Going to Ho Chi Minh City for visa

[chowny77]

I will be flying early Mondy morning to Ho Chi Minh City to obtain a Non-O Ed visa for the degree I am studying for. I was just wondering if anyone could give a heads-up on what to expect regarding with the consulate. Plus any tips on where is best to eat or just hang out as I will have some time to kill before my room is available after being processed. Luckily the place I will be staying will send a taxi for me and it will drop me off at the consulate once I exit arrivals. I did read something about having to pay in US dollars for the Thai visa, just would like to confirm if this is still the case. Any advice would be appreciated. 

Edited February 20, 2019 by chowny77

[BritManToo]

Hotels around September 23 Park are nice, plenty of places to eat and drink.

Don't forget to try Highlands Coffee for a very reasonably price Banh Mi and Viet coffee combo.

I'd get the bus from the airport to the hotel, it's very cheap.

Yep, they want USD.

Edited February 20, 2019 by BritManToo

[brexiteer]

Pho.

 

That's all...... going to Saigon don't come back without eating Pho.

[scorecard]

11 minutes ago, brexiteer said:

Pho.

 

That's all...... going to Saigon don't come back without eating Pho.

Yep, Pho (pronounced fur) is similar to gwitteow in Thailand.

 

It's totally delicious and always prepared with great care, normally with beef slices.

 

Compulsory.

Edited February 20, 2019 by scorecard

[DrJack54]

Early morning? Flights i am aware of land about 9am up. Don't think you will make consulate before 11.30. Not sure why britmantoo crossed out bus 109 from airport. 20k dong. IMO stay district 1. Bui Vien street area. Saigon is a ripper. Spend few days if possible. The consulate if fair but by the rules. Drop off AM pick up PM next day. Small joint small que. Just re read your op. Your obtaining visa on arrival with " invitation letter"?. If so NO way you will make consulate AM

Edited February 20, 2019 by DrJack54
Error

[JingjoDave]

Beef is Pho Bo ,,, if your ant-beef the chicken is Pho Ga

Usually about 25,000 Dong ,, about $1 of the US variety

[chowny77]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Early morning? Flights i am aware of land about 9am up. Don't think you will make consulate before 11.30. Not sure why britmantoo crossed out bus 109 from airport. 20k dong. IMO stay district 1. Bui Vien street area. Saigon is a ripper. Spend few days if possible. The consulate if fair but by the rules. Drop off AM pick up PM next day. Small joint small que. Just re read your op. Your obtaining visa on arrival with " invitation letter"?. If so NO way you will make consulate AM

Yeah my flight should touch down 9:15am. I looked online and being a UK citizen it just said I can get a visa on arrival just like with Thailand. The person who will send the taxi to me said it will only take about 20 - 30 mins to get from the airport to the consulate as it is after rush hour. I hope they are correct as I have already booked a return flight the next day.

[BritManToo]

Just now, chowny77 said:

I looked online and being a UK citizen it just said I can get a visa on arrival just like with Thailand.

VISA waiver ............ VOA you would need to queue at the VISA window.

VISA waiver you just walk straight to the immigration desk.

[chowny77]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

VISA waiver ............ VOA you would need to queue at the VISA window.

VISA waiver you just walk straight to the immigration desk.

So I am all good to just walk upto the immigration desk or have I made a boo boo and will have to queue?

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, chowny77 said:

Yeah my flight should touch down 9:15am. I looked online and being a UK citizen it just said I can get a visa on arrival just like with Thailand. The person who will send the taxi to me said it will only take about 20 - 30 mins to get from the airport to the consulate as it is after rush hour. I hope they are correct as I have already booked a return flight the next day.

What time is return flight. Yes being UK you get visa exempt. Go straight to passport control. You have a chance to make it. Just giving everyone heads up. Saigon is same lot of airports, depends how many planes land at your time. High season now. Ive been Vietnam 4 times in last 2 months. Hanoi at tet was zero que. Couldn't believe it. Then Saigon after was a nightmare.

20 minutes taxi consulate will be new world record.

Edited February 20, 2019 by DrJack54
Error

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, chowny77 said:

So I am all good to just walk upto the immigration desk or have I made a boo boo and will have to queue?

Straight to the immigration desk. They might ask to see your ticket out.

[chowny77]

My return flight is the following day at 6 pm. So the idea was to arrive Monday morning and submit and pick up Tuesday afternoon and fly back.

Edited February 20, 2019 by chowny77

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, chowny77 said:

My return flight is the following day at 6 pm

Should have stayed a week.

[chowny77]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Should have stayed a week.

I would have done but my university is doing mid-term tests at the same time as I need to get my visa. They are ok with a few days missed but not a week.

[DrJack54]

31 minutes ago, chowny77 said:

My return flight is the following day at 6 pm. So the idea was to arrive Monday morning and submit and pick up Tuesday afternoon and fly back.

Might work. Your bigger risk taker than this old man. One extra day would make it safe. Buffer so to speak either side. Make sure your consulate way before 1pm for pick up. So first up. Airport by say 2pm all good. BTW...if when you drop paperwork in, if some minor thing you overlooked, there is travel/business opposite that will assist. Small fee for photo copy etc.  

[amexpat]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Yep, Pho (pronounced fur) is similar to gwitteow in Thailand.

Hey, you a limey or something?  Fur is what animals wear.  Fuh is a fine VN dish. 

 

Anyway, tuck in. 

[scorecard]

Sorry it's fur. And I'm not a limey.

 

Enjoy.

[DrJack54]

47 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Sorry it's fur. And I'm not a limey.

 

Enjoy.

So in a forum about visas to Thailand... That's your contribution. No wonder your tally is over 13k posts. Take up golf. 

[lamyai3]

9 hours ago, amexpat said:

Hey, you a limey or something?  Fur is what animals wear.  Fuh is a fine VN dish. 

I'm a limey, and across the pond fur is most certainly pronounced fuh, no obvious r's pronounced. Don't assume everyone else in the English speaking world talks like a Valley girl.

[lamyai3]

11 hours ago, chowny77 said:

Luckily the place I will be staying will send a taxi for me and it will drop me off at the consulate once I exit arrivals. I did read something about having to pay in US dollars for the Thai visa, just would like to confirm if this is still the case. Any advice would be appreciated

If the taxi is a dead cert and waiting at arrivals, guess you'll be ok. In the past I've gone outside the airport and picked up a motorbike for about $4 direct to the embassy. They did want payment in USD, but the Vietnam Airlines office across the road will change currency. When I went last time one person got rejected for not having an ongoing flight within 60 days (SETV) so make sure you're covered for whatever an Ed visa might require.

 

Bui Vien has plenty going on in a compact area, I also like Dong Khoi for a different feel (more upmarket and historic). Try a good bowl of pho and some banh mi from the street places, a few cheap bottles of local beer, and excellent local coffee. Great city, deserves much more than 24 hours. 

[amexpat]

1 hour ago, lamyai3 said:

I'm a limey, and across the pond fur is most certainly pronounced fuh, no obvious r's pronounced. Don't assume everyone else in the English speaking world talks like a Valley girl.

He doesn't look like a valley girl. Just another native the brits haven't yet taught to speak his own language.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5uNyrGC3EE

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, amexpat said:

He doesn't look like a valley girl. Just another native the brits haven't yet taught to speak his own language.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5uNyrGC3EE

I think it was you who took it on yourself to turn this into a language thread. I hear as many as three versions of pho in the video, with the rising tone version sounding pretty much the way most British might use fur in a sentence (fuh). The other versions sound more like pha and phao (or fah-ugh as one of the youtube comments puts it), definitely not the same same vowel sound. To be fair, he doesn't claim this is the case, but all examples in the video certainly don't sound like fuh, especially not the local Saigonese version. 

[buick]

OP - you should mention where you are staying to get the best info on where to hangout.

 

i always stay near dong khoi.  i like the pho at pho 24 on dong khoi.  and i take a short walk to phattys for happy hour beer and dinner.  it isn't the cheapest area to stay, drink, and dine but i really enjoy it.  i think phattys is one of the best managed expat style bars/pubs that i've experienced in my 13 years in asia.

 

 

[dddave]

Make sure you have your return ticket to Thailand available when you apply for the Visa at the Saigon Thai Consulate.  They have a history of requiring proof of return travel to Thailand.

When I got a visa there more than 5 years ago, I had to apply before 11:30 am and could not pick it up until after 2pm the following day.

[DrJack54]

48 minutes ago, dddave said:

Make sure you have your return ticket to Thailand available when you apply for the Visa at the Saigon Thai Consulate.  They have a history of requiring proof of return travel to Thailand.

When I got a visa there more than 5 years ago, I had to apply before 11:30 am and could not pick it up until after 2pm the following day.

To clarify. They require 1. Ticket into Thailand and 2. Onward flight.

These must be hard copies. Cell screenshot won't cut it.

[BaiLao]

@chowny77:

You need USD for the consulate. They will not accept other currencies.

British passport: straight to the immigration counters - valid 14 days. 

 

It will take at least 30 mins by taxi to get from TSN to the Thai Consulate.

They close 11.30hrs & reopen after lunch.

 

Make certain that you have printed copies (in colour) of any paperwork required for the visa application. Some of my docs were in B&W and were rejected. There is a good travel agent if you need additional copies. Turn right outside consulate gate, remain on that side of the road - walk and cross straight over the next intersection, travel agent is a few shops after the intersection.

 

There is a good aircon place to eat on opposite side of the road - displaying a prominent advert for a famous Thai beer brand. 

 

In theory it's possible to achieve your objective within the stated time frame but you'll need to have all your ducks in a row... 

 

[tutsiwarrior]

some supermarkets have in house bakeries in continuous operation, pick up a couple of fresh baguettes and a kilo of avocados from the produce section and go back to the hotel and pig out...and a couple of cold beers, I like Bier Han Noi meself...the local '333' ain't half bad either...

 

 

[chowny77]

8 hours ago, BaiLao said:

@chowny77:

You need USD for the consulate. They will not accept other currencies.

British passport: straight to the immigration counters - valid 14 days. 

 

It will take at least 30 mins by taxi to get from TSN to the Thai Consulate.

They close 11.30hrs & reopen after lunch.

 

Make certain that you have printed copies (in colour) of any paperwork required for the visa application. Some of my docs were in B&W and were rejected. There is a good travel agent if you need additional copies. Turn right outside consulate gate, remain on that side of the road - walk and cross straight over the next intersection, travel agent is a few shops after the intersection.

 

There is a good aircon place to eat on opposite side of the road - displaying a prominent advert for a famous Thai beer brand. 

 

In theory it's possible to achieve your objective within the stated time frame but you'll need to have all your ducks in a row... 

 

Thanks a lot. My university has prepared all my documents to show that I am studying there plus I have my receipt of semester payment plus what subjects I am studying at the moment. I also have the original results from the first semester that show my scores. I also have the printout e-ticket to show that I am returning on the 26th of Feb. I also just got my new UK passport, so I plan to leave Thailand on my old passport and use my new passport for the visa and return flight to Thailand. So I guess I will just need a colour copy of the new passports picture page to add to my documents. 

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, chowny77 said:

Thanks a lot. My university has prepared all my documents to show that I am studying there plus I have my receipt of semester payment plus what subjects I am studying at the moment. I also have the original results from the first semester that show my scores. I also have the printout e-ticket to show that I am returning on the 26th of Feb. I also just got my new UK passport, so I plan to leave Thailand on my old passport and use my new passport for the visa and return flight to Thailand. So I guess I will just need a colour copy of the new passports picture page to add to my documents. 

 

Confusing...if you have a new pp your old passport will have identity page half cut. Its useless except for visa or extension stamps. When folk get a new passport they travel with both. Visa cannot be transfered to new pp.

[chowny77]

25 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Confusing...if you have a new pp your old passport will have identity page half cut. Its useless except for visa or extension stamps. When folk get a new passport they travel with both. Visa cannot be transfered to new pp.

Ok. My old passport has my old visa which is good till the 2nd March. I plan to leave Thailand on the old passport and with my new passport get a new visa at the consulate and then enter Thailand on the new passport with a new visa. So I will have both passports on me when I travel.

Edited February 21, 2019 by chowny77