Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Wed Nov 18, 2020 12:37 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 7:52 am

Jamie_Lambo wrote: ↑Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:21 am

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2020 8:59 pm New info from the thai embassy in Phnom Penh

https://phnompenh.thaiembassy.org/en/pu ... g-covid-19

These are recent additions/ changes from before;

1.7 Holders of a Tourist (TR) visa

1.9 Holders of a Non-Immigrant O (retirement


2.3 If you prefer land entry, you are allowed to enter Thailand via Klong Leuk (Aranyaprathet) border checkpoint only. You will be quarantined for 14 days in an Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) at Tawa Ravadee Resort (click). Reservation must be made directly with the ALQ at your own expense.

so if you get a tourist visa from the thai embassy in cambodia, its possible to enter thailand from cambodia (with ALQ booking)

Yep BUT read the requirements, 500,000 baht or equivalent in bank for 6 months ++++
still lots of hoops to jump thru,
cant see many tourists doing it...
a LOst High season..


Basically the same requirements now for every thai embassy

yeah the requirements wont be a problem, just nice to know it will be an option

The Thai embassies in London and Washington appear to have scrapped the recent requirement for foreigners applying for a Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) to show proof of funds totalling 500,000 THB or equivalent.

The hefty financial requirement, which was quietly rolled out last month, has been removed from the required documents as listed on the websites of the Thai embassies in London and Washington.

The health situation, as well as its impact on the economies of countries, is getting even more serious around the world.

The danger of this virus is not just in the people it kills directly. If it gets out of control, it will also kill many other people who are dependent on hospital and medical care. When hospital beds are full of COVID patients, and doctors and nurses are fully occupied with treating COVID patents, people suffering from many other illnesses may not get the treatment that they depend on. It is a nightmare situation when doctors have to decide who to treat and who they simply do not have time to assist. We have avoided that situation and we must continue to be firm to avoid it in the future.

I would like to thank all citizens in every part of the country and in all occupations and businesses who have sacrificed tremendously and tried to manage their very difficult circumstances so that we could protect our nation. Your sacrifices are helping us avoid falling into an even worse situation as we are seeing happen in many other countries.

Sathit Pitutecha, Deputy Public Health Minister, said a new collaboration between the ministry and travel agency Agoda has already seen 37 ASQ and Alternative Local Quarantine (ALQ) hotels nationwide joining early in its first phase.

He said the government expects more international arrivals once quarantining is no longer a two-week process and more attractive ways for travellers to spend that time, such as at wellness retreats or golf resorts, are laid on.

yong wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 8:15 pm https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Thailan ... 4&si=44594

Thailand offers cheap residency visas for condo buyers
Government push aims to attract overseas money as COVID ravages real estate


A construction boom in Bangkok, and other Thai cities, has led to a supply glut. © Reuters
JASON TAN, Contributing writerNovember 24, 2020 13:03 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand will provide a two-year window to receive its much-touted residency visa for free or at a discount through property purchases in a bid to lure foreign buyers to its slumping real estate market that has been saddled by COVID-19.

The government approved the new package in early November, according to people familiar with the program. Foreigners are prohibited from buying land in Thailand, but they can buy condos or apartments.

For buyers who purchase one or several units amounting to 10 million baht ($330,200), they will receive a five-year residency visa worth 500,000 baht at no charge or at a discounted rate, according to Somchai Soongswang, president of Thailand Privilege Card, which operates the residency visas for the government.

The visa, called Easy Access, will entitle members to perks, including a VIP guide at the airport, expedited immigration and passport control, free limousine transport from the airport to a hotel or residence 24 times a year, and other favors.

Somchai did not discuss other details but told Nikkei Asia the program should be launched by the first quarter of 2021. The program will run for 24 months and real estate purchased must be move-in ready and not under construction.

"Developers have a lack of cash flow, some have high debt and the new program will help them not lay off staff," Somchai said.

Major developers Sansiri and Pruksa have each laid off hundreds of employees recently. Pornnarit Chuanchaisit, president of the Thai Real Estate Association, told local media that more than 2,000 workers in property companies would likely be laid off in the fourth quarter if the government fails to take measures to blunt the impact of the pandemic.

Thailand, especially in the capital Bangkok and popular tourism destinations like Pattaya and Phuket, has embarked on a condo-construction spree in the past few years amid an influx of overseas buyers from mainland China, Hong Kong, the U.S., Singapore and Taiwan.

From 2010 to 2018, an average of 105,000 new units debuted in Bangkok yearly, according to Bank of Ayudhya's research unit, Krungsri Research. But sales totaled only about 96,000 units per year, leaving a supply glut.

Even before the pandemic, Chinese money started to ebb from Thailand's property market in 2019, due to a stronger Thai baht and simmering U.S.-China trade war.

A Bangkok property agent targeting Chinese buyers told Nikkei that some Chinese have decided to cash out on their purchases this year, but found no buyers. Some forewent their down payment to keep their cash, while others deferred buying plans.

Thailand first rolled out its residency visa program, dubbed elite visas, in 2003 to target high net-worth individuals for long stays in the country for five, 10 or 20 years. Every nationality is welcome, but a member has to pay 500,000 baht to two million baht at one go when their application is approved, depending on the visa package they choose. Most elite visa members are mainland Chinese, Japanese, South Koreans, Britons and Americans.

Currently, elite visas have nine packages with different lengths of stay and prices to choose from, but none of them tie with property buying. That means a condo buyer is not automatically entitled to long-term residency in the country, but has to apply separately for a retirement, work, investment visa or purchase an elite visa for long stays.

The elite visas achieved record new members for its fiscal year ended in September -- 2,674 new members were added, a rise of 24.8% year-on-year.

To cash in on the uptrend, Thailand Privilege Card rolled out a new type of visa package in October. The Elite Maxima Health costs 1.5 million baht for five years.

Members receive health and wellness privileges, such as annual medical checkups, access to local and overseas hospitals, 5 million baht in health insurance coverage per year. The members will also be covered for their quarantine hotel stays upon entry to Thailand for up to 100,000 baht.