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Advice for oil workers given from London Embassy ?


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Im an oil worker who visits Thailand 9 times per year for 19 days per time.

ive had a multi entry non imm  O visa for the last 9 years issued from London based on wife and kids.

Im under 50 years.

I discovered that London dont do the multi entry non imm O visa so i decided to send them an email about what visa would be suitable for my circumstances now that my normal visa isnt available now , bearing in mind that im under 50 years old and getting an extension in Thailand isnt an option because i have to return to work after 19 days and it says ill need at least 30 days to process this visa.

 

Heres the reply i received 

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

Unfortunately now the system is not allowed to issue 1 year multiple entries so you must apply single entry visa and extend your visa when you arrived in Thailand with immigration officer.

Extension of Stay

Those who wish to stay longer or may wish to change their type of visa must file an application for permission at the Office of Immigration Bureau (http://www.immigration.go.th). The extension of stay as well as the change of certain type of visa is solely at the discretion of the Immigration officer.

In case if you would like long stay issue  from London, you must apply as non-immigrant 1 year O-A visa Requirement please check from the link below

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84508-Non-Immigrant-visas.html#7

Or you can apply as a tourist multiple entries for 6 months stay but you must leave the country every 60 days

 

The interesting thing is the last line of reply about applying for METV i havent considered that an option because once you get a few of those in your passport then i think it will cause problems when arriving in Thailand once you have a few METV back to back , would i be correct in thinking this ?

 

Another option is single entry NON IMM O , but i would need 9 of them per year and passport will be with embassy more than it would be with me.

 

Im keeping an eye on Savanahket for doing it there but have a feeling but the time my visa runs out , new rules will be in place 

 

Would you readers advice an METV issued from london twice a year suitable as i can prove i work etc , or would only raise eyebrows at IO desk?

 

kind Regards Dod

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The METV could work for you since your stays are always short ones.

People having problems on enry with one are doing 60 day entries and extending the 60 days for 30 days to stay here long term.

I personally do not think you need to worry about things changing at Savannakhet any time soon.

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It seems the METV for visits to family for up to 60 days from London on e-visa website , is no longer offering this as a Multi anymore you can only select single entry now , so thats changed from last Friday when i last looked at

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The system of the e-visa has also been on a couple of recent posts, as being unresponsive unable to complete an application.

There is also no reports of successful completions in London (though there must be some), in response to another post with Hundreds of views.

It does not fit well if you were on a short return to the UK, and needing a visa for a flight out again. (the consulates look like the only way for SE non-O at present)

I think they just cut and paste standard statements, you would think they would know you can't extend and get a ME re-entry permit, if your not going to be there more than 90days, and there response time is variable in any case apparently.

I'm over 50 looked at the O-A but the pending insurance add on makes it non-viable.

I will go back to Scotland tail end of January for the Daughter's Birthday and fly back to Thailand to get a last entry out my current non-O ME. (Since I've got flexibility of time).

Not having the ME for making trips out and back to Thailand with the family perhaps almost impossible to schedule.

It looks like Savannakhet, HCMC, and maybe even Singapore, could be the only possibilities for the non O ME, if the system does not catch up with them. HCMC especially, could arrange a 6 day holiday there, and if they did not issue the ME visa I would be flying back to the UK anyway, just somewhere else visited!

 

OP, I have great sympathy for your situation. 

 

The system now appears at this time a total contrast to the superb service given by the London Embassy prior to the 14th June 2019.

 

Certainly no Xmas cards this year for those responsible for this "e" thing.

 

 

 

 

Edited by UKresonant
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Thanks for you reply ,

its just annoying i dont seem to fit in to any of the boxes for a visa , seems the e-visa website has just been thrown together without any proper testing and given to UK and a few other countries to test , surely a smaller country with less travellers etc should have been used for testing the site and once its all in working order then roll it out to more countries.

 

That would be the logical way to do it !!!

 

Still cant get my head round why a multiple entry NON IMM O cant be issued from your home country providing you can provide all the relevant documentation.

Do you think its here to stay or will London start to issue them again , surely they must be getting feedback from lots of people regarding problems with no multi being issued and the website being unworkable and far from user friendly

 

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I don't remember a first time extension ever taking 30 days someone might correct me on that

 

If you got a 90 day Type O from London and applied immediately on arrival in Thailand and had 800kbaht in a Thai bank account for the required 2 months before arriving, 19 days may be enough for you application to be completed - maybe a small tip to the IO to speed things up

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2 minutes ago, smedly said:

I don't remember a first time extension ever taking 30 days someone might correct me on that

That was because you applied for an extension of stay based upon retirement not one based upon marriage to a Thai.

There is a 30 day under consideration period when doing them. 

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Visa exception 30 days? Your circumstances would seem to be perfect for that. Reason: married. Finance: plenty At the airport there is no chance that you would be considered as someone trying to use the visa to live in Thailand, in fact being married you are qualified to live there and only work prevents you doing so. 

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The visa exemption would be hassle free and was thinking of that, but after ive read of these forums and its put me right off as people are being pulled aside for a couple of stamps per year!!!

I do have 2 UK passports both valid but the biometrics now would link them together if i changed passports every arrival.

 

Im actually thinking about getting a NON IMM O single entry 2 or 3 times a year and those other visits with visa exemption stamps x6 and that would give a mixture of stamps and having some NON IMM O stamps would make it less likely to be pulled . in my opinion 

 

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1 minute ago, DODDY said:

The visa exemption would be hassle free and was thinking of that, but after ive read of these forums and its put me right off as people are being pulled aside for a couple of stamps per year!!!

I do have 2 UK passports both valid but the biometrics now would link them together if i changed passports every arrival.

 

Im actually thinking about getting a NON IMM O single entry 2 or 3 times a year and those other visits with visa exemption stamps x6 and that would give a mixture of stamps and having some NON IMM O stamps would make it less likely to be pulled . in my opinion 

 

You are a prime candidate to be treated as a special case and I would think there are others exempt who do not use this forum.  Why the hell should you get “pulled”? 

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1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

That was because you applied for an extension of stay based upon retirement not one based upon marriage to a Thai.

There is a 30 day under consideration period when doing them. 

so he could apply for one based on retirement - problem solved

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Sorry he's under 50. No retirement extension only marriage. 

 

Most secure option at present is multi non O from Savannakhet or HCMC.

 

From his home country METV. Or single entry non O until he gets to Savannakhet/HCMC.

 

Or extensions of stay based on marriage. I would not choose this one for various reasons, 400K blocked, pictures around the house, maps, tm30s, and so on.

Edited by lkv
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Hey Doddy, I was in identical position few years ago. I used to do the 30 day visa exempt but got pulled and informed they would not allow me to come in again without visa because I had too many entries. The only solution I found convenient for myself was to swap one week with my back to back to give me the time to get the extension based on marriage. It took just over 3 weeks iirc but the following year was only around two weeks. Fortunately/unfortunately I am now over 50 so now get extensions based on retirement which are sorted with one visit


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

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17 hours ago, smedly said:

I don't remember a first time extension ever taking 30 days someone might correct me on that

He is too young for a retirement extension. The only other choice would be a marriage extension where there is a 30 day approval as it is submitted to the regional office. 

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@DODDY

I have a oil worker friend from the UK in exactly the same position.

He typically does 3 on, 3 off, married to a Thai with child.

 

Returning to the UK for any kind of Visa takes at least 4 days off his leave.

He's been entering VE since 2018, but has been stopped, questioned and warned about continual VE entries.

It was only by providing proof of his marriage and TI speaking to his Thai wife that got him through the last time.

 

He took my advice and last week went to the Thai Consulate in Savannakhet and obtained the Non Imm O ME Visa, which takes 2 days, but for the next 12/15 months can leave/re-enter as many times as he wishes without fear of being refused entry.

 

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9 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

I am in the same position as the OP.. Married, under 50, here close to 2 decades, in and out too frequently to allocate the minimum 120 day time period to achieve an extension of stay.. They have basically created a set of conditions (single entry extend in country.. cannot extend until x and then wait 30) which are impossible to adhere to for many. 

You can reduce the 120 days if you enter with a non-o visa and then get a re-entry permit for  the 90 day entry from it to keep the remainder of the 90 day entry valid when you return.

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6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can reduce the 120 days if you enter with a non-o visa and then get a re-entry permit for  the 90 day entry from it to keep the remainder of the 90 day entry valid when you return.

I understand your point.. but 120 days simply doesnt fit my patterns of travel currently. 

 

I only have a couple more years to manage and I will be able to set myself up an O-X for a worry free decade I guess.. I have an address / registration / income tax dec in a euro country which as yet doesnt operate this, so suspect I can get least one more year of MEs.. By which time I will be 48 and only have about 20 months to solve, very achievable even if high work. 

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On 7/16/2019 at 10:13 AM, DODDY said:

Or you can apply as a tourist multiple entries for 6 months stay but you must leave the country every 60 days

 

The interesting thing is the last line of reply about applying for METV i havent considered that an option because once you get a few of those in your passport then i think it will cause problems when arriving in Thailand once you have a few METV back to back , would i be correct in thinking this ? 

"http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84451-Tourist-Visa.html

For visiting or staying with family resided in Thailand (less than 60 days)

  • A current passport with validity not less than 6 months beyond the date of depature from Thailand and at least 2 blank pages. Applicants must fill in online visa application with their given name(s) and surname as appear in their passports.
  • Printout of visa application form submitted online, with bar code
  • Financial evidence e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, sponsorship letter from a third party
  • Personal details of a family in Thailand e.g. ID card, passport and the visa page or stay permit in Thailand 
  • Proof of accommodation in Thailand e.g. hotel bookings, invitation letters from family/friends in Thailand
  • Proof of relationship to a family in Thailand e.g. a copy of marriage certificate / birth certificate / certificate of adoption
  • Proof of legal residence in the UK or Ireland"

 

So it does have that under the Tourist Visa Section. below the METV header.

 

So you could have done one non-O SE and one METV per 12 months, or as you speculate would perhaps  have got problems going with the Embassy advice? Until the option evaporated on Friday ????, as #4.

Maybe should pop the e-mail back to them! For a what now?

 

Opera Snapshot_2019-07-17_115603_www.thaiembassy.org.png

Edited by UKresonant
snapshot added
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So could you do one non-O SE and one METV per 12 months, or as you speculate would you get problems going with the Embassy advice? ( as well

 

I think thats the way forward for me for the next few years until the next round of clampdowns/rule changes,

In my opinion i trust the Embassy advice but the problem lies with the IO you get on the day that doesnt differentiate from an METV and VE end of the day they see it as tourism, what constitutes tourism is the big grey area  , but a print out of the above stating the METV is for visiting family too in my travel bag may come in handy.

I always have eticket of flight out and print out of savings account , birth certs , marriage certs should surely get me through if problems arise.

 

Would love to know what the IO sees on the computer when they scan your passport , that could be a big part in it and it shows that i never stay long , and this worry over nothing.

 

Seems to be a small percent who have taken the p*ss out the system for years are being caught out then the forums are full of the scare stories , that spreads through the net like wildfire and gets everyone paranoid, and rightly so 

 

 

 

 

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I've never had a problem coming into Thailand, and first time I came here was December 1993.  1993 to 2017 using leave, and have been able to stay for longer periods since April 2018. Which is great, because I missed a lot of the Son's first 10 years (as I keep getting reminded of) I'm purely here to be with the Wife and Son, don't work here or ever likely to.

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Great idea, forget your loved ones, it ain’t hard. Thailand may not want you but how do you know? 

The rules are made by man, the ‘director’ or his delegate the Chief of Police the are not law.  If the oil worker’s situation was explained to the Home Office by his wife or through a solicitor do you not think that his coming to Thailand Visa Exempt on every leave would be denied? The mood in the UN is toward citizens of the World, not that I agree with that crap, but this is the head of a Thai family not some shyster trying to get his end away, any politician should understand the injustice of restricting his presence in the country. 

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I'm surprised no one has yet mentioned the Elite visa (assuming they're still being issued..??)

 

OK, it's expensive at 500k for 5 years, but it's multi-entry with no limitations on stay (other than 1 year max, but that's not relevant here).  It's almost a perfect fit for the OP, making many short visits.

 

This may last long enough to take the OP to age 50, or for 1MMbt, you can get the 20 year option..

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41 minutes ago, Greenhill said:
On 7/16/2019 at 3:04 PM, berybert said:

Elite visa  ? 5 years hassle free. 

& Bloody expensive!!!!!

Sorry berybert - I'd missed that.

Greenhill.... 1/2MM bt - chump change for an oil worker...!!

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