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  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    Congrats TD, and welcome home. And enjoy that retirement!


    What an utter clusterfok Covid has caused globally eh.
    Cheers Edmund... has caused, and for a lot of folks, is continuing to cause. it will sort itself out in the end but thats scant comfort for all those expats who cannot return now.

  2. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Backspin View Post
    How did you pass the time ? Porn is blocked at the airport WiFi eh ?
    hi there... well, I never put that to the test though you seem to be well-informed on that topic

    Joking aside, the airport was well managed and quick. no time to use the rest rooms or ATM never mind the WiFi.

    The biggest headache was 'waiting' in my apartment in Dubai - nearly 3 months of staring at walls. Of course there, I had access to all the por.... YouTube and NetFlix I wanted so i could while away the time a little bit. of course...no visitors were allowed, either...

    Not being able to go out in Dubai was hard. Curfews, special permissions needed, police monitoring, and most places restricted or simply closed.

    When they opened my building swimming pool i was up there doing 100 lengths every day, for exercise and 'something to do!

    oh... there were only about 6 residents in my building... most either moved or left'

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    Well done!



    That's where I stayed.

    2 Things of note. First, the rooms have no balcony. so you have to go all the way to the lobby and exit for a ciggie. Second, my daughter was gutted that the Crystal restaurant was not actually made of of crystal.

    I think she had visions that the restaurant looked a bit like Superman's home.

    We cut our holiday short and was lucky to get on the last flight back before Thailand closed their borders in March.
    Hi Bogon,

    I have been past the place 100's of times when it was the Grand Inncome. Interesting to note that, as the GI, it was a 4-star though not so sure it deserved that rating, but i do know it closed late last year 'under a cloud 'apparently, only to re open with a lick of paint and some new staff uniforms (perhaps I'm being a bit flippant here!) as the 5-star Siam Mandarina. Having stayed in a LOT of 5-star hotels around the world, I can say with confidence - this ain't one of them.

    Was still not too bad, under the ASQ control with the emphasis on control. for example, once tested and it was negative we were allowed out of the room for 1 hour/day to the 'garden' or the coffee shop. but on day three of my new found freedom, the coffee shop was closed. Of course, the pool was closed, lol it was drained too to add a finality to that decision.

    There was a lot of checking by government officials while I was an inmate. Don't know if that was the same at all the other ASQs.

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by nidhogg View Post
    Welcome back. Simple fact is, for many of us Thailand is home.
    Hi nidhogg.. yes and that becomes more and more relevant when you cannot get back there.

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by HuangLao View Post
    Cheers, TD!
    Welcome home....

    Thank you kindly, sir....

    ...good to be home!

  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp View Post
    Cheers Edmund... has caused, and for a lot of folks, is continuing to cause. it will sort itself out in the end but thats scant comfort for all those expats who cannot return now.

    We're waiting.
    As it seems the time for a limited general opening [with the mandated protocol] is fast approaching.
    Perhaps at the end of this month or into November [???].


  7. #32
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    Well done Mr Dhupp on finally getting home, that must be a great feeling after all this time!


    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    Thai Dhupp finally gets home to enjoy his wonderful new house and finds the perfect hobby to while away those long hot nights.

    Was Dan's prophesy close?

    But I have to say your story has depressed me immensely...

    In a few weeks I'll be finishing up this contract in Sweden, whereupon these contractors will want to send me on my way ASAP. I have the visa and insurance... but I'll be in a country with no network of contacts, no accommodation (and hotels ain't cheap), and no nothing really. These contractors are duty bound to get me home, but I know they won't entertain a business flight and I have no long term relationship with them (this is my first job with these guys) so they won't take kindly to me causing any hassle. Long months waiting during the Swedish winter is so unappealing.

    In short, the day I finish my contract I'll have a choice... head up to Stockholm where I guess the Thai embassy is, get a hotel and start the long laborious process you describe... at huge day by day expense... or accept I won't be getting back to Thailand for some time.

    With your experience Mr Dhupp... do you think it worth me even trying?

    Another alternative would be to get back to the UK and self isolate for a period until I feel it safe to go and stay with my mum for a while. The thought of 14 days in a UK hotel room doesn't fill me with joy either, to be honest. Sweden isn't currently on the UK 'red' list, but I can't see anything improving in Europe in the near future and in a few weeks maybe the UK will be in full lockdown... so entering won't be an option...

    A third option that I don't like to think about... would be to just try and keep working until things improve. Even with little work about if I tout myself out at a low day rate something will come up... but it's not a route I'd like to take.

    What a mess this Covid is.

  8. #33
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    I didn't realise that the hotel was rated 5 stars! Just a passable 4 if stretching it (and I would rate it a little bit lower than that).

    Quote Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp View Post
    It was only wen i was about to leave the ASQ that the enormity of the effort to get to that point hit me, and i did break down a bit.
    There's a thread for that

    I cried today
    Last edited by Bogon; 03-10-2020 at 07:53 AM.

  9. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    Well done Mr Dhupp on finally getting home, that must be a great feeling after all this time!




    Was Dan's prophesy close?

    But I have to say your story has depressed me immensely...

    In a few weeks I'll be finishing up this contract in Sweden, whereupon these contractors will want to send me on my way ASAP. I have the visa and insurance... but I'll be in a country with no network of contacts, no accommodation (and hotels ain't cheap), and no nothing really. These contractors are duty bound to get me home, but I know they won't entertain a business flight and I have no long term relationship with them (this is my first job with these guys) so they won't take kindly to me causing any hassle. Long months waiting during the Swedish winter is so unappealing.

    In short, the day I finish my contract I'll have a choice... head up to Stockholm where I guess the Thai embassy is, get a hotel and start the long laborious process you describe... at huge day by day expense... or accept I won't be getting back to Thailand for some time.

    With your experience Mr Dhupp... do you think it worth me even trying?

    Another alternative would be to get back to the UK and self isolate for a period until I feel it safe to go and stay with my mum for a while. The thought of 14 days in a UK hotel room doesn't fill me with joy either, to be honest. Sweden isn't currently on the UK 'red' list, but I can't see anything improving in Europe in the near future and in a few weeks maybe the UK will be in full lockdown... so entering won't be an option...

    A third option that I don't like to think about... would be to just try and keep working until things improve. Even with little work about if I tout myself out at a low day rate something will come up... but it's not a route I'd like to take.

    What a mess this Covid is.
    Hi Mendip...

    yes.. it is definitely worth trying. make contact with the Thai embassy immediately.

    I'm assuming you are legitimately married? if so, or if your name is on the birth certificate of a Thai child, you have permission to apply for re-entry - you are one of the groups.

    Suss out the insurance...maybe you have cover already but it must state specifically that COVID19 is covered AND it has to be to the value of 100,000 USD.

    next is your marriage or birth cert documents - make sure you have ALL.

    i believe now it is easier with the flights - commercial flights ARE entering Swampy now. either that or the embassy-organised one to get you home.

    meanwhile, investigate the availability of the COVID-19 swab (nasal) test, not the blood test. in hand with that, check that the provider will also issue the Fit To Fly cert, or else contact your medical provider for this. i found that you need more than one avenue for the key requirements in case one fails, as it did in my case.

    So thats flight, permission to enter thailand in principal from the embassy, test and F2F organised.... whats next?

    Once the embassy gives you the go-ahead, sign the Declaration form (available on the embassy website (this is basically you signing agreement to enter the ASQ), and make a provisional booking with your chosen ASQ. show all of this to the embassy and, hopefully, get your Certificate of Entry (CoE). then firm up everything, do the testing and F2F within 72 hours of departure, and ..... go home, via the ASQ

    Sounds so simple, right!?

    email me if you need more

  10. #35
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    How about some information on the hotel. Room, food, internet speed, could you call room service, Grab, or Food Panda?

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bogon View Post
    I didn't realise that the hotel was rated 5 stars! Just a passable 4 if stretching it (and I would rate it a little bit lower than that).



    There's a thread for that

    I cried today
    Given that the Thailand hotels can virtually self-assess, that star rating is somewhat 'wishful-thinking!

    I would give Siam Mandarina 3 - 3.5 stars maximum.

    I think i mentioned before somewhere, for me, upper 4-star and certainly true 5-star is all about attention to detail, and making the guest feel.....special, nothing is too much trouble, whims and last-minute changes are all handled positively and with a smile. true 5-star likes to say yes, to 'make it happen. Wannabe 5-star hides behind 'no' , cannot, not possible whenever asked.

    SM did not have attention to detail, but again, a LOT of so-say 5-star hotels in BKK are also in reality 3-4 star.

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    How about some information on the hotel. Room, food, internet speed, could you call room service, Grab, or Food Panda?
    Greeting AO, hope all is well with you,

    part 2, hopefully coming today will tell all, including some photos.

    Room - OK
    Internet speed - v good, certainly enough to stream movies, football, etc. and the signal strong. I believe good internet is a government requirement for a hotel to be accepted onto the ASQ program
    room service - yes, available
    Grab, food panda, no, not when i was there, but 7-Eleven? - yes - officially dry food only#
    So for example, i wanted to send out for chicken rice from Khoonsin restaurant in Lat Krabang (a venue we are regulars at. sorry, cannot do.

    However, there was some flexibility with interpretation of the 'rules' by SM staff. For example, alcohol was not allowed to be served but in my mini-bar, it was stocked with Chang and Singha.
    I also brought 1 litre of Bacardi and the cases were not searched.. Martin, who was in the same hotel lives in Lat Krabang and his wife made 3 trips to the Hotel with 'supplies'. In all cases, it was not checked or rejected, and it included cooked dinners. Mike, who stayed in BKK also had his GF bring cooked food and again not rejected. Even when the government clamped down on hotels serving alcohol, the SM did not remove it (I think on the basis that it might be contaminated so best to let the inmate use it)

  13. #38
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    Thanks and glad to see you are home and in excellent spirits. Looking forward to the report..

  14. #39
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    Here is the link to the ASQ Hotel


    5-stars hotel in Samut Prakarn



    Siam Mandarina Hotel






    https://www.siammandarinahotel.com





  15. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp View Post
    Hi Mendip...

    yes.. it is definitely worth trying. make contact with the Thai embassy immediately.

    I'm assuming you are legitimately married? if so, or if your name is on the birth certificate of a Thai child, you have permission to apply for re-entry - you are one of the groups.

    Suss out the insurance...maybe you have cover already but it must state specifically that COVID19 is covered AND it has to be to the value of 100,000 USD.

    next is your marriage or birth cert documents - make sure you have ALL.

    i believe now it is easier with the flights - commercial flights ARE entering Swampy now. either that or the embassy-organised one to get you home.

    meanwhile, investigate the availability of the COVID-19 swab (nasal) test, not the blood test. in hand with that, check that the provider will also issue the Fit To Fly cert, or else contact your medical provider for this. i found that you need more than one avenue for the key requirements in case one fails, as it did in my case.

    So thats flight, permission to enter thailand in principal from the embassy, test and F2F organised.... whats next?

    Once the embassy gives you the go-ahead, sign the Declaration form (available on the embassy website (this is basically you signing agreement to enter the ASQ), and make a provisional booking with your chosen ASQ. show all of this to the embassy and, hopefully, get your Certificate of Entry (CoE). then firm up everything, do the testing and F2F within 72 hours of departure, and ..... go home, via the ASQ

    Sounds so simple, right!?

    email me if you need more

    Thanks for that... you've motivated me to initiate things rather than just think that it would be impossible.

    I'm legitimately married and have the certificate with me, and I also have my daughter's birth certificate with my name on, with me. I also recently got Bupa to issue me a certificate confirming Covid cover.

    I'll look into the possibility of a Covid test and Fit to Fly cert, but Gothenburg is a big city and I'm sure it will be possible.

    I've just found out the Gothenburg has a Thai consulate so I'll start with an email to them and take it from there. It will be impossible for me to get to the embassy in Stockholm while this work is ongoing...

    Fingers crossed...

  16. #41
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    @Thai dupp - congrats on making it back to TH. Seems like your experience is similar to getting into PI for foreigners with Filipino spouse or child. Also a lot of hoops to get the visa. The difference is, after getting the covid test at Manila airport, the person stays 1-2 days at a govt-approved hotel to wait for the results. If negative, then foreigner can proceed to 14-day home quarantine (based on experience of Mark of Overstay Road on YT - he's not married, but has a kid).

    @mendip - good luck!

  17. #42
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    Welcome home from the long journey (courtesy of our secretive Chinese friends) that is now international travel Thai Dupp!

  18. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Looper View Post
    Welcome home from the long journey (courtesy of our secretive Chinese friends) that is now international travel Thai Dupp!
    Cheers, Looper

    Good to be back, lol, even if I am one of the 'dirty Farang' contaminating those pure oriental types....

  19. #44
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    Welcome Home or Back.

    I just had 2 business colleagues from the states make the trek and both just finished their quarantine "sentence" at the Grande Centre Pointe Sukhumvit on Wednesday. Similar process to yours except they had to petition the Thai embassy for business approval. The process to get approval was about 2 weeks prior and they had to take a covid test 2 days prior to flying and the results had to be certified and all the documentation brought with them. They had to have a full itinerary documented and visit intentions. Upon arrival at immigration they were escorted to a private van and taken directly to the GCP. At the GCP, they were not allowed any visitors for the first 5 days. We spoke a lot during their "Sentence" via Video Telcom and we laughed a lot. I was sitting on beach siipping good bourbon on Koh Chang. One said they should have brought over an orange jumpsuit with DOC stamped on the back. They were given 3 square meals (Just like prison) and they came in a Bento box. They had a walking area out by the garden. GCP is a dry hotel so one of my buddies brought over 3 bottles, 1 for him, 2 for me but I told him in a pinch he could kill 2 bottles. They did not check luggage. On day 2 they conducted a Covid test and again on day 12. Day 14 they were both released and we met up at the factory for a day of laughs.

    I think one thing that concerns us all is that we are afraid just like after 9/11 that many of these travel processes will become mandatory. The Chinese sure dialed up a good one...

  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    @Thai dupp - congrats on making it back to TH. Seems like your experience is similar to getting into PI for foreigners with Filipino spouse or child. Also a lot of hoops to get the visa. The difference is, after getting the covid test at Manila airport, the person stays 1-2 days at a govt-approved hotel to wait for the results. If negative, then foreigner can proceed to 14-day home quarantine (based on experience of Mark of Overstay Road on YT - he's not married, but has a kid).

    @mendip - good luck!
    Hi Katie, and thanks.

    At the very start, the Thai government approved 'home quarantine', when it was just the Thai nationals repatriating. Of course, a great number of them flew home then totally disregarded those home quarantine requirements, mainly y'know...staying at HOME.

    As a result, that option was withdrawn, before any non Thai repatriation took place.

    With regards to the length of quarantine... yes a lot of countries are doing the 3 day or 5 day them home option but sadly not here. The cynical might point to the potential earnings to be made from ASQ arrangements but I am not so sure. 40% of the cost of the ASQ goes to the hospital teamed up with the hotel (they all have to have that 24 hour medical cover) so not so sure how much additional profit people are talking about? Still, 15 nights is what it is in Thailand, at the moment.

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by JPPR2 View Post
    Welcome Home or Back.

    I just had 2 business colleagues from the states make the trek and both just finished their quarantine "sentence" at the Grande Centre Pointe Sukhumvit on Wednesday. Similar process to yours except they had to petition the Thai embassy for business approval. The process to get approval was about 2 weeks prior and they had to take a covid test 2 days prior to flying and the results had to be certified and all the documentation brought with them. They had to have a full itinerary documented and visit intentions. Upon arrival at immigration they were escorted to a private van and taken directly to the GCP. At the GCP, they were not allowed any visitors for the first 5 days. We spoke a lot during their "Sentence" via Video Telcom and we laughed a lot. I was sitting on beach siipping good bourbon on Koh Chang. One said they should have brought over an orange jumpsuit with DOC stamped on the back. They were given 3 square meals (Just like prison) and they came in a Bento box. They had a walking area out by the garden. GCP is a dry hotel so one of my buddies brought over 3 bottles, 1 for him, 2 for me but I told him in a pinch he could kill 2 bottles. They did not check luggage. On day 2 they conducted a Covid test and again on day 12. Day 14 they were both released and we met up at the factory for a day of laughs.

    I think one thing that concerns us all is that we are afraid just like after 9/11 that many of these travel processes will become mandatory. The Chinese sure dialed up a good one...
    Hey there, JPPR2,

    yep sounds similar to my hotel experience - im just drafting out the tale now.

    I came back on Marriage approval, they on Business approval, but broadly similar. For my quarantine, in fact it was 15 nights, not 14, though on that last day we could check out from 6am!

  22. #47
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    Such a good thread. Old TD..

    You must be on such a high right now being "Home" for sure. Keep this tale going on.

    I'm home! My repatriation to Thailand from Dubai during the COVID-19 restrictions-tenor-19-gif

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp View Post
    Hey there, JPPR2,

    yep sounds similar to my hotel experience - im just drafting out the tale now.

    I came back on Marriage approval, they on Business approval, but broadly similar. For my quarantine, in fact it was 15 nights, not 14, though on that last day we could check out from 6am!
    Additionally, for what it may be worth to others, the cost to get here including airfare, covid testing before and during, van service from Airport and hotel stay during 14 day quarantine was just under $7,000 usd. Of course hotel choices and airline flights will have an impact on the costs.

  24. #49
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    Thank you for sharing your return adventure. A lot of good info there. And thank you for that link to the FB repatriation group. I already joined.
    I have read every word you wrote with great interest.
    And I am constantly monitoring the news for new info concerning return to Thailand.
    I am lucky in two respects, I have my wife with me, and we maintain a private residence in the Florida, that we were planning to keep for vacations there. And perhaps returning to the US if I got too sick to be in Thailand when I got older.
    But our house in Thailand sits empty, and I miss our dogs. One poor guy still sleeps outside my door waiting for me to come out. We are lucky to have my wife's sister taking care of the dogs, cutting the grass, and starting our car every so often.
    At this point we will wait a couple of moths more in the hope that travel restrictions are relaxed , I am not sure I can sit in a hotel room for 14 days. Also we have a very long trip from FL to Thailand (24 hr at least ) with a min of two plane changes and multiple airports and I am not sure how safe it is to be on airplanes and wait in airports for that long.
    I can't wait for a vaccine to put an end to all of these nonsense. !! But if things don't change in the next few months I will have to bite the bullet and go through the same process as you.
    below is poor boy waiting for us.
    I'm home! My repatriation to Thailand from Dubai during the COVID-19 restrictions-dog2-png
    Last edited by Buckaroo Banzai; 03-10-2020 at 08:44 PM. Reason: typo
    The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.

  25. #50
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    Mans best friend bro, for a reason..

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