News Forum - Successes and failures in the Thailand Pass programme

[Thaiger]

Now that the Thailand Pass has been open for about a week, some successes and failures of the revised system replacing the Certificate of Entry are noticeable. The government has issued a warning against a fake registration site, Hotmail accounts not working, and why you might not receive your confirmation, while at the same time applauding more than 50,000 Thailand Pass applicants approved out of 92,000 submitted. The most recent figures show that 92,240 people have registered online for the Thailand Pass. Of those, a total of 50,231 applications had been approved, with 16,798 of them being automatically approved. Statistics […]

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[Tanuki]

I have yet to apply for my T/P, but reading your report above I am worried that the Thai gov. are seeing the 50,000 approvals as a success, and will carry on regardless without addressing any of the issues that have resulted in 1000's of rejected applications..

..Hotmail/Outlook not working?..It's Microsoft's fault, Lots of failures within the 1st week..? Fake registration sites.. & many other glitches that seem to be NOT the fault of the T/P program.

 Do the Thai Gov. get any feedback..? Will it improve, or just carry on as-is regardless..?

[Dr.Sivada]

It is very successful in barring tourists from visiting Thailand, great job. 

[Jijo]

The mofa Thailand telling u did not submit valid vaccination passport, that is really bad response, I have two vaccination certificate given by saudi arabia government, this is the vaccination given by the government. Then calling it unvalid, what wrong I have done it is what I got, detailed vaccine contains my resident identity number, while the other which contains both passport and identity number requires code to open with my registered phone number.

The code is not same the code comes everytime when you scan the qr code

[Poolie]

Judging by the amount of people who panicked and resubmitted, I think they've done well to weed out the valid applications. Kudos. Its not fashionable but deserved.

 

[Jason]

It's frustrating at the start,...It has been for me too. I'll wait...impatiently 

[mrengthai]

50,000 approvals and not 50000 applicants. Some people have received multiple approvals for all of their resubmitted applications. I an the other hand am still waiting for a reply for both mine and my Thai wife's applications from 5 days ago.

I can understand that my application may potentially require manual checking being a UK passport holder applying for a 90 day stay with a uk based insurance policy but I would have expected my Wife's to be auto approved. 

Anyway the proof is in the pudding let's see how many actually arrive in Thailand using the Thailand Pass in the coming days!

 

 

[SaMos75]

36 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's frustrating at the start,...It has been for me too. I'll wait...impatiently 

 

19 minutes ago, mrengthai said:

50,000 approvals and not 50000 applicants. Some people have received multiple approvals for all of their resubmitted applications. I an the other hand am still waiting for a reply for both mine and my Thai wife's applications from 5 days ago.

I can understand that my application may potentially require manual checking being a UK passport holder applying for a 90 day stay with a uk based insurance policy but I would have expected my Wife's to be auto approved. 

Anyway the proof is in the pudding let's see how many actually arrive in Thailand using the Thailand Pass in the coming days!

I have uploaded all required documents and got the information, that the result will be mailed within 7 days. Surprisingly, I got the approval just two minutes later.

[Pete424]

I was waiting for approval after 6 days.

Vaccinated in the Middle East.

UK passport holder.

All Middle names not on the Vaccination certificate, picture and passport was.

Going for Sandbox as originating country not on the list.

Felt it wasn't going well with all the horror stories.

Emailed the consulate to try and help....BOOM, 20 minutes later my Thailand Pass QR code arrived.

More of the story is don't sit around and wait, get onto the consulate, I was fortunate that our consulate probably doesn't deal with loads of applications.

Passed the email address to a friend....BOOM, his was done.

[Jason]

Guess we need to call you "Boom" Pete :D

[BBY]

Well done. However, you are totally correct about the embassy in different countries.

 

Royal Thai Embassy London, you are lucky to get the phone answered in under two hours and when you do, you are transferred to the respective department, only to listen to the phone ringing again. Then after another 10 minutes or so it just terminates the call. 
 

and their is absolutely no response to emails at all.

 

2 hours ago, Pete424 said:

I was waiting for approval after 6 days.

Vaccinated in the Middle East.

UK passport holder.

All Middle names not on the Vaccination certificate, picture and passport was.

Going for Sandbox as originating country not on the list.

Felt it wasn't going well with all the horror stories.

Emailed the consulate to try and help....BOOM, 20 minutes later my Thailand Pass QR code arrived.

More of the story is don't sit around and wait, get onto the consulate, I was fortunate that our consulate probably doesn't deal with loads of applications.

Passed the email address to a friend....BOOM, his was done.

 

[MarcMan]

I applied for my Thailand pass for a December trip and it was instantly approved. It literally took one minute. I am not sure if it mattered, but I used Microsoft Edge and I typed all the information in caps. All my documents was in jpeg and had no errors.

[SaMos75]

24 minutes ago, MarcMan said:

I applied for my Thailand pass for a December trip and it was instantly approved. It literally took one minute. I am not sure if it mattered, but I used Microsoft Edge and I typed all the information in caps. All my documents was in jpeg and had no errors.

No, it‘s not browser related. Typing the information in caps isn’t relevant either. I did it in Firefox and typed the info normally.

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

7 hours ago, Tanuki said:

I have yet to apply for my T/P, but reading your report above I am worried that the Thai gov. are seeing the 50,000 approvals as a success, and will carry on regardless without addressing any of the issues that have resulted in 1000's of rejected applications..

..Hotmail/Outlook not working?..It's Microsoft's fault, Lots of failures within the 1st week..? Fake registration sites.. & many other glitches that seem to be NOT the fault of the T/P program.

 Do the Thai Gov. get any feedback..? Will it improve, or just carry on as-is regardless..?

Most likely the emails through Microsoft triggered a spam/phishing guard meant to protect users. I use protonmail and occasionally run into issues getting responses from websites. 

[Francis2674]

Ive applied and been rejected twice under the test and go scheme. The comments were that I needed to upload a receipt for Test and Go Package including SHA+ and PCR test. Every hotel in Phuket tells me to book the PCR directly. I have done this and  merged the PCR receipt with my SHA+ booking, but rejected again. All other requirements fully satisfied. 
what am I doing wrong? Anyone got an idea? Ive emailed the support email and tried the helpline (disconnected) At a bit of a loss and would appreciate any feedback from anyone that has had success entering through Phuket. 
Thanks. 

[TJay]

I submitted my application for pass on 11/04 from USA. Our vax cards here are all varied by state and provider and no QR code. Just read hotmail doesn't work but the site does not specify accepted emails. My wife is Thai so not health insurance required but otherwise same as mine. Application was apparently accepted but no confirmation, only time will tell. Our flights are leaving Miami on 11/27 so we still have a little time. Currently having problems finding a place to get a rapid pcr test with documentation for travel. Also does anyone know the procedure for testing in Bangkok for the return trip to US?

[Soidog]

11 hours ago, Pete424 said:

I was waiting for approval after 6 days.

Vaccinated in the Middle East.

UK passport holder.

All Middle names not on the Vaccination certificate, picture and passport was.

Going for Sandbox as originating country not on the list.

Felt it wasn't going well with all the horror stories.

Emailed the consulate to try and help....BOOM, 20 minutes later my Thailand Pass QR code arrived.

More of the story is don't sit around and wait, get onto the consulate, I was fortunate that our consulate probably doesn't deal with loads of applications.

Passed the email address to a friend....BOOM, his was done.

Odd how you could get your consulate to intervene and yet others have called the local Thai embassy and been told they can’t help with the TP as it’s not handled by them. This just adds to the confusion. 

[Soidog]

If you think the TP is a minefield, anyone tried applying for a simple 60 day tourist visa using the e-visa website. My god!!
 

The amount of information they want including pre-booked and prepaid flights and hotels (before you even get a visa) is utterly crazy. Not to mention proof of income, proof of residency and even a picture of you holding up your picture page of your passport. Oh I also forgot the printing signing, scanning and uploading of a declaration form.
 

Oh and did I tell you they also want any pages from your passport scanned for the last 12 months if you have travelled. And if you are staying at a friends house they want a copy of their Thai ID card and an invitation letter from them. All for a 60-day tourist visa. Can’t imagine what the application for a Non-O must be like these days. 

[Soidog]

There have been a few suggestion about contacting your embassy if you have problems with the Thai pass. Not sure if all Embassy’s are the same, but this is the automated response you get from the London Embassy if you email them !!
 

Most helpful  

[mrengthai]

15 minutes ago, Soidog said:

If you think the TP is a minefield, anyone tried applying for a simple 60 day tourist visa using the e-visa website. My god!!
 

The amount of information they want including pre-booked and prepaid flights and hotels (before you even get a visa) is utterly crazy. Not to mention proof of income, proof of residency and even a picture of you holding up your picture page of your passport. Oh I also forgot the printing signing, scanning and uploading of a declaration form.
 

Oh and did I tell you they also want any pages from your passport scanned for the last 12 months if you have travelled. And if you are staying at a friends house they want a copy of their Thai ID card and an invitation letter from them. All for a 60-day tourist visa. Can’t imagine what the application for a Non-O must be like these days. 

I did my Non-Immigrant B application through the e-visa website and get where you are coming from on this, however there are a few benefits with the e-visa site. It allows you to upload pdfs for a start, you can also save your visa application partway through and after you have submitted it you can check the current status. I submitted my visa on a Tuesday afternoon and it was approved on the Friday after, a lot quicker than my TP application which I am still waiting for!

[Soidog]

5 minutes ago, mrengthai said:

I did my Non-Immigrant B application through the e-visa website and get where you are coming from on this, however there are a few benefits with the e-visa site. It allows you to upload pdfs for a start, you can also save your visa application partway through and after you have submitted it you can check the current status. I submitted my visa on a Tuesday afternoon and it was approved on the Friday after, a lot quicker than my TP application which I am still waiting for!

Yes I agree there are those advantages over the TP system. However, compare the process I outlined to applying for a 60 day tourist visa at my local consulate back in December 2019. Filled out a form in under 5 minutes. Took it to the consulate with my passport. No need for proof of income. No need for proof of hotel booking. No need for proof of flights. All done in under 15 mins and good to go. 
 

I think the main concern is having to show paid for hotel booking for the duration of your entire 60 days. Who the hell books two months worth of hotels in advance and pays for them and then sticks to that plan. I can understand how they may ask for your first night but beyond that it’s getting silly. 
 

Best of luck with you TP application. I will start mine in a couple of weeks

[mrengthai]

1 minute ago, Soidog said:

Yes I agree there are those advantages over the TP system. However, compare the process I outlined to applying for a 60 day tourist visa at my local consulate back in December 2019. Filled out a form in under 5 minutes. Took it to the consulate with my passport. No need for proof of income. No need for proof of hotel booking. No need for proof of flights. All done in under 15 mins and good to go. 
 

I think the main concern is having to show paid for hotel booking for the duration of your entire 60 days. Who the hell books two months worth of hotels in advance and pays for them and then sticks to that plan. I can understand how they may ask for your first night but beyond that it’s getting silly. 
 

Best of luck with you TP application. I will start mine in a couple of weeks

Yes that certainly seems like overkill with the pre booked accommodation, i did not need that for mine interstingly and mine is a 90 day visa.

Thanks, I've got a few weeks yet before I am going to Thailand but hopefully I get it approved soon so I can cross it off the list and move on to worrying about getting my PCR test instead lol.  Hope your application goes smoothly, hopefully they will have fixed all of the main problems by then.

 

[Davefrombrisbane]

here is my experience as 70 plus male in Australia.  Don't have luxury of computer,  scanner,  printer at home, so using local library.

 Using library pc was difficult with docs, and didn't have confidence they went through. Tried again using Ipad taking photos of docs.

Now third attempt after not understanding significant of "plus" with first night hotel booking.  I  booked SHA hotel. Now booked SHA +

So 3 attempts,  3 email addresses,  sit back and wait,  flight 2 weeks away.  

[Soidog]

I’m not sure if the following has been posted anywhere. But I received this following an equiry to the Thai Embassy in London. I believe someone posted asking for a contact telephone number:

Apologies for the strange cut and paste formatting:

For any Thailand PASS issues, please contact   

support@tp.consular.go.th

or call 

+66 2 572 8442
 

[Pete424]

2 hours ago, Soidog said:

Odd how you could get your consulate to intervene and yet others have called the local Thai embassy and been told they can’t help with the TP as it’s not handled by them. This just adds to the confusion. 

My consulate was in the Middle East, in Amman to be precise, they have always been extremely helpful.

The low numbers of visitors from this part of the world probably allows them to jump in and sort out individual cases.