I also applied for mine on the 17th Aug from London and they approved it on the 21st - happy for you and very pleased to have got mine.

On the Thai embassy site in the Uk it states 3 months prior but I would say anytime as it’s valid for 5 years

@Max ************

I did have money in the account. I’ve been coming to thailand for 30 years so not a rookie but during covid they shut my and others I know accounts and didn’t refund any of us. Their pov accounts hadn’t been used for 2 years. We all explained we had been in Europe on lockdown but they said their decision was final. So I won’t be going back to them anytime soon. With what they are doing atm re accounts it’s proven us all right

@Max ************

I have a rental apartment in Pattaya for ten years and spend 2 months a year here and usually bring cash. Now I’m staying for 6 months so need another method as you can’t get a bank account on a dtv visa and a bank closed my last one during covid

If you have had both vaccinations then according to the science, sadly you may still be able to pass the virus on, you can still be a carrier and spreader of it according to the information available so far, so I don’t see any change to the quarantine in any country just yet until the testing gets faster and more accurate.

Every countries governments aim is to entice interested investors and thus money, they also know that those type of people do spend large amounts of money, the Uk is no different that’s why we sold half of London’s Belgravia to the Russians a decade ago. The government in Thailand have been slowly heading this way for a number of years. Yes it’s tough for many Thais at the moment and it won’t get better anytime soon. Thailand is changing and looking to get rid of the sex industry, they don’t like the tag, that’s fair comment as no country would. it’s happening and people will either have to meet the requirements or find themselves another country that will offer the same as Thailand used too.

I fear your right bobby

@Pascal *******

the things I’ve noticed is 8 months ago we found out about COVID on a worldwide basis. At that time we didn’t have anything as a race to test or trace, in 6 months we have a number of tests and some promising signs of better faster and safer testing to come, as this develops then yes quarantine times will reduce, month by month things are getting better on the scale and management of the virus. So I would expect a slow easing as test and trace becomes faster and more accurate, until then, pay the money, sit the quarantine and enjoy, or don’t and wait. It’s that simple. I also believe Thailand will make the ability to retire a lot easier going forward as long term retirees will spend all their hard earned there if they live there and this however small is a lot more over a year than the 2 week tourists would spend

@Peter *******

your right as unless you are on their approved list there is no way of getting in. The Uk and many other countries are not so tough for anyone wanting to come out. Now they are focusing on new money from foreign COVID controlled countries, Chinese investors are the first, their plane lands this week. Thailand are trying to clean their reputation up by cleaning up the country of its sex tourist past. It’s been happening behind the scenes for many years now, COVID gave the government what they needed to ramp that up. They still want tourists but not the ones that use Thailand as a sex holiday, yes they will never totally get rid of it but I think in a few years and the right planning the country will be a more upmarket destination / area, a little like Malaysia or Indonesia re beach resorts and attitude towards western holiday / retirees. Just what I read in the TG and others that are linked to their longer term plans.

Just now the statement from the Thai government in the Uk