tedious following the "rules") but then I was lucky. Arrived BKK and was first off the plane and through Thai Pass check. 1 minute at immigration and stamped in. Pattaya hotel had staff waiting and private taxi a short while later. In hotel by 08:15am, PCR test and in room by 08:30am. Phone rang at 3:00pm to say Covid test negative. On beach by 4:30pm for sunset. This was before some hotels saw the scam opportunities. It would take a very determined tourist to bother with all this - I forgot to note the insurance and PCR test not more than 72hrs before departure too. What's the website address for Mensa application?   ????   

Do you mind me asking what hotel you used in Pattaya?  Cheers

Meet Frank:

Not to come across as a contradicting gadfly, but mostly out of curiosity - 

Wondering if there is such research and collections regarding such positive and successful TP experiences. 

 

Just an observation, but I bet it overwhelms the ever promoted negative perspectives. 

35 minutes ago, Trip Hop said:

Do you mind me asking what hotel you used in Pattaya?  Cheers

Green Park Resort. Right next door to Dusit Thani. It was OK for one night. Likely much better pre-pandemic times. 

55 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

But what we should know about MENSA circles is that it's a bit of a scam

Are you suggesting the MENSA entry test is fraudulent?

Just give few thousand bahts to an agent and get it done easy peasy. 

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

"Frank" sounds like a bit of a lightweight. I thought all Pattaya Poms were ex-SAS hard men ????

More like retired traffic wardens these days.  

 

Retirees have had it too easy for too long. As Thailand has been shedding its developing country tag, things were bound to become more like Singapore or Japan; no more easy visas for people on measly UK state pensions, living in a shoebox condo doing their visa run to Cambodia. I hope the illegal visa agents are dealt with sooner than later. 

 

7 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

More like retired traffic wardens these days.  

 

Retirees have had it too easy for too long. As Thailand has been shedding its developing country tag, things were bound to become more like Singapore or Japan; no more easy visas for people on measly UK state pensions, living in a shoebox condo doing their visa run to Cambodia. I hope the illegal visa agents are dealt with sooner than later. 

 

Me too......I hope they require O visa holders to keep 3 million dollars in the bank or 90 million baht....I sure hope that your not one of those less than 3 million dollar cheap charlie expats...

Quote

He said that the decisions he needed to juggle to get back...would give a MENSA test (those for geniuses) a run for its money.

Hm, I successfully got my Thailand Pass approved. Mensa status confirmed!! ????

MENSA ... wow deep stuff
Is that what women buy tampoons for ... ha

So are they are still wondering why nobody is coming?? ????????????