Impossible to apply for a tourist visa online

[randymarsh]

First time I've tried to do this and I've spent an hour on Step 3 of the online process and constantly get back the error message "Alert message!  Please specify your Travel Document!"

 

So I select Passport, which was already selected, and try again.  COMPUTER SAYS NO.

 

And every single time I try again, I have to reupload my passport scan and photo.

 

Do I just <deleted> the whole thing off and go to Vietnam instead?  I see no solution to this as paper applications aren't allowed.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Are you sure the docs you’re uploading are less than .5mb ?

[randymarsh]

369KB and 110KB

It isn't rejected on size, otherwise they don't upload and you don't see thumbnails

It's not rejecting on the photos, It's on the dropdown which asks for 'Passport' as travel type.  

I tried Chrome and I get this error.  Then I tried Edge and in Edge the Upload buttons don't even display on the screen to upload my docs.  So it's impossible either way, for different reasons.

[randymarsh]

i finally got to the end, the other amazing thing it does is time out constantly so you get to page 5 and upload all your supporting docs which have to all be less than 500kb, and once you finally do it, its timed you out and you restart the entire thing

 

as i say i got to the end anyway, and it seemed to work but i have no email confirmation and no idea if it actually went through or not, i cant see any pending applications on my account

 

this is hands down peak inefficiency from thailand, worst application process i have ever seen.  paper applications used to take me 10 minutes, this has been absolute hell.

 

i'd rather just get visa exempt and lose the extra 30 days in thailand than go back that web page so <deleted> it if it didn't go through

[baboon]

2 hours ago, randymarsh said:

i finally got to the end, the other amazing thing it does is time out constantly so you get to page 5 and upload all your supporting docs which have to all be less than 500kb, and once you finally do it, its timed you out and you restart the entire thing

 

as i say i got to the end anyway, and it seemed to work but i have no email confirmation and no idea if it actually went through or not, i cant see any pending applications on my account

 

this is hands down peak inefficiency from thailand, worst application process i have ever seen.  paper applications used to take me 10 minutes, this has been absolute hell.

 

i'd rather just get visa exempt and lose the extra 30 days in thailand than go back that web page so <deleted> it if it didn't go through

Remember you can extend your visa exempt once in Thailand.

[JamJar]

2 hours ago, randymarsh said:

i finally got to the end, the other amazing thing it does is time out constantly so you get to page 5 and upload all your supporting docs which have to all be less than 500kb, and once you finally do it, its timed you out and you restart the entire thing

 

as i say i got to the end anyway, and it seemed to work but i have no email confirmation and no idea if it actually went through or not, i cant see any pending applications on my account

 

this is hands down peak inefficiency from thailand, worst application process i have ever seen.  paper applications used to take me 10 minutes, this has been absolute hell.

 

i'd rather just get visa exempt and lose the extra 30 days in thailand than go back that web page so <deleted> it if it didn't go through

 

You actually have the option to save each page as you go along. So no need to go all the way back to the beginning if the subsequent pages time out.

 

I actually set up a dummy account at first. So I could see what would happen in advance. Wasn't impressed.

[liddelljohn]

I cant get it to work ,, put in most of the data and evidence but waiting for one more thing saved my application my most recent bank statement  ,, got email  acknowledgment ,, re open a few days late and all my saved data  missing  ,,,hopeless heve tried  3 times ,,only 3 weeks till i travel  and i need METV  

[beautifulthailand99]

It's a terrible system and I'm IT savvy took me 3 hours and lots of scanning ,creating pdfs compressing them and crashes that weren't crashes. When I finally mastered it got my appointment at the Embassy where the girl spent 5 minutes looking through it , asked if I had uploaded all my docs and then came back 2 days later to collect it. At the Embassy today which was very quiet compared to last year - not so many obvious 'mongers' now and a couple of confused older gentlemen being kindly helped by a member of staff at the terminal explaining the process. One asked if there were agents that could help and he answered yes. Most of the attendees were younger folk and a lot of women. I'm retired and have plenty of time but it will no doubt be another nail in the coffin for Thailand. Last year - one form , 25 quid and yer done. Contact time around 10 minutes. I used chrome and disabled my pop up blocker btw on 100mbs broadband even then it was slow and creaky. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by beautifulthailand99

[GeorgeCross]

7 hours ago, randymarsh said:

Do I just <deleted> the whole thing off and go to Vietnam instead?

 

YES!

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You could apply for the visa at one of the honorary consulates in the UK some do them while you wait.

See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/organize/81958-Royal-Thai-Consulates-in-the-UK-and-Ireland.html

[randymarsh]

I've tried again this morning after a 12 hour recovery nap, and I have managed to do a COMPLETE application.

 

But what am I meant to do now?  No instructions as to how to pay, what to send in the post, where to etc.  Will I get an email?  Do they assess my application for approval before asking me to send my passport and pay?  That would make sense, but they'd lose money on rejected applications that way, so I assume not.

 

Edit:  Found out I have to then submit and choose Submit Via Post.  But the website is so slow it hasn't managed to load that page for the past 5 minutes.  Also it looks like I have to print out every piece of evidence again?  So just like the old process, only with the addition of this total unnecessary online nightmare.

 

Edit 2:  It froze for so long loading the page that I refreshed.  Now my COMPLETE application is not listed on my application history at all.  OMG.  

 

Edit  3:  The web site seems completely down now.  It will load the header of the main page and the rest of the screen attempts to load indefinitely but remains blank.

 

HELLO VIETNAM

Edited November 7, 2019 by randymarsh

[MeePeeMai]

It seems quite obvious that it was created this way so that everyone would simply give up out of frustration.  You gotta hand it to them, they are really good at what they do (when they put their minds to it).

[bslmh]

Maybe some answers here :

 

 

[randymarsh]

I connected to Hong Kong VPN server and the web site loads again, and I submitted the payment.  However, it's now on this page with a blue loading bar, saying "Please Stay on this Page.  It May Take a Few Minutes"  The blue loading bar has completed about 100 times and I've been waiting on this screen for at least 5 minutes now, so I assume its never going to complete.  

 

Edit:  Braved it and refreshed the page.  Somehow it had signed me out completely but I signed back in and it was submitted successfully and I now have an ereceipt to print out and send to London.  And it doesn't look like I have to print out all my supporting documents.

 

That was easy

 

HELLO THAILAND

 

(until they reject my application for only showing a hotel booking for the first night and not the entire 60 days)

Edited November 7, 2019 by randymarsh

[bslmh]

1 minute ago, bslmh said:

Maybe some answers here :

 

 

 

[Tayaout]

13 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

One asked if there were agents that could help and he answered yes. 

Their new visa system works exactly like expected then. 

[webdevguybkk]

I had the same issues with this recently. Eventually submitted it, but with a lot of page crashes when navigating to the next page (even selecting 'Save' crashed it sometimes. Compressing the files to make under 500kb is going to be very problematic for those less cpu literate. I hope it gets fixed. I was applying for Non-O.

[randymarsh]

Agreed there wasn't one positive thing about the entire process.  As some have suggested, have they deliberately designed this in the worst way possible?  Or is this peak efficiency in their world?

 

I'm pretty good with a PC, I work in IT, and fortunately I know how to compress image files etc.  Uploading images was just one of many many problems with the process though.

 

I can imagine I'm in the 10% here, that being those who don't give up completely.  

 

 

[Kichou]

@randymarsh Hi! Could you please advise how you get through step 3. I constantly receive the alert message:  Please specify your Travel Document!

 

I would appreciate your help!

Thanks

[BuckBee]

On 11/7/2019 at 10:35 AM, MeePeeMai said:

It seems quite obvious that it was created this way so that everyone would simply give up out of frustration.  You gotta hand it to them, they are really good at what they do (when they put their minds to it).

Yes it kind of fits with thai way of not directly telling you get lost but mess you around endlessly until just walk away to save your sanity .
 

As a lot of thai companies have pretty poor websites some of it down fact it outsourced cheap or to someones cousin but it so bad it seems likely it must be intended !

 

It not even a proper evisa option minus the website technical issues, absolute farce and hard believe things gone so bad on attaining visas and actually at immigration counters should you make it that far .
 

Another sad blow for UK is consulates it seems won't be issueing any visa at some point in 2020 !
Once online system spreads further you won't be able apply any other way and need be a resident, the future looks awful for visa issue ...

 

It basically highlights biggest issue in thailand and that is once flexibility of rules and who you can deal with gone you got no hope sorting clerical issues out at any level, it groundhog day or take a punt on vietnam .

 

Edited December 11, 2019 by BuckBee

[Chris.B]

3 hours ago, Kichou said:

@randymarsh Hi! Could you please advise how you get through step 3. I constantly receive the alert message:  Please specify your Travel Document!

 

I would appreciate your help!

Thanks

Try entering "ORDINARY PASSPORT".

 

Click here.....  How to fill up Thailand Visa Form

 

[LivinLOS]

On 11/6/2019 at 6:41 PM, randymarsh said:

this is hands down peak inefficiency from thailand, worst application process i have ever seen.  paper applications used to take me 10 minutes, this has been absolute hell.

 

i'd rather just get visa exempt and lose the extra 30 days in thailand than go back that web page so <deleted> it if it didn't go through

Thailand 4.0 ???? webserver probably has a 123456 password (again).. 

 

for a country so obsessed with face, its incredible how poorly implemented they roll out IT 'solutions' which simply dont work, integrate, fail basic testing, and have the most ridiculous caveats  like 'must use outdated unsupported browser which was stopped development years ago' as though that was any kind of reasonable thing to suggest. 

[hopefulthairesident]

On 11/6/2019 at 6:41 PM, randymarsh said:

i finally got to the end, the other amazing thing it does is time out constantly so you get to page 5 and upload all your supporting docs which have to all be less than 500kb, and once you finally do it, its timed you out and you restart the entire thing

 

as i say i got to the end anyway, and it seemed to work but i have no email confirmation and no idea if it actually went through or not, i cant see any pending applications on my account

 

this is hands down peak inefficiency from thailand, worst application process i have ever seen.  paper applications used to take me 10 minutes, this has been absolute hell.

 

i'd rather just get visa exempt and lose the extra 30 days in thailand than go back that web page so <deleted> it if it didn't go through

HOW?! I feel like I've tried everything and still keep getting the error saying "please specify your travel document"

[Crossy]

20 minutes ago, hopefulthairesident said:

HOW?! I feel like I've tried everything and still keep getting the error saying "please specify your travel document"

 

Try "Ordinary Passport" (post from Chris.B above).

[rachelmay3]

@randymarsh Do you know how you got the 'Please specify Travel Documents' error to work in the end? I'm having the exact same problem and not sure what to do?

Thanks

[rachelmay3]

On 2/26/2020 at 10:35 PM, Crossy said:

 

Try "Ordinary Passport" (post from Chris.B above).

On the online form, this isn't an option. Only 'Passport' Any ideas please?!

[treetops]

2 hours ago, rachelmay3 said:

On the online form, this isn't an option. Only 'Passport' Any ideas please?!

He may be referring to Step 2 where it is an option.  From your other post, I think you are referring to Step 3.  Does your passport scan appear to import correctly?

[rachelmay3]

On 6/5/2020 at 12:29 PM, treetops said:

He may be referring to Step 2 where it is an option.  From your other post, I think you are referring to Step 3.  Does your passport scan appear to import correctly?

Thanks. Yes, I selected 'Ordinary Passport' in step 2. The passport scan uploads but when I click save, it returns to the example picture. The file is definitely below 500kb though so no idea why it is still saying 'specify travel documents'. Any help would be amazing, thank you!

 

UPDATE: I changed the passport picture to black and white and it worked! Don't know if that was just a coincidence or not but yay!

Edited June 6, 2020 by rachelmay3
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