I think we will all know more once pfizer J&J and moderna release their study. It is inevitable that Thailand will allow vaccinated people in without quarantine. As eventually most people will be vaccinated and eventually quarantines will end. The mRNA vaccines seem to block transmission. You may thinking of the oxford vaccine which they originally theorized stopped illness but not transmission.

The STV may be a little expensive, with the requirements for Insurance for at least 90 days and the requirements for Quarantine for 15 days. You will also need to provide a marriage certificate if you wish to share a room for quarantine. I understand there is some discussion about eliminating the quarantine for people who are vaccinated. In Illinois I have no idea will allow normal people to receive the vaccine. May I suggest you wait to see if you can get vaccinated and or do a Visa Exempt, since you plan on moving on to Mandalay anyway. A Visa Exempt will get you 75 days with the extension you still need insurance and ASQ but overall will be less expensive and complicated than a STV. Thank you for your service in the Peace Corp

Sorry, I did not pay attention to the location. However it may be worth it for a trip to Bangkok for Christmas, the hotels are reasonable now and the decorations are very nice at the malls and in the neighborhoods

Holy Rosary Church near River City. Mass in English, Thai and Mandarin. Beautiful Church home to many Mainland Catholic Refugees. Great area to walk around

@Jp ******

Yes, I am a USA citizen and I have a savings account in Baht and Dollars. The Citi Thailand Debit card will allow me to withdraw in the USA in Dollars. The advantage of Citi Thailand is I can transfer money from Citi USA in about 1 hour without a fee and now I can transfer to my Bangkok Bank account instantaneously. Also I can transfer money back to Citi USA online in about 1 hour.

If you are using Citibank Thailand they will send you a US 1099 on the interest and withhold Thai Taxes which you can claim as a credit on your USA income taxes. For Citibank, you are not required to file a FBAR. Bangkok Bank will not issue a US 1099 on the interest and will withhold Thai taxes. You should still report the interests on your 1040 and claim the credit for Thai Taxes. For Bangkok Bank you will need to file a FBAR if you have a balance greater than $10,000 at year end