Thai immigration launches new online 90 day reporting system. ASEAN NOW



 

Thailand's Immigration Bureau has announced the launch of a new online 90 day reporting system.

 

The new system, which went live on Dec 2, is available under the Online Services section of the Immigration Bureau's website, and by selecting TM47, which is the official name of the form used for 90 day reporting. 

 

To use the new online 90 day reporting system, foreigners must register here: https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add

 

Registration information must be submitted in English.

 

Once verified, a password will be sent to the registered email address (it took around 2 hours for us to receive the password - check your spam folder!)

 

Online 90 day reports can be used up to 15 days in advance of the date the 90 day report is due. 

 

Immigration says confirmation of the 90 day report should be returned within 3 days of it being submitted.

 

Foreigners can also use the same system to login and check the status of their application.

 

It should also be noted that the online 90 day reporting system can not be used if a foreigner is completing their first 90 day report, nor can it be used to complete the first 90 day report after receiving a new passport. 

 

In both instances, the foreigner needs to submit the 90 day report in person at their local immigration office. After that, they will be able to use the 90 day online system.

 

To coincide with the launch of the new online 90 day reporting system, the Immigration Bureau has also launched a new online appointment booking system, which allows foreigners to book an appointment at their local immigration office. 

 

Once selected, the appointment button gives users an option to select the region of the country where their nearest immigration office is located. 

 

At the time of writing, Bangkok Immigration (Division 1) was not listed in the online appointment system. It should also be noted the appointment system may not work if using a VPN.

 

 

Covid19 update December 3rd

 

Bangkok Post highlights 3/12



Entertainment venues reopening in January may be delayed again, Thai Prime Minister states - The reopening of nightlife entertainment venues nationwide may be delayed due to several concerns, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha stated at a press interview today, December 2nd. The Pattaya News

Entertainment venues reopening in January may be delayed again, Thai Prime Minister states

Thursday, 2 December 2021, 17:24

PHOTO: Prachachat

National –

The reopening of nightlife entertainment venues nationwide may be delayed due to several concerns, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O'Cha stated at a press interview today, December 2nd.

The Prime Minister apologized and said that the delay may be possible, at least for a month. He stressed that he did not neglect any nightlife business and tourism sectors and was not specifically targeting the sector but the government needs to weigh the possibility of more Covid outbreaks from nightlife and consider the situation based on the reports of public health experts.

Currently, bars, nightclubs, pubs, and similar entertainment venues, the entire nighttime economy, has been closed since early April. Some tourist areas like Phuket have been given exemptions for restaurants to sell alcohol, leading to some bars to become temporary restaurants with easily obtained temporary licenses, but for the most part the sector was legally closed. The sector had previously been considered to be opened by December first, that had been pushed back to January 16th several weeks prior, despite outcries from business owners.

Prayut stated: "We didn't want to become an ineffective government, everything we did was for the best. Therefore, the reopening might be delayed, probably about one month. We have to listen to the public health ministry and experts who are concerned about the sector and the Omicron variant and several other covid related concerns. Meanwhile, the cabinet has ordered related departments to consider financial support and remedies for these activities and businesses already."

PHOTO: Thansettakij

The Prime Minister's Office spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana also revealed to the Associated Press that the Prime Minister was satisfied with the overview of the vaccination process, adding that the number has reached 93,929,601 doses as of Thursday which was closer to the government's target of 100 million doses by the end of 2021.

The spokesperson said: "The number of vaccinations that had been carried out from February 28th to December 1st is satisfying as it is closing in on reaching the target of 100 million doses by the year-end. Meanwhile, the number of students aged 12-18 years who applied for the vaccinations was also more than expected."

"Despite the resolving situation of the Covid-19 in Thailand, the Prime Minister continued to urge related departments and agencies to keep an eye out for risk factors that could cause a new epidemic, including preventing illegal immigration and following up foreigners traveling from risky countries. Visitors who have traveled from such listed countries in southern Africa recently were being followed and requested for RT-PCR testing for preventive and proactive control."

PM calls urgent meeting to discuss Omicron variant. THERE will be an urgent meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) executive committee presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House tomorrow (Dec. 3) to discuss the Omicron variant of coronavirus that is spreading across the world from southern Africa, Thai Rath newspaper said this afternoon. – Thai Newsroom

PM calls urgent meeting to discuss Omicron variant

December 2, 2021  TNR Staff

THERE will be an urgent meeting of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) executive committee presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House tomorrow (Dec. 3) to discuss the Omicron variant of coronavirus that is spreading across the world from southern Africa, Thai Rath newspaper said this afternoon.

Mr. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said although the Covid situation in Thailand had improved Gen. Prayut cautiously instructed the security arm and other relevant agencies to head off risk factors that could trigger a new outbreak.

This involves both stopping illegal immigration as well as expediateing the tracking of foreigners who came to Thailand before the ban on travellers from eight southern African countries was imposed. These are Botswana, Estwatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, 

Altogether 738 travellers from southern Africa who came to Thailand before the ban was announced are urged to quickly contact the authorities for the RT-PCR Covid test.

The Prime Minister is satisfied with Covid vaccination drive as from Feb. 28 to Dec. 1 this year 93,929,601 doses of vaccines had been administered. First jabs totalled 48,594,537, second jab 41,827,020, third jab 3,490,779, and fourth jab 17,265.

This total is close to the goal of administering 100 million doses this year.

Progress had also been made in vaccinating students aged 12-18 years as from Oct. 4 to Nov. 30 this year 5,836,791 shots were given with this being higher than the overall number of students who had volunteered to receive the jabs.

Meanwhile the Public Health Ministry said early this morning that there were 4,971 new Covid cases and 33 deaths over the past 24 hours with this taking the cumulative confirmed total since April 1 to 2,096,866. 

Of the new batch of cases 4,599 emerged in surveillance and healthcare systems, 163 were found through proactive search in communities, 198 got infected in prisons and detention centres while 11 overseas travellers tested positive.

Another 5,402 patients have recovered taking total recoveries since April 1to 2,003,730 with 73,726 patients still undergoing treatment.

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 139 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, December 2ืnd. Pattaya News

Chonburi announces 139 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 and one new death

Thursday, 2 December 2021, 11:05

Highlights:

• 139 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Chonburi today

• 132 people recovered and were released from medical care

• 1 new death

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 139 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today with one new death, December 2ืnd.

This makes a total of 107,976 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 2,116 people still under medical care/supervision, and with a total of 762 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April.

Additionally, 132 people were also released and recovered yesterday in Chonburi. 105,098 people in total have now been released from medical care and recovered in Chonburi since this current wave of Covid-19 began.

Only two cases out of 2,116 were listed as being in serious condition in Chonburi currently, either on a ventilator or pneumonia.

The one new death was a 47-year-old man who was an alcoholic and had personal health problems and was not vaccinated.

In total, 1,842,297 people in Pattaya and Chonburi have received their first dose of a Covid -19 vaccine which is 79.10 percent of the total Chonburi population. Of those, 289,247 have received their first dose and are what the Thai government calls 608 groups (elders, have chronic health problems, and pregnant) which is 78.19 percent of those in these risk groups in Chonburi.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi 22, Si Racha 37, Banglamung (Pattaya) 43, Panat Nikhom 10, Sattahip 6, Ban Bueng 1, Phan Thong 5, Bor Thong 2, soldiers in Sattahip 3, and 10 people transferred from other provinces for medical care.

The details on the cases are as follows:

1. Cluster, soldiers in Sattahip, 3 cases
2. Work and stayed in Rayong, transferred from other provinces for medical care, 5 cases
3. Cluster, JSV Technical company in Phanthong, 5 cases
4. Risky occupations meeting many people, 1 cases
5. 1 medical personnel
6. Back from other provinces in Phatthalung – 1 case and Rayong – 1 case
7. Close contacts from previously confirmed cases in families – 34 cases, in workplaces – 35 cases, close friends – 9 cases and joined parties – 10 case
8. Close contact of a confirmed patient (under investigation), 9 cases
9. 26 close contacts of a confirmed patient (under investigation)

Government hunts for visitors from Africa. The Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Public Health are tracking about 783 African travellers who have entered Thailand since Nov 15. Phuket News / Bangkok Post



Government hunts for visitors from Africa

BANGKOK: The Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Public Health are tracking about 783 African travellers who have entered Thailand since Nov 15.

They are seeking to test them for the Omicron coronavirus variant in a move aimed at maximising public safety, reports the Bangkok Post.

The African visitors are believed to be in major tourist destinations including Bangkok and the authorities are trying to reach them and ask that they undergo a test to find out if they have the new strain, national police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk said.

"Don't panic. The police are urgently working together with the Ministry of Public Health [to take care of this matter]," he said.

The immigration police and the ministry are also maximising COVID-19 control measures at the airports in the face of escalating health threats reportedly brought about by the new variant, he said.

Security authorities are also heightening border security measures to curb illegal border crossing through natural trails in the border provinces, he said, adding a rising number of illegal migrants had been detained.

From Nov 15 until last Saturday, a total of 333 people from eight southern African countries, currently banned by several countries from entering, have entered Thailand, said Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Thailand has also imposed a similar travel ban on visitors from these countries, starting yesterday (Dec 1), he said.

Of the 333 people, three had already left Thailand.

He said 23 of them had been contacted through mobile phone texting and requested to undergo an RT-PCR test for COVID-19.

The test is being offered for free at state-run hospitals, he said.

For more information about this specific COVID-19 testing requirement, the African visitors are encouraged to call the hotline 1442, he said.

Those who refuse to comply with this requirement may face legal action for violating Thailand's communicable disease control law, he said.

Since Nov 15, Thailand has also begun imposing a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine on travellers from these eight African countries, he said.

For Thai nationals who returned from any of these African nations from Nov 15 until last Saturday and could not afford the cost of the quarantine service at a hotel, they were allowed to undergo COVID-19 quarantine at the state-run Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute instead, he said.

More than 100 people who have previously arrived in Thailand from other countries also considered at-risk zones for the Omicron variant are also being required to undergo a repeat RT-PCR test.

Citing updates reported at yesterday's meeting of the ministry's emergency operations centre, he said most symptoms of infection from the Omicron variant remain similar to common symptoms of infection from the older variants including muscle pains.

However, even though there still have not been any reports about severe illness linked to the Omicron variant infection, several deaths linked to this strain have already been recorded, he said.

As for the expected faster transmission of the new variant, he said, there has yet to be any proof to confirm this speculation, he said.

As for now, he said, being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is still the best defence against catching the disease.

On 30 November, the cabinet has approved that all people entering the country via Test&Go scheme must take the RT-PCR test as usual. This was considered as our precaution to cope with new COVID-19 variants in concern. However, these measures are subject to change at any time, depends on the Covid-19 situation. So all travelers are recommended to closely follow the news regarding this matter. PRD

 On 30 November, the cabinet has approved that all people entering the country via Test&Go scheme must take the RT-PCR test as usual. This was considered as our precaution to cope with new COVID-19 variants in concern. 

However, these measures are subject to change at any time, depends on the Covid-19 situation. So all travelers are recommended to closely follow the news regarding this matter.



Covid19 update December 2nd.

 

Bangkok Post highlights 2/12

 

CCSA English briefing on Wednesday, 1 December 2021 (Unofficial translation). Richard Barrow



 CCSA English briefing on Wednesday, 1 December 2021 (Unofficial translation)

1. Update on Thailand Pass and measures for travelers entering the country

1.1 As of 9 am today, we have logged a total of 337,988 applications on the Thailand Pass system.  

Of that number, a total of 268,799 have been approved, of which 138,375 were auto approved.

1.2 During 1-30 November 2021, 133,061 travelers entered Thailand. Of this number, the majority, or 106,211 travelers entered via the Test and Go, or Quarantine Exemption Scheme. 21,438 entered via the Sandbox scheme, and 5,412 entered with quarantine.

1.3 The majority of international travelers come from these top ten countries of origin, namely, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Russia, Japan, France, the Republic of Korea, the UAE and Israel.

1.4 The cabinet has approved that the on-arrival RT-PCR Covid test is still required for all people entering the country as preventive measure to cope with the new COVID-19 variants.

1.5 Therefore, the newly adjusted measures for travelers entering Thailand on 3 schemes starting from 16 December onwards are as follows; 

- Upon arrival in Thailand, travelers on Test & Go scheme are required to take RT-PCR test as usual,

- Travelers entering Thailand via Sandbox scheme are required to stay within the Sandbox zone for only 5 days, instead of 7 days. The only adjustment is the quarantine period while other measures remain unchanged,

- The shortened quarantine period is also applied to travelers on Alternative Quarantine (AQ). Fully- vaccinated travelers are required to spend 5 days in quarantine and those who are not fully vaccinated are required to spend 10 days in quarantine. 

* The aforementioned measures are NOT applied to travelers from Africa

2. Vaccination Progress

2.1 Yesterday, Thailand administered 573,073 doses of vaccines, increasing the accumulated number of vaccinations to more than 93 million doses.

2.2. Approximately 67.1 percent of Thailand's population have now received their first dose, and 57.6 percent (or more than 41 million people) have now received their second dose. 

3. General Situation

3.1 The number of new cases is 4,886 cases with 6,326 new recoveries. The number of accumulated cases stands at 2,120,758 cases. There are 43 new fatalities, with the accumulated total at 20,814 cases. 

3.2 The current top ten provinces with most COVID-19 cases per day are Bangkok (794), Songkhla (270), Surat Thani (240), Nakhon Si Thammarat (204), Chonburi (198), Chiang Mai (171), Samut Prakarn (140), Pattani (119), Prachuap Khiri Khan (117) and Chumphon (100).

4. Bangkok's Measures Adjustment 

4.1 In Bangkok, 9,196 restaurants, facilities and establishments in service sector are qualified according to SHA Standard (Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration - SHA). For SHA plus standard requiring the vaccination for employees, there are 1,679 establishments qualified.

4.2 However, there remain some establishments need to improve their services and other related activities in order to reach SHA or SHA plus standard. Especially establishments selling alcohol are seriously required to have SHA standard in the future. 

4.3 The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) announced that from 1 December onwards, drinking alcohol at restaurants will be allowed to continue until 23.00 hrs. However, the entertainment venues will remain close until 31 December 2021 or any further notice.

4.4 Restaurants and establishments which sell alcohol have to be qualified under SHA standard. 

4.5 Games, competition and other activities can now resume but the organizer needs to receive a permission from the Ministry of Public Health before any activities can be held.

5. Update on the Omicron Variant 

5.1 Due to the public concern about the effectiveness of the RT-PCR test to detect the new COVID-19 variant "Omicron", the public health authorities have now confirmed that the RT-PCR method is still capable of detecting the new variant and the method is still in use globally.

5.2 As of today, the Department of Medical Sciences has not yet discovered the Omicron variant from the samples collected since Thailand's reopening to international visitors on November 1.

5.3 In the case of the spread of the Omicron variant in Thailand, it will be quickly detected and dealt with because of 15 medical sciences centres under the Department of Medical Sciences are ready to better focus on the Omicron variant now. 

5.4 The Deputy Public Health Minister urged the public not to panic and emphasized that the prime minister has ordered security agencies to intensify border surveillance to prevent illegal border crossings to help keep the virus at bay.

5.5 Also, the government has instructed relevant agencies to monitor the situation closely. Measures will be reviewed based on new information coming in and tougher measures will be quickly considered if there is any urgent case. 

Full CCSA English briefing can be viewed here >>> https://www.facebook.com/thailandprd/videos/357630166129474

Source: CCSA, MOPH and Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)