@Barry ******
not apply but to get it issued you do:
While Thailand still puts in place travel restriction, work permit holders who wish to return to Thailand can apply for the Certificate of Entry. The decision will be made in Bangkok by a committee comprising relevant authorities and this process takes time.
Required documents, which must be submitted by email to
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:
Your passport copy
A copy of your Thai visa (if already expired, you have to apply for a new one)
A copy of your work permit (even if it is already expired, which you have to extend in Thailand), or a copy of letter of permission to work in Thailand from a Thai government agency
A copy of letter from your employer (or yourself if you own a company) that you need to return to work in Thailand
Declaration form, duly completed and signed
A copy of your health insurance policy with coverage including COVID-related treatment in Thailand in the amount no less than 100,000 USD (or a company letter certifying that they will pay for your medical expenses including COVID-19)
All non-Thai passengers will be subject to a 14-day quarantine at their own expenses at one of the facilities for Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) that have been approved by the Thai authorities. The reservation can be made later and need not be submitted at this stage.
"Once approved, you will be duly notified. Then, you would need to (1) book a flight, (2) book an ASQ hotel, and (3) prepare a fit to fly health certificate within 72 hours before departure that you are free from COVID-like symptoms, and send a copy to the Embassy to issue a certificate of entry to Thailand."
So you can apply without it but to get the certificate you need the Covid test result and fit to fly. Which means you are at the whim of the embassy dependant on how long their turnaround time (with so many expats trying to get back to their families and teachers trying to get back to their schools) is going to be. So it is wise to budget for a second test because if the CoE takes more than 60 hours turnaround you then have to face immigration officers on arrival in the kingdom with a Covid and fit to fly over the 72 hour limit because most of the flights from London are currently around 34 hours.