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Thai Border Running: "Bureaucracy Has Now Vanished"?
Transcript of the above video:
As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Border Runs again. It has been a major topic of conversation especially among the Expat community here the past few weeks, so something to something to currently think about. There has been a lot of talk about how easy Border Runs are at the moment. I think that is probably true but as I have noted in other videos, time will tell. This is early days right now. We are just passed October 1; the Emergency Decree has been lifted; Border Running is now possible again so take what I am saying right at this moment with a bit of a grain of salt because I suspect a couple of months from now things are not going to be precisely the same.
In any event, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Pattaya Visa runs to Cambodian border now "much easier". I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article; a lot of info in there. I am going to quote a small piece of it. Quoting: "During the COVID crisis, Border Runs were mostly off limits or required two or more nights of accommodation on the Cambodian side whilst applications and health records were checked. The Bureaucracy has now vanished." Yeah, essentially the Emergency Decree ended; Border Runs are possible again and we are basically back to status quo ante COVID. We are back to where we were first quarter 2020. It is possible to cross the border, it is possible to cross back in. There is not all this cumbersome paperwork, there is no Thailand Pass, no Certificate of Entry, no requirements to do testing, no requirement to remain in a hotel room for any period of time before you can cross back over or cross in. All of that has effectively gone so yeah, in a sense that Bureaucracy has vanished. The Bureaucracy that was there quarter one of 2020 is still there; immigration checkpoints etc. but as far as "have we kind of reverted back to what we had before?" It looks like it. Now bear in mind, things may change. I kind of doubt they will any time in the immediate future but hopefully this will continue to be the case as things proceed.