Flying to/from Thailand (Covid Era)

[buksida]

TM 6 immigration forms shelved for now at airports
The government will temporarily halt the need for international passengers to fill out TM 6 immigration forms to ease passenger congestion at international airports.

Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday this would reduce the process for foreign visitors as they were already required to fill out many forms upon arrival. It will also help alleviate congestion as international arrival numbers have increased, he added.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... t-airports

[PeteC]

Let's see how long "Temporary" is? Copies of your TM6 is asked for here when doing all Immigration routines, and those long term expats who arrive during this window who won't be carrying one in their Passport may short circuit the system.

It would be good if they stamped your passport that you were admitted without requiring one.

[STEVE G]

At the moment, you need to give the relevant information to get the Thai Pass, so presumably immigration are using that instead.
For me it would be better to have a similar system in the future where you give the information electronically in advance rather than fill out a form on arrival which is all a bit last century and it also saves the authorities having to file millions bits of paper.

[HHTel]

also saves the authorities having to file millions bits of paper.

I don't think that's ever been a problem. The skips are emptied daily!!

[Dannie Boy]

There’s an article from the Pattaya Mail suggesting that the Thailand Pass will be dropped from 1st July but they intend to keep the minimum $10k insurance - that’ll go down well with tourists!!

[Big Boy]

As a ball park figure, how much does this $10K insurance cost per visitor?

[sateeb]

Ball park, depending on age and length of stay, From 700 up to 3+k/baht.

[PeteC]

Ball park, depending on age and length of stay, From 700 up to 3+k/baht.

Just a thought. For many of us length of stay is irrelevant. Take the shortest term possible to get in and then we are here like we've always been.

I have read nothing that insurance coverage is checked as part of the process for visa extensions, not yet anyway.

[sateeb]

/\ Maybe, or would the IO note our visa expiry date and do the math?

[PeteC]

The Pattaya Mail story. It's all still a big if.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ass-401301

[PeteC]

Another point is that with usually 0 to 3 unvaccinated arrivals testing positive per day, we arriving foreigners need protection from infected Thais. I'm starting to turn blue from suggesting that.

The Thai government should be providing insurance for free to protect foreign arrivals. Obviously of course they still don't have confidence in their vaccination programs and compliance with established Covid protocols by their own population.

You want our damn money, bloody earn it!

[Big Boy]

Yes, as I thought - thanks guys. This is the kind of uncertainty that will stop me from travelling.

[Dannie Boy]

It’s not necessarily the cost of the insurance, it’s the fact that travel would still not be free of restrictions, so a %age of tourists will continue to look elsewhere - plus as Pete mentioned, this is still speculation and not yet confirmed as policy, but knowing the authorities, they just don’t seem to want to let go, so it’s probably a good bet!!

[pitsch]

I easily managed to enter Suvarnabhumi with my Thailand Pass (QR code printed on paper). Strange that they also asked for the vaccination certificate, although this information is already in the Thailand Pass. Something weird: I have a TM6 form left that I fill in before I travel. I use the form I get on the plane for my next trip. The lady who checked the Thailand passport saw that I had 2 TM6 forms and told me that it was forbidden to take the blank form home. I told her I'd done it like 100 times before, she wasn't impressed. Then I gave up and handed her the blank form. I have 2 more at my home. Check of Thailand Pass and Immigration in less than 5 minutes.

[buksida]

Anyone flown out of Bangkok on Eva Air recently? Do you need a PCR test beforehand?