Despite errors, over 65,000 have applied for Thailand Pass

Neill FrondePublished: 11:14, 05 November 2021| Updated: 11:14, 05 November 2021

220 1 minute read

Despite errors, over 65,000 have applied for Thailand Pass — Thai Embassy/ dk photography unsplash

PHOTO: 65,000 people have applied for the new Thailand Pass. (via Thai Embassy/ dk photography unsplash)

Despite a rash of technical issues, in just 4 days since launching the Thailand Pass, over 65,000 people have applied for it in order to reenter Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the figures yesterday and stated that 13,000 people have already been approved in the new scheme.

From November 1 until yesterday morning, 65,338 applications for the Thailand Pass were submitted online, and 12,607 were approved so far, according to the Director-General of the Department of Information at the Ministry.

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The Foreign Affairs Ministry is working now with help from the Digital Government Development Agency to make improvements to the website and application process, noting that they have just launched official support for applying via mobile devices. While they did acknowledge that the system, like most Covid-19 related websites the government has launched, did experience some hiccups and technical issues, they attributed these problems to “external interferences”.

A Minister working with the office of the Prime Minister agreed that there were some issues with the online registration process for the Thailand Pass, but said that these problems have already been addressed and rectified.

The Thailand Pass was launched as the replacement for the Certificate of Entry process that international travellers complained was unnecessarily complex and slow and discouraged people from coming to Thailand. But many also maintain that this revamp was putting lipstick on a pig and the Thailand Pass is only a slight improvement that still requires complex documentation and waiting for approval.

The web-based application process does streamline the problematic CoE procedures, collecting documentation by allowing users to upload their travel and health paperwork as a JPEG image file and get approved online for their entry documents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said that their website will be kept up-to-date on most current rules for entry and frequently asked questions. To apply for a Thailand Pass online, travellers can go to tp.consular.go.th.

Neill Fronde

Neill is a journalist from the United States with 10+ years broadcasting experience and national news and magazine publications. He graduated with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of California and has been living in Thailand since 2014.