Thailand move happened on 26 Dec 2021,
exactly 4 months after we left our home in Myanmar on 27 Aug 2021.
Just to recap a bit,
Due to visa renewal issues for Mister, we could no longer stay in Myanmar. His employer moved him from their Myanmar branch to the Bangkok HQ. However, preparing work visa documents and getting approval require 3-4 months time and we didn't want to risk overstaying that long in Myanmar so we moved to Singapore while waiting for all paperwork to be settled. Bureaucracy is challenging to navigate as it is. When you add in Covid, it just gets tougher so below guide will hopefully make your life easier a tad bit if you are considering moving to Thailand.
Step 1: Company based in Thailand will have to prepare all documents and submit at the Ministry of Labour. You will have to provide a couple of documents such as university degree certificate and letters from your previous employers. After obtaining an approval letter from the Ministry of Labour, Thailand employer will mail all original documents with stamp and signature to your address outside Thailand.
Step 2: Purchase air tickets, insurance as well as Test & Go hotel package inclusive of airport transfer, on arrival PCR test and meals. Take passport photos if you don't have one ready. Apply for vaccination health certificate with QR codes from the Ministry of Health (of the country where you are vaccinated in).
Step 3: Complete online visa application form and submit all supporting documents at the Thai Embassy website. Do note that you need to fill in 1 application for each passport. If you are the work permit applicant and your wife is applying as dependent, you will still need to submit online application for both of you, in 2 applications. Below link is for the Thai embassy based in Singapore. http://visaonline.thaiembassy.sg/
Step 4: After the officer has reviewed all documents submitted online and deemed acceptable, they will give you a date to visit the embassy in person. On that day, you need to submit passport, photo, printed visa application form, all supporting documents and the S$100 fees for Single-Entry Non-Immigrant Visa-B. The embassy based in Singapore only accepts new applications on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. During the embassy visit, the officer will again ensure your documents are complete, then give you a date for collection of passport with visa stamp. At that point, you can apply for Thai Pass, make appointment for pre-departure PCT test and purchased excess baggage if there is a need to.
Step 5: Collect passport, pack your bags and of course, make sure to do the PCR test 72 hours before departure. Then sit back and pray for negative results.
Step 6: Fly off! Remember to bring printed copies of air tickets, insurance, Thai Pass QR, vaccination certificate QR as well as Test & Go hotel package.
Step 7: Upon arrival in Thailand, the process is similar to pre-Covid except the additional health checkpoint and Thai Pass checkpoint. When you reach arrival hall, look for the concierge holding your hotel's name and you will be driven straight to the hotel, where Day 1 on-arrival PCR test will be conducted. You are free to go out after you receive negative result the next day. As the Covid situation keeps evolving, the Day 5 requirement kept changing though - from self-administered antigen test kit to PCR at the government recognised facilities to PCR and quarantine at the approved hotels.
Step 8: Single-Entry Non-Immigrant Visa-B we received was valid for 90 days. During this time, the Thai employer will have to submit all documents including copies of your passport to the Ministry of Labour to apply for Work Permit. Upon getting an appointment to visit in person, you have to bring your passport and departure card you receive on the plane during the trip to Thailand. You will have to take photo and sign in front of the officer, and can receive a digital copy of Work Permit a few minutes later. We did ours at the Chamchuri Square office. The authorities will also stamp both Stay Extension & Re-entry Permit (multiple) in your passport, with reminder to do 90 day reporting.
Phew what a process! The first thing we did after acquiring work permit was opening a bank account at the Kasikorn Bank. Other establishments worth considering are Bangkok Bank and SCB due to their wide network and easy to use apps. On top of taking grab taxis or ordering food deliveries, even night market vendors and Chatuchak market sellers accept QR code payment so having a bank account will make your life tremendously easier. However, if you need to do online shopping before getting a bank account, Shopee offers cash on delivery option. The downside is someone needs to be at home all the time to receive deliveries and make payments.
During the first month, we were staying in the serviced apartment as it was quite hard to find a landlord willing to sign long term rental contract without us presenting work permit. Although we started shortlisting condominiums, the serious viewing of rental places began after receiving work permit as the landlords require it during contract signing. After deciding on the rental unit, we did research on the reputable Internet service provider as well as drinking water delivery for that area. We eventually settled on AIS for Internet service and Sprinkle for drinking water. We also converted our tourist SIM cards to a post-paid service.
Since we just arrived in Thailand without furnitures or any bulky items really, there wasn't a need to engage a professional mover service. We just called GrabVan (~2.5 times higher fare then JustGrab) which came less than 30 minutes after we have confirmed the booking. Shopee was my best friend for the first week of moving into a rental condo as the app has everything I needed!
So far, we are enjoying our life here - AIS Internet is reliable, Sprinkle weekly water delivery has been dependable, Lotus supermarket, yoga studio, foot massage and BTS station are within 5 minute walk from our condo.
Here is wishing you a smooth relocation process as well!
Adios!
xoxo
Miss N
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