Thailand Travel Restrictions and Info

Cowshed Cowboy · Post by **Cowshed Cowboy** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:30 pm

Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:45 am I think the regular retirement "visa" is a very sweet deal, at 1,900 baht per year. Locking up 800,000 baht in a Thai bank beats locking up $250,000 in any case, and I think it makes sense to have some emergency cash readily available locally. Those newer visa creations (O-A, O-X, now LTR) look way too onerous to me, for very little extra benefit.

The emergency cash point is exactly how I look at the 800k. I hit a max balance of 1 million 2 months before visa renewal and use it down to within the allowed minimum of 400k throughout the year. It's around the maximum I would want to hold in Thailand personally. If I was forced to leave at least I take with me a couple of years money I would be able to use on my own terms.

I'm sure there will come a point where they will look to lift the 800k higher and that's why I have a concern with Anutin becoming PM, as I'm in no doubt at the current level us retirees don't fit into his vision of financially worthy residents. Being just over 55 Cambodia gives a great no-strings attached easy option for a temporary holding bay to assess options should the Thai situation for whatever reason not suit anymore. It would be nice if Vietnam could come up with some sort of retirement visa to give another alternative in the region.

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:42 pm

Kenr wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:58 am
Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:45 am I think the regular retirement "visa" is a very sweet deal, at 1,900 baht per year. Locking up 800,000 baht in a Thai bank beats locking up $250,000 in any case, and I think it makes sense to have some emergency cash readily available locally. Those newer visa creations (O-A, O-X, now LTR) look way too onerous to me, for very little extra benefit.
I agree, the non-o visa is a good deal, it’s just not something I wish to deal with right now. I just don’t want to have 800,000 baht in a foreign bank, and I’m sure in the hell not going to put $250k into the country. Even when I get to Cambodia I don’t know if I’ll even have a bank account there unless it becomes necessary, and even then I won’t have more than $9k in there at any given time because I don’t feel like dealing with the FBAR every year.

I’m sure this may sound trivial to some individuals on here but I want the most simplistic option available. Now, when there comes a time I don’t like it in Cambodia any longer, I will have the option to go to Thailand and deal with the bureaucracies of the Thai visa, no big deal.

so u will never have over $10,000 combined in any non us accounts?
I have never filed a FBAR an have no intention to ( as the fines for not filing are enormous)

Everyone keeps harping on the 800,000 BUT as u state, ur pension is $65,000. Just wire yourself 65,000 baht Monthly an get ur extension.
Easy to than live on 65,000 an have some left over each month

...O-A, O-X, now LTR

O-A visa is very similar to the Non O + extension>
BUT the O-A ( 1 year multiple entry) needs be issued in ur own country and u can have ur 800,000 in ur own countries bank + you need health issuance ( for the NON O insurance not required)
IN fact for Kenr this is the perfect visa as u dont need any foreign bank account and u already have a pension more than 65,000 baht/month, no long term investment, no thai bank, no hassle

6. US or Thai bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required

anyway its ur call, enjoy Cambodia

Kenr · Post by **Kenr** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:08 pm

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:42 pm
Kenr wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:58 am
Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:45 am I think the regular retirement "visa" is a very sweet deal, at 1,900 baht per year. Locking up 800,000 baht in a Thai bank beats locking up $250,000 in any case, and I think it makes sense to have some emergency cash readily available locally. Those newer visa creations (O-A, O-X, now LTR) look way too onerous to me, for very little extra benefit.
I agree, the non-o visa is a good deal, it’s just not something I wish to deal with right now. I just don’t want to have 800,000 baht in a foreign bank, and I’m sure in the hell not going to put $250k into the country. Even when I get to Cambodia I don’t know if I’ll even have a bank account there unless it becomes necessary, and even then I won’t have more than $9k in there at any given time because I don’t feel like dealing with the FBAR every year.

I’m sure this may sound trivial to some individuals on here but I want the most simplistic option available. Now, when there comes a time I don’t like it in Cambodia any longer, I will have the option to go to Thailand and deal with the bureaucracies of the Thai visa, no big deal.
so u will never have over $10,000 combined in any non us accounts?
I have never filed a FBAR an have no intention to ( as the fines for not filing are enormous)

Everyone keeps harping on the 800,000 BUT as u state, ur pension is $65,000. Just wire yourself 65,000 baht Monthly an get ur extension.
Easy to than live on 65,000 an have some left over each month

...O-A, O-X, now LTR
O-A visa is very similar to the Non O + extension>
BUT the O-A ( 1 year multiple entry) needs be issued in ur own country and u can have ur 800,000 in ur own countries bank + you need health issuance ( for the NON O insurance not required)
IN fact for Kenr this is the perfect visa as u dont need any foreign bank account and u already have a pension more than 65,000 baht/month, no long term investment, no thai bank, no hassle

6. US or Thai bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required
anyway its ur call, enjoy Cambodia

You are forgetting one important detail, the US Embassy doesn’t provide income letters anymore, and that’s the only income verification Thai immigration will accept.

And no, I have no intention of having a foreign bank account unless it became absolutely necessary. And I will only have over $10,000 in it when necessary. Anyone from the US who has had over $10,000 in a foreign bank account and hasn’t filed an FBAR is asking for trouble.

phuketrichard · Post by **phuketrichard** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:17 pm

Kenr wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:08 pm
phuketrichard wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 1:42 pm
Kenr wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:58 am
Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 11:45 am I think the regular retirement "visa" is a very sweet deal, at 1,900 baht per year. Locking up 800,000 baht in a Thai bank beats locking up $250,000 in any case, and I think it makes sense to have some emergency cash readily available locally. Those newer visa creations (O-A, O-X, now LTR) look way too onerous to me, for very little extra benefit.
I agree, the non-o visa is a good deal, it’s just not something I wish to deal with right now. I just don’t want to have 800,000 baht in a foreign bank, and I’m sure in the hell not going to put $250k into the country. Even when I get to Cambodia I don’t know if I’ll even have a bank account there unless it becomes necessary, and even then I won’t have more than $9k in there at any given time because I don’t feel like dealing with the FBAR every year.

I’m sure this may sound trivial to some individuals on here but I want the most simplistic option available. Now, when there comes a time I don’t like it in Cambodia any longer, I will have the option to go to Thailand and deal with the bureaucracies of the Thai visa, no big deal.
so u will never have over $10,000 combined in any non us accounts?
I have never filed a FBAR an have no intention to ( as the fines for not filing are enormous)

Everyone keeps harping on the 800,000 BUT as u state, ur pension is $65,000. Just wire yourself 65,000 baht Monthly an get ur extension.
Easy to than live on 65,000 an have some left over each month

...O-A, O-X, now LTR
O-A visa is very similar to the Non O + extension>
BUT the O-A ( 1 year multiple entry) needs be issued in ur own country and u can have ur 800,000 in ur own countries bank + you need health issuance ( for the NON O insurance not required)
IN fact for Kenr this is the perfect visa as u dont need any foreign bank account and u already have a pension more than 65,000 baht/month, no long term investment, no thai bank, no hassle

6. US or Thai bank statement or evidence of adequate finance showing a deposit of the amount equal to and not less than 800,000 Baht or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly income of not less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income totaling not less than 800,000 Baht In the case of submitting a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is required
anyway its ur call, enjoy Cambodia
You are forgetting one important detail, the US Embassy doesn’t provide income letters anymore, and that’s the only income verification Thai immigration will accept.

And no, I have no intention of having a foreign bank account unless it became absolutely necessary. And I will only have over $10,000 in it when necessary. Anyone from the US who has had over $10,000 in a foreign bank account and hasn’t filed an FBAR is asking for trouble.

I am not missing anything, ur not listening to me or reading what i wrote

THE O-A visa is ISSUIED in ur own passport countries thai embassy!, ( you can use a consulate or embassy in the states) you do not do it thru Thai immigration, you can even do it via the mail!!!!! except for ur 90 days reports which u can do online you never have to visit immigration.
https://thaiembdc.org/consular-services ... tegory-oa/

up to you,

Kenr · Post by **Kenr** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 2:22 pm

Why on earth would I do an O-A visa?

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:23 pm

I don't like the O-A visa due to its nonsensical insurance requirement. To be clear, I do have decent health insurance, but I don't have any use for outpatient coverage that the Thai government requires for some unfathomable reason.

There's also the issue (further down the line) that, technically, to continue to be eligible to apply for O-A visas at an embassy (instead of switching to extensions in Thailand), you need to maintain residency outside of Thailand, e.g. in your home country. That's not an option for me personally, as I haven't lived in any of my two "home countries" for 16+ years and have no plans to change that once I retire.

Kenr · Post by **Kenr** » Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:36 pm

Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 06, 2022 3:23 pm I don't like the O-A visa due to its nonsensical insurance requirement. To be clear, I do have decent health insurance, but I don't have any use for outpatient coverage that the Thai government requires for some unfathomable reason.

There's also the issue (further down the line) that, technically, to continue to be eligible to apply for O-A visas at an embassy (instead of switching to extensions in Thailand), you need to maintain residency outside of Thailand, e.g. in your home country. That's not an option for me personally, as I haven't lived in any of my two "home countries" for 16+ years and have no plans to change that once I retire.

The O-A is the biggest pain in the ass to obtain. Police clearance, heath certificate. Then to extend it in Thailand you still have to have the 800,000 baht in the bank because the US Embassy doesn’t certify income letters.

My BCBS insurance works pretty much everywhere in SE Asia, but getting them to word the policy the way Thai immigration wants it, every year, I doubt if it’s doable.

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Sun Jul 10, 2022 5:11 pm

July 10, 2022
Cambodia among seven nations removed from Covid-19 watchlist by Thailand

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has revoked its previous declaration of seven countries as Covid-19 danger zones, citing an improvement in the pandemic situation and the global vaccination coverage against coronavirus.

The decision to remove Cambodia, Italy, Iran, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia from the list of dangerous epidemic areas was reached at a meeting of the national committee on disease control held last Friday.
- Khmer Times

yong · Post by **yong** » Thu Jul 14, 2022 2:00 pm

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coron ... 8&si=44594

Thailand's misleading COVID numbers cast a shadow on reopening
Health experts warn of undercounted cases after restrictions lifted

Shoppers ride an escalator outside a Bangkok mall on July 5. Although the government has relaxed COVID-related mandates, many Thais continue to wear masks in crowded spaces. © Sipa via AP Images
FRANCESCA REGALADO, Nikkei staff writerJuly 12, 2022 13:22 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand enters a five-day weekend on Wednesday with doctors warning that a COVID surge and undercounted cases are belying the government's ambitious reopening scheme.

The string of holidays will be the first long break since Songkran, in mid-April, which saw COVID-19 infections peak at over 28,000 new daily cases.

Thai officials have reported an average of 2,176 cases per day since July 1, when the government lifted virtually all entry restrictions and further relaxed domestic measures.

But the number of cases being officially reported is a fraction of actual infections. COVID authorities said there were about 29,000 new cases in the kingdom per day.

"It is estimated that there will be 30,000 infected people per day," Dr. Satit Pitutecha, the deputy health minister, said on Friday while taking parliamentary questions.

Daily cases reported by Thailand's Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration are based on new hospital admissions, not positive tests. Cases found via home antigen test kits are tallied separately, sometimes double the official case count, and rely on self-reporting by patients recuperating at home. Last Saturday, for example, the CCSA announced there were 2,084 new hospital admissions and 3,323 positive antigen tests.

Despite COVID-related deaths per day remaining under the CCSA's benchmark of 40, total hospitalizations have not fallen below 24,000 since the start of the month.

"The focus of our data collection has shifted to following severe cases and those requiring hospitalization," the CCSA said after a regular meeting on Friday. "As long as we have the capacity to care for those with severe symptoms, the country is on track to reach the endemic stage."

A disease is considered endemic once it persists with a relatively constant rate of occurrence in a population or region.

Doctors have urged the government to announce total infections rather than hospitalizations in the interest of maintaining public vigilance.

The government this month dropped masking requirements in open-air spaces and at gatherings with fewer than 2,000 people, and extended opening hours for bars and restaurants.

Most residents continue to wear medical masks in public, especially in crowded malls and transit stations, while restaurants and bars in Bangkok are operating to capacity.

Health ministry officials, including Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Permanent Secretary Kiattiphum Wongrajit, attributed the higher daily tallies to a short-term spike kicked up by the discarding of COVID restrictions.

Hospitalizations are expected to peak in September, according to Dr. Chakrarat Pittayawonganon, director of epidemiology at the health ministry's Department of Disease Control. Chakrarat also projects that infections will begin tapering in November, around the time of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok.

But self-reported infections are on the rise in tourist destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, Ayutthaya and 20 other provinces, said CCSA spokesperson Taweesilp Visanuyothin.

Since January, Thailand has welcomed 2.2 million tourists, led by arrivals from India, Malaysia, Singapore, the U.K. and the U.S. The tourism ministry projects 2.7 million arrivals for the next three months and 4.5 million in the last quarter. Together, they are expected to inject 1.27 trillion baht into an economy that before COVID largely depended on tourism.

Although the CCSA on Friday decided to extend the COVID state of emergency once again, Thailand further opened its borders by removing seven countries from a danger zone list, easing travel from Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as Iran and Italy. Southeast Asia was Thailand's second largest source of foreign tourists in 2019, behind China.

The kingdom's reopening has proceeded at full steam since the government ended the COVID-related entry requirement known as Thailand Pass. The reopening elevated Thailand by 36 places to 53rd on Nikkei's COVID-19 Recovery Index, which ranks 121 countries and regions based on infection management, vaccine rollout and mobility. Nearly half of the Thai population has received a booster shot, while 76.6% are vaccinated with two doses.

CEOCambodiaNews · Post by **CEOCambodiaNews** » Sun Jul 17, 2022 2:46 am

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Thailand Travel Restrictions and Info

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