'going thru hoops'

[zmth]

First of all is this the right place to post things to do with visas to visit Thailand for anyone not necessarily for Thai citizens ? Anyway does anyone have any idea when/if the situation for usa persons to go stay in Thailand for at least 3 months straight is ever going to be reasonable and ones does not have to 'go thru hoops' to just simply go and stay there for at least 3 months. Especially this ungodly expensive insurance requirement crap ? From what i understand now it's so ungodly ridiculous and nearly impossible to even apply all the internet requirements or have i missed something. Seems to me Thailand doesn't really need tourism dollars that much if they think people are willing to go thru all that crap. For example Cambodia has now relaxed that insurance requirement and no need. When is that going to happen for Thailand ? Or have i missed some changes already ?

Edited December 20, 2021 by zmth

[Billy Shears]

Can sneak in through Burma. 

[zmth]

Why you say sneak in thru Burma. Have u done it or are u Burmese yourself. I spent around 2 to 3 years in Thailand in the 80's and i know of a few Burmese who were living/working in Chiangmai who somehow just got caught and sent back over the border and would keep going thru that cycle. How they avoided having to stay in the immigration jail for long time i don't know as it seems most people who get caught have to do that for a long time esp if they don't pay some big money - some have to practically rot in there. I overstayed by a year or so and made the big mistake of taking someone elses advice which was that of turning myself in. First got a lawyer(also part of someone elses advice) and still had to spend a night in immigration jail after paying the lawyers $100 and on top of that still had to pay a fine to Thai government or whoever the next morning.

Also to do what u said one would first have to get into Burma- have no idea of the regulations for that either. I'm too old weak and feeble to chance that and then what to do when I want to leave Thailand ? They keep too good of records now a days for me to be able to make up a story and get away with it like i did in 1989 in Manila after about a 5 year overstay in the Philippines - who at that time apparently did not keep very good records and not computer records either i don't think.

[whitespider - RIP]

1 minute ago, zmth said:

Why you say sneak in thru Burma. Have u done it or are u Burmese yourself. I spent around 2 to 3 years in Thailand in the 80's and i know of a few Burmese who were living/working in Chiangmai who somehow just got caught and sent back over the border and would keep going thru that cycle. How they avoided having to stay in the immigration jail for long time i don't know as it seems most people who get caught have to do that for a long time esp if they don't pay some big money - some have to practically rot in there. I overstayed by a year or so and made the big mistake of taking someone elses advice which was that of turning myself in. First got a lawyer(also part of someone elses advice) and still had to spend a night in immigration jail after paying the lawyers $100 and on top of that still had to pay a fine to Thai government or whoever the next morning.

Also to do what u said one would first have to get into Burma- have no idea of the regulations for that either. I'm too old weak and feeble to chance that and then what to do when I want to leave Thailand ? They keep too good of records now a days for me to be able to make up a story and get away with it like i did in 1989 in Manila after about a 5 year overstay in the Philippines - who at that time apparently did not keep very good records and not computer records either i don't think.

Given the current situation in Myanmar I think his post was tongue in cheek. Chill out mate.

[zmth]

out of curiosity what is so notable about the current situation in Myanmar ?

[Billy Shears]

3 minutes ago, zmth said:

out of curiosity what is so notable about the current situation in Myanmar ?

I was just joking. I would never advocate breaking the law. The requirements to come to Thailand aren't really that difficult, just need to do it step by step. Yes it's harder than Cambodia at the moment,but the Philippines aren't even accepting tourists at all, so it is what it is. 

There's some facebook groups that talk about the requirements and answer questions. Or there's plenty of topics about it here.

Personally, I did a 14 day locked in my room quarantine to come to Thailand last march, so even though they're talking about bringing back the sandbox of staying in Phuket but allowed to freely roam seems pretty simple in comparison. 

 

[talung66]

1 hour ago, zmth said:

out of curiosity what is so notable about the current situation in Myanmar ?

Besides the resistance to a military coop/junta/Aung San Suu Kyi  and an Australian journalist i know of that are imprisoned.

You should be better of there  than going to Afghanistan unless your a Uyghur returning  to china 

[talung66]

2 hours ago, zmth said:

First got a lawyer(also part of someone elses advice) and still had to spend a night in immigration jail after paying the lawyers $100 and on top of that still had to pay a fine to Thai government or whoever the next morning.

You got it easy 

i just watched banged up abroad and it took 2 months to sign the paper work to get out 

[zmth]

8 hours ago, WhiteThai said:

...step by step....Philippines aren't even accepting tourists at al...facebook ...sandbox of staying in Phuket ...

 

1. ... ok step by step. What about that insurance requirement - how much did u have to pay and for exactly how many days did it cover ?

2. ... Philippines... so what else is new ? That's the very reason i would even think about asking anything about Thailand and I would be in PI now. Just a very few years ago I swore I would never want to go back to Thailand again. Times are getting so bad and i am getting really desperate.

3. ... facebook... I hear that quite often from other forum posts. Problem is though no fault of my own seems no matter what i do such as trying to start a new account with a different email that damn admin or security part of facebook admin cancels my account or make it impossible to start new account.

4. ...Phuket... so anyway are you saying or implying things are to be getting worse and more restrictive or less restrictive ?

[petehoax]

1) apply for tourist visa, done online, costs $40 usd for 60 days which can be extended once for another 30 days on the ground.
2) insurance: can buy https://covid19.tgia.org/ (12'000 thb for 90 days for USA) or https://www.axa.co.th/en/axa-sawasdee-thailand-travel-insurance (6200 thb for 90 days for USA in plan 1)
3) book the rest
4) apply for thailand pass, quick and easy online

enjoy your travels

doesn't seem overly complicated or expensive to me. but if you don't like it, fly somewhere else, easy enough. 

once you're in thailand, you can (most likely) do covid extensions that will give you another 2 months each time. if that option is not available anymore, you can go to a visa agent and find a semi-legal other options if you want to stay longer than the original 90 days (volunteer visa, education visa etc). or you can fly to a different country, apply for a new visa and return again for another 60+30 days. but you will probably only be able to do this once, afterwards it's likely that immigration will stop you from entering if you want to do it another time back to back to back. 

ps: it's possible that there will be more restrictions / rules announced soon about immigration due to omicron cases. a few other threads discuss it. so i wouldn't book anything in the next 1-2 weeks until that becomes more clear. 

[bangna]

3 hours ago, zmth said:

1. ... ok step by step. What about that insurance requirement - how much did u have to pay and for exactly how many days did it cover ?

2. ... Philippines... so what else is new ? That's the very reason i would even think about asking anything about Thailand and I would be in PI now. Just a very few years ago I swore I would never want to go back to Thailand again. Times are getting so bad and i am getting really desperate.

3. ... facebook... I hear that quite often from other forum posts. Problem is though no fault of my own seems no matter what i do such as trying to start a new account with a different email that damn admin or security part of facebook admin cancels my account or make it impossible to start new account.

4. ...Phuket... so anyway are you saying or implying things are to be getting worse and more restrictive or less restrictive ?

You said earlier that you overstayed by a year or so, I presume this was not recent or did you receive a period of banning from re-entering the country?

[zmth]

no that was in 1984 and nothing banning from  coming back as i did come back for 3 months in '89

[zmth]

many years ago i think it was same as only number 1 of petehoax as i recall. Big problem and expense is 2 and 3 which from what he said is 12,000+6,200baht in all for 90 days which is really a lot. Don't know exactly what 4 ,thai pass, or whatever it is but guess as long as it doesn't cost anything maybe ok. Just waiting for them to get sensible and go back to only number 1. And i assume NO quarantine ?

[momo5]

3 hours ago, zmth said:

many years ago i think it was same as only number 1 of petehoax as i recall. Big problem and expense is 2 and 3 which from what he said is 12,000+6,200baht in all for 90 days which is really a lot. Don't know exactly what 4 ,thai pass, or whatever it is but guess as long as it doesn't cost anything maybe ok. Just waiting for them to get sensible and go back to only number 1. And i assume NO quarantine ?

They’re not four independent options, but all four you need to enter Thailand currently.  The insurance isn’t 12000 + 6200 baht; it’s either or … you can choose whatever policy is acceptable to the Thai authorities.  I don’t think the insurance requirement will go away anytime soon, but I do see it getting more reasonable and, perhaps, rolled into a general global medical insurance cover.  

[petehoax]

11 hours ago, zmth said:

many years ago i think it was same as only number 1 of petehoax as i recall. Big problem and expense is 2 and 3 which from what he said is 12,000+6,200baht in all for 90 days which is really a lot. Don't know exactly what 4 ,thai pass, or whatever it is but guess as long as it doesn't cost anything maybe ok. Just waiting for them to get sensible and go back to only number 1. And i assume NO quarantine ?

and many many years ago, there was no internet and no airplanes and you had to take a boat to travel. 

the stuff really is not that complicated. go to the website of your thai embassy, follow the instructions. if you don't know what thailand pass is, why not do a 1min google search to learn about it? here you go: https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-to-thailand/thailand-pass

if you don't want to buy insurance (6k thb apparently for you for 90 days), then don't go to thailand... it's not rocket science. 

you made your first post and talked about "ungodly expensive". if 6k additional expenses is too expensive for you (for at least a 90 day stay), ok, fair enough. but to me it just sounds like you want to complain and instead of actually looking into what gets posted and looking for a solution, you just ramble on and continue complaining. 

so i'm out of this thread, but best of luck!

[zmth]

16 hours ago, momo5 said:

They’re not four independent options, but all four you need to enter Thailand currently.  The insurance isn’t 12000 + 6200 baht; it’s either or … you can choose whatever policy is acceptable to the Thai authorities.  I don’t think the insurance requirement will go away anytime soon, but I do see it getting more reasonable and, perhaps, rolled into a general global medical insurance cover.  

first petehoax says 'and many many years ago, there was no internet and no airplanes and you had to take a boat to travel.  ' What is that all about ? NO in the 1980's there was no internet for most people but there were airplanes and certainly did not have to take a boat and as i recall it was like number 1 only. You wait as long as possible to go and apply for another 3 month or more extension , knowing that you will be turned down but atleast get the extra time waiting for their negative reply but problem is now i think you have to have a fixed airline ticket in and out of Thailand ? Seems that did not used to be the case. Ok let me see if i am figuring this out correct: 6,200baht is about $190usd not $1,900usd which is acceptable to Thai authorities for usa ? and what about mask requirement in Thailand ? hope it's like most states and atleast where i live in Texas which is none practically everywhere ?

[Soi7]

4 hours ago, zmth said:

what about mask requirement in Thailand ?

Have to wear 

[sebastian0]

15 hours ago, zmth said:

first petehoax says 'and many many years ago, there was no internet and no airplanes and you had to take a boat to travel.  ' What is that all about ? NO in the 1980's there was no internet for most people but there were airplanes and certainly did not have to take a boat and as i recall it was like number 1 only. You wait as long as possible to go and apply for another 3 month or more extension , knowing that you will be turned down but atleast get the extra time waiting for their negative reply but problem is now i think you have to have a fixed airline ticket in and out of Thailand ? Seems that did not used to be the case. Ok let me see if i am figuring this out correct: 6,200baht is about $190usd not $1,900usd which is acceptable to Thai authorities for usa ? and what about mask requirement in Thailand ? hope it's like most states and atleast where i live in Texas which is none practically everywhere ?

His point is that there is no point referencing the past over and over again, it's 2021 (soon 2022), still dealing with a pandemic. 

He already gave you the 4 steps required if one wants to travel to Thailand. Situation is fluid with Thailand Pass given new variant so you have to keep yourself up to date on the latest, but the main steps are the same, just details on arrival quarantine might change. 

If this is too much for you then as petehoax said, then don't travel to Thailand. You need to understand the pandemic is not over so everyone is jumping through "hoops" to travel.