Horror story of my THAILAND PASS application

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

6 minutes ago, tommygato said:

And don't rely on 'agent'.

 

I had a chat with such agent today on their facebook aq.in.th and asked to provide their PASS service and handle PCR tests payment on my behalf.

They refused to do it. They need ALL documents in good standing to start PASS process.

 

The PSAS payment system accepts only credit card with 3D-Secure feature and my US cards do not have it yet.

 

Well, lesson learned. Stay home during pandemic.

very important information. thanks.

it means that for the ones who can't complete a payment on the PSAS site,

an agent can't help.

[richard_smith237]

55 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

57 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

an Airline requirement  for a PCR

THE requirement is only from  governments, airlines just follow orders.

Don’t make assumptions Scott.... some airlines have their own requirement that passengers present a negative PCR test certificate for any flight.... i.e. Etihad. 

 

 

 

The current travel landscape is fluid: before travel to any destination it is important to check the requirements of the destination and transiting nations and also the carrier. 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

11 minutes ago, tommygato said:

And don't rely on 'agent'.

 

I had a chat with such agent today on their facebook aq.in.th and asked to provide their PASS service and handle PCR tests payment on my behalf.

They refused to do it. They need ALL documents in good standing to start PASS process.

 

The PSAS payment system accepts only credit card with 3D-Secure feature and my US cards do not have it yet.

 

Well, lesson learned. Stay home during pandemic.

Expand  

very important information. thanks.

it means that for the ones who can't complete a payment on the PSAS site,

an agent can't help.

Which is a poor result for guys like you Scott who were unable to make payment (either due to the error on the site two weeks ago or due to an ongoing payment portal issue). 

 

Have you a Plan B for payment ? i.e. a friend with a Credit Card in a different nation or a friend in Thailand who can make payment on your behalf ?

 

 

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

12 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

You’ve not heard about the current insurance requirement for travel to Thailand ???

 

I hope proof of insurance was not also missing from your Thailand Pass application, Scott !! ???

 

 

i checked again on the official THAILAND PASS site and it says only 50,000 USD insurance,

nothing is mentioned about new requirement of asymptomatic quarantine cover.

Edited January 6, 2022 by SCOTT FITZGERSLD

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Have you a Plan B for payment ? i.e. a friend with a Credit Card in a different nation or a friend in Thailand who can make payment on your behalf ?

no sir, i do not have  PLAN b for payment and not going to activate my international connections just to 4200 baht on , and than file again the application and wait again forever with no response at all just because of  a new requirement that was added in the last day without telling nobody about it.

[richard_smith237]

14 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

22 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Scott...    Please be clear. 

 

Have you attempted to make any payment on the PSAS site at any point since you had problems submitting your Thailand Pass application over two weeks ago ?????

 

 

I know you want this thread to be about your anger at the Thailand Pass system and how they did not communicate to inform you your Thailand Pass was not going to be approved because it was incomplete, however......  It would be useful for some to know if those difficulties you encountered with payment have continued.... i.e. have you tried in the past few days and continue to face payment issues with the PSAS site ?

 

The reason I ask - the PSAS payment issue was documented at the time, it was temporary and has since been resolved (as of 12 days ago) - thus have you tried to make a payment on the PSAS site since then. 

 

I know you want to help and warn people - but we (all) should be warning people and advising people to the best of our knowledge with the most accurate and up to date of information. 

 

 

Expand  

i did not try again after my failed attempts. i asked the hotel i booked to try it for me and they aggreed, but it did not work also from them from THAILAND !!

i saw few comments here of people who tried AND FAILED to do the payment on the

PSAS site, one of them is from today. i sent screenshots of those compaints to the support

of the PSAS site, and clarified to them that the problem still exist.

hereby some of those posts:

I’m not so sure the hotel you booked tried very hard if they even tried at all.... 

 

 

It certainly seems that there is an authentication error with credit cards issued in North America.... but that does not tally with a local hotel attempting to make payment on your behalf. 

 

Friends have been having no issues with Thailand issued Credit Cards and those issued in the UK and Europe.

 

This leads me to suspect the issues are only with ’some' North American issued cards.... 

 

 

Last night (yesterday) you mentioned you’d given up... is that still the case or are you going to have another go ? - Get it right and you could be on a beach in Thailand by mid Jan. 

 

It seems the PSAS issue is your only issue... that's resolvable. 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

i checked again on the official THAILAND PASS site and it says only 50,000 USD insurance,

nothing is mentioned about new requirement of asymptomatic quarantine cover.

Fair point.....   

 

Insurance would be for any hospitalisation.... 

 

Asymptomatic cover is more complex and provides the insurance company with ‘wiggle room’ while authorities demand isolation in a hospital or hospitel....    

 

If testing positive ‘faking a covid symptom’ removes that ‘wiggle room’....     

 

Play the game, don’t fight the machine !

[richard_smith237]

5 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

no sir, i do not have  PLAN b for payment and not going to activate my international connections just to 4200 baht on , and than file again the application and wait again forever with no response at all just because of  a new requirement that was added in the last day without telling nobody about it.

Scott... You seem to be your own worst enemy. 

 

There are solutions....    Or, have you simply given up on travel to Thailand and instead wish to vent your frustration and annoyance at the system on this forum ???? - If so, thats understandable. 

 

However, you could easily be in Thailand by this time next week - If that matters to you more than venting your anger on an anonymous forum....  

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

28 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

you could easily be in Thailand by this time next week - If that matters to you more than venting your anger on an anonymous forum

as i mentioned here before, the "horror" in my story is the silent treatment i got from

the PASS system. this is not robotic, it is human, humans decided to pay me with NO RESPONSE at all.

however, today i got from my hotel NEW PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL for the PASS support,

this changes everything  - that is, if someone there will answer.

otherwise, there is no point to keep on sending applications and wait for no response at all for who knows how long. this is not a game. many other bookings are involved.

i lost 8000 baht because of this, can't do it again at the moment.

first i will try to call those new numbers and ask the email about my last application.

if they will come with some answer - any answer - than i can try again.

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

you could easily be in Thailand by this time next week - If that matters to you more than venting your anger on an anonymous forum

as i mentioned here before, the "horror" in my story is the silent treatment i got from

the PASS system. this is not robotic, it is human, humans decided to pay me with NO RESPONSE at all.

however, today i got from my hotel NEW PHONE NUMBERS AND EMAIL for the PASS support,

this changes everything  - that is, if someone there will answer.

otherwise, there is no point to keep on sending applications and wait for no response at all for who knows how long. this is not a game. many other bookings are involved.

i lost 8000 baht because of this, can't do it again at the moment.

first i will try to call those new numbers and ask the email about my last application.

if they will come with some answer - any answer - than i can try again.

Scott...  it may be time to forget the complaints and concentrate your efforts.....  

 

Knowing ‘phone numbers and e-mails’ from support is somewhat irrelevant, even if they did answer, and, I guess any response is simply generic and hopeless if you don’t have all the documents. 

 

You are not going to convince a ‘phone operator’ to authorise your application because you can’t pay for a PCR test - that would be unrealistic.

 

Any application is pointless and you will not receive approval for any Thailand Pass Sandbox applicant unless you can present proof of payment for your PCR tests (PSAS) and meet all other requirements. 

 

Let me help you with ’step by step’ instructions... most of which which you know already because you previously received approval for ’Test & Go’.... Sandbox is slightly different and requires a little more... 

 

1) Confirm Sandbox hotel availability. 

2) Confirm flight availability. 

3) Book Flights 

4) Book Sandbox hotel 

5) Confirm US$50k insurance (extend dates if necessary to match your stay).

6) Get Hotel SHABA Certificate (and reference) 

7) Book and Pay for PCR Tests (using SHABA ref)

8 ) Apply for Thailand Pass submitting insurance, Vaccine certs, Hotel SHABA Cert, PSAS receipt.

 

Acknowledgment of application will be immediate. 

If there is no acknowledgment application, you’ve made a mistake.

 

If you don’t have a response within 4 days - apply again (it doesn’t hurt to apply more than once).

 

If you don’t have a response within 2 days of your travel - apply again and use the Alternative Quarantine option instead of Sandbox.... (and same documents) - Approval is usually *instant, then at least you have a QR code that can 'get you in the door’... i.e. get you into Thailand where a human will see you meet the Sandbox requirements. 

 

*Vaccine certs can either be digitally recognised (QR code) or delays mean the cert is queued for verification by MoPH personal (or a human representing them).

[richard_smith237]

4 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

first i will try to call those new numbers and ask the email about my last application.

if they will come with some answer - any answer - than i can try again.

Your last application was incomplete......       there is no point even trying to discuss that.

 

Focus on the goal...  meet the requirements... get the PSAS booking....  

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

know already because you previously received approval for ’Test & Go’.... Sandbox is slightly different and requires a little more... 

 

 

1) Confirm Sandbox hotel availability. 

2) Confirm flight availability. 

3) Book Flights 

4) Book Sandbox hotel 

5) Confirm US$50k insurance (extend dates if necessary to match your stay).

6) Get Hotel SHABA Certificate (and reference) 

7) Book and Pay for PCR Tests (using SHABA ref)

8 ) Apply for Thailand Pass submitting insurance, Vaccine certs, Hotel SHABA Cert, PSAS receipt.

previously i received an approval for the SANDBOX , in phuket...not the TEST&GO. but

my flight was cancelled by the airline...that was in early december. and when i applied

again they added the PSAS payment - and all hell broke lose.

my hotel did try hard to pay for me, but on that time, mid december, the problem was

they could not even get to the payment page...from thailand !! and sent to me all the errors photos !!

now i prepared my own TODO list, but on that list mission no. 1 is to pay for the PCR tests.

once this is done, can continue with the rest.

but i am going to take my time now because i need to learn more.

on the meantime i created this post because i believe that some people who can influence

the situation can take note and improve things. many people complain but many

other simply give up on thailand and book their holiday somewhere else, and that

is A HUGE LOSS for thailand, all because of one small failed web site.

[mokwit]

On 1/5/2022 at 12:49 AM, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

just forget about the whole thing for few months?

This one. You won't know what the situation is until arrival.

[Chelseafan]

On 1/5/2022 at 10:21 AM, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

well maybe, and maybe not...my complain is that they just DO NOT SAY ANYTHING, no result no email no answer to phone calls, until aventually my flight date arrived !!

this is a disgrace indeed and breach of all trust.

if they want to cancell it / delay it/ change it or just do not like me ,i can understand, but

hey, you MUST SAY SOMETHING !!!

Checked your spam box? 

[texanaust]

On 1/7/2022 at 4:50 AM, richard_smith237 said:

6) Get Hotel SHABA Certificate (and reference) 

What is this?  If I book and pay via an OTA (Agoda), will they give me the SHABA Certificate or do I need to contact the hotel directly?  I booked on Hilton.com and simply uploaded the email confirmation-obviously that was not the correct thing to do...

It would be nice if Thailand Pass would actually write these requirements on their website as I have applied with no response probably because I don't have this SHABA certificate uploaded.  

[tommygato]

3 hours ago, texanaust said:

What is this?  If I book and pay via an OTA (Agoda), will they give me the SHABA Certificate or do I need to contact the hotel directly?  I booked on Hilton.com and simply uploaded the email confirmation-obviously that was not the correct thing to do...

It would be nice if Thailand Pass would actually write these requirements on their website as I have applied with no response probably because I don't have this SHABA certificate uploaded.  

You have to pay hotel directly in order to get SHABA certificate, but make sure the hotel is SHA+ approved. I used Agoda to book, then I contacted hotel to get certificate and they told me they can't give it to me as they did not receive the money from Agoda yet, they advised to cancel Agoda and book directly. Once I did that I got the certificate.

[tommygato]

On 1/6/2022 at 2:13 PM, tommygato said:

And don't rely on 'agent'.

 

I had a chat with such agent today on their facebook aq.in.th and asked to provide their PASS service and handle PCR tests payment on my behalf.

They refused to do it. They need ALL documents in good standing to start PASS process.

 

The PSAS payment system accepts only credit card with 3D-Secure feature and my US cards do not have it yet.

 

Actually you CAN rely on the agent when you have ALL papers on hand.

 

I couldn't complete payment for covid tests via PSAS system but I decided to register for Thailand Pass anyway. I uploaded all docs except one PSAS payment.

I uploaded a letter explaining that PSAS system is broken and attached screenshots with failed payment processing. This way my application was registered and I got email with confirmation number. The application status was "under review" for a few days and I did not get any reply.

 

Next, I contacted my relatives in Phuket and asked them to pay for me using PSAS system. I gave them my PSAS login and password and asked to put my email address on the billing payment page. They did pay and I immediately got email from PSAS with receipt.

 

My departure date is approaching fast, so I contacted the agent at aq.in.th and provided my TPass confirmation number, uploaded all docs and paid 3,000 baht using PayPal. The whole process took 30 minutes.

 

90 minutes later I got email from Thailand Pass with approval and QR code.   Wow!

[treetops]

On 1/6/2022 at 6:26 PM, The Hammer2021 said:

But is there an Airline requirement  for a PCR test to fly to UK?

Etihad have a documented requirement.  Anecdotally Emirates and Qatar also have a requirement.  Can't say for others.

[EricTh]

On 1/5/2022 at 9:41 AM, HashBrownHarry said:

Thai Pass is NOT suspended, you can do quarantine in BKK for 7 / 10 / 14 days ( depending where you travel from ) if you don't want to do Phuket SandPit.

 

All these frequent changes to policies is confusing the hell out of tourists.

 

I thought even the Bangkok quarantine is suspended now?

 

 

[HashBrownHarry]

28 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

All these frequent changes to policies is confusing the hell out of tourists.

 

I thought even the Bangkok quarantine is suspended now?

 

 

No if you're fully vaccinated your choices are 1 weeks sandbox in Phuket or 1 week ASQ in BKK, this is for arrivals from all countries.

 

If you're sinlge on unvaccintated i think it's 10 or 14 days in BKK ASQ only.

 

This is what i understand as of today.

 

Test and Go no longer on the table until further notice.

 

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

7 hours ago, tommygato said:

Next, I contacted my relatives in Phuket and asked them to pay for me using PSAS system

unfortunately not all tourists have relatives in phuket. and last time i gave my thai girlfiriend

20000 baht to pay something, she ran away from the money.

7 hours ago, tommygato said:

My departure date is approaching fast, so I contacted the agent at aq.in.th and provided my TPass confirmation number, uploaded all docs and paid 3,000 baht using PayPal

those 3000 baht "agent" fee are acctually a bribe, a digital tea money, which makes the whole

process corrupt to the core and unfair for all other visitors, who need to wait too long until they see their flights and hotel bookings lost just because the PASS team is serving "agents" applications first.

[SCOTT FITZGERSLD]

16 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

Checked your spam box? 

of course i checked my spam boxes and acctually sent two applications.

but i think i solved now this miscommunication problem.

what happans is that they solved the CHECK YOUR STATUS box , and now

it is possible to see there something.

so that is why they stopped sending "rejected" notifications. they simply

reply on you to "check your status", without telling anything in advance.

what a wonderful service.

[texanaust]

8 hours ago, tommygato said:

You have to pay hotel directly in order to get SHABA certificate, but make sure the hotel is SHA+ approved. I used Agoda to book, then I contacted hotel to get certificate and they told me they can't give it to me as they did not receive the money from Agoda yet, they advised to cancel Agoda and book directly. Once I did that I got the certificate.

Thank you for the info.  However, I want to book with a refund option (in case my flight is cancelled or test positive, etc).  I feel like Thailand Pass is pushing everyone into booking direct which equals 'non-refundable.'

[tommygato]

3 hours ago, texanaust said:

Thank you for the info.  However, I want to book with a refund option (in case my flight is cancelled or test positive, etc).  I feel like Thailand Pass is pushing everyone into booking direct which equals 'non-refundable.'

When you book direct from hotel you will see disclosure "cancellation free 1 day before check-in", in my case it was 3 days which is OK for me.

 

[tommygato]

4 hours ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

unfortunately not all tourists have relatives in phuket. and last time i gave my thai girlfiriend

20000 baht to pay something, she ran away from the money.

 

Well Scott, in my previous posts I specifically mentioned PSAS-support reply " the credit cart MUST be 3DS ( or 3D-Secure).

 

This is a system PSAS unfortunately selected for payments.

I am paying with my US credit card world-wide for everything including Thailand except PSAS.

 

Note:  The receiver of PSAS Covid test payments is   "SCB-PHUKET CITY DEVELOPMENT CO.,LTD"    is using Siam Commercial Bank.

 

I asked my friends to use SCB for payment and that was a breeze.

 

I suggest paying with  3DS ( or 3D-Secure) credit cart, it may work from any country.

Good luck.

[tommygato]

29 minutes ago, tommygato said:

When you book direct from hotel you will see disclosure "cancellation free 1 day before check-in", in my case it was 3 days which is OK for me.

 

I forgot to mention that you can always dispute CC charges  with your CC company and get your money back in case when the merchant did not provide you services: cancelled flight, no-show in hotel, etc., especially in covid test positive

 

[Robin]

Behind all this is the sad fact that  unless it is easy to come to Thailand, people are not going to come.  Thai government and TAT do not appear to realise this.  They live in  world where rich people are queueing up to visit Thailand.   Not any more, there are many other attractive places to visit.

What I cannot understand is why no hotel or travel agency are not offering packages that take away all the hassle; book a holiday at the hotel and your own flight nd they fix all the Thai nonsense and meet you at the airport and get you through the entry requirements.

Does nobody want the business?

Where is the spirit of free enterprise? 

[texanaust]

1 hour ago, Robin said:

Behind all this is the sad fact that  unless it is easy to come to Thailand, people are not going to come.  Thai government and TAT do not appear to realise this.  They live in  world where rich people are queueing up to visit Thailand.   Not any more, there are many other attractive places to visit.

What I cannot understand is why no hotel or travel agency are not offering packages that take away all the hassle; book a holiday at the hotel and your own flight nd they fix all the Thai nonsense and meet you at the airport and get you through the entry requirements.

Does nobody want the business?

Where is the spirit of free enterprise? 

Same here.  Name one Phuket Hotel website that mentions they will take care of the Thailand Pass, PSAS test payment, etc for you in one package price...I don't think it exists.  There would be many (including myself) who would pay extra for a one-stop service that guarantees receipt of the QR code and takes away the hassle of resubmitting multiple times.  

[EricTh]

13 hours ago, HashBrownHarry said:

No if you're fully vaccinated your choices are 1 weeks sandbox in Phuket or 1 week ASQ in BKK, this is for arrivals from all countries.

 

If you're sinlge on unvaccintated i think it's 10 or 14 days in BKK ASQ only.

 

This is what i understand as of today.

 

Test and Go no longer on the table until further notice.

 

 

This is what I got from Bangkok Post dated 8 Jan 2022 which I can't link here.

 

"Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, acting president of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, said the tourism sector in popular areas such as Pattaya and Bangkok has to brace for a further slowdown without inclusion in the sandbox scheme."

 

Bangkok is NOT in the sandbox scheme

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by EricTh

[HashBrownHarry]

31 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Bangkok is NOT in the sandbox scheme

Where did i say it was, it's hotel quarantine you do in BKK, only place for Sandbox is Phuket.

 

I thought i made that clear?