Return process for the Thai berry pickers and the support staff to Thailand after the wild berry picking season 2020 in Finland ends

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1.  The Finnish berry companies shall instruct the Thai berry pickers and the Thai support staff to fill the registration form designated by the Royal Thai Embassy (can be downloaded at http://www.thaiembassy.org/helsinki/contents/images/text_editor/files/ThaiApp.pdf), and the companies shall submit the duly completed registration forms at the Embassy or send them by hand or by post which shall be at the Embassy by 1 September 2020

2.  In accordance to item 9 of Letter of Agent Authorised to Protect Thai Berry Pickers to Finland of the Season 2020 in the Situation of COVID-19 designated by the Department of Employment of Thailand and signed by the respective representative(s) of the Finnish berry companies, the Finnish berry companies shall arrange chartered flights to send the Thai berry pickers and the Thai support staff back to Thailand. The Finnish berry companies shall also contact the Embassy to get a flight permission for the said chartered flight which will take around 1 - 2 weeks.

3.  The Finnish berry companies shall inform the Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki of the dates and times when they desire to send the Thai berry pickers and the Thai support staff back    to Thailand to the email address [email protected] by 1 September 2020. The Embassy will consider the Finnish berry companies’ proposed flight schedule to send the said Thai nationals back to Thailand on the “First Arrives, First Returns” basis. The Finnish berry companies should not make the payment for the chartered flight before receiving the approval from the Embassy. In this connection, the Embassy will facilitate the Finnish berry companies to send their Thai berry pickers and support staffs back to Thailand by coordinating with the Thai authorities concerned and asking for flight permission to enter Thailand for 2 chartered flights a week during the working hours (08.30 – 16.30 hrs.), either Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday, except Tuesday 13 October and Friday 23 October 2020 which are the Thai public holidays. The first chartered flight will be on Friday 2 October 2020.

4.  The Finnish berry companies shall confirm with the Royal Thai Embassy about the names and details of the Thai berry pickers and the Thai support staff who will be on the return flights arranged by the companies by completing the form designated by the Embassy and submitting the duly completed forms (can be downloaded at  http://www.thaiembassy.org/helsinki/en/services/11032/120832-Form-for-berry-pickers.html) to the email address [email protected] by 1 September 2020.  

5.  The Finnish berry companies shall arrange the Thai berry pickers and the Thai support    staff who will travel back to Thailand to get COVID-19 test by RT-PCR test not later than     3 days before the departure date. The medical certificate shall specify that the Thai berry picker who gets a test is free from COVID-19 (COVID-19 negative or not detected) and is     Fit to Fly.  The said medical certificate shall be issued not more than 72 hours prior to    the flight’s departure time.

6.  The Royal Thai Embassy will issue a Certificate of Entry (COE) to each Thai berry picker and Thai support staff who will get on board the chartered flight arranged by the Finnish berry companies. In this regard, the Embassy will prepare the draft COEs and the Finnish berry companies shall collect the said draft COEs for the said Thai nationals at the Embassy either on 14 or 15 September 2020 (by appointment only). After the draft COEs have been checked and signed by the Thai wild berry pickers and Thai support staffs, the companies shall submit the said draft COEs to the Embassy by hand or by post which shall be at the Embassy by 23 September 2020.  The COEs will be given to the said Thai berry pickers and the Thai support staff through the representatives of the Finnish berry companies before their departure and only when they are able to show the medical certificate in item 5.  

7.  On the departure date, each Thai berry pickers and Thai support staff shall have          6 important documents to show to the consular official at the check-in counter at Helsinki international airport. Those are passport, air ticket, certificate of entry, the certificate      of COVID test which shows “negative” or “not detected” result, doctor’s certificate of     Fit-to-Fly and the confirmation of Alternative State Quarantine in Thailand.  If the Thai berry pickers and Thai support staff can show all documents, they will get their boarding passes and proceed to the gate for departure. The passenger with the insufficient documents will be rejected to get on board.

Remarks: The Thai berry picker who has positive or detectable result of COVID-19 test or will not be allowed to return to Thailand.  In the meanwhile, the responsible Finnish berry company shall provide the sick Thai berry picker with health care or medical treatment until he/she recovers from sickness and can return to Thailand.  The responsible Finnish berry company shall take care of all expenses in this case, including the accommodation, meals    as well as fee for extending his/her visa during the sick Thai berry picker’s stay in Finland.    This is in accordance with item 4 of the Commitments of the Company which invite wild berry pickers from Thailand, season 2020 signed by the respective representative of the Finnish berry companies which is the additional requirements and integral part of the Letter of Intent (LoI).

If you have any question, please call 050 5903560 or email: [email protected]

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                                             Royal Thai Embassy, Helsinki

                                                21 August 2020