Entry to Thailand for foreigners who own a condo - Is there a "special exception"?

[LivinLOS]

On 7/10/2020 at 7:40 AM, Marvest said:

ubonjoe: I agree.  I don't feel it was a scam.  At a minimum, I fell unlucky.  I do feel I should be able to enter the country after having made that level of investment/commitment.  Perhaps you are right, maybe condo owners are next on the 'special exception list.  

You also dont say if you made use of the investor visa class of extension. 

 

I suspect they may be higher on the list, then regular joes who bought a condo but didnt make use of that visa / extension solution. Not ye of course but further down the road. 

EDIT :: Later in thread clarified. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by LivinLOS

[DJ54]

On 7/10/2020 at 2:51 PM, spiekerjozef said:

Just now or in general?

Due to Covid.... I read if you’re a US passport holder you’re not going anywhere for awhile...  US had over 60,000 cases in one day (Wednesday).

Luckily I’m in Thailand 

[bodga]

On 7/10/2020 at 12:23 PM, Henryford said:

Bit of a scam selling condos to foreigners and then saying you can't come in to live in it.

Not  as  good  as the one years  back where if  you spent 3  million you could get a visa, that didnt last  long.

[Wake Up]

On 7/10/2020 at 1:53 AM, mike787 said:

I was almost in your position.  However, I realized when looking deeper into immigration years ago, owning property entitled me to NO immigration benefits, therefore, I still will NOT buy anything in Thailand unless I am ok to lose it permanently.  My regards to you circumstances.  Be careful going forward. 

A lot of us do not have Thai wives or Thai kids so this post does not apply to those people. I was going to buy a car in Thailand because I like to drive and travel and get to the golf course. But Covid and immigration has changed that decision for me. Will buy nothing I am not willing to walk away and forget it. 
 

Maybe if cars and condo prices fell over 50 percent I might take the chance. Otherwise you could own a condo full of stuff and a car and a bike and be barred from entering the country for a variety of reasons known today and unknown in the future. I beleive immigration should provide a special extension of stay for owning a condo or assets over a certain amount and consider property owners important to the Thailand society. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Wake Up

[andre47]

6 minutes ago, Wake Up said:

I beleive immigration should provide a special extension of stay for owning a condo or assets over a certain amount and consider property owners important to the Thailand society. 

Even all Thai citizens cannot come back to Thailand at the moment. There is not enough capacity to handle the quarantine.

and you are talking about property owners... 555 I understand your problem, but you should be a bit more patient

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, DJ54 said:

US had over 60,000 cases in one day (Wednesday).

Over 70,000 on Friday.

Edited July 11, 2020 by BritTim

[herwin1234]

On 7/10/2020 at 1:40 PM, Marvest said:

ubonjoe: I agree.  I don't feel it was a scam.  At a minimum, I fell unlucky.  I do feel I should be able to enter the country after having made that level of investment/commitment.  Perhaps you are right, maybe condo owners are next on the 'special exception list.  

terrible arrogant attitude, so you and the misses, two foreigners with no ties at all to Thailand except for a condo, feel that you should be entitled to enter Thailand during a historical global pandemic.

you, a us passport holder, the #1 country with the most corona cases, rising corona numbers, and a weak leadership that cant control it.

Japan also not doing well. 

But hey, you guys have a condo here, so the Thais should bow to you and open the gates, and give you a kiss on the cheeks.

[herwin1234]

by the way, buying a condo is not an investment, its just a purchase. not different than buying a rolex. 

a worthy investment beneficial for Thailand, and hence giving you a more legitimate reason to be treated favorably, would eg include creating jobs for Thai people.

 

buying a holiday home, your condo, also is not a "commitment". Its all fancy words and hoping that your purchase dollars will open some doors in this global pandemic. sorry. no.

Edited July 11, 2020 by herwin1234

[uhuh]

2 hours ago, herwin1234 said:

by the way, buying a condo is not an investment, its just a purchase. not different than buying a rolex. 

a worthy investment beneficial for Thailand, and hence giving you a more legitimate reason to be treated favorably, would eg include creating jobs for Thai people.

 

buying a holiday home, your condo, also is not a "commitment". Its all fancy words and hoping that your purchase dollars will open some doors in this global pandemic. sorry. no.

A Rolex, you can take it out of Thailand to the US or Japan. That's difficult for a condo.  So there is a certain difference. 

[Tounge Thaied]

15 hours ago, andre47 said:

Nonsense...

1. Not the government is selling the condos. The government decides about the immigration rules.

2. Nobody had any knowledge about the virus at the time of the purchase deal.

So...where is the scam?

I agree with the OP.

Maybe scam is not the right word. The point is purchasing a condo certainly does include rules set forth by the "government". So the government is certainly involved and Ownership should (my opinion) confer at least the same dispensation as those being allowed in right now. If business people, work permit holders, PR holders, Non- O family, etc., are able to be managed adequately back in during this time period, then persons who have made a commitment to Thailand by purchasing a condo should also be allowed in. If I purchase a condo and I live in it full time and then get told you cannot come back home... that is like getting scammed yes BY THE GOVERNMENT who is not letting me back in. Yes it is a crisis, but again, at this time the "emergency" is over. There should be no problem adding more hotels onto that ASQ list to accommodate the few more that this would apply too.. 

[unheard]

10 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

If business people, work permit holders, PR holders, Non- O family, etc., are able to be managed adequately back in during this time period, then persons who have made a commitment to Thailand by purchasing a condo should also be allowed in.

That is strictly a measure of priorities.

If you think that you should have the same "right" to see your condo as a parent of a Thai child to see his family then that believe is not shared by the majority.

[Tounge Thaied]

16 minutes ago, unheard said:

That is strictly a measure of priorities.

If you think that you should have the same "right" to see your condo as a parent of a Thai child to see his family then that believe is not shared by the majority.

I don't look at it as a moral issue. I look at it as a logistical issue. If the mechanisms are in place and can be done... then it should be allowed. Why exclude the condo owner? 

[unheard]

10 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

I don't look at it as a moral issue. I look at it as a logistical issue. If the mechanisms are in place and can be done... then it should be allowed. Why exclude the condo owner? 

How you looked up the list of available ASQ facilities?

There are simply no available rooms to accommodate many thousands of property owners under the rules of quarantine isolation.

Unless the quarantine requirement is eliminated there is no available capacity under current mechanisms.

[Tounge Thaied]

1 minute ago, unheard said:

How you looked up the list of available ASQ facilities?

There are simply no available rooms to accommodate many thousands of property owners under the rules of quarantine isolation.

Unless the quarantine requirement is eliminated there is no available capacity under current mechanisms.

It seems to me the same effort that went into determining the current list of hotels accommodating could be employed once again to add more capacity. It just seems to me pretty straight forward. But I am not in that position of course... add more hotels, what is the problem?

[unheard]

39 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

But I am not in that position of course... add more hotels, what is the problem?

The problem is that not all hotels are suitable (e.g. carpeted floors, shared a/c systems etc) or willing to sign up.

Edited July 11, 2020 by unheard

[mike787]

8 hours ago, Wake Up said:

A lot of us do not have Thai wives or Thai kids so this post does not apply to those people. I was going to buy a car in Thailand because I like to drive and travel and get to the golf course. But Covid and immigration has changed that decision for me. Will buy nothing I am not willing to walk away and forget it. 
 

Maybe if cars and condo prices fell over 50 percent I might take the chance. Otherwise you could own a condo full of stuff and a car and a bike and be barred from entering the country for a variety of reasons known today and unknown in the future. I beleive immigration should provide a special extension of stay for owning a condo or assets over a certain amount and consider property owners important to the Thailand society. 

Exactly how I feel for ALL the reasons...well said, you're very wise.  Only if prepared to walk away is the BEST, because that is the ONLY option you have left.  I do not buy anything except for some food here.  Many farang here lose everything; they have already lost time, combining a total loss of both is unfathomable...no time or resources left to recover...one will be sleeping on the street.  

[Captain Monday]

4 hours ago, unheard said:

How you looked up the list of available ASQ facilities?

There are simply no available rooms to accommodate many thousands of property owners under the rules of quarantine isolation.

Unless the quarantine requirement is eliminated there is no available capacity under current mechanisms.

If you own your own Condo you should be allowed to stay there for 14 days

 

[Tounge Thaied]

12 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

If you own your own Condo you should be allowed to stay there for 14 days

 

HA HA!! Exactly... I forgot to make this point. 

[andre47]

5 hours ago, Tounge Thaied said:

that is like getting scammed yes BY THE GOVERNMENT who is not letting me back in. Yes it is a crisis, but again, at this time the "emergency" is over. There should be no problem adding more hotels onto that ASQ list to accommodate the few more that this would apply too.. 

Maybe you don't read the news....the "emergency" is not over.... and the government is deciding how to manage the problem, not you. I don't think that you have enough information to form an opinion whether there could be added more hotels to that ASQ list or not. There are even many Thai people staying abroad who don't can come back at the moment. Your ownership don't entitle you to any privilege. Just be patient and wait a while.

[Pravda]

If you own a condo no one is stopping you from selling it or even renting it out if you don't like the fact that you can't visit.... For now. 

 

Millions of thais are without any income and are struggling. Who cares about your condo. Are you serious? 

 

[Captain Monday]

3 hours ago, mike787 said:

Exactly how I feel for ALL the reasons...well said, you're very wise.  Only if prepared to walk away is the BEST, because that is the ONLY option you have left.  I do not buy anything except for some food here.  Many farang here lose everything; they have already lost time, combining a total loss of both is unfathomable...no time or resources left to recover...one will be sleeping on the street.  

At what point do you just walk away? 

My friend just dropped off 6 months of condo fees for me, I had them delete the cable TV service. 

 

 

[jackdd]

12 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I beleive immigration should provide a special extension of stay for owning a condo or assets over a certain amount

They already do this. Any other suggestions?

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, Wake Up said:

I beleive immigration should provide a special extension of stay for owning a condo or assets over a certain amount and consider property owners important to the Thailand society. 

 

20 minutes ago, jackdd said:

They already do this. Any other suggestions?

Correct

Click number 5 here. https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?p=14714

[Maestro]

Removed some troll posts.

[Pottinger]

8 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

At what point do you just walk away? 

My friend just dropped off 6 months of condo fees for me, I had them delete the cable TV service. 

 

 

I'm outside Thailand and have just had everything packed up and stored, after thirty-five years. No sense paying for nothing month after month indefinitely, and glad I'm able to cut losses so painlessly; many are not so fortunate.

[Tounge Thaied]

20 hours ago, andre47 said:

Maybe you don't read the news....the "emergency" is not over.... and the government is deciding how to manage the problem, not you. I don't think that you have enough information to form an opinion whether there could be added more hotels to that ASQ list or not. There are even many Thai people staying abroad who don't can come back at the moment. Your ownership don't entitle you to any privilege. Just be patient and wait a while.

You have no idea who I am or what I do. Let me ask you this. Where's the emergency? 

Where is it? Can you definitively tell me where an emergency exists? Where is the disaster? Certainly not in Thailand... and never has been. Even when all the Wuhan Chinese tourists were all coming for at least a month before the lock downs. So where's the emergency? I happen to know... that you can go to 99% of the hospitals on this planet and you will find no covid emergency happening there. There have been a few hospitals impacted from the outset during the seasonal flu period and that is it. 

[BritTim]

12 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

You have no idea who I am or what I do. Let me ask you this. Where's the emergency? 

Where is it? Can you definitively tell me where an emergency exists? Where is the disaster? Certainly not in Thailand... and never has been. Even when all the Wuhan Chinese tourists were all coming for at least a month before the lock downs. So where's the emergency? I happen to know... that you can go to 99% of the hospitals on this planet and you will find no covid emergency happening there. There have been a few hospitals impacted from the outset during the seasonal flu period and that is it. 

The total number of Covid-19 cases in all of China since the beginning of the pandemic over six months ago is under 100,000. Right now, daily new cases around the world are over 200,000.

 

In the US, the pandemic is spiralling out of control:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/10/florida-coronavirus-cases-icu-beds-arizona-texas. The US (according to official figures that underestimate reality) has already lost nearly three times as many American lives as during the entire Vietnam war.

 

Some less advanced societies are almost certainly headed for a much worse outcome than the US.

 

In Thailand, aggressive action was taken fairly early, and this allowed community transmission of SARS-Cov-2 to be stamped out. I am relieved that the government here is committed to preventing an out of control epidemic.

[Tounge Thaied]

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

The total number of Covid-19 cases in all of China since the beginning of the pandemic over six months ago is under 100,000. Right now, daily new cases around the world are over 200,000.

 

In the US, the pandemic is spiralling out of control:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/10/florida-coronavirus-cases-icu-beds-arizona-texas. The US (according to official figures that underestimate reality) has already lost nearly three times as many American lives as during the entire Vietnam war.

 

Some less advanced societies are almost certainly headed for a much worse outcome than the US.

 

In Thailand, aggressive action was taken fairly early, and this allowed community transmission of SARS-Cov-2 to be stamped out. I am relieved that the government here is committed to preventing an out of control epidemic.

I work in critical care... I am a traveling critical care paramedic that has had to come back to the states due to the covid immigration issues. The national U.S. average of ICU bed utilization under normal circumstances runs between 60-80%. Don't trust me go look it up. I don't need to look up that statistic so I am not going to go find it. So a statistic of 83% is only a slight uptic. And I will tell you, that it is well understood that covid19 "case" numbers are going up because of TESTING, TESTING, TESTING... the RT-PCR test which does not test for illness (tests for covid19 genetic material only) is becoming ubiquitous. States like Florida and Texas have also revised how they count a covid "case" as anyone who has had close contact with a covid positive case, even if that person later tests negative. Also the docs I work with have all confirmed when they will speak about it that they are being ordered by public health officers that they must put a R/O covid19 diagnosis on a patient with even one symptom only. A dry cough, a fever, shortness of breath all get an initial covid R/O and then get counted. The numbers are now conflated. 

So this article is conflating an emergency based on a mix of USUAL data and erroneous data. 

[Matzzon]

On 7/10/2020 at 7:23 AM, Henryford said:

Bit of a scam selling condos to foreigners and then saying you can't come in to live in it.

Yes, but of course it is. They should have been thinking about the up coming pandemic before selling them. Something that all companies, organisations, freelancers as well as authorities have implemented in there system many decades ago.

 

There is no scan in selling condos to foreigners. Nobody states that you can´t come live in them under normal circumstances. You should read in on how a pandemic changes normal conditions in a country as well as what an emergency decree is and how it works.

[BritTim]

8 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

And I will tell you, that it is well understood that covid19 "case" numbers are going up because of TESTING, TESTING, TESTING

Well, if you believe the US is successfully finding all its Covid-19 cases, it appears the fatality rate must be 8% (around 137,000 deaths and 1,516,000 recoveries. Does that seem about right?

 

Why should the increased testing be leading to an increase in the percentage of tests coming back positive. Surely, if wider testing is going on, presumably including people less likely to be infected, the percentage of tests coming back positive should go down.