General Reports

[Explorer8939]

I was walking around Soi Buakhow and LK Metro last night, it was jammed with people and traffic.

Plenty of ladies hungry for business, though. I think every lady I talked to last night dropped her top at some point without any encouragement from me.

[XXL]

I previously got the Non IMM O-A visa the Chicago embassy. Then the Insurance requirement kicked in in 2018. Went to an agency in Pattaya and got switched a Non-IMM 1 yr Visa, no insurance required. (I renewed it last Month.) I believe you can only get this Visa in Thailand. The Visa stamp only has Non-IMM.

So it's Non-IMM, no longer non-O. I was told you could still get a non-O through the Thai embassies in Laos or Cambodia after entering Thailand on a tourist visa.

[Java Man]

Thai embassy websites, the non-O visa is no longer available for pensioners.

I previously got the Non IMM O-A visa the Chicago embassy. Then the Insurance requirement kicked in in 2018. Went to an agency in Pattaya and got switched a Non-IMM 1 yr Visa, no insurance required. (I renewed it last Month.) I believe you can only get this Visa in Thailand. The Visa stamp only has Non-IMM.

[XXL]

Perfect advice if your extension hasn't come and gone which has happened to a multitude of retirees unable for one reason or another to get back in time. The powers that be in their infinite sense of being understanding and considerate of these retirees some of whom have been here for 20 years plus have decided they will have to start the retirement visa process from scratch. As you suggest best way of doing this is with a O visa as it doesn't last time I checked unlike O-A require insurance. That said you will most likely need Covid cover to get back however you arrive unless they as they should scrap it for those vaccinated.

Plus, from what I gather from some - not all - Thai embassy websites, the non-O visa is no longer available for pensioners. So if you miss the extension, it may be gone forever.

[Franciscass]

If you hold a renewable visa that didn't require an insurance before Covid, the trick is to come for quarantine one or two months before the visa expires. This would be when you want to come back to Thailand anyway so that you do not lose your visa. Then insurance is only needed up until the visa expires (as per "permitted until" stamp upon arrival). After quarantine, get the one-year insurance-free extension. Works with non-O, maybe not with non A-O.

Perfect advice if your extension hasn't come and gone which has happened to a multitude of retirees unable for one reason or another to get back in time. The powers that be in their infinite sense of being understanding and considerate of these retirees some of whom have been here for 20 years plus have decided they will have to start the retirement visa process from scratch. As you suggest best way of doing this is with a O visa as it doesn't last time I checked unlike O-A require insurance. That said you will most likely need Covid cover to get back however you arrive unless they as they should scrap it for those vaccinated.

[XXL]

Other durations are available and from a quick glance the premiums seem roughly pro rata to duration so a 30 day policy from high risk countries is just under THB 5,000 and 60 days THB 8,600.

If you hold a renewable visa that didn't require an insurance before Covid, the trick is to come for quarantine one or two months before the visa expires. This would be when you want to come back to Thailand anyway so that you do not lose your visa. Then insurance is only needed up until the visa expires (as per "permitted until" stamp upon arrival). After quarantine, get the one-year insurance-free extension. Works with non-O, maybe not with non A-O.

[TConor]

It's a video, HT.

Video does not reveal any new information. Thailand is already open for foreigners and it has been for some time. Most people just can't afford the time to spend 2 weeks in quarantine. The video does not say quarantine will be eliminated effective July 1.

Not without vaccines for the Thais and foreigners here. Other places will rule. Not to mention the airlines restrictions.

[Banana Boi]

It's a video, HT.

Video does not reveal any new information. Thailand is already open for foreigners and it has been for some time. Most people just can't afford the time to spend 2 weeks in quarantine. The video does not say quarantine will be eliminated effective July 1.

[HorseTrader]

Thailand will be opening up for poontang hungry warriors on July 1.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/thai...215603403.html

My device only displayed a single sentence of the article, which reads " With the #OpenThailandSafely campaign, organizers hope to welcome tourists back on July 1. ".

Apparently there are still steps to take place before the door to Thailand is opened wide. I do like Turgid's optimism, hope it really happens.

[Turgid]

Thailand will be opening up for poontang hungry warriors on July 1.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/thai...215603403.html

[Franciscass]

Franciscass,

Your observation is accurate for general health insurance but for the stand alone Covid cover I was talking about the premiums are not age age specific. Age 1 to 99 it's the same price. The only variables which affect the price seem to be country of origin and duration (I admit I haven't checked whether the "reason for visit" affects the premiums).

". rational thinking in immigration policy. " - hmmmm, may I remind you that This is Thailand?

Thanks for update. A retiree friend 76 years in UK waiting on his second jab is finding it particularly difficult getting affordable $100.000 Covid cover. 74 seems to be the standard cut off age for most providers. Your post suggests there are policies that solely cover covid and are priced the same irrespective of age. Not disagreeing with you if such is the case but it seems a little odd to me that as the risk of hospitalization is significantly higher as you up the age scale that premiums would not reflect this. No matter but if possible do you have a link where my friend might find such cover. It would be very much appreciated. Many thanks, Incidentally totally in sync with you on the intrinsic phobia towards outsiders.

[GettingFedUp]

Premiums vary hugely based on age and length of stay and can be prohibitively expensive for those 70 plus. Assuming some form of rational thinking in immigration policy one would imagine that certified vaccinated visitors with consequent little or no risk of being hospitalized should not need specific Covid 19 coverage.

Franciscass,

Your observation is accurate for general health insurance but for the stand alone Covid cover I was talking about the premiums are not age age specific. Age 1 to 99 it's the same price. The only variables which affect the price seem to be country of origin and duration (I admit I haven't checked whether the "reason for visit" affects the premiums).

". rational thinking in immigration policy. " - hmmmm, may I remind you that This is Thailand?

[LittleBigMan]

Yea, I agree that the tourism authority continues to come up with schemes to speed things along, yet nothing seems to happen. What caught my eye on this proposal was the PM said the Thai government would take a look at relaxing the Covid standards due to the extreme hit on the the overall economy. Of course, he could just be posturing and has no intention on relaxing policy in this regard. Sometimes, I think the government would prefer not to allow farangs in the country to the degree of the past decades or so in order to rid themselves of our 'corrupt' influences.

Although I live here I'm not a big fan of this guy or to be in general any of their leaders. My favorite name for him is " puppet man " that is exactly what he is! There are a number of political reasons why he was hand-picked leading and coming up with his own idea's I don't think is one of them.

As noted there is a lot of conversation going on about the fact that it is being brought up bright spot, in my opinion, hopefully, sooner than later he hears it enough will allow it to happen. When the time comes another major huddle aside from the 14-day quarantine is the insurance which has rarely been mentioned in the conversation maybe I miss something? Although I haven't checked in a while when I did look it wasn't as cheap as others have noted may be due to my age and my length of stay a 100,000 USD coverage for Covid, runs 140,000 baht at 30-1 ratio that equals $4600.00 for a one-year policy.

Yet for locals and even ex-pats they were selling policy within for 800-1500 baht coverage in general 100,000 baht if you go into a coma coverage 1-2 million baht includes death benefits. Then you got a recently passed to charge all passengers coming into the country another 300-600 baht buried in their ticket price to be used to promote tourism and cover tourist medical expenses if they have an accident and don't carry insurance. When it comes to insurance here they got the leaders deep in their pockets?

[Tomasb]

Yea, I agree that the tourism authority continues to come up with schemes to speed things along, yet nothing seems to happen. What caught my eye on this proposal was the PM said the Thai government would take a look at relaxing the Covid standards due to the extreme hit on the the overall economy. Of course, he could just be posturing and has no intention on relaxing policy in this regard. Sometimes, I think the government would prefer not to allow farangs in the country to the degree of the past decades or so in order to rid themselves of our 'corrupt' influences.

Thomasb,

This is another in a long line of proposals or recommendations from the tourism industry. They come up with a new one or rehashed previous one every month or so (remember the "Island Isolation" of Phuket, "Covid Corridors", bubbles and cuts in quarantine time.). So far the only ones that have gone through are Golf Quarantine which after months of debate has clocked up it's first visitors (about 30 of them) and a charter flight of assorted very wealthy people who rented an entire hotel at Cape Panwa, Phuket to serve their quarantine there rather than at an ASQ hotel.

Come 1st July less than half of the population will have had access to the vaccine even if the current timetable can be met. My view is the Government will continue with its hawkish view that the risk is not worth the rewards (and they and their cronies aren't big in tourism. They make their ill-gotten gains from other sectors such as infrastructure projects).

[Mr Enternational]

In the Bangkok Post today, it was reported today that a consortium of Thai tourism industry organizations recommended that Thailand open to tourists beginning July 1st as long as the tourists have proof of vaccination cards, a Covid test within 72 hours of departure, and international health insurance.

Unfortunately that is not saying anything. You could have written them 6 months ago and made the same recommendation and it would have carried the same weight. When you see it in the Royal Gazette, that is when you make your bet.