The Latest - restrictions, visas, entry requirements, etc.

[Jun]

I don't know why you compare what takes place in the UK with what takes place in Thailand. I think the countries are too different for a comparison to really be valid in this case.

Fair comment, so I will broaden the comparison.

Percentage of over 60s vaccinated (2 doses):
Cambodia: 98.3 % (Dec)
Thailand 62% (Feb)
England:98% (recent)

Thailand ought to be somewhere between the other two on most metrics.

Now, from what I read, Cambodia will be following England & eliminating the requirement to test before entering.
Thailand is still dicking around with business closures, travel restrictions and other crazy ideas, instead of vaccinating the people at highest risk.

[Gaybutton]

Update on Thailand’s COVID-19 situation, reopening to foreign tourists and Songkran holidays

By Pattaya Mail

March 20, 2022

The Government has predicted that, at the end of May and into June this year, there will be a decline in the state of COVID-19, and from 1 July, it is hopeful that the situation in Thailand will be in an endemic or post-pandemic state. This also requires good management and cooperation from all sectors. For instance, treatment should be swift and accessible for everyone. At present, the fatality rate is lower than 0.1 percent. The booster vaccination process should be more than 60 percent all over the country, especially in the elderly populace.

The CCSA general meeting declared that the Emergency Decree will be extended for two months, from 1 April to 31 May 2022, to control the COVID-19 situation in Thailand.

From 18 March 2022, COVID-19 zoning will be redesigned in three categories of zones, as follows: Controlled Area, High Surveillance Area, and Pilot Tourism/ Sandbox Area.

From 1 April 2022, measures for traveling entering Thailand will be adjusted, as follows:

— For travelers who enter Thailand in the quarantine scheme, quarantine will be required for only 5 days for those who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.

— For all schemes, after arrival, travelers will be required take an RT-PCR test on day 0 and self-ATK on day 5.

— The minimum coverage for a COVID-19 treatment insurance policy is 20,000 US dollars. Thai nationals and returning expats are exempt from this requirement.

Measures to reduce the risk of infections during the Songkran Festival are as follows:

Water splashing and traditional activities, such as “rod nam dam hua,” are allowed to be held in line with the COVID-Free Setting measures;

Foam parties, selling and drinking alcohol in the venue are not allowed;

Those who attend Songkran activities in closed spaces must wear masks and maintain physical distancing at all times;

Water splashing is not allowed in public areas such as roads.

https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnew ... ays-392948

[Jun]

Water splashing and traditional activities, such as “rod nam dam hua,” are allowed to be held in line with the COVID-Free Setting measures;

I look forward to hearing about the water splashing party in Undaunted's garden.

[Gaybutton]

Updated measures for entering the Kingdom of Thailand announced, starting April 1st

By Nop Meechukhun

31 March, 2022

The updated measures for entering the Kingdom of Thailand have been announced and made official in the Royal Gazette, Thailand’s legal bulletin, starting on April 1st.

Travelers are no longer required to provide a negative RT-PCR test within 72 hours of departure. However, the RT-PCR test requirement for the on-arrival date remains unchanged. Travelers must have a fully paid hotel reservation confirmation for the arrival date which must include an RT-PCR test, ATK test kit, and airport pick-up. Thailand Pass must still be completed and approved prior to arrival in Thailand.

It is noted that some airlines may still require an RT-PCR test or extra documentation before boarding. Travelers must check with the airline on specific requirements prior to boarding.

The quarantine period for Alternative Quarantine (AQ) will be reduced to 5 days for travelers who are not fully vaccinated and proof of vaccination is no longer required.

The quarantine period for the Sandbox program will be reduced to 5 days.

https://tpnnational.com/2022/03/31/upda ... april-1st/

[Gaybutton]

Not my idea of an attractive relaxation of the rules, but here it is. Apparently even if you are an expat living in Thailand and you have your own residence, and even if you leave Thailand with a reentry permit, to get back in you still have to jump through the same hoops all travelers have to jump through - including staying at least 1 night in an approved hotel.

Click the link to read the rules: https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/thai ... l-1-394138

[Jun]

Not my idea of an attractive relaxation of the rules, but here it is. Apparently even if you are an expat living in Thailand and you have your own residence, and even if you leave Thailand with a reentry permit, to get back in you still have to jump through the same hoops all travelers have to jump through - including staying at least 1 night in an approved hotel.

Continuing the quarantine rules is a complete farce, with covid everywhere in Thailand. Someone must be getting a kickback from the covid tests.

However, can anyone tell me why they have the reentry permit ? If it's purely revenue, why not just put a tax on flights and vehicles crossing land borders ?
Then after making a few similar reforms, downsize the immigration office, fire 75% of the staff and free them up to do something of use to society.

[Gaybutton]

However, can anyone tell me why they have the reentry permit ? If it's purely revenue, why not just put a tax on flights and vehicles crossing land borders ?

I can't answer your question, but I can tell how it works. As far as I know, no matter what kind of visa a person holds, if he leaves Thailand before the visa expiration date without having purchased a reentry permit, now the visa becomes null and void. When he reenters Thailand, now he is on the 30 day privilege. If he has a reentry permit, as long as he reenters Thailand prior to the visa expiration date his visa is still in effect.

Some of you may remember an infamous incident several years ago when a farang living in Thailand on a retirement visa made a trip to Laos. He went to immigration to buy a reentry permit, but the officer he spoke to assured him for a trip to Laos he does not need a reentry permit, so he made his trip without a reentry permit.

He returned to Thailand thinking his retirement visa was still in effect, based on what the immigration officer had told him. It wasn't until he went to immigration months later to file his 90-day address report that he was told he is on overstay and his retirement visa was null and void from the moment he left Thailand. He was shocked when he was told he not only has to pay a hefty overstay fine, but also has to leave Thailand, go to a Thai embassy, get a tourist visa, and then return to Thailand and start the process all over again to get a new retirement visa.

He explained that he was assured by the immigration officer that a reentry permit is not required for a trip to Laos. The chief of the immigration office told him he is aware that this particular officer was giving people erroneous information and he had been transferred to another department. But even though it was not the farang's fault, he was still going to have to leave Thailand and start the process all over again. His argument about how unfair this was, especially since immigration knew how this happened, fell on deaf ears.

He ended up going to Singapore to get a tourist visa, and returned to Thailand having to start the retirement visa process over again. By the time he was done it cost him several thousand dollars and major frustration, but that is what happened despite the fact it was immigration's fault and no fault of his own. But it was either that or no retirement visa.

By now it must be 10 or 15 years ago when this happened, but the rules about this have not changed. If you're going to leave Thailand and want to return with your current visa remaining valid, make sure you get a reentry permit. And now, along with the permit, you also get to jump through all the Covid hoops to be able to get back in.

I agree that, at least for me, it is hard to make sense out of it, but there it is . . .

[bkkguy]

I can't answer your question, but I can tell how it works. As far as I know, no matter what kind of visa a person holds, if he leaves Thailand before the visa expiration date without having purchased a reentry permit, now the visa becomes null and void. When he reenters Thailand, now he is on the 30 day privilege. If he has a reentry permit, as long as he reenters Thailand prior to the visa expiration date his visa is still in effect.

well I am sorry but that is not how it works - no matter what kind of visa a person holds, if he leaves Thailand without having purchased a reentry permit his current permission to stay becomes null and void, but there is no change to his visa status.

When he reenters Thailand:

- if he has a reentry permit, as long as he reenters Thailand prior to the reentry permit expiration date, he will be granted a new permission to stay based on the expiry date of the previous permission to stay

- if he has no reentry permit but has a visa that is still valid for reentry, he will be granted a new permission to stay based on the visa class

if he has no reentry permit and no valid visa but is from one of the listed countries, he will be granted a new permission to stay of 30 days

I know you think this is just playing petty pedantics but it is confusing, for example my visa expired 20 years ago but I still have 6 months on my current permission to stay, I don't get a reentry permit to maintain my visa but to retain my permission to stay, but if I follow your instructions my visa has already expired so no point in getting a reentry permit and when I reenter I am in the very position you talk about!

and sometimes it can be quite significant, for example if I have a 12 month multiple entry Non-OA visa issued 1 January and arrive in the country 1 March my visa expires end December but my permission to stay expires end February. If I then leave the country in November and return before the end of December, if I have a reentry permit I will get a permission to stay valid till the end of February but if I don't have a reentry permit I will get another full 12 month permission to stay based on the visa class!

and yes I know you argue the Immigration Department uses "visa" inconsistently on its website etc but I am sure this is because they are sick of dealing with falung that don't understand the difference

and Jun as the majority of people entering Thailand don't have and/or don't require a reentry permit I think adding an addition tax to all entries is is not a reasonable replacement for reentry permits!

[Gaybutton]

I don't see any significant difference between what I said and what you said - however your post is much more thorough.

You're right - I should have mentioned multiple entry visas.

I'll take your word for it. I'll give you credit because even I will happily admit you always are on top of the most intricate details.

I suppose this is a good time to remind people that their passports must still have at least 6 months validity. I'm not wrong about that, am I? I'll leave it up to you to explain what people must do if their passport has less than 6 months validity left.

[bkkguy]

I don't see any significant difference between what I said and what you said

we will never agree on this so I will leave it to other people to make their own decision on whether there is any significant difference between a visa and a permission to stay