Thai Embassy Confirms New Visa Policies

[Lone Rider]

Thai Embassy Confirms New Visa Policies

The Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane has issued a notice confirming the Kingdom’s new visa policies. The official notice serves to clarify the rumor of new policies after a draft notice surfaced on the internet last week.

The official notice issued by the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane stipulates the following three points:

“1. From 1 December 2016 – 28 February 2017, foreigners of all nationalities could submit application for a Single Entry (60 days) Tourist Visa to Thailand without visa fee at the Consular Section of the Royal Thai Embassy.

2. Foreigners who work or reside permanently in the Lao PDR are eligble for applying for the Multiple Entries Tourist Visa (METV) to Thailand. METV costs 5,000 baht, valid for 6 months and foreigners would be able to stay in Thailand up to 60 days per journey. Rules and regulations apply.

3. For those nationalities that are currently under the the 30 day visa waiving scheme, 2 journeys to Thailand per year would be granted under the scheme through any international land boundary checkpoint to Thailand. Please inquire with immigration officers at the checkpoint for further information.”

thai-embassy-visa-notice

 

[KTMphil]

Thailand tourist visa fees waived for a further 3 months announced on a Thai news website


http://www.dailynews.co.th/economic/550291

 

[KTMphil]

We are being told that under normal circumstances, you can no longer get a 1 year Non-O visa at Thai Consulates outside Thailand. They will only issue a 90 single entry Non-O Thai Visa & forcing foreigners to get an extension of stay to their visa inside Thailand at a Thai immigration office. There apparently are special circumstances where the Embassy (not Consulate) can issue 1 year Non-O visa's.



This has been confirmed for the UK, not sure about other countries.

 

[lakota]

not even Savannakhet ?

 

[Lone Rider]

Similar to the Netherlands where the Thai Consulate in Amsterdam can only give a Non-Immigrant Visa with a single entry (3-month validity). Only the Embassy can provide Visa's for longer periods.

 

[blackwolf]

We are being told that under normal circumstances, you can no longer get a 1 year Non-O visa at Thai Consulates outside Thailand. They will only issue a 90 single entry Non-O Thai Visa & forcing foreigners to get an extension of stay to their visa inside Thailand at a Thai immigration office. There apparently are special circumstances where the Embassy (not Consulate) can issue 1 year Non-O visa's.



This has been confirmed for the UK, not sure about other countries.

This seems to be nothing new. In the UK and some other countries, this has been the case for around 2 years already, according to what I've read over on Thai visa. Australia has followed suit since mid-2016, but I was still able to get a multi-entry B visa after these changes were implemented in Melbourne using the same documentation as before. The difference is that the embassy now has to confirm the paperwork before the consulate can issue the visa. In my case, this didn't delay the visa at all, since they simply emailed or faxed my paperwork to Canberra for approval. The turnaround was 2 days as usual.

Savannakhet and Singapore (amongst others) are still issuing multiple non-O visas if you have the right paperwork. For Singapore, this means financial proof. I understand Penang still issues non-B multi entry visas, but only to those individuals already in possession of a work permit with 8-9 months validity remaining.

 

[KTMphil]

3 hour Chiang Mai - Mae Sot Visa run now available ! 4,000 Baht each.


border by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr