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Where to get a tourist visa after a few years


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I would be grateful for some advice. I am 45. After 2 and a half years of mostly staying in Thailand on tourist visas (with a few excursions to Bali, and other local places) I received a red stamp in Penang 6 months ago saying it would probably be my last granted tourist visa. I plan to go back to Europe in the summer but it would be good to have one last 3 months in Thailand as I  live with a GF.  After I received that warning I went to Philippines for 2 weeks and applied. I showed proof of over $1K in my account. I got no problems. Visa granted. I have had a residual income from the web for over 16 years. My latest trip was to HK. The paper work just to apply was a nightmare. No blue bg on photos, 2 copies of arrival card. I showed proof of $1k in 2 accounts. The officer asked  me how I was supporting myself. I told him I had retired early and relied on passive income from my legal business. He asked if I was married. I told him my Thai GF was with me and we planned to get married. He said come back with a letter and her id. So I even brought her to the office. I showed printed documents of proof of Pay Pal payments due to me in subscriptions. I was turned down. Painful. I am now thinking of staying in Bali for a few weeks and trying again.

Edited by Khun Ed
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5 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

I would be grateful for some advice. I am 45. After 2 and a half years of mostly staying in Thailand on tourist visas

The answer is that you will find it increasingly difficult. A new passport might help but your history will be available to any immigration officer who may choose to ask about what you are doing in Thailand

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58 minutes ago, Khun Ed said:

Looks like this has been filed in the I dont give a shit folder. I'd prefer to read about Pattaya bar girls being strangled by someone called Kevin.

Savanakhet's been mentioned. Not sure if Vientiane is worth a pop.

 

When it comes to airport immigration, Don Meuang seems to have a higher rejection rate as it tends to be used by the lower-budget traveller whereas Suvarnabhumi seems to have a lower harassment level.

 

If you thought HKG was bad, don't even think about SIN. You've had success in Manila which is going against conventional wisdom. Saigon or Hanoi may be good alternatives though.

 

That's about it though... just another perpetual tourist between the proverbial Thai immigration rock and a hard spot for the next 5 years or so. As commented, it is likely to get tougher over these next 5 years so maybe bite the bullet and get the lowest-tier Thailand Elite whatsit?

 

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2 minutes ago, Khun Ed said:

Thanks. I spent 2 weeks in manilla before applying for a visa. I wonder if that helps? Elite is $10000 for 5 years right? The Savannakhet option I guess would get me 1 month as it's overland.

If you get a tourist visa in Savannakhet, and then enter Thailand by land, you get a 60-day permission to stay which can be extended for a further 30 days at an immigration office in Thailand on payment of 1,900 baht.

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5 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

Thanks. I spent 2 weeks in manilla before applying for a visa. I wonder if that helps? Elite is $10000 for 5 years right? The Savannakhet option I guess would get me 1 month as it's overland.

Actually, the cheapest Elite card is more like $16,000+....and if used right can be good for 6 years.

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10 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

Thanks. I spent 2 weeks in manilla before applying for a visa. I wonder if that helps? Elite is $10000 for 5 years right? The Savannakhet option I guess would get me 1 month as it's overland.

500,000 baht for 5 years

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Then stay in Bali for a few weeks and apply for a visa there the Thai Consulate is nice in Bali.

 

There is a chance you'll fall in love with Bali and forget about Thailand. Many have.

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15 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

Looks like this has been filed in the I dont give a shit folder. I'd prefer to read about Pattaya bar girls being strangled by someone called Kevin.


Hong Kong can sometimes be a bit tricky. 
 
Go to Vientiane, in Laos or Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, both of those places are easy to get a tourist visa in.   HCMC is the nicer city to visit, so I would go there.

 

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6 hours ago, mstevens said:

Actually, the cheapest Elite card is more like $16,000+....and if used right can be good for 6 years.

Make sure you guys are talking in same dollars. Can/Aus and US are miles/kilometers apart.

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11 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

Thanks.  However, I am in KL and there are no flights there

Laos is a bit of a backwater flying in unless you enter via Vietnam... or at least that was a good connection a few years back (via Laungprabang actually).

 

Have you checked the pinned topic on getting visas in the region to see how Yangon stacks up? There's direct flights from KL to Yangon, Saigon and (maybe) Hanoi too. Check all these for ease but I recall a fairly recent post that the staff at the RTE in Ho Chi Minh City were really nice, no stress with the bonus that a night and 2 days in Saigon is a lot more fun and cheaper than the same in KL.

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12 hours ago, BritTim said:
12 hours ago, Khun Ed said:

Thanks. I spent 2 weeks in manilla before applying for a visa. I wonder if that helps? Elite is $10000 for 5 years right? The Savannakhet option I guess would get me 1 month as it's overland.

If you get a tourist visa in Savannakhet, and then enter Thailand by land, you get a 60-day permission to stay which can be extended for a further 30 days at an immigration office in Thailand on payment of 1,900 baht.

FWIW, I've never gotten more than 30 days when arriving from Perth, Poi Phet or Pnomh Penh over the last 2 years. Is Savannakhet still giving 60 days? On my recent trip to Poi Phet, the immigration officer scolded me for coming to Thailand so often and he pointed out the notice printed on the wall saying that only two land entries per year are allowed.

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24 minutes ago, Kitmakmak said:

FWIW, I've never gotten more than 30 days when arriving from Perth, Poi Phet or Pnomh Penh over the last 2 years.

That is because you were entering without a visa and got a 30 day visa exempt entry.

If you apply for a single entry tourist visa at the Thai consulate in Savannakhet you will get 60 days when you enter the country.

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1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:
2 hours ago, Kitmakmak said:

FWIW, I've never gotten more than 30 days when arriving from Perth, Poi Phet or Pnomh Penh over the last 2 years.

That is because you were entering without a visa and got a 30 day visa exempt entry.

If you apply for a single entry tourist visa at the Thai consulate in Savannakhet you will get 60 days when you enter the country.

Thanks, good info

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On 4/22/2018 at 2:15 PM, Khun Ed said:

I received a red stamp in Penang 6 months ago saying it would probably be my last granted tourist visa.  ... After I received that warning I went to Philippines for 2 weeks and applied. I showed proof of over $1K in my account. I got no problems. Visa granted

You are very fortunate to have received that Tourist Visa given you had a red-stamp.  When you get a red-stamp, the best thing to do is immediately apply for a new passport from your Embassy in Thailand. 

With a new passport without any Thai Visas/stamps in it, the Thai-Consulates will treat you as a "new customer", instead of suspecting you of being one of the few odd-farang who wants to work under-the-table, being paid poverty-wages in Thailand "for fun."

 

On 4/22/2018 at 2:15 PM, Khun Ed said:

My latest trip was to HK. The paper work just to apply was a nightmare. No blue bg on photos, 2 copies of arrival card. I showed proof of $1k in 2 accounts. The officer asked  me how I was supporting myself. I told him I had retired early and relied on passive income from my legal business. He asked if I was married. I told him my Thai GF was with me and we planned to get married. He said come back with a letter and her id. So I even brought her to the office. I showed printed documents of proof of Pay Pal payments due to me in subscriptions. I was turned down.

It would appear they are either paying attention to the red-stamp (possibly on-orders from someone) and/or counting how many other visas you have.  The fact you have an independent income should matter, but they know we aren't here to work under-the-table for poverty wages.  The whole routine is just a show, while a real flood of actual cheap-labor is allowed into Thailand legally, to undermine the well-being of Thai people.

 

Others have mentioned Savannakhet.  I realize that may be difficult to get to from KL.  I don't know if we know for sure that HCMC would ignore the red-stamp and several other Thai stamps/visas. 

Have you used-up your 2 land-border entries for this calendar-year?  If not, you could enter via Pedang Besar by showing 20K Baht worth of cash.  Granted, just 30-days extendable for another 30-days, but could work until you can get a new passport.  Even Savannakhet is a bit risky, given the red-stamp, so I would go for the new passport immediately upon entry, so you have plenty of time to get it before your 30-days expires.

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Thanks for the advice. I havent used any 30 day entries for the last year which could be a good option in the short run.  With regards to the red stamp warning I have since successfully been granted a tourist visa in Manilla.

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On 22/04/2018 at 1:43 PM, BritTim said:

The sure thing for another tourist visa is Savannakhet. Going there also has the benefit that you will be reentering Thailand by land. Although entering with an actual visa by air should be OK, some officials at the airport would love to deny you entry for (in their opinion) staying too long as a tourist.

....But hasnt Savannakhet been more difficult to obtain a tourist visa than Vientianne in the last year or so?

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14 hours ago, SunsetT said:

....But hasnt Savannakhet been more difficult to obtain a tourist visa than Vientianne in the last year or so?

It has not been more difficult as long as you meet their requirements.

 

It is my suspicion that the Royal Thai Embassy Vientiane wants to be as accommodating as possible to those applying for tourist visas, but were instructed that they could not just hand them out without any controls at all. Thus, they introduced a limit on the number they would issue in Vientiane from a single applicant, using the red stamp to warn you that you would not get more from them. Vientiane is way too busy to start vetting documents to decide if more should be given. However, Savannakhet (which operates under the direction of Vientiane) was instructed to give applicants a solution. In Savannakhet, you must provide financial proof, but they ignore the red stamp as long as you meet their requirements. Vientiane (and Savannakhet) are as friendly as they are allowed to be.

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On 4/23/2018 at 2:58 PM, Khun Ed said:

With regards to the red stamp warning I have since successfully been granted a tourist visa in Manilla.

I received a Tourist Visa after a red-stamp in Savannakhet, showing all the docs, plane-ticket, etc.  Others have done similarly.  But I would advise folks to get a new passport ASAP after a red-stamp, rather than possibly waste a trip - because policy could change at any time.

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