Thailand Pass - Its even worse than the COE system.

[sandyf]

28 minutes ago, jojothai said:

What insurance company sends you documents in jpg.? and also gets it changed with so little effort?

My insurance policy is a proper full insurance with 5 pages.

Not some one page thai policy worth next to nothing. 

There is a difference between an insurance policy and a certificate, certificates are usually single or double page.

I had my insurance certificate reissued from GBP to USD in less than an hour, although cover will always remain in the companies base currency.

It is quite straightforward to change PDF or other formats to JPEG if necessary.

[ThailandRyan]

27 minutes ago, onekoolguy said:

I have not seen it mentioned, but there is a company that will obtain the pass for you. Usually in 24 hours. The fee i saw advertised sounded reasonable considering the hassle of doing ityourself?

You still have to get them your documents. So why use them.

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, internationalism said:

Don't care about the world around them

Describes me to a T

[Leveraged]

Managed to get the stupid QR code, finally. They say you have to apply 7 days before departure, but to do that you need to start preparing days before that because you need to go back and forth with whatever accommodation you choose and get all the proper documents from them, on top of the time difference. 

 

Im a business traveler so its extremely difficult to nail down a specific time for travel. Might have to stay an extra day or 3 for meetings and work, etc. 

 

I got it on day 4, but thats still unnerving because youre past the halfway point. If anything happens you do not have enough time to re-apply and start again. 

 

Sure, if you are planning a holiday with plenty of lead time, or doing your once a year trip home and back its not that bad, but for people who actually travel for work all the time its really rather insufferable and high risk. 

 

End of the day to all the people who say "its not that bad".... Its incredible how far we've all gone and the level of acceptance people have for whats going on in the world today in regards to covid and all the useless travel hoops and restrictions imposed on everyone. 

 

If youre a business traveller - Good luck and enjoy the stress. If youre making your one trip for the year(s) - It probably wont "be that bad" 

[khunjeff]

16 hours ago, Mapguy said:

Perhaps it is the specific consulate to whom you are farmed out to that makes the difference.

Thailand Pass applications are all adjudicated in Bangkok, not by embassies and consulates, which is part of what the OP is talking about. With the COE, there was a specific local office one could contact in case of problems, and one could quickly correct any issue or missing document.

 

With TP, there are theoretically a number of channels for seeking assistance, but most people have found that the "24/7” phones aren't answered, and emails and Facebook messages aren't acknowledged or responded to. And if an application is rejected - sometimes after a week or more - it can't be corrected, but has to be started again from scratch.

 

Yes, I know, everyone who had their application approved in seconds will say that the system is perfect and that the fault must be with the user. But it's clear that there's an enormous (and rather baffling) degree of randomness in the process that's causing a lot of anxiety for people. My own application was approved in less than a day and a half, which was perfectly fine, but friends with virtually identical documents were desperately contacting every help line they could find when they still didn't have approval after more than a week.

 

As usual in Thailand, many of the problems with TP were self-inflicted: rushing out a product without proper testing, and very poor management of expectations. MFA committed the cardinal sin of PR, which is over-promising and then under-delivering. TP applications will be approved in 1-3 days! (Later changed to 3-5 days, then 5-7 days, then 7 working days...) TP can be used to prove vaccination status at venues in Thailand! TP will eliminate the need to fill in arrival cards! All Test & Go PCR tests will have results in under 6 hours! If they had been more honest at the beginning, travelers might have been more forgiving of the problems that inevitably arose.

[jojothai]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You can scan a document and save it in JPG format thus eliminating reflection

Unfortuntely for passport that is not true.

It states they need a photo.

A scanned docment is not a photo.

Been there and had that problem before rejected.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, jojothai said:

Unfortuntely for passport that is not true.

It states they need a photo.

A scanned docment is not a photo.

Been there and had that problem before rejected.

Turn of the light before taking the photo and there should be no glare or shadow.

[jojothai]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Follow the threads  it gives acounts of others. Follow what they said they did, and prepare ahead of time and there is little problem.

So you agree it is not a just a short 5 or 10 minutes here or there.

[The Hammer2021]

2 minutes ago, jojothai said:

Unfortuntely for passport that is not true.

It states they need a photo.

A scanned docment is not a photo.

Been there and had that problem before rejected.

A jpg is a jpg however it is produced. The OP requires a jpg copy of a document. He's says he is getting glare from his camera phone. I pointed out that jpgs can be created in scanner just as scans can be made in a camera. This is a format issue not a device issue. Alternatively the OP could adjust the lighting appropriately just as we all do.

[The Hammer2021]

Are there any agents offering to help with this service?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, jojothai said:

So you agree it is not a just a short 5 or 10 minutes here or there

Im bit in your corner on this.

In addition I think many people are assuming that people have certain level of skill with regards to use of I.T related matters. 

 

Perhaps I run with a rough crew but chaps I know are lucky to be able to post a letter. 

[The Hammer2021]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Im bit in your corner on this.

In addition I think many people are assuming that people have certain level of skill with regards to use of I.T related matters. 

 

Perhaps I run with a rough crew but chaps I know are lucky to be able to post a letter. 

'E MAILS and the internet have been around for 25 years! Lessons in computing started in schools decades ago. Most people are IT literate to some extent so it helps to work together.

[The Hammer2021]

1 hour ago, THEN said:

I used yahoo mail and got confirmation that my application had been received. I did an extra application via my work mail on day 5 out of desperation, but I think Yahoo email is ok.

 

It was also impossible for me to get any feedback from embassy by phone, so I drove 4 hours just to learn that they prefer communication by FB messenger and that they focus on people with less than 48 hours to their flight.

Try to find the local Thai embassy on FB and message them asap.

I and many others don't use FB

[jojothai]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Turn of the light before taking the photo and there should be no glare or shadow.

Whilst that may help.

Shadows cause a problem unless you can do it outside in daylight. Flash is worse.

There are too many reflective parts on the uk passport.

I find if indoors i have to turn on and off lights to find the appropriate location and position.

That is more than a few minutes.

I have had issue at least three times before with various requirements for countries requiring photo and it has not been easy.

One time i could not get anything good enough despite it looking good to me and had to eventually scan the chip on line to get acceptance.

I think outside in daylight would be the best but thats not always possible.

However in relation to my post and the thailand pass. The point is that most people have scanned copies, and not submitting a photo can get rejection.

For a lot of people this means they have to take a photo and it is not as easy as it may seem to get a clear image with no reflection.

It took me only several minutes this time because i have had to do it before.

[jojothai]

19 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

A jpg is a jpg however it is produced. The OP requires a jpg copy of a document. He's says he is getting glare from his camera phone. I pointed out that jpgs can be created in scanner just as scans can be made in a camera. This is a format issue not a device issue. Alternatively the OP could adjust the lighting appropriately just as we all do.

It states photo.

[The Hammer2021]

2 minutes ago, jojothai said:

It states photo.

A photo of a document! A jpg! Do you really think they want a paper photo of a paper document!  Printed on glossy paper? and somehow attached to an email? lolololol

[The Hammer2021]

6 minutes ago, jojothai said:

Whilst that may help.

Shadows cause a problem unless you can do it outside in daylight. Flash is worse.

There are too many reflective parts on the uk passport.

I find if indoors i have to turn on and off lights to find the appropriate location and position.

That is more than a few minutes.

I have had issue at least three times before with various requirements for countries requiring photo and it has not been easy.

One time i could not get anything good enough despite it looking good to me and had to eventually scan the chip on line to get acceptance.

I think outside in daylight would be the best but thats not always possible.

However in relation to my post and the thailand pass. The point is that most people have scanned copies, and not submitting a photo can get rejection.

For a lot of people this means they have to take a photo and it is not as easy as it may seem to get a clear image with no reflection.

It took me only several minutes this time because i have had to do it before.

Use the photo mode on your scanner! Save the image as jpg. It's that simple

[jojothai]

7 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

'E MAILS and the internet have been around for 25 years! Lessons in computing started in schools decades ago. Most people are IT literate to some extent so it helps to work together.

Surely we would expect the IT people putting the system together to understand how documents are created and distributed. 

To ask for jpg of insurance documents is nuts. Its potentially falsifying  the original doc that now you get internationally by pdf. People do not only have just the <deleted> local insurance, to cover requirements here for entry.

 

Also, if they know how to list all of the SHA plus + hotels there are and acceptable, then why do they have no sense to list them for use on the application.

The users often do not create the problems. They may not understand requirements that are not clear. Thats not an IT problem.

[The Hammer2021]

2 minutes ago, jojothai said:

Surely we would expect the IT people putting the system together to understand how documents are created and distributed. 

To ask for jpg of insurance documents is nuts. Its potentially falsifying  the original doc that now you get internationally by pdf. People do not only have just the <deleted> local insurance, to cover requirements here for entry.

 

Also, if they know how to list all of the SHA plus + hotels there are and acceptable, then why do they have no sense to list them for use on the application.

The users often do not create the problems. They may not understand requirements that are not clear. Thats not an IT problem.

You seem to want a system based on your desires because you can't cope with the actual system. Actually jpg files are the easiest best user friendly format to submit documents. Just snap and go. You yearn to improve the system but can't so what's the point of your rant? Nobody can help you change the system.

[jojothai]

6 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Use the photo mode on your scanner! Save the image as jpg. It's that simple

A scanned document is not accepted as a photo in UK.

I have had the issue at least three times.

If its so easy then please explain how the authorities identified it.

 

Passports and certificates do not always show everything the same when copied or scanned.

I believe that security against copying documents like these has developed and been implemented for at least several years, and its very important.

If the thai authorities state "photo" for the pass, and you dont comply, if it gets rejected does that not cause far more problem than taking the extra effort to take the photo in the first place.

 

[jojothai]

16 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You seem to want a system based on your desires because you can't cope with the actual system. Actually jpg files are the easiest best user friendly format to submit documents. Just snap and go. You yearn to improve the system but can't so what's the point of your rant? Nobody can help you change the system.

Totally irrelevant to what i said. 

Read it again.

[richard_smith237]

16 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

You seem to want a system based on your desires because you can't cope with the actual system. Actually jpg files are the easiest best user friendly format to submit documents. Just snap and go. You yearn to improve the system but can't so what's the point of your rant? Nobody can help you change the system.

People have been complaining about the wanted file format on the Thailand  Pass for over a month. 
 

Any official documents is issued as a PDF or Actual Print - PDF’s can be traced and are a legal document, JPEGS are just a compressed pic of a document or anything else.

 

Its easy enough to convert a PDF to a JPEG but having to do so highlights that the system (Thailand Pass) is rubbish. 
 

A lot of people are getting unnecessarily stressed out by this ridiculous system which made pointless by all the document checks on landing anyway.

[jojothai]

1 minute ago, jojothai said:

Totally irrelevant to what i said. 

Read it again.

They want one jpg file.

I have 3 pdf files of 5 pages from my imsurance to cover what they want. Why is it easier in jpg?

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, jojothai said:

A scanned document is not accepted as a photo in UK.

I have had the issue at least three times.

If its so easy then please explain how the authorities identified it.

 

Passports and certificates do not always show everything the same when copied or scanned.

I believe that security against copying documents like these has developed and been implemented for at least several years, and its very important.

If the thai authorities state "photo" for the pass, and you dont comply, if it gets rejected does that not cause far more problem than taking the extra effort to take the photo in the first place.

 

No need to put up your own walls, the system is awkward enough already. 
 

Use a scanner, or take a photo without glare or shadow.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, jojothai said:

They want one jpg file.

I have 3 pdf files of 5 pages from my imsurance to cover what they want. Why is it easier in jpg?

They want a certificate of cover.

ask your insurance company for this. 

[AussieBob9999]

Just wait - if/when the tourist numbers get bigger, the TP system will collapse and they will then send it all back to the Embassies and wipe their hands of it. Personally I am waiting for that to happen, and also for the compulsory PCR test to be dropped, before I enter Thailand again.  There is no way I am going to pay for my meal upfront, and then have to apply to enter the restaurant and wait outside.  Likewise I aint going to risk spending 10-14 days in hospital for a 3-4 week trip - I agree that is worth it for returning Expats, Family reasons,  and Business. 

 

I have heard - once you have done everything on TP, then you can apply again - and again. One bloke applied 6 times just to make sure.  I believe that is why TP has had almost a million applications (which TAT of course says are all separate tourists), but far less have actually arrived.  

 

[Leveraged]

58 minutes ago, jojothai said:

It states photo.

It states you can upload in jpg or png file types. It doesn’t state that it must be a photo. All my documents are scanned PDFs so I just used the screenshot cropping tool. Screenshots are automatically saved as png files, which can be uploaded. 
 

You don’t have to take a phone picture of your documents. 

[Sheryl]

You were lucky on your COE, many people had problems with that too.

 

It seems to be entirely hit or miss with Thailand Pass. Some people get instant approval, some get it 1- 8 days  later, some have to reapply/call etc.

 

Those who get the instant approval mistakenly think it means they did something right that others did wrong, usually not the case. They are just lucky.

 

I did one for a relative last month. The first application, after yielding a confirmation code, seemed to vanish into the ether and did not show at all when I tried to check status, so after a few days I re-applied with exact same documents. That got approval within an hour and a few hours later I got a rejection on what I assume was the first application, falsely claiming a problem with vaccine record (exact same record as uploaded the second time and immediately accepted).

 

And I have just gone through the process for myself and gotten the QR code 3-4 days later.

 

If your flight is imminent I suggest:

 

1 - reapply

 

2- call them (be prepared to have to redial multiple times before getting through, initial person answering speaking no English, long time on hold etc).

 

3- email them

 

(if flight is soon, do all 3 things)

 

Phone number and email are on the website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EddieCM]

Just some observations from reading everybody else's stuff and doing it for my missus travelling from China.

 

It all seems simple enough, 4 documents: two government issued; the passport and international vaccination certificate, and two Thai company documents, Insurance and SHA hotel Test and Go. The remainder is junky personal details.

 

What on earth are all these crazy requirements on document submission - only single file, convert multiple pdf pages to images, no blank facing page on the passport data document. They are the ones with the computer! Why do the applicants have to preprocess the documents? When I go to a restaurant for a meal I don't expect to peel the potatoes before they are cooked by the kitchen.

 

The day following my successful submission and confirmation email with application code, I noticed the name was mispelt on the uploaded Thai insurance document. Getting that amendment took two whole days and only so quickly because within the final hour I told the insurance company they had to choose between fixing the legally worthless document or cancellation and refund. It arrived in 30 mins. Why did it take two days when it could be fixed in half an hour? Honestly, it's like a rehearsal for death and you're still expected to sign the certificate in duplicate afterwards.

 

The vaccination certificate was perfect except if you 'cut and pasted' the QR code into the helpful box provided (and you are encouraged to do so - what more IT, what's wrong with YOUR computer?) the web page informs you the QR is unreadable. Well yes, probably. Even I can't read it, it's encrypted by the Chinese authorities to protect the personal data. A fact probably to be deduced from the certificate itself before trying to scan an orphaned QR code - the sort of thing a computer could probably do.

 

Ok, with a new insurance document the re-submission again went smoothly and a new code arrived a few minutes later.

 

Good, now wait. And wait. But finally, after 4 days approval arrives but from which submission? There is no submission reference number on the approval email. Meh, who cares, there is a nice shiny QR code to wave at immigration.

 

But there is more, a week later another anonymous approval arrives. Ummm don't they check all the names on everything match the passport data? So which is the kosher QR code? Thai SOP I think, the insurance company didn't bother either - no detail too big to be overlooked, like making sure the documents are legally valid.

 

As usual, the most important thing about it all is that money flowed from you to Thailand for the insurance and hotel - the very definition of 'Quality'.

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by EddieCM
Typo

[THEN]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I and many others don't use FB

I was also not expecting nor preferring FB messenger, but that was the message I got when I drove to the Thai Embassy on day 5 after application.

They were clearly too busy and said they focus only on people with less than 48 hours to departure and contacting them via FB messenger was preferable.

So I did that when I had less than 48 hours to departure and they answered swiftly and QR code received 5 mins after I uploaded 1 page insurance proof.

 

Not the ideal communication line I agree.