Do you think they will extend the amnesty if they are not allowing inbound scheduled flights from August onwards?

[JackThompson]

21 hours ago, drbeach said:

Not true, Turkey seems to be imposing some ridiculous requirements including testing.

Always open to new info, but this is what I am seeing for Turkey:
 

All travelers are required to wear a face mask at all times whilst in an airport, and for the duration of all flights to and from Turkey. They are also required to complete a passenger locator form prior to arriving in Turkey.

 

All arrivals into Turkey will be subject to a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks. Travelers with symptoms will be required to undergo a PCR test.

 

Travelers who test positive will be provided with medical treatment at a facility determined by the Ministry of Health or, if preferred, at a private medical facility in Turkey at their own expense.

 

 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

4 hours ago, drbeach said:

I was saying few countries will let you in...you should have read the rest of my comment. Your statement here is confusing, what are you trying to say?

That was not what you said.

 

you said, and on more than 1 post.

 

15 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

 

On 6/29/2020 at 3:15 PM, TingTawng said:

That's my take on it...there's not even many destinations served.

 

That means you can only fly to a few destinations!

 

Your claim is wrong. You can fly to almost all countries.
 

That very few countries will allow entry to non citizens is a completely different situation.
 

If you meant that you can not enter most countries should have said that.

[taxout]

But the question is, what's so "ridiculous" about Turkey's procedure? Unlike Hong Kong, say, they don't test everyone, only those who are symptomatic. Nothing "ridiculous" there I can see.

Edited July 1, 2020 by taxout

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, taxout said:

But the question is, what's so "ridiculous" about Turkey's procedure? Unlike Hong Kong, say, they don't test everyone, only those who are symptomatic. Nothing "ridiculous" there I can see.

And unless the test is for a crazy cost, even that isn't so bad.  It's just a nose-swab.

[greggraham]

Am I right in thinking, as Monday & Tuesday are national holidays, that the weekly cabinet meetings won't be happen and we'll probably have to wait until at least mid-July now for any news? 

[brewsterbudgen]

It's interesting to see that the Thai Embassy in Vientiene have announced they will be closed until 10 July, in order to put in place Covid policies for visa issuing.  Might suggest some re-opening is planned for later this month, so maybe the amnesty can be lifted.

[drbeach]

On 7/1/2020 at 6:53 PM, sometimewoodworker said:

That was not what you said.

 

you said, and on more than 1 post.

 

That means you can only fly to a few destinations!

 

Your claim is wrong. You can fly to almost all countries.
 

That very few countries will allow entry to non citizens is a completely different situation.
 

If you meant that you can not enter most countries should have said that.

Nope. I'm still confused by what you are trying to say.

 

I'll say it again so there's no ambiguity. As of the time I am making this comment, international travel remains in a state of flux, and in general terms, the only countries allowing relatively easy entry are EU/Schengen and EEA countries for their own nationals and a few others.

 

I would not at this point try to travel anywhere else, because even in those countries that are "open" either you'll face a quarantine or not be allowed to leave again for the foreseeable future (Australia) or you'll be faced with stringent entry requirements such as testing and tracking.

[Captain Monday]

On 6/30/2020 at 9:09 AM, Kelsall said:

No.  There is no reason to extend the amnesty further.  There are plenty of flights to major countries and the embassies of those few that don't them can offer letters stating such.

 

And for those 50 or older, there is always the "40k special visa" and extension for one year, available through certain "agents".

I think they will extend 1 month  to maybe even Nov 01 but with a hard drop-dead date 

announced well in advance to give people time to get flights. Those who cannot get extensions or visas will have to go back to their countries if visas are not available in neighboring countries and such travel is impossible. For sure high season 2020 will come, with a whole "new normal". Hoping for positive change! 

Edited July 3, 2020 by Captain Monday

[Max69xl]

On 6/30/2020 at 2:23 PM, Nong Khai Man said:

I Hope they announce it BEFORE The 20th of July as that is the day ( I Am Supposed to ) go to Savanakhet to apply for my New Non-Imm " O " That is IF The Borders are Open by Then.....Of Course !!

Opening the borders before July 31 won't happen imo. 

[Max69xl]

22 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

I think they will extend 1 month  to maybe even Nov 01 but with a hard drop-dead date 

announced well in advance to give people time to get flights. Those who cannot get extensions or visas will have to go back to their countries if visas are not available in neighboring countries and such travel is impossible. For sure high season 2020 will come, with a whole "new normal". Hoping for positive change! 

The only reason for extending the amnesty would be if neighbouring countries wont open their borders for foreigners. Almost everyone can leave every week. There has been flights out of the country all the time, but a bit more expensive than usual. 

[innosiem]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:29 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

Please give examples of countries that will let you in where you say you can not fly to. It’s easy to make the claim so it should be easy to back it up.

i have not yet found any connecting flights to Angola or South Sudan from BKK????‍♂️

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, innosiem said:

i have not yet found any connecting flights to Angola or South Sudan from BKK????‍♂️

Well, I personally have no immediate plans to visit Angola, but out of curiosity decided to see if it is possible. The answer is that, yes, it can be done. Cheapest is Finnair to Helsinki and Brussels, and then Ethiopian Air to Luanda via Addis. In all, about a 34 hour trip.

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, innosiem said:

i have not yet found any connecting flights to Angola or South Sudan from BKK????‍♂️

 

3 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Well, I personally have no immediate plans to visit Angola, but out of curiosity decided to see if it is possible. The answer is that, yes, it can be done. Cheapest is Finnair to Helsinki and Brussels, and then Ethiopian Air to Luanda via Addis. In all, about a 34 hour trip.

Thanks, you have proved that you can fly to virtually any country, which was my point. 
 

The question of if you would want to, or if you would be allowed to enter once you get there, or the cost of the flight is a completely different discussion.

[Jajazazajaja]

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

Well, I personally have no immediate plans to visit Angola, but out of curiosity decided to see if it is possible. The answer is that, yes, it can be done. Cheapest is Finnair to Helsinki and Brussels, and then Ethiopian Air to Luanda via Addis. In all, about a 34 hour trip.

I did BKK the Luanda with Emirates a few years ago. The Angolan visa application process is a royal pain in the <deleted>.

 

they learned a lot from the Soviet advisors back in the 80s

[Phillip9]

On 7/1/2020 at 3:22 AM, sometimewoodworker said:

 

Please give examples of countries that will allow you to enter where there is not a way to get there.
Yes you will not have a direct flight.

Yes it will not be cheap.

But you can Almost certainly get there

Bahamas

barbados

antigua and Barbuda
jamaica

haiti

st lucia

bermuda

french polynesia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

 

 

Edited July 5, 2020 by Phillip9

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

Bahamas

barbados

antigua and Barbuda
jamaica

haiti

st lucia

bermuda

french polynesia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Those are pretty challenging. I only checked out the first on the list (Bahamas). Best, I think, is Toronto via Seoul and on to the Bahamas from there. Time consuming. I suspect Toronto might be a good transfer point for a number of the others.

[innosiem]

21 hours ago, BritTim said:

Well, I personally have no immediate plans to visit Angola, but out of curiosity decided to see if it is possible. The answer is that, yes, it can be done. Cheapest is Finnair to Helsinki and Brussels, and then Ethiopian Air to Luanda via Addis. In all, about a 34 hour trip.

is that with "connecting" flights,
or would i need to enter any of the countries along the way ?
i can find the flights you mention but they are NOT connecting, 

so one would need to enter Belgium,
at which point you would be instructed to quarantine if it is at all possible for you to enter afaik

Provide link please, if they are connecting flights as i stated in the comment you replied to.
as i am trying to see every option possible in another thread

Belgium:
"On June 30^th EU Member States approved a recommendation to reauthorize non-essential travel from certain third countries – outside of the EU+ States mentioned in the previous paragraph. Based on this European frame of reference, the Protocol Directorate will send a new verbal note as soon as the Belgian government will have evaluated when and under which conditions persons from these countries who are travelling for non-essential reasons will be allowed on Belgian territory again. Until then this kind of travel remains prohibited."

https://diplomatie.belgium.be/en/services/protocol/covid-19

Edited July 6, 2020 by innosiem

[innosiem]

21 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

if you would be allowed to enter once you get there

If you do not meet the entry requirements of your destination country
it is unlikely that you would be allowed to board the plane to start with.

 

  

21 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Thanks, you have proved that you can fly to virtually any country, which was my point. 

Not yet confirmed if these are "connecting flights" as i stated,
which means nothing is "proven"
Many places yes, but not any country.

Edited July 6, 2020 by innosiem

[innosiem]

9 hours ago, BritTim said:

Those are pretty challenging. I only checked out the first on the list (Bahamas). Best, I think, is Toronto via Seoul and on to the Bahamas from there. Time consuming. I suspect Toronto might be a good transfer point for a number of the others.

yep, the biggest challenge is getting connecting flights, as to not enter a country along the way,
also many places are only possible Via the US which requires an E-TA even for transit
this could be problematic depending on how they have setup the system during these times
as a British passport could be denied regardless of the country you are travelling from etc.
i have also not checked to see if any nonsense will happen during transit in US
as i am unlikely to take any of those routes simply due to current cost compared to other options

Edited July 6, 2020 by innosiem

[RubbaJohnny]

17 hours ago, Jajazazajaja said:

I did BKK the Luanda with Emirates a few years ago. The Angolan visa application process is a royal pain in the <deleted>.

 

they learned a lot from the Soviet advisors back in the 80s

Luanda is a fine city and while as a Lusophone with friends to stay with not much pricier than Paris it was in recent years the most expensive city in the world for expates due to oil boom.

As to Finnair transfers (they did manage to send my bags to Joburg sooner than Helsinki once , but did fork out generously).Is it a code share, cannot always tell on consolidators like Skyscanner Kayak Opodo or Orbitz, however if you search via airlines own websites it may reveal a star alliance type relationship were you are ticketed all the way to the final destination.

 

The real issue is assuming you have the correct visas it is a code share and tranfer within a terminal. Some Airports it is impossible to transfer "airside".

I personally cannot see why anyone would choose to fly for pleasure, business or emergency possibly.

Once a border has reopened it will be possible to "bounce with own vehicle, of course if neighbouring nations are to impose quarantine and Thailand a mornings shopping in Myanmar becomes a fortnights "holiday".

 

With no inside knowledge Laos . Cambodia and Malaysia could introduce the type of Burmese day pass where they retain your passport and you are not free to spread anything Nationwide and imagine this better for all as you will have less contacts before returning to Thailand.

If borders stay shut I will pay for extensions sooner than be forced into quarantine or an airplane.

 

I'd also suggest to the footloose its dandy getting in  but have a plan B if that country should lockdown too, would your visas, insurances  , access to funds, meds all function for months ? Visiting a country where your nation has no embassy may be fine for a fornight in normal circumsatnces less so now I humbly suggest.

Edited July 6, 2020 by RubbaJohnny

[sometimewoodworker]

12 hours ago, innosiem said:

 

Not yet confirmed if these are "connecting flights" as i stated,
which means nothing is "proven"
Many places yes, but not any country.

You are continuing to wriggle wriggle wriggler and try to twist my words.

 

I said that you can fly to to VIRTUALLY every country, that is not every country. You are wriggling trying to make them connecting flights, I didn’t say that.
 

If course it can’t be every country as some don’t have airports.

 

Thailand is unlikely to bother with the last few percent even if you cannot fly there, that is what embassies are for.

[drbeach]

On 7/4/2020 at 4:02 PM, Max69xl said:

The only reason for extending the amnesty would be if neighbouring countries wont open their borders for foreigners. Almost everyone can leave every week. There has been flights out of the country all the time, but a bit more expensive than usual. 

And they won't be opening by the end of the month. I suspect the amnesty will be extended (it's already been "mulled") but they might only extend it for another month.

[drbeach]

On 7/1/2020 at 5:52 PM, taxout said:

"USA: unclear (as usual), though it appears foreigners are being let in as long as they don't arrive from China or Europe."

 

The usual ad hominem and plain wrong attack on the U.S. The U.S. rules are clear as could be. A ban applies to those who've spent any of the past 14 days -- including transit -- in Mainland China, Brazil, Schengen, Ireland, UK or Iran. This ban doesn't apply to US citizens, permanent residents, designated close family members, or diplomats etc.

 

If the rules are "unclear" it's only because you didn't stir yourself to look them up.

 

 

No, they should be clearer. Some people are saying no foreigners can enter the US while others say only the ones arriving from those countries (no word on whether citizens of those countries arriving from other countries can enter). It's all totally vague...besides, apparently US embassies are closed, but is the ESTA system working?

 

Too much political correctness, as usual, because they're scared of using the word "foreigner".

 

And BTW I love the USA, lived there for several years, plan to go back soon, but it doesn't help when they can't provide clear instructions like "tourist visa holders from xxx country allowed in" or "not allowed to enter" 

Edited July 7, 2020 by drbeach

[drbeach]

On 7/1/2020 at 6:33 PM, JackThompson said:

Always open to new info, but this is what I am seeing for Turkey:
 

All travelers are required to wear a face mask at all times whilst in an airport, and for the duration of all flights to and from Turkey. They are also required to complete a passenger locator form prior to arriving in Turkey.

 

All arrivals into Turkey will be subject to a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks. Travelers with symptoms will be required to undergo a PCR test.

 

Travelers who test positive will be provided with medical treatment at a facility determined by the Ministry of Health or, if preferred, at a private medical facility in Turkey at their own expense.

 

 

 

That doesn't sound "open" to me. That sounds similar to what thailand is planning to do in a month or two, once it reopens for tourists.

 

Open to me is a country or region where I can freely enter with no nonsense requirements. Just my passport. Europe fits the bill for me. All other regions require at least a quarantine.

[ubonjoe]

47 minutes ago, drbeach said:

No, they should be clearer. Some people are saying no foreigners can enter the US while others say only the ones arriving from those countries (no word on whether citizens of those countries arriving from other countries can enter). It's all totally vague...besides, apparently US embassies are closed, but is the ESTA system working?

This is from the IATA website for the US after clicking it on the map that is under the it does not apply to category.

"passengers with the following visas: A-1, A-2, C-1, C-1/D, C-2, C-3, D, E-1 (as an employee of TECRO or TECO or the employee's immediate family members), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, IR-4, IH-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6 visa;"

Source: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm

I see not mention about visa waivers on the info. The US embassy is not accepting non immigrant visa application.

Visa waiver info is here. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html