News Forum - Thailand News Update | No more test & go in Thailand, Omicron update

[JohninDublin]

32 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Something seems against your trip. Maybe they don't need you as much as you want to come. Hope you aren't stuck in quarantine. 

Thanks for that.

I am getting a sense of Deja Vu about this. I went to Colombia earlier this year, and most of the problems I am dealing with now, I also encountered then, particularly the internet issues.

I was discussing these problems with someone on another site, and they suggested that perhaps I should consider that the trip was ill fated from the start. I told them I didn't believe in omens etc. I eventually set off for a 28 day trip and was back after 8. The place was a nightmare. If you are interested, I posted the story on this site.

To summarise, I've never been disrespectful about Thais, but to compare them with Colombians who are pretty much in the same economic band, is an insult to Thais.

Anyway, I don't believe in omens, and I am expecting when I get home 4 weeks from today, to read a post from you saying, "I warned you" (hahaha).

I know we often disagree, but we also do occasionally vote for each others posts, and I respect your lack of malice. Seasons greetings and best wishes.

[Alavan]

1 hour ago, JohninDublin said:

Just to update anyone interested in my situation, I have decided that with all the complexities, uncertainties and internet problems I seem to be having with my trip, to use Siam Legal to process my application, cost $100 https://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-pass.php#package1

I've advised them of all my difficulties including the vax cert problem and arranging the PCR test.

I was unaware the test had to be booked through the hotel. Trying to find an email address or tel no for the hotel is extremely difficult. I booked through Agoda, and my previous experience of trying to obtain this info from them is they never will co-operate. I suspect they are worried that I might try to strike a new deal with the hotel behind Agoda's back is the reason for this. Siam legal have given me a link to a website that carries out these tests: http://www.thailandpsas.com/  At time of writing, the site is offline while they update it to comply with the recent rule changes. However, I can clearly see a refund button, so that's encouraging.

Arranging Insurance has also been a prob. I checked with several Thai sites. One declined me because of underlying health issues. I would have gladly foregone cover for these issues if only it were possible to speak to somebody. Two others I had problems with because again, I could not get my CC to work on their sites. I eventually decided to try closer to home and found a site in Ireland that provided single trip cover for my 23 days including all the usual benefits such as curtailment, loss of luggage, personal liability etc and health cover including covid to the tune of €20 million. I opted out of the pre-existing conditions cover. Cost €39.99 (about THB 1500). As Thaiger promotes cover for Covid, I will not mention the Insurers name, but they are a multi-national biz. If anybody wants their name PM me.

I should have all the necessary docs collated by lunch-time. For those interested watch this space. 

Thailand.psas was mentionned here early last month. They work Koh Samui and Phuket. I don't know for BKK.
For leaving Thailand, ex Phuket, I took a test in Central Floresta department store in Kathu. They work with Vachira hospital (gouvernment hospital in Phuket Town).
PCR-test 2400 Baht. Fast result (4 hours) 4000Baht.

[Rain]

20 hours ago, Donald said:

You obviously don't depend on a source of income generated by the tourist trade. I am always amazed how arrogant people can be, especially when they are in a privileged position. I assume that you live in Thailand and consider your presence here as beneficial to the Thai society.

Yep. The desired Farang.

Of which, many don't comprehend. 

[JohninDublin]

2 hours ago, Alavan said:

Thailand.psas was mentionned here early last month. They work Koh Samui and Phuket. I don't know for BKK.
For leaving Thailand, ex Phuket, I took a test in Central Floresta department store in Kathu. They work with Vachira hospital (gouvernment hospital in Phuket Town).
PCR-test 2400 Baht. Fast result (4 hours) 4000Baht.

Thanks. I am just in the process of booking with them once their site comes back on line.

[JohninDublin]

3 hours ago, LoongFred said:

For someone who claims to know so much, you can't seem to make this work. It seems you were trying to meet a deadline and might have lost out.

I don't think I make any great claims of knowledge. And to be honest, the rules have changed so much and so frequently recently, that when even TH gov websites are posting conflicting info, is it any surprise that I have not sought to develop any expertise on this issue? 

Given the circumstances, my fall-back is to pay someone else to do what they are good at.

I know my limitations. Story from my early married life: My wife had just moved into our first home together and she wanted to replace the bath taps with mixer taps. We went shopping to buy the taps, and I was going  to call in  a plumber to do the job. Bought the taps and the shopkeeper asked if I had a sink-spanner. I said no and asked why. He told me I would need it to fit the taps. I told him I would give that job to a plumber. He said, "Why are you wasting money on a plumber. Any old fool can do that".

I told him, "Not this old fool". My wife chose to listen to the shopkeeper. Long story short, I fitted the taps and about 3 hours later, my downstairs neighbour was banging on the door complaining about the damage to his ceiling. Cost me over £300 for the damage to his flat, and I still had to pay for a plumber. My wife now knows that I know my limitations.

[RampantRabbit]

22 hours ago, Zorba_the_Geek said:

Why not go to the Maldives? Also a tropical paradise, shorter flight, much less bullshit to deal with, clear rules, and this current mega-corrupt, undemocratic Thai govt. won't be ousted until the peoples pain is much greater, so in the long term, you're helping make a better Thailand by voting with your money!

The  Maldives was great 30  years  ago when I first went, when no  one knew where it was, I had to fly Birmingham Bahrain , Sri Lanka, Male then a  3  hour slow  boat trip to the island. At this  time the airport was just strip with a tin hut at the end and a tin hut bog, it was primitive in 1989.

Rooms  had no aircon, you got free  unlimited  water daily to drink, food  wasnt  so  good BUT there was a  real remoteness to the place then..............now it could be almost any other  resort  in the world..........ruined now IMO, massively  overdeveloped and NOISY, havent been since 2000 and even then the noise was  getting too  much , used to go for a month at a  time over a  10  year  period. It described itself as "no  news  no shoes" and it really was.

Last trip was Vela  Varu island 1999-2000 but as I said  people playing music ruining the serenity.

Edited December 23, 2021 by RampantRabbit

[LoongFred]

4 hours ago, JohninDublin said:

Thanks for that.

I am getting a sense of Deja Vu about this. I went to Colombia earlier this year, and most of the problems I am dealing with now, I also encountered then, particularly the internet issues.

I was discussing these problems with someone on another site, and they suggested that perhaps I should consider that the trip was ill fated from the start. I told them I didn't believe in omens etc. I eventually set off for a 28 day trip and was back after 8. The place was a nightmare. If you are interested, I posted the story on this site.

To summarise, I've never been disrespectful about Thais, but to compare them with Colombians who are pretty much in the same economic band, is an insult to Thais.

Anyway, I don't believe in omens, and I am expecting when I get home 4 weeks from today, to read a post from you saying, "I warned you" (hahaha).

I know we often disagree, but we also do occasionally vote for each others posts, and I respect your lack of malice. Seasons greetings and best wishes.

Must be my Irish ancestry. My mother was a Mc and my dad an O’ both were first generation born in the US. Both my father and father in law were please my son was named Pat (Pot in Thai). Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[JohninDublin]

10 minutes ago, LoongFred said:

Must be my Irish ancestry. My mother was a Mc and my dad an O’ both were first generation born in the US. Both my father and father in law were please my son was named Pat (Pot in Thai). Merry Christmas to you and your family.

TYVM. 

Regarding your ancestry and forebodings of doom, I know exactly what you mean. My Irish mother always had these, and when things did go wrong on occasion, the first words out of her mouth was always, "I knew it! I knew it". Fortunately, she was wrong more often than she was right.