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Thai Embassy Hanoi intimidating questions?

Muppet2019
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Muppet2019 Rookie Member

Muppet2019

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History in Thailand, first time 10th sept 2018. Came on TV, extended, December went Hanoi got another TV, January Hanoi another TV. Went home March 2019, 6 and half months spent in Thailand over 2018/19. Nov 13th arrive Thailand 30 day waiver at airport then Hanoi for TV, I fly home in Feb.

 

I'm not sure if I am over reacting but yesterday this happened at the Hanoi Embassy when I went to pick up my passport with a TV (2 other separate people had the same thing).

Guy comes out with passports and reads my name out, first question

'I want to see your previous passport, where is it?',

me 'in the UK'

him 'there is a problem, you stay to long in Thailand'

me 'no I don't, i'm just a holiday maker'

him 'where did you go when you left Thailand in march?'

me (confused to this line of questioning) 'back to the UK to work'

him 'ok I go speak with boss'

comes back 'you don't have enough funds in your bank' ( the copy of my bank statement I had given the day before showed £650 which I thought was enough, $800)

me 'yes I do' I show him my banking app (screen shots not allowed by bank so couldn't use day before) which luckily had received more funds so well over a $1000 and explained I prefer to bring cash and had 40000 baht in my hotel.

Him 'I go see boss' comes back and says wait 15 minutes.

Eventually I get passport with TV. The guy who spoke to me was extremely polite and just doing what he was told to do.

Where they trying to put me off coming back to Thailand again? Was it a warning shot? Lots of people live here for ages on TV's etc so why was I and the other 2 people being questioned like this? Was it because my passport was newish (issued may 2018) the first time I came?

Anyway made me think and very much doubt I will come for a long term or even short holiday again, especially when Vietnam and Cambodia are so welcoming and a lot cheaper.

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DrJack54 Star Member

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If you had gone to other places with amount of time spent in Los and being your second application for setv in Hanoi, then thinking you were lucky to obtain one. Try that in Cambodia and see how it goes. Obtain an METV if you wish to stay 6 months+

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Caldera Platinum Member

Caldera

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I think Hanoi is currently one of the friendlier places nearby, but in the OP's case, a number of factors might have alarmed them:

 

1) This was the OP's 3rd SETV application in Hanoi within quite a short time, albeit not consecutively. Most if not all nearby embassies limit how many SETVs they are prepared to issue and don't want to be seen as a destination of choice for visa runners / repeat applicants.

 

2) Finances shown just above the minimum. Rightly or wrongly, that might give them the impression that someone who's spending a lot of time in Thailand is merely scraping by. Personally, I think for someone who has spent a lot of time in Thailand, it's advisable to show funds well above the minimum and in a bank account back home.

 

3) Presumably very little time spent in Vietnam between leaving Thailand and applying for the next Thai visa, which makes the trip to Hanoi look more like a visa run and less like a touristy side trip.

 

I applied for a SETV in Hanoi in October with a more extensive history than the OP's and wasn't asked any questions. If that's because they got more strict in the meantime or because I had those points covered (no prior SETV from Hanoi, funds well in excess of the minimum, quite some time out of Thailand before applying) is anyone's guess.

Edited by Caldera
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robpuff Rookie Member

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Even a $1000 in bank is really a small amount in today's Thailand ... just for hotel at 1000baht that would be your 1K in $... do you not eat?  or other activities...this raises suspicion that you may not have enough or are coming to work.  At least he was polite...not so much in America these days...

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PatOngo Ruby Member

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17 hours ago, Muppet2019 said:

Anyway made me think and very much doubt I will come for a long term or even short holiday again, especially when Vietnam and Cambodia are so welcoming and a lot cheaper.

Wise decision.

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elviajero Ruby Member

elviajero

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18 hours ago, Muppet2019 said:

him 'there is a problem, you stay to long in Thailand'

me 'no I don't, i'm just a holiday maker'

You’re clearly not a “holiday maker”. You’re a long term visitor using the wrong type of visa to stay long term,

 

Your best bet moving forward is to vary the places you apply for future visas. Applying for repeat visas from the same consular is a bad idea as the Thai authorities continue to clampdown on the misuse of TR’s.

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kurtmartens Advanced Member

kurtmartens

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57 minutes ago, elviajero said:

You’re clearly not a “holiday maker”. You’re a long term visitor using the wrong type of visa to stay long term,

 

Your best bet moving forward is to vary the places you apply for future visas. Applying for repeat visas from the same consular is a bad idea as the Thai authorities continue to clampdown on the misuse of TR’s.

I think the term "holiday maker" vs "long term visitor" needs better defining by the Thai Govt (perhaps).  If I am coming here for 3 weeks or even 3 months, staying in a hotel (or with a friend) and not working .... to many that is a "holiday maker".  

 

Frankly, I don't know why the Thai Govt just doesn't charge X Baht for a 6 month or 12 month multi entry visa at the start and be done with it vs having me (for example) go to Laos and pay the Consulate there .... 

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jackdd Platinum Member

jackdd

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16 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

Frankly, I don't know why the Thai Govt just doesn't charge X Baht for a 6 month or 12 month multi entry visa at the start and be done with it vs having me (for example) go to Laos and pay the Consulate there .... 

Their main concern are people who work in Thailand on tourist visas, so all these changes happen under the guise of making it more difficult for those people.

Allowing people to just pay for the extension in Thailand would obviously also make it easier for people working here illegally, so they won't do this.

The Thailand Elite visa is somehow a special case, i guess they think if somebody can buy a visa for 500k - 1mio he is so rich that he doesn't have to work. If i would do anything shady in Thailand obviously one of the first things i would do, would be to buy a Thailand Elite visa.

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Destiny1990 Gold Member

Destiny1990

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4 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

I think the term "holiday maker" vs "long term visitor" needs better defining by the Thai Govt (perhaps).  If I am coming here for 3 weeks or even 3 months, staying in a hotel (or with a friend) and not working .... to many that is a "holiday maker".  

 

Frankly, I don't know why the Thai Govt just doesn't charge X Baht for a 6 month or 12 month multi entry visa at the start and be done with it vs having me (for example) go to Laos and pay the Consulate there .... 

Go to Phillipines you be welcomed there for long term !

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kurtmartens Advanced Member

kurtmartens

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5 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Go to Phillipines you be welcomed there for long term !

I don't need to.  I'm here on a non-o and work outside of Thailand as a consultant.  

 

However, it works simply be easier if the Govt has different types of visas under a broader spectrum.  Like I said, having me pay for the visa at the Consulate vs at Immigration in country is silly.  Nevermind the issue of every consulate setting their own rules.  

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jackdd Platinum Member

jackdd

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1 hour ago, kurtmartens said:

Like I said, having me pay for the visa at the Consulate vs at Immigration in country is silly.

If you are eligable for a visa exempt you can arrive in Thailand visa exempt and then get a non-immigrant visa at immigration, no need to visit an embassy or consulate.

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kurtmartens Advanced Member

kurtmartens

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The process is easier and at times different at consulates.  Savannakhet vs Singapore vs Washington vs in country Immigration offices. 

 

I qualify in Savannakhet, but not in country for example.  So you are wrong, respectfully, some folks qualify depending where they apply.  Which clearly makes the system broken. 

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ChristianPFC Advanced Member

ChristianPFC

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On 12/14/2019 at 7:38 PM, Muppet2019 said:

Lots of people live here for ages on TV's...

better: Lots of people have been living here for ages on TV's...

A friend has been living here for 15 years on TV's, but recently couldn't get a new SETV in Phnom Penh. 

I have been living here on TV's for 5 years, but have to wrap it up and go elsewhere next year.

 

I got two SETV's in Saigon in 2016, and for the second had to supply additional documents.

 

What I don't understand, the embassies make money from visas, and tourists doing visa runs are better than no tourists (what percentage of the Lao economy is visa runners from Thailand?), so they should be as soft as possible to keep people coming for visas.

Edited by ChristianPFC
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jacko45k Star Member

jacko45k

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3 minutes ago, Langkawee said:

Philippines not for the cheapest of Charlies,  Thailand from 1500 a month for an apartment,  Philippines 6000 baht monthly. Without a doubt more fun in phil

I keep reading about the wonders of the Philippines. But they do seem to get more than their fair share of natural disasters, typhoons, volcano eruptions, tsunamis and earthquakes.

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tabarin Explorer Member

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I was there just now, multiple tourists with problems, a German girl who returned as her visa was denied on entry too, they didn't help her and she needed to get a new one again as she wants to collect her belongings and leave forever.

 

I expect her to have lost over 15k baht on that so far too.

 

They hassled me too, bank statements and needing to pay 80 USD for a single entry non o, much more than elsewhere and nowhere to be able and change money. 

 

Eventually, 1 hour later, the consular staff changed for me from THB.

 

Pick up is tomorrow, very late, 4PM.

 

I am personally really done with this nonsense but I have a Thai child. Going to really try and figure a way to move with my family to another country as soon that is possible.

 

Tired to be treated like a soi dog while spending plenty over the past 7 years.

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kurtmartens Advanced Member

kurtmartens

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1 minute ago, tabarin said:

 

Tired to be treated like a soi dog while spending plenty over the past 7 years.

This is the part I wish the Govt would understand.  That a majority of us contribute a significant amount of money to the economy and to punish is for all the cheap Charlies is just "bad business".

 

I'm all for getting rid of those who are trying to stay here on a TV with no funds, but don't punish everyone else. 

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lazygourmet Platinum Member

lazygourmet

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20 hours ago, kurtmartens said:

Frankly, I don't know why the Thai Govt just doesn't charge X Baht for a 6 month or 12 month multi entry visa at the start and be done with it vs having me (for example) go to Laos and pay the Consulate there .... 

This is just because they are reluctant to face us more than three weeks twice a year.

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tabarin Explorer Member

tabarin

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13 minutes ago, kurtmartens said:

This is the part I wish the Govt would understand.  That a majority of us contribute a significant amount of money to the economy and to punish is for all the cheap Charlies is just "bad business".

 

I'm all for getting rid of those who are trying to stay here on a TV with no funds, but don't punish everyone else. 

Well even worse, having a Thai child and family depending on me, and still get difficulties over a visa. 

 

I have spend well over a million per year in my first 5 years alone. In past year and half supporting a Thai family as well plus a business investment for my wife. 

 

I earn plenty for yearly requirement but my income cant be certified by embassy as it doesn't come from my home country. 

 

Will have to legalise my 40k income somehow, even that is likely to be done mid next year, I am tired of Thailand already. They just ruined it.

 

Easy to talk backwards, if I knew this years ago, I reserved 400k over time to be stuck in a bank. But I was single back then. 

 

Also, I use cashflow for biz, another 400k isn't nothing for a 28 years old.

 

O and btw, tourists everywhere here, cheap beers, friendly people. Traffic insane but other than that, amazing. 

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tabarin Explorer Member

tabarin

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Add on: I never seen a embassy so quiet, there were less than 5 people in there at the same time and it looks like a post office setup. 

 

So for that I have to give them credit, super relaxed and easy building.

 

However, I suspect that is only because most foreigners already gave up on Thailand.

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