CoE Application Thailand: Visa duration

 After the previous blog about applying for the Visa, now we would like to share about the CoE.

This CoE stands for Certificate of Entry. We applied it in two sequential phases: the pre-approval and approval phases. In this approval, you have to have your Passport, Visa, reference letter applying for a working permit (in my case, I used WP3), medical insurance. Then in the second phase is the approval, we need to add the booking flight confirmation and the hotel booking for quarantine.

I think all was straight forward and the website gives very detailed directions on how to do it. It will be easy even for a first-timer like me. However, we would like to share more about the medical insurance/ travel insurance that we have to submit in the application. We were confused about the needed duration of the insurance that we needed to buy. To be honest, we did concern about this as we have to apply for all family members (4 of us). I could imagine we need to spend quite a fortune. And after we do check the price, the country where we come from, Malaysia, the price is higher than if you come from Germany. The price is almost twice if you go from Malaysia for the same duration of time. Due to this, we asked the embassy through a Facebook fan page. The admin was very helpful and gave us prompt response. 

We can buy for three months instead of a year (as mentioned by a few websites and youtube) to submit the CoE. So it saved us some fortune to spending on others things. Although the company will reimburse this, we have to spend our money first. So the problem was solved. Thank you to everyone who supported us.

Disclaimer: Please do check again with the embassy, as the policy may change. I just shared what we had, and it may differ from others' situations. 

  

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Share: Visa Application

Halo There!

We got our car sold, now it is time for us to share how we apply for the Visa. And due to this pandemic, there is also another document called CoE (Certificate of Entry). Both have to be issued consequently. CoE can be given once we get the Visa issued. 

The first thing first is to issue the Visa. The Visa or working permit for a single entry only (similar as I have when working in Malaysia). This temporary operating permit visa has 3 months duration. The issuance process was very rapid and smooth. I have all the required documents sent by the company then I did add few requirements such as based on this list:

1. Filled Visa Application Form (which is downloadable from the Thai Embassy website). I applied B Visa and O Visa.
2. A Copy of Passports, 
3. A copy of the Birth Certificate (for dependant child), 
4. A copy of the marriage certificate (for dependant spouse).
5. Visa Photo to be attached in the form.
6. Documents provided by the company (Working permit application from Thailand authority, other additional documents I just submitted at the counter).
7. Cash to pay the application (each of us paid RM320 that time)
8. Book an appointment date and time online

Once the day had come, we drove there using our car (it has not been sold yet). We parked in the Ampang Mall, which is very convenient and safe as well. Cars were parking on the street beside the embassy. However, we found that it has no parking sign. So the Ampang mall is the best option we have. We paid RM3 for parking using a Touch n Go card only. 

We came at the same time as we arrived, so our name was called in the monitor at the same time once we entered the building. The staff is also amiable as we have all the required forms and documents. So no hassle, and it took us less than 30 mins as the team needed to check and do the transactions. While giving us the payments receipts, the staff recommended we book a slot to collect the Visa on the next working day. So we booked the collection for Monday (We submitted it on Friday). The collection time is after 2.30 pm. 

And we had our Visa on Monday at 2.30pm. The collection only took us less than 10 mins. It was so smooth and very efficient.

Foto oleh Porapak Apichodilok dari Pexels

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Selling Our Car in Malaysia

 As I promised in the previous post, I will try to share my stories on how to sell a car in Malaysia.

As a background, we had a car in Malaysia. We bought this car as we need a car to mobilise from one place to another in this pandemic. Previously we used to grab and public transportation, which we found that they are very convenient. 

So, long story shorts, we bought a new car in December 2020. We bought a new car as, after considerations, a new car is the best option. We are foreigners, we have not known about the maintenance and so on in Malaysia. We also found that the new year manufactured car has a slightly different price from the used car. So we looked for a Perodua Bezza, a manufactured year that is not older than 2017. surprisingly, the price is not much different with a new Proton Saga.

Comparing our cash flow, needs, and availability, we chose a new Proton Saga Premium 2019. It is a brand new car. We had a sales agent contact and conducted all the transactions and paperwork online. After we paid the booking fee and paid the price of the car a week after, we received the car in three weeks. I still remember it was on 12 December 2020, the sales agent contacted us that the car was ready. We were happy with the car and the quality of the car. 

After 7 months, we have decided that we are moving to Bangkok to taking an opportunity to work there. Selling the car is the only option. It was very challenging as the car is under hire purchase. Not many banks can provide a hire purchase for a used car proton to the buyer. The best option for the buyer was a personal loan. However, it will be slightly more expensive to have a personal loan compared to the hire purchase. So because of this reason, the first potential buyer cancelled the deal.

Alhamdulillah, on the same day of the cancellation, a new potential buyer would like to see the car. And I do believe that finding a car is like destiny. You have to be destined to own the car. Alhamdulillah the second potential buyer agreed with the price, and the best thing he agreed to buy it with cash payment. Once the payment had been made, I did the settlement for hire purchase in the Bank. It was an instant procedure. I went to the bank on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the JPJ e-battle was confirmed. I did ask the bank through an email.

Before the settlement, on Monday, I went to the Puspakom to obtain the B5 form (Transfer of Ownership). I did fail the first test as the windows film was too dark. Please do follow the regulation from JPJ. I removed the front windows films (inc the windshield) by myself. It was a fun thing to do, but I really care about the sticky residue left on the surface. If I know this may happen, I prefer not to install any windows film in front of the car and the windshield. But the options are from your preference. I asked guarantee from the Shop who installed the windows film. They only guarantee if the car stopped on the road, not in the puspakom. This is a new thing for me as a foreigner who has a car in Malaysia.

Source: https://paultan.org/2019/05/07/new-window-tint-ruling-for-malaysian-vehicles-darker-rear-windows-now-allowed-rm5k-fee-if-complete-car/

Then, we also need to go to JPJ to transfer ownership. This has to be easy work; however c, we need to arrange an online appointment only in this pandemic. With the new feature of the scheduling, the system was so intuitive. The buyer and I chose the earliest slot available, and it took us to do the transfer in Cheras. It is quite far from our place, but it is all right as we need to wrap it asap. We got a week to wait until the appointment. It was an instant process and very fast. Bring your passport and a copy of it. That's it. The buyer should pay the transfer of ownership. Once everything is settled, all done. The car is now in the buyer's possession. We do have to return the tax tag, and the insurance is cancelled as well. 

So if we are willing to buy a used car, we have to be prepared with insurance on hand before buying the road tax. 

So that is how it has been done if I could summarise the process:

1. Obtain a B5 Puspakom

2. Settle the hire purchase in the Bank

3. Set the appointment date with JPJ

4. Transfer Ownership in JPJ

I hope this may help. Alhamdulillah, in my case, Allah sent me a potential buyer that willing to pay the car in cash. So it had been an easy process for me. 

Extra: Our previous Proton Saga

source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTZ62jAp2vpXODBocQfiQlZgp96mSk48DQAA9Q0/

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A Journey to Bangkok

 Alhamdulillah.

Yesterday we reached a milestone in our life. We were reallocated to Thailand. It is Bangkok mainly. I have started working for a big company in Thailand on 1st September 2021. I have begun worked remotely and was expecting to move physically to Bangkok by early September.

However, our plan was adjusted from early September to 10th September yesterday. We had to sort out paperwork, such as the tax clearance, working permit clearance and EPFwithdrawal. It all happened in the same week as our departure to Bangkok. It was a challenge, and it has been an adventure for us.

This is the first time we have moved all together from a country to another country. We were not expecting that it would be this challenging. We sorted out how we sold our car there. We manage to find a shipping company to do the sea freight service to us, visa application, exit clearance from the previous company, settle down the housing tenancy, scheduling the departure to our destination.

Due to this pandemic, the challenges were also unavoidable, such as the PCR Swab test for our pre-departure. We had to pay some amount of money to obtain travel insurance to grant the Certificate of Entry. Alhamdulillah, Allah is the Greatest. His assistance has lead us to our situation today. We arrived at the hotel in the evening and sorted all of the journeys with our two children.

I will try to put each of the processes into detail to share what we did and how we managed to do it. 

Alhamdulillah. We are also grateful how Allah managed everything for us...

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