General Reports

[CIMguy]

Your story outside of the see. O. E. Doesn't really bother me I've not been a world traveler like many of you but shit happens right? But regardless of your story of getting to Phuket may be a bit different since the Thais leaders have such high regard for the CCP, they would wave or do anything to get those high spenders here. I wonder back last year when they did the bubble for the first time for the Chinese the leaders projected thousand would come when the date came in Sept, they finally had to admit no one applied but a week later a small planeload arrived I wonder how in a week so many applied for the Certificate of Entry and got clearance a week before no one applied?

Regardless, we disagree coming from the States, in spite of all the optimistic news by the leader here of opening you still need to apply for the see. O. E. Nothing regarding the rules of being relaxed except the shortening of the quarantine when one arrives. Because of the uncertainty Airlines from the States are still limited, then you still got the insurance requiring $100,000 USD in coverage for the Covid which within the fine print will only cover you within a certain situation (timing).

Until those restrictions are clearly removed I won't be hopping on any aircraft when there are so many?

I still had to do all of those things. I had to get insurance, the COE, and everything. Everything took about as long as it said it would on the website. Most everything is just a few clicks and filling out some forms. I did it all in a few hours. Not a big deal.

I have heard some people have trouble getting the hotel to do their part quickly, but my hotel (Austrian garden) was really good. They allow girls, who just have to give their ID, and it's very clean. No problems. I had some trouble with payment of the COVID tests because I was in China and the hotel just paid it for me and I repaid them.

And I came through Hong Kong, so very few of the people on the flight were Chinese. They are getting very few people from China, I think. Most people on my flight were American or European. They have a setup. I can't imagine they change the setup based on who is on the flight. That would be madness. It's quick and easy on arrival. I went to get my second covid test the other day. I was in and out in 15 minutes. I think people are overestimating how much trouble it all is. Don't get turned off by the COE. Just follow the links on the website and fill things out. You don't even need a visa as an American. I posted links earlier, but let me know if you need them again. This is easy. Come to Thailand! The people here need us.

[LittleBigMan]

I think that's a thing of the past. I haven't heard of any problems recently and I certainly had no problems. I had tons of problems getting on a plane in Beijing. The guy there deliberately tried to have me miss my plane. He kept finding problems with my stuff, even though everything was perfect. The only thing not perfect was my COVID test had one word in Chinese that was not translated to English. He kept me an extra 45 minutes at check-in for that, forcing me to call the testing center and get them to wechat me a new one, which he then made me wait 20 minutes while he printed it out. So Check-in total took 3.5 hours before I could even start making my way through immigration and security, which is extensive in Beijing. When I left check-in, I had 25 minutes before the flight. He told me not to worry because it was not far to the gate. Turns out I had to get on a shuttle bus, then there was yet another app to download and fill out and immigration and photos and security. I got to the plane 20 minutes after it was supposed to take off but it was delayed and I just made it. That guy really tried to make me miss my flight, which is par for the course in China. So glad I'm out of that hole.

I then had a 17 hour layover in Hong Kong, which wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. The only really bad part was trying to find a place to sleep because of construction and all the Chinese people playing on their phones without headphones.

In Thailand, I was through everything in less than 30 minutes and in a car to my hotel. I didn't stop to use the restroom coming out of the plane and that really helped. I was one of the first 20 people to get to the testing part. You just had to sit down in these chairs, download a short phone app, show people walking through the chairs your paperwork, then go over to a desk. Then out to baggage. Then to a testing line. Then to the cars. It was extremely efficient. The only thing that wasn't perfect is that we didn't use the app they told us we would use before we got there, so I had downloaded an app and filled it out and that was wasted effort. It took about 20 minutes.

Whenever a new soft ware comes out for a computer or a new phone is released, people run to be first. I never do because I know there are kinks to be worked out. I waited for the kinks to be worked out with the sandbox and it was smooth. Don't listen to the people who rushed to be first. Those people always have problems.

Your story outside of the see. O. E. Doesn't really bother me I've not been a world traveler like many of you but shit happens right? But regardless of your story of getting to Phuket may be a bit different since the Thais leaders have such high regard for the CCP, they would wave or do anything to get those high spenders here. I wonder back last year when they did the bubble for the first time for the Chinese the leaders projected thousand would come when the date came in Sept, they finally had to admit no one applied but a week later a small planeload arrived I wonder how in a week so many applied for the Certificate of Entry and got clearance a week before no one applied?

Regardless, we disagree coming from the States, in spite of all the optimistic news by the leader here of opening you still need to apply for the see. O. E. Nothing regarding the rules of being relaxed except the shortening of the quarantine when one arrives. Because of the uncertainty Airlines from the States are still limited, then you still got the insurance requiring $100,000 USD in coverage for the Covid which within the fine print will only cover you within a certain situation (timing).

Until those restrictions are clearly removed I won't be hopping on any aircraft when there are so many?

[CIMguy]

True? Between the lines of the message one still need to go through the process of obtaining the C. O. E. From the Thai Embassy then as the Phuket first set of visitors found out things can change while you are on the way.

I think that's a thing of the past. I haven't heard of any problems recently and I certainly had no problems. I had tons of problems getting on a plane in Beijing. The guy there deliberately tried to have me miss my plane. He kept finding problems with my stuff, even though everything was perfect. The only thing not perfect was my COVID test had one word in Chinese that was not translated to English. He kept me an extra 45 minutes at check-in for that, forcing me to call the testing center and get them to wechat me a new one, which he then made me wait 20 minutes while he printed it out. So Check-in total took 3.5 hours before I could even start making my way through immigration and security, which is extensive in Beijing. When I left check-in, I had 25 minutes before the flight. He told me not to worry because it was not far to the gate. Turns out I had to get on a shuttle bus, then there was yet another app to download and fill out and immigration and photos and security. I got to the plane 20 minutes after it was supposed to take off but it was delayed and I just made it. That guy really tried to make me miss my flight, which is par for the course in China. So glad I'm out of that hole.

I then had a 17 hour layover in Hong Kong, which wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. The only really bad part was trying to find a place to sleep because of construction and all the Chinese people playing on their phones without headphones.

In Thailand, I was through everything in less than 30 minutes and in a car to my hotel. I didn't stop to use the restroom coming out of the plane and that really helped. I was one of the first 20 people to get to the testing part. You just had to sit down in these chairs, download a short phone app, show people walking through the chairs your paperwork, then go over to a desk. Then out to baggage. Then to a testing line. Then to the cars. It was extremely efficient. The only thing that wasn't perfect is that we didn't use the app they told us we would use before we got there, so I had downloaded an app and filled it out and that was wasted effort. It took about 20 minutes.

Whenever a new soft ware comes out for a computer or a new phone is released, people run to be first. I never do because I know there are kinks to be worked out. I waited for the kinks to be worked out with the sandbox and it was smooth. Don't listen to the people who rushed to be first. Those people always have problems.

[Java Man]

All these news reports about Thailand reopening on Oct 1 are misleading. For now, they're ALL Proposals. This Friday, Sept 17, Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration, (CCSA) will meet to discuss these proposals. Once they decide on what to do, it's passed up to the PM for his signature. It becomes law once it's published in the Royal Gazette. Also the 9 p-4 a curfew is still ongoing. The CCSA said last week, they would discuss on the curfew at the end of this month. At this point no one knows what is going to happen. We'll know shortly.

[Explorer8939]

True? Between the lines of the message one still need to go through the process of obtaining the C. O. E. From the Thai Embassy then as the Phuket first set of visitors found out things can change while you are on the way.

I am in Thailand now, but want to go back to the US to handle some logistics. I am fully vaccinated and don't want to do 14 days quarantine, when returning to Thailand.

It's unclear how bad the new rules are going to be. I could probably do 7 days, but longer than that would be torture.

[Member #4753]

How long could I stay if I can't do a visa run? I usually like to stay five months. Thanks.

You could speak to a Visa Agency about getting a visa for 3 months after your visa on arrival is extended once (=60 days). It is relatively quick and easy to do.

Costs vary, but think $1200 for a year or half that for 3 months extension. Expensive yes, but you just average it out on a per month basis and write it off as a cost of doing business in the LOS.

[LittleBigMan]

Bangkok (AFP) - Thailand plans to reopen Bangkok to fully vaccinated visitors in October.

Officials said on Friday (Sept 10), as the kingdom seeks to salvage a tourism industry hammered by the pandemic.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that from Oct 1, fully vaccinated foreign travellers will be able to visit Bangkok and four other provinces without undergoing two weeks' hotel quarantine.

Instead, the five areas. Also including Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. Are expected to follow a "sandbox" model of the type piloted since July in the holiday island of Phuket.

Under the sandbox scheme, tourists have to stay within a certain area for seven days after arrival and take Covid-19 tests.

True? Between the lines of the message one still need to go through the process of obtaining the C. O. E. From the Thai Embassy then as the Phuket first set of visitors found out things can change while you are on the way.

[Polekaru]

Bangkok (AFP) - Thailand plans to reopen Bangkok to fully vaccinated visitors in October.

Officials said on Friday (Sept 10), as the kingdom seeks to salvage a tourism industry hammered by the pandemic.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand said that from Oct 1, fully vaccinated foreign travellers will be able to visit Bangkok and four other provinces without undergoing two weeks' hotel quarantine.

Instead, the five areas. Also including Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces. Are expected to follow a "sandbox" model of the type piloted since July in the holiday island of Phuket.

Under the sandbox scheme, tourists have to stay within a certain area for seven days after arrival and take Covid-19 tests.

[PedroMorales]

The article indicates there are bears in the jungle. Is that accurate? I've never heard that before.

Thailand has black bears and sun bears, as well as the bears of Boyztown. Sun bears, as the world's smallest bears, are timid and are often kept as pets but, with cubs, they can go ape shit. They are reclusive so you get them wherever there is dense forest and no dumb ass hunters or loggers. Though the black bear likes to attack humans (Buddha has some work to do there yet), when I hiked in bear country, a bell was enough so they would disappear.

[PedroMorales]

I was thinking of buying a bar type business in Southern Europe. It sounded like a good idea. It was hared to get prices and cash flow projections. But not impossible as good, clean folk have the same idea. Here is what I learned and how it related to Thailand and this forum.

1. Most people with similar dreams are total dreamers and wasters.

2. I have tracked down some folk. Americans - who have done this and are still starry eyed. A massive amount of work upfront and ongoing.

Bottom line: Absolutely no f-g way. Now that is with respectable people, Europeans in the main. Factor in Thai bar girls, corrupt Thai cops, yabba and the answer is no f-g way. It is amazing what a tight LBFM pussy does to pussies.

[TConor]

How long could I stay if I can't do a visa run? I usually like to stay five months. Thanks.

Your fucked or not. 555.

[Horatio]

How long could I stay if I can't do a visa run? I usually like to stay five months. Thanks.

[Member #4753]

Yes, I have lived during the winter months in Bangkok for the past four out of seven years. The winter of 2021 I skipped due to Covid. And my schedule is quite similar to yours except that I am retired so my routine is a bit different than yours but plenty of time to enjoy deviant behavior along with many cultural attractions. Also, I use Bangkok as a base and travel to different places in Asia. Flights are inexpensive and short and I have visited Laos, Burma, Bali and Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. In March 2020, I went to Hoi An, Vietnam for the second year in a row with a foray to Hue and some time spent in DaNang. Unfortunately, by then Covid had reared it's ugly head so I had to quickly change plans to return to my home country. But, I usually stay about three months in Bangkok and other Asian places and leave in early April when the heat arrives, traveling from there to Europe and then home to US.

Nice! That is the way to live your life.

[Tomasb]

The article indicates there are bears in the jungle. Is that accurate? I've never heard that before.

There is an Asiatic black bear found in several Asian countries but to the best of my knowledge I have never heard of a bear spotted in Thailand. They are known to be in Bhutan, areas of China and Burma and also Taiwan. Maybe the article meant beer?

[Tomasb]

A follow up in relation to getting bored.

Pre covid. Work during the day, GF comes over 2 to 3 days per week. Hit a club 1 or 2 nights per week with a few fellow minded deviates. Maybe slip into a massage 1 or 2 days per week. Grab street food every day, cheap but excellent restaurants every night. Friends / acquaintances / family visiting from other countries. Bangkok is a great city. Never get bored.

During Covid. Most of everything is shut or limping along. Yes it is boring, but so are most places in the world at the moment.

Yes, I have lived during the winter months in Bangkok for the past four out of seven years. The winter of 2021 I skipped due to Covid. And my schedule is quite similar to yours except that I am retired so my routine is a bit different than yours but plenty of time to enjoy deviant behavior along with many cultural attractions. Also, I use Bangkok as a base and travel to different places in Asia. Flights are inexpensive and short and I have visited Laos, Burma, Bali and Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. In March 2020, I went to Hoi An, Vietnam for the second year in a row with a foray to Hue and some time spent in DaNang. Unfortunately, by then Covid had reared it's ugly head so I had to quickly change plans to return to my home country. But, I usually stay about three months in Bangkok and other Asian places and leave in early April when the heat arrives, traveling from there to Europe and then home to US.