Hello,

What are peoples latest experience with how long it takes for the Thailand pass to be approved? I am getting a new passport during a trip home and will only have a few days to get the Thailand pass.

 

Thanks

My latest was 2 days. 

 

Applied 7pm - March 23rd.

Approval received 12pm - Midday, March 25th. 

 

But, in the past, I’ve had it take 6 days, and also 3 days - the approval timing seems quite random. 

 

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One point - the Thailand Pass (document issued with the QR code) does not actually state your passport number.

 

When viewing the page the QR code links to, your passport number is not listed.

 

Thus: you can apply now with your original Passport number.

 

The Thailand Pass - just states your Name / Country of departure / travel date / duration of stay.

The data page linked to from your QR code also includes your Vaccination information. 

I recently applied and it took 5 days. This was my 7th COE/Thai Pass so one would think they had already reviewed my documents (same ones submitted each time), but apparently that isn't relevant. My shortest approval was 2 hours in December. 

 

They do seem to review based partially on the applicants travel date. In other words, if you're applying and will arrive in a month, it takes longer than if you're applying for a trip that will happen in a week. 

 

One thing that could help would be to choose a hotel with a good track record with Test & Go. Some hotels seems to have the ability to cut thru Thai Pass application bureaucracy. At least that's my experience in Phuket. 

You can message the DDC after applying if you're short on time and they can release and process it, generally the same day, as long as all your docs are in order and submitted.  They have a Facebook page 

It is entirely luck of the draw. Can be instant approval, or just a few hours, or a couple of days, or a week or more -- or it can get inexplicably lost altogether.

 

All of the above have happened top me at various times, submitting same documents in the same way.

 

If in a hurry, consider using an agent  such as https://asq.in.th/thailand-pass

 

It costs more (especially if you do ti last minute) but they guarantee you'll get the pass before departure.

 

In either case be sure to select a hotel with instant confirmation

 

 

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It is entirely luck of the draw. Can be instant approval, or just a few hours, or a couple of days, or a week or more -- or it can get inexplicably lost altogether.

 

All of the above have happened top me at various times, submitting same documents in the same way.

 

If in a hurry, consider using an agent  such as https://asq.in.th/thailand-pass

 

It costs more (especially if you do ti last minute) but they guarantee you'll get the pass before departure.

 

In either case be sure to select a hotel with instant confirmation

 

 

I used the above agency twice because on the first application direct to the Thai immigration I got refused 3 times ( wrong format , PP not clear enough etc } but the same info was supplied to asq who sent me the Thai Pass the next day . Costs vary and starts at 2500 baht if you have 7 days before departure but if under 7 days the fees will rise to over 4000 baht , as was in my latest Pass . They also provide you with competitive priced insurance companies and hotels . Also guarantee to get the Pass or will give you a full refund . Save  headaches especially for non tech guys .

As Sheryl said it can be the luck of the draw.  My Thailand Pass was approved in 90 minutes in Feb.  

If you are from a country that has QR code for vaccine, and everything is submitted "perfectly" can be very fast; however even then depending on how busy their computer program/server is; if overloaded, overflow will be dumped into a manual que process, then it's going to take quite a while, many times more than the quoted time.

If you are from US or other places where there is no QR code for vaccine, you're automatically put into the manual que. My 1st submission late Nov last year, 10 days, then rejected. 2nd submission was around 8 or 9 days I recall, and even then had to contact the embassy on their FB page to get it prioritized.

a few days is really pushing it, but you might get lucky.

 

21 hours ago, Trvlr55 said:

and even then had to contact the embassy on their FB page to get it prioritized.

I have  read before people saying  make contact on their Facebook page, but I do not have Facebook nor do I want it, so what then are my options if things go wrong?

Thanks all who answer.

I've done it 3 times, all <24 hours.

14 hours ago, Jimjim1 said:

I have  read before people saying  make contact on their Facebook page, but I do not have Facebook nor do I want it, so what then are my options if things go wrong?

Thanks all who answer.

AFIK that is not an official channel, for getting help with this, hence things actually get done "sometimes". But if you limit yourself out of the only one probably available... there ya go!

I applied for a Thailand pass yesterday morning at 10am......received a reply and approval approx 6 hrs later.