AlaskaDave

There are some new entry requirements for entering Thailand. As far as I can tell, proof of vaccination is again required and, in certain cases, Covid-specific health insurance. As usual in Thailand, however, the details vary depending on where you read it. Here's the latest news I can find. Proof of vaccination is definitely required but, again, this is the norm in Thailand, there's some confusion about the insurance. Quoted from an article in Wion on Jan 7: "Country’s transport minister Saksayam Chidchob in a statement said that the restrictions would start from Monday, during which people would be asked to proof of at least two vaccinations or recovery from the virus since July. Those who have not taken any vaccines would need a medical report justifying their lack of inoculations, a statement by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand posted on the site said. The rules apply until Jan. 31. Moreover, visitors from countries that require Covid tests for arrivals from Thailand must have health insurance during their stay, the ministry said." Apparently, if the country you're coming from doesn't require Covid tests for Thais that enter it, then you don't need insurance to enter Thailand. Needless to say, these rules are subject to change (cough, cough). The restrictions could be extended or even dropped in coming days. Clarification from Asian News Network - Jan 8: "Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a press conference after the meeting that in addition to the vaccination requirement, tourists from countries that require negative RT-PCR results on their return must have insurance covering Covid-19 testing and treatment before entering Thailand."

I honestly don't care if those members approve or not. I love being in Thailand and hope Immigration will someday wise up and allow people like me to stay for six months without such a big hassle.

Yikes! Sounds like a slightly different take on the horrendous Thailand Pass system we had to deal with last year. Let's hope this ridiculous requirement goes away soon too.

Huh? I use a motorcycle to ride all over Thailand, which has some of the best motorcycling in the world. But that's totally beside the point. I'm asking about visa runs, not whether you consider motorcycling a worthwhile pastime in LOS.

It is indeed a Multi-entry permit with three Tourist Visas I'm talking about. I figured that would be obvious from the wording in my original post. My usual method involves getting three two-month Tourist Visas and a 1900 baht Multiple Entry Permit and then using all three visas consecutively in order to stay in Thailand for 6 months total. I'm looking for a way to do that scenario by land, not air, and preferably in northern Thailand rather than the far south or Issan. .

More good information. I'm looking to find an "open" border crossing closer to Chiang Mai, and also to know the official Thai Immigration position on these Tourist Visa renewals (renewals-via-border-run) we used to take for granted. I appreciate your input. Everything I get on this forum is a help. Thanks

That's good news. Thank you.

I guess that answers one question I'm asking. I noticed in another post that Vientiane was apparently open. That inspired me to put the question out to the forum. I guess we'll have to wait and see if Thai Immigration will reinstate the old system eventually. @problemfarang, you should realize that not everyone has the kind of money it requires to get a "proper visa" and that people who make visa runs on multiple entry Tourist Visas aren't intentionally abusing the system. They only want the same things most expats want from living in Thailand, friendly climate and people, good food, and good motorcycling.

Back before Covid closed the borders, I used to get three 2-month Tourist Visas for my annual 6 month visit to Thailand. Every 2 months I would (do a "visa run") cross the border into Myanmar (Mae Sai) or Laos (Vientiane) and return to Thailand to begin the next 2-month segment. Is it possible to do that now? Thanks.

Insurance for foreigners may indeed be a scam but Thais already have free medical care. It ain't great insurance but it's built into the current system. If one of us gets ill, we can't use that medical system in the same way. External insurance is one way to be sure foreigners won't put a strain on an already marginal system.

My friend got his result in just a few minutes. All the test kits I've ever seen recommend waiting 15 minutes before reading the result yet he was in and out in less than that amount of time. There will possibly be times when you might be forced to wait in a queue for the test but he didn't have to do that.

I posted this one on another subforum but it might be better posted here. An American friend recently departed Thailand for the U.S. and had to comply with the U.S. requirement for a negative Covid test within 24 hours of boarding. This presents a problem if a PCR test is needed because it is a lab test and results take a while unless you're willing to pay dearly for a quicker turnaround. However, he was able to get a Rapid Antigen test at Suvarnabhumi for only 250 baht. He was flying on ANA and was allowed to board and allowed entry to the U.S. based on his negative test result. He was not asked for any proof of Covid result when he entered the U.S. That means the airlines are forced to do the dirty work of checking travelers' test results. Apparently, even though the U.S. is being a stickler about requiring a test within such a short window of time, the Rapid Antigen test is quick and easy and it served to fulfill the requirement. There are two separate testing facilities on the 1st floor of Suvarnabhumi, one at Door 8 (250 baht), another at Door 3 (500 baht). I hope this helps those of you who are heading to the U.S. I can assure you, it took a big load off my mind. I expect international travel will get easier going forward but I fear pre-flight Covid testing will be something we have to deal with for a long time yet.

An American friend recently departed Thailand for the U.S. and had to comply with the U.S. requirement for a negative Covid test within 24 hours of boarding. This presents a problem if a PCR test is needed because it is a lab test and results take a while unless you're willing to pay dearly for a quicker turnaround. However, he was able to get a Rapid Antigen test at Suvarnabhumi for only 250 baht. He was flying on ANA and was allowed to board and allowed entry to the U.S. based on his negative test result. He was not asked for any proof of Covid result when he entered the U.S. That means the airlines are forced to do the dirty work of checking travelers' test results. Apparently, even though the U.S. is being a stickler about requiring a test within such a short window of time, the Rapid Antigen test is quick and easy and it served to fulfill the requirement. There are two separate testing facilities on the 1st floor of Suvarnabhumi, one at Door 8 (250 baht), another at Door 3 (500 baht). I hope this helps those of you who are heading to the U.S. I can assure you, it took a big load off my mind. I expect international travel will get easier going forward but I fear pre-flight Covid testing will be something we have to deal with for a long time yet.

Legalizing marijuana would not be a reason to come here and I doubt tourism will be hugely affected by legalization. But it would mean that people who use the plant occasionally as I do when I'm in Alaska or Oregon won't end up in prison for it. Imprisoning marijuana users is not only stupid, it's criminal. It's a goddamn plant after all. Also, Thai growers could rake in some real money if it's legalized. There is simply no downside to legalizing cannabis. Period.

I came through Narita last Friday and it was simple and straightforward. Same thing at Suvarnaphumi. I was pleasantly surprised at how well organized that was. I spent less time going through the Immigration line than I ever have before. Of course, the number of tourists entering the country now is low too. The hardest thing for me was waiting without the ability to check on the progress of your documents through the Thailand Pass system. That and the 72-hour window for obtaining a Covid test result in Oregon (USA) where my flight originated from. There was the option of buying a 2-hour turnaround for a Covid test result but at US$300, that was not an option I liked. Both of those waiting periods were hellish. Anything they can do to streamline this ugly process will be a help. However, hands down the biggest and best thing they could do is to scrap the whole thing

Maybe the huge workload has caused the authorities to "streamline" the process so that the clerks essentially rubber stamp each app after a cursory (or no) scan. Who knows?

Based on your experience, I suspect these passes are approved individually over a period of hours and then are queued into a single email push. It would be impossible for Immigration to have received your application and approved it at the exact same time.

I have received a lot of help in this forum so I thought I'd report on my progress through the Thailand Pass system I uploaded my documents, hotel confirmation, vaccination card, copies of passport, and insurance cover, to the TP system on Nov 2. I received an acknowledgement a few hours later. My approval and QR-code was sent on Nov 6 at 11:30 pm. That means the turnaround was approximately 4 days. It also means Thai Immigration is working on weekends. My Thai wife assured me that Thai government people don't work on weekends, which I must admit is generally true, but because there is such a large number of TP applicants, I guess they're running full bore to clear the queue. For me, the hardest part of this abominable system is the wait. I have about US$1500 invested in hotel, flight and insurance so it would be very expensive to be denied entry so late in the game. But last night, my QR-Code arrived by email. My flight leaves Portland on Nov 10. Best of luck to those of you who are still waiting.

I have received a lot of help in this forum so I thought i'd report on my progress through the Thailand Pass system I uploaded my documents (hotel confirmation, vaccination card, copies of passport, and insurance cover, to the TP system on Nov 2. I received an acknowledgement a few hours later. My approval and QR-code was sent on Nov 6 at 11:30 pm. That means the turnaround was approximately 4 days. It also means Thai Immigration is working on weekends. My Thai wife assured me that Thai government people don't work on weekends, which I must admit is generally true, but seeing as there is such a large number of applicants, I guess they're running full bore to clear the queue. The hardest part of this abominable system is the wait. I have about US$1500 invested in hotel, flight and insurance so it would be very expensive to be denied entry so late in the game. But last night, my QR-Code arrived by email. My flight leaves Portland on Nov 10. Best of luck to those of you who are still waiting.

There is a button on the bottom of some of the upload pages that says something like "Add More". I managed to get all my docs to fit on one sheet by capturing screen shots and stitching them together in Photoshop so I didn't need to "Add More" but someone else may have used that feature, I dunno.

I don't have the list handy (I just tried to find it) but there are quite a few to pick from when the Chiang Mai airport does reopen. I talked at length via email to the "Sleep, Mai?" hotel near the airport and thought I had gotten a good deal at 1400 baht per night until I realized we were talking about a domestic arrival. They are not set up to do the required secure transport or Covid testing so for me, at this point, it's going to require a layover in Bangkok to do the Covid test. By the way, I bought US$50K insurance from an outfit called IMG (imglobal.com) that will work for anybody up to age 79. Very smooth service and they have an excellent, easy to navigate website. They have a wide range of deductibles that brought my rate down to $260 for a two-month contract. Documents are sent immediately via email or direct download (or both). Good luck to everyone. Now, to buy tickets and try to use the Thailand Pass system.

@Wydahoan Thank you for the information. I purchased the insurance offered by IMG (Imglobal) and it was a very smooth procedure. They provide a confirmation letter and ID card as soon as the contract is paid for (as can be seen in Wydahoan's reply above). They are both in PDF format so I'll have to photograph them for uploading to the Thailand Pass system but that's easily done. I would recommend others under the age of 79 to check out this company. Now, I'll be able to buy tickets. Thanks very much to all contributors to this thread.

Wow, thanks to all for the advice. The Imglobal insurance at 8700 baht for 60 days is actually fairly affordable if you select the $1000 deductible option and are under 79 years of age. I'm 78 so that will work for me this time. I'll call them to see if they can supply a certificate that will detail the coverage in a way acceptable to Thai Immigration. I understand they don't accept any PDFs so I'll need to check further with the company. @Wydahoan Thanks very much for this information. I wonder if you know what sort of proof of insurance your friend received from the company?

I called using Skype as I'm in the U.S. right now. The phone at 662 078 5668 rings but nobody answers. I tried the number posted on the website (662 078 5656) but that one is not working. I also sent an email asking for clarification. As for the 15K baht, that isn't horrendous but it is not clear to me how the price I was quoted makes sense given what you're saying. Also, I'd rather not pay for a whole year until I have to next September. I need coverage for only a couple months at the present time. Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

AFAIK, the Chiang Mai airport is not open for international flights yet. The SHA+ hotels you see listed in Chiang Mai are for domestic travel only. As for the glitch in the Thailand Pass site when attempting to upload docs, there is a workaround someone posted earlier. I haven't tried it but several people who did report success. Try this workaround: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-pass-workaround-for