18past19

If i have listened to @vinapu, my Shifu, i wouldnt have to spend ~ $50 for AXA insurance, ~ $10 for skype and i could have saved multiple visits to thai pass site for status check. now i am having a collection of 3 approved thai pass’es in my hand Lesson learned - always listen to Shifu’s here on this forum. 😍

was it typo by any chance? If not it sounds incredibly cheap.

It took me exactly 7 days (including the weekend) for my Thai Pass application to be approved. Since I live in a state where there is no such a thing yet as QR code for COVID vaccine certificate (yes we dont participate in CDC's VAMS system if anyone wonders), I just submitted screen shots of my CDC white card vaccine certificate. everything on the card is handwritten except stickers of the vaccines' lot/batch number. Regarding the health insurance, I just used my current local one.. i thought i'd just wait and see what happened since i still had a little more than two weeks before my trip. That time, i didnt realize that we needed a dedicated confirmation letter from a hotel for our one night quarantine stay. so i just submitted a screen shot of my booking confirmation from agoda site. It took me about only 10 min or so on my little phone screen and i got the confirmation email immediately with the receipt number. My anxiety kicked in after 3 days or so ... then I decided to submit another application with more prepared documents including a confirmation letter from Furama Silom for the test and go program. My first application was submitted around 2 pm EST on a Monday and when the status said still "Reviewing" on Sunday night (Monday morning BKK time), I started making phone calls to the numbers listed on Thai Pass site using Skype. The first question I was asked was my intended departure date. then I was told that i still had more than one week, and it could have been the reason I was told. The staff was quite helpful and she gathered my info including passport number, thai pass application receipt number and my email address etc. Then she said he was going to forward my information to "the officer". I also explained to her there's no way that i could get QR code for my COVID vaccine certificate, also asked her if i would need a Thai insurance plan. She said as long as i have a health insurance that would cover COVID related expenses, I wouldnt need to buy another one. But she urged me to submit another application if i wanted to. So, I decided to submit my third application after I talked to her on Sunday night. This time, I used Adobe fill and sign to put in my passport number and nationality on my vaccine card front page and my info again on the back of the card as well. Also I bought an insurance from AXA thailand (costed me about $45). and i submitted my third application. When the status of my all 3 applications remained "Reviewing" when I woke up on Monday morning, I started to make phone calls to local Thai consulate and started thinking to use an agent's help. Then all of the sudden around 2 pm on Monday, i received an email saying that my application was approved. When i checked it was my very first application, I still have two applications under "Reviewing". the approved one was the one that i submitted using my small phone screen without proper confirmation letter from the hotel etc. the one without a thai insurance.

Many thanks for all your great inputs and expert opinion. When I realized my impulsivity and anxiety, i was a bit too late. Now there is no more available room for Test and Go package at Furama Silom on Agoda anymore. It may pop up later.. I wont be surprised if I am going to be banned by Agoda site soon. I have cancelled so many reservations for this upcoming trip. I blamed it all to lots of unknown and uncertainties though admittedly, most of them were because of my anxiety and impulsivity. One review on the Trinity Silom says "..... my food was eaten by AUNTS ..." Since I dont want to be eaten by AUNTS, I again cancelled my test and go package with them.

Did you have to pay extra for this?

After anxiously waiting for exactly 7 days, my Thai Pass application was approved this afternoon. Initially I was holding a reservation with Furama Silom for my first 24 hours confinement. They have been very responsive, have always been in touch since. The whole package for a deluxe room (more than 400 Sq ft) is about $130 through Agoda. Then because of an impressive turnaround time with Trinity Silom (that I read on a trip report), I went ahead and cancelled my reservation with Furama Silom and just put in a new reservation with Trinity Silom without much thinking. Then it was when I started reading their reviews, I became a bit scared ("inedible food", bugs, etc). The package for a deluxe room (about 340 Sq ft) is $150. So, they are a bit more than Furama Silom. As much as I would prefer a decent and hygienic room (without any bugs) with edible meals, what matters most for me is going to be a quick turnaround time for my PCR test. Since my flight is landing at 11 pm at night, Furama said they were not sure if I would need to spend one more night with them.

Very impressive turnaround time! I really appreciate the info. I just cancelled my booking with Furama Silom and just put in a new reservation with Trinity Silom.

has any of us seen moonlight model mr batt before?

or by no flying at all. 😉 but i wouldnt let fear of testing positive on arrival prevent me from traveling. i have flown at least six times since the onset of this pandemic. knock on the wood! so far, i havent tested positive once.

according to mama-san, both moonlight and jupiter are gonna reopen on 12/1.

i dont see any reason why it wont work. you can even ask the person who gives you the injection to put that sticky thing with the vaccine lot # on the yellow card instead.

I have a local friend just talk to Raya hotel regarding my booking. he was told that they have no clue about all of this and havent received any official notice from the government yet. 😐

Thirty US dollars for a piece of paper! but if you buy it from USGPO site, $1 per sheet.

On a serious note ... prior to this pandemic, you can get those yellow cards at most travel clinics in the US. But the issue now here is that most travel clinics in the US have reduced their hours or completely shut their doors for now with this pandemic. Also travel clinics are not usual places where COVID-19 vaccines are being administered here in the US, but the retail pharmacies, clinics or other dedicated vaccination spots are the ones where most vaccines are being administered. If you want to buy one from US government publishing office, here is the link: International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis as Approved by the World Health Organization (Package of 25) | U.S. Government Bookstore (gpo.gov)

it may not be as yellow as you would like but if you have amazon prime, you can get it in 24-48 hours. 😉 https://www.amazon.com/International-Certificate-Vaccination-Prophyaxis-Organization/dp/0160795869

as per a mamasan, moonlight is reopening on 12/1.

It is very likely that you have already known this, but I just found out this facebook page and i thought i'd share with you all here. www dot facebook dot com/thailandprd/

Keeping my eyes constantly on the tickets to BKK, I can endorse that the news mentioned above reflects the reality. I have been seeing rapid changes in terms of the number of available options with better prices by different airlines day by day.

even though their breakfast was limited and facilities were very basic, their Grand Deluxe room was quite spacious with a separate living room and a bedroom.

Using an airline membership perks, I found a quite attractive deal ("a vacation package") and I was so close to hit the button "Submit the purchase". The whole package will cost me way less than buying air ticket and a hotel room separately. The package I was about to choose included a room at Crowne Plaza Lumpini park. According to the hotel's site, their rooms dont seem to be as spacious as Raya's, but if I remember correctly from the forum posts here, it has no issue with joiner/visitor. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) LOS could give me a dopamine rush even at its pre preparation stage.

As soon as I saw a message from a local friend about the news on lifting the quarantine requirements for the fully vaccinated visitors from "low risk" countries, I started looking up on the flights and hotels. Surprisingly, the flights to BKK from my hometown are super expensive. So, I am holding on booking the flights at this time. But I went ahead and reserved a room at our well known Raya hotel (for a refundable room). If things turn out to be as being expected and planned, I am going to be in BKK from the end of Dec to the early Jan. I am hoping to meet forum members if anyone happens to be around at the same time. Keeping all my digits and appendages crossed!

i just received these pics today from a friend in bangkok. it seems i have to give up my hope to visit there next month.

i just received this picture from a Thai friend today. hoping to be back to LOS soon.

i wont mind 7 days quarantine. I hope they would implement it soon enough .. before it is time for folks who got vaccinated last year december - early jan to get another round.