Thailand Pass Requires Return Flights ?

[Sqoop]

I had applied to Thailand Pass successfully and was due to fly from Auckland to Bangkok on 24th Nov,

 

Auckland  -> Melbourne -> Singapore -> Bangkok

 

arriving on 25th. I had done all of my research and thought I understood all of the rules. The first leg from Auckland to Melbourne went OK and I entered Australia. However when I tried to board the Scoot flight to Singapore I was told that I needed to have been in Australia for 14 days prior to boarding. So I missed my flight and lost my hotels bookings etc.

 

I am trying to decide whether it is feasible to try and re-book and wondered whether Thailand Pass requires a return flight ? In the event of another problem I dont want to lose return flights as well. Im thinking of cancelling the whole trip but just exploring options.

 

[crouchpeter]

Well, NZ is an approved country, plus you have your Thailand Pass. 14 days in NZ should be okay. Perhaps you weren't in transit in Melbourne, and this could make a difference if you actually entered Oz! Looks like Scoot is wrong. However, your Thai Pass will now be invalid if you don't arrive as per your itinerary.

[ubonjoe]

The 14 days seems to be a requirement for Australia. Did you have to enter Australia to make you connecting flight on Scoot.

Thailand requires you to be in a listed country for 21 days to meet the test and go requirements. Since NZ and Australia are both on the list you would meet the requirement.

I assume you got your most recent vaccination at least 14 days before traveling using the test and go or sandbox option to meet Thailand's requirements.

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, crouchpeter said:

Perhaps you weren't in transit in Melbourne, and this could make a difference if you actually entered Oz

I think your on the money.

I can't find a ticket as described by OP that includes Scoot as a carrier.

Thinking the OP may have had separate ticket into Melb.

Actually entered Oz

 

[Sqoop]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

The 14 days seems to a requirement for Australia. Did you have to enter Australia to make you connecting flight on Scoot.

Thailand requires you to be in a listed country for 21 days to meet the test and go requirements. Since NZ and Australia are both on the list you would meet the requirement.

I assume you got your most recent vaccination at least 14 days before traveling using the test and go or sandbox option to meet Thailand's requirements.

Yes I entered Australia to wait 8 hours to board the next flight. It was not an issue with Thailand's requirements. It was an issue with Singapore's requirements for transit. I needed to be in Australia for 14 days before being able to transit through Singapore. New Zealand is a tier 2 country not tier 1 from Singapore's point of view.

 

There was no issue with vaccination, I received my pcr test in time and verified this with an Australian temporary visa to pass through Australia as a Kiwi. Its getting complicated and expensive to fly now. I just wanted to check whether I needed to book return flights for Thailand Pass ? Or I could just book a one way.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Sqoop said:

However when I tried to board the Scoot flight to Singapore I was told that I needed to have been in Australia for 14 days prior to boarding.

That sounds to me like a Singapore transit regulation, no? They are still really hammering their own and unless the transit through SIN is completely air-side and gate-to-gate like I did last May, then the 'stopover' isn't allowed?

[Sqoop]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I think your on the money.

I can't find a ticket as described by OP that includes Scoot as a carrier.

Thinking the OP may have had separate ticket into Melb.

Actually entered Oz

 

Yes I made the mistake of booking through kiwi.com, I will never do it again. I booked their insurance and option to change flight details. They nickle and dimed me on payments to book seats etc. So it was quite expensive. When I encountered a problem their insurance it turned out was just a service that did not offer refunds. Also if I wanted to change the return flight details I would just need to pay full flights costs. Err no thanks.

[Sqoop]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

That sounds to me like a Singapore transit regulation, no? They are still really hammering their own and unless the transit through SIN is completely air-side and gate-to-gate like I did last May, then the 'stopover' isn't allowed?

Yes exactly, but my question relates to flight requirements for Thai Pass / immigration. I assume a return flight is needed but just checking.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Sqoop said:

Yes I made the mistake of booking through kiwi.com, I will never do it again. I booked their insurance and option to change flight details. They nickle and dimed me on payments to book seats etc. So it was quite expensive. When I encountered a problem their insurance it turned out was just a service that did not offer refunds. Also if I wanted to change the return flight details I would just need to pay full flights costs. Err no thanks.

Thats a horrible experience.

Perhaps the gold coast a replacement option. 

[eisfeld]

A return flight is not needed but you need to have Covid insurance covering at least 90 days from the day of arrival in Thailand. I got approved without a return flight (as I live in Thailand). I do not know if that is accepted if on a Tourist visa. I suggest though that you book some kind of return flight that can be cancelled/changed/refunded.

[Sqoop]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Thats a horrible experience.

Perhaps the gold coast a replacement option. 

Yes Im trying to decide options .. perhaps I will just cancel the trip and travel Australia. But I wanted to explore all options. I dont want to miss some obscure rule and be rejected at checkin again.

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Sqoop said:

Yes I entered Australia to wait 8 hours to board the next flight. It was not an issue with Thailand's requirements. It was an issue with Singapore's requirements for transit. I needed to be in Australia for 14 days before being able to transit through Singapore. New Zealand is a tier 2 country not tier 1 from Singapore's point of view.

I don't see that in the IATA requirements for Singapore on this map. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

I think Scoot was wrong.

Australia and New Zealand both listed on the same lists on that site.

[Sqoop]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I don't see that in the IATA requirements for Singapore on this map. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php

I think Scoot was wrong.

Australia and New Zealand both listed on the same lists on that site.

I think it might relate to Scoot's own rules and their VTL or vaccinated travel lane requirements. I assume that these are agreed with the Singapore government. Scoot did not expand upon their rejection details so I am assuming. They did talk about tier 1 and tier 2 countries. But that was from their own manuals. So I am left confused.

 

https://www.flyscoot.com/en/announcements/vaccinated-travel-lanes-flights

 

I think that this is what they are referring to is the list of tier 1 countries listed at the top of this page.

[DrJack54]

26 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

A return flight is not needed but you need to have Covid insurance covering at least 90 days from the day of arrival in Thailand

Where did the 90 days come from? 

[eisfeld]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Where did the 90 days come from? 

Out of thin air. Noone told me that before and I couldn't find it written anywhere. But I was first rejected intially because I had booked a shorter coverage period. They told me I needed at least 90 days coverage so I re-applied with that and was approved.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Out of thin air. Noone told me that before and I couldn't find it written anywhere. But I was first rejected intially because I had booked a shorter coverage period. They told me I needed at least 90 days coverage so I re-applied with that and was approved.

90 days. Did you have a non O .

What visa did you have?

Which Thai consulate

[eisfeld]

9 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

90 days. Did you have a non O .

What visa did you have?

Which Thai consulate

Non-B. Munich. Quote from the rejection:

 

Quote

If you do not have a return ticket, your health insurance must cover at least 90 days.

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by eisfeld

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

If you do not have a return ticket, your health insurance must cover at least 90 days.

Thats interesting. Must keep a look out for similar posts. 

Clearly was down to your visa.

Surely not across the board.

What if someone had a reentry permit with a life of 11 months. Or a non O-A. Wonder what their required period of insurance would be

 

Edited November 25, 2021 by DrJack54

[eisfeld]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thats interesting. Must keep a look out for similar posts. 

Clearly was down to your visa.

Surely not across the board.

What if someone had a reentry permit with a life of 11 months. Or a non O-A. Wonder what their required period of insurance would be

 

Now that you mention it I actually had a valid Re-entry permit. The permit was only valid for a bit over two weeks and yet they still required 90 days insurance.

[DrJack54]

@Sqoop you might ease your pain with read of this current thread in news forum.. basically about horror stories. 

 

 

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, eisfeld said:

Now that you mention it I actually had a valid Re-entry permit. The permit was only valid for a bit over two weeks and yet they still required 90 days insurance.

I hope ubonjoe or others can provide explanation.

[Sqoop]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

@Sqoop you might ease your pain with read of this current thread in news forum.. basically about horror stories. 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes I was looking at this today .. Im feeling rational today .. but I was ready to jump over the Scoot counter yesterday. Scoot staff need to have some customer relations training for when they reject travelers. They dont seem to give a sh*t.

 

[ubonjoe]

45 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

Non-B. Munich. Quote from the rejection:

Was that when they were approving your certificate of entry (COE).

Embassy and consulates are not involved in the Thailand Pass.

The quoted the rules for a visa application not the COE requirements or the Thailand pass.

You only needed insurance for the length of stay your re-entry permit allowed.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Sqoop said:

Yes exactly, but my question relates to flight requirements for Thai Pass / immigration. I assume a return flight is needed but just checking.

No need for a r/t ticket to qualify for TP.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, eisfeld said:

A return flight is not needed but you need to have Covid insurance covering at least 90 days from the day of arrival in Thailand. I got approved without a return flight (as I live in Thailand). I do not know if that is accepted if on a Tourist visa. I suggest though that you book some kind of return flight that can be cancelled/changed/refunded.

Just my observations from my passing through the health checks on arrival at BKK about two weeks ago. The guys in front of me were tourists (no idea if visa or visa-exempt entry) and the girl checking their paperwork also needed to see their hotel booking/confirmation BEYOND the 1-day, test-and-go AQ booking.

 

I was re-entering on a re-entry permit with about 4 months validity remaining and my up-country address on the TM7. She didn't ask for proof of where I was going after my 1-day, test-and-go AQ hotel.

 

YMMV

[eisfeld]

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Was that when they were approving your certificate of entry (COE).

Embassy and consulates are not involved in the Thailand Pass.

The quoted the rules for a visa application not the COE requirements or the Thailand pass.

You only needed insurance for the length of stay your re-entry permit allowed.

It was through the COE process BUT under the new rules that applied after Nov 1st which also apply to Thailand Pass. I actually went to the consulat before applying and asked specifically how long I need insurance for and they told me for the duration of stay which according to the re-entry permit would have been 2-3 weeks but got rejected when actually processing the application. It might have been an error on the part of the consular staff and maybe the staff processing the Thailand Pass applications don't have that same requirement. I applied through the Thailand Pass system with the 90 days insurance and got approved. So at least the fact that one does not need a return flight is 100% clear. I am not sure however if they allow that if one for example has a Tourist Visa. In any case I would suggest booking a return flight that can be refunded.

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

In any case I would suggest booking a return flight that can be refunded.

A return or onward flight is not required if you have a valid visa or re-entry permit to use for entry.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A return or onward flight is not required if you have a valid visa or re-entry permit to use for entry.

I'm still very confused with the insurance. I realize there is a statement something along the lines .... "insurance required for duration of stay"...

If I take a quick trip to Oz I will have 11 months validity on my reentry permit. Surely I not required to have 12 months insurance. If it were the only solution I can think of is a throw away flight ticket.

 

[eisfeld]

37 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

A return or onward flight is not required if you have a valid visa or re-entry permit to use for entry.

Yea I know. It is not required but can make things a lot easier.

[crouchpeter]

7 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I'm still very confused with the insurance. I realize there is a statement something along the lines .... "insurance required for duration of stay"...

If I take a quick trip to Oz I will have 11 months validity on my reentry permit. Surely I not required to have 12 months insurance. If it were the only solution I can think of is a throw away flight ticket.

 

I leave for Oz tomorrow, returning 30th December. My extension of stay valid to January 12th. Got 30 days insurance (minimum, I think), and have just received my Thailand Pass.