Now waiting for decision and message about my Sandbox application and CoE. Prior to this, my partner traveled to Thailand. She made use of the SQ option and spent 14 days in the Mercure in Pattaya. Hated this and had trouble sleeping.
On the advice of the “hotel doctor” she received sleeping medication. This did not or hardly help and I asked her what she got. Turned out to be 1mg Lorazepam. Don't elaborate on my knowledge of the lora and strength, but have advised her to throw it in the trash.
Real sleep medication was refused at her request… no have. On occasion, she could see in the hallway that every room in the hallway had lorazepam on the doorstep along with food provided… bizarre. Good, then she would leave last Saturday together with regular transport (neatly arranged anyway) and other Isaaners. Unfortunately, the trip was canceled and they had to find out for themselves. Bus to Roi Et then booked, departure in the morning (flight was not available). You guessed it…. The bus company called, the morning bus did not go. Well, then the night bus. Booked a room in another hotel to get through the day and took the night bus.
In her village 5 km from Roi Et town, she turned out to have to go into home quarantine again for 14 days and later to undergo PCR tests again. So almost 30 days of quarantine and a chapped nose. You can see that besides the fact that she's happy to see her daughter and family again, she's pretty fed up with the idiocy there.
Now my Sandbox application.
- Step 1: Visa obtained with the cooperation of my health insurance policy Carefully (English version obtained).
- Step 2: Scan and upload other required documents.
- Step 3: Book flight and book hotel. So now waiting for fiat.
If you read it like this it seems simple, I'm not a specialist but I'm not a computer geek either. Can you tell that it cost me a lot of time, energy and irritation. Be sure that people with less PC skills will face problems.
Booked a hotel at booming.com and contacted the hotel club Bamboo. Previously very good, very good restaurant and cheap. Hotel turned out not to agree with the conditions booking.com, where you can pay at the hotel. Club bamboo demanded 'out of the blue' full payment in advance. Told that otherwise I will not be able to obtain the required PCR and SHABA documents. Normally I would say take a look at it with your mess.
Ended up having 15 email exchanges and had my partner call from Thailand. Zero on the request… pay or else no documents required for CoE Sandbox. Set aside my resentment irritation and anger and prepaid to the hotel. All necessary documents then within no time within…mmmm. Now mixed feelings…even if I got the CoE today.
Knew in advance that it would be a road with obstacles, but this way color comes. Partly if the hotel with which I have always had good experiences has lost its way. Proof of reservation, also via booking.com, is sufficient on request CoE.
Be positive and see it all, of course make the best of it. But it's also hard for my Thai partner. She would prefer to return to the Netherlands immediately. Ting tong government and ba ba bo bo.
Submitted by Aun
Last week I asked Booking.com to provide me with information about ASQ hotels in Bangkok because I wondered if Booking.com distinguishes between their normal hotel offerings and ASQ hotels, which offer much more (3 meals/day; covid checks, etc.). No response to date! That says enough for me and I will certainly not book through Booking.com. Better directly at asq hotels from the known list.
I booked my hotel via booking.com with a credit card and can cancel up to 3 days before arrival. I requested the certificate from the hotel within 5 minutes via the booking.com chat. Everything is going great at Paripas Patong Resort and also a very nice price and good reviews. Things are going great again at the embassy in The Hague. You have to read carefully what you have to do as an action, but it goes well. I also arranged the 3 pcr tests through the hotel. That was also done in no time and the fixed price is 8000 bath,
I wouldn't tackle all of this for a holiday, but I was in quarantine in Bangkok for 2 weeks last year and this seems a lot nicer to me. I'm curious about what there is to do because I was in Phuket in November with my wife and children, wonderfully quiet, but sad for the tourist industry because there is nothing to do in Patong after 21.00 p.m.
Greetings Jan
The Thai Embassy in The Hague has a list of ASQ hotels. Sorting one out and then contacting the hotel is the easiest way in my opinion. I did it twice, no problem.
In your story I see no other obstacle on the way to the CoE than your problem with Booking.com. I do not understand why you would not book directly with the hotel yourself, because if there are problems you will have to solve it with the hotel anyway. And as far as the advance payment is concerned: there are also ASQ hotels that accept an advance payment and on that basis issue the confirmation required for the CoE.
Shouldn't be a surprise. The full prepayment requirement is not from the hotel but from the Thai government. If the hotel gives you a SHABA without being paid in full, they will immediately lose their SHA+ status.
You could have simply opted for direct payment on a cancellable booking at Booking.com.
I applied for and obtained my COE last week and found it to be a well-organized process with clear requirements.
The only hurdle I experienced was obtaining the correct statement from a Dutch health insurance company. The process through the Thai embassy always went quickly and smoothly. After obtaining the USD 100.000 statement, the COE was received in no time.
What insurance do you have?
Completed the whole exercise and now in the Sandbox hotel on Phuket.
Follow everything strictly and do not think of anything yourself and certainly do not book through booking.com (normally an excellent agent). After all, the 3 PCR tests and taxi must be paid for in advance and proof must be submitted when applying for CoE with the SHABA hotel confirmation; obtained after payment.
The Royal Thai Embassy in The Hague has neatly and quickly processed the 2-stage application and immediately issued a CoE.
Tips: Get tested in time for a PCR negative statement; do not go for the cheapest, liked KLM Health services, make sure you have all documents with you in at least 3 copies, make sure that the lady or gentleman does not invent things (visas) that are not true, in Dubai a transfer without any problem, be patient in Phuket, everything is checked 5x, another PCR test at the exit and in the SHA + plus taxi to the hotel, late at night you will hear whether you have been tested negative and that you can leave the room.
Best of luck!