The obstacle course to our dream destination, this year anyway (readers' submission)

Like every year, my wife and I are going to Thailand for a while. We have been married for 12 years now and over the years it has become almost a routine to apply for visas and everything that goes with it. We went every year for six weeks.

It was a bit more difficult last year, when you had to have a COE, a certificate of entry, but that went relatively smoothly. Many papers, but after a bit of searching and a lot of reading and learning on Thailand blog, it worked. We have been there for 3 months (Non immigrant O). In the meantime we have bought land there and built a house, so we know where to go. After all, it does give some advantages if you have a Tabiaan Job. But this year it was a little, not a little bit, harder.

Here my story. We wanted to travel to Thailand on February 9 for 7 months via Doha (Qatar). Flight tickets and hotel booking for Phuket Sandbox on January 13. Visa applied for on January 14, visa obtained on January 19. Few problems.

On January 20, I applied for the first Thailand Pass and this with the email address that I always use, a hot address. I didn't know that I had to receive a confirmation of receipt of the application, I didn't get one either. Applying for the Thailand Pass does require some tapping, emailing, scanning and other work. You have to upload a lot (scan of passport, plane tickets, insurance, vaccinations, hotel reservation) After a few days I read on Thailand blog that you should not ask for a Thailand Pass via Hotmail, that there were problems with that.

On January 26, I applied for a Thailand Pass again via Gmail, a few minutes later I received a confirmation of receipt and an access number so that you could follow the progress of your application. On January 29, I received a message that my application did not exist. Requested a new Thailand Pass the same day, received confirmation five minutes later and a new access number. On February 2, another message stating that my application did not exist. Requested another Thailand Pass on February 3, almost immediately an access number. Shortly afterwards I received a message that my hotel had to issue a confirmation of PCR tests.

The thing is, you have to book two PCR tests in Thailand (best one on arrival at the airport and one on the fifth day at your hotel), the hotel must receive a payment confirmation of your PCR reservations and they must forward it within the 30 hours to Phuket Thailand Pass (unknowing me). The same day I did that and sent everything (payment and reservation receipt) to the hotel. I immediately received confirmation from the hotel that they would do this within 24 hours. Unfortunately, on February 7 (2 days before departure) at 7 am I received a message that my (our) Thailand Passes had been REJECTED, because the hotel had not sent the PCR reservations within 30 hours. Contacted the hotel and received many apologies but what are you with that.

At 10.30 am I then requested a Test & Go Thailand Pass instead of a Phuket Sandbox, I forwarded ALL the data myself and miraculously, at 13.09 pm we received the “approved” Thailand Pass. We can now go to Thailand with a one-day quarantine, two on-site PCR test. This morning (February 7th) we had a PCR test done and hope it comes back negative (for once we have to be negative).

We hope it goes well, maybe one or the other reader will benefit from this bit of adventure, which is also part of the journey.

Submitted by Jean Pierre