Tod Daniels

Just a heads up to everyone wanting to get to a consulate that accepts walk-in, in person applications Goto Taipei by the 27th of Dec <- that's next friday as that's the last day they'll accept in person, walk up applications

I believe you are confused.. There never was a hard limit of visa exempt entries by air EVER (as in no real rule) AND Previously there was a limit of TWO free visa exempt entries by land in a calendar year <- Which was a GOOD THING because you were guaranteed to get in by land two times a year without much hassle AT ALL. Sadly once they went to the 60 day visa exempt entry and discontinued the "2 entry by land in a year" rule all that meant was you are now at the mercy of the officer at passport control stamping you in (just like you are at the airports). If they're having a bad day, they'll pass that right on to you. Borders that were previously soft touch, got HARD CORE really really fast, and they started making up rules, stay out 2 nights, stay out one night, telling people you can't get in, go to an airport and fly in. People were tooting the drum and beating the horn when the "2 free entries by land in a calendar year" rule was discontinued Remember people "no limit" doesn't mean "unlimited"

reports are coming in (quite regularly) that people are getting hung up comin' back in at the Nong Khai border now (where as previously that was the softest touch border in the country) Several people this week were all turned back at the bridge had to go back to Lao, get their exit stamp cancelled and then either wait until the following day to try to get back in OR were told they needed to fly in. AND it also appears, if you push the subject after they told you to go back, they will put a denial of entry stamp in your passport (where as usually they just send you back to Lao without anything). Then you CAN'T get in at that border with out "help" and even flying in you get pulled aside and asked WTF you think you're doing living here on free stamp entries.. This only came about the last couple of weeks at Nong Khai and as a rule only for the "border bouncers" who try to get out and right back in on a new 60 day free entry stamp after having maxed a 60 day stamp w/30day extension out previously.

IN Bangkok at Chaengwattana if you are using banked money method for a yearly extension where you also used banked money method the year before they request you get the year detail transaction report printed. If you are getting your FIRST yearly extension they will accept 3 months transaction report (although the seasoning requirement is only for 2 months) The reason they're doing this is because no one updates their bank books enough to show the balance ALL the time during the whole year. At most banks if you don't update the book in 21 days all it will print is a summary of money in/money out not a detail of every transaction This becomes a problem when you go to apply for the year extension from a previous extension because they need to check you kept the 800K baht in the bank for three months AFTER your extension was issued last year, then that the balance never went below 400K baht the rest of the year until it got back up to 800K a minimum of 2 months before you apply for this next extension. There's just no way to do it from a bank book that's not updated regularly.. I did have one person who has no app, no ATM card, goes to the bank with his bank book/passport for EVERY transaction and he was able to get away without having a year detail transaction report. (actually we had it but it was the same entries as his bank book so I took it out of the packet when he applied and they didn't say anything) One thing to keep in mind is that SOME banks can print that year transaction detail on demand BUT some banks (notably Bangkok Bangkok) seem to have to 'order it' from the head office and it can take 3 to 5 days.. Some people got around this by printing their year transaction report from their mobile banking app (but some immigration offices won't take it because it's not printed on that paper that has the "dot matrix" tear off tabs down the sides and doesn't have the bank stamp on it So you need the detail transaction report, the 'standard bank letter' and you need to update your bank book the date you apply for the extension. BOTH the transaction report and the standard letter can be up to 7 days old in Bangkok, Your mileage may vary 😛

That article and the bangkok post one as well as that b/s info-graphic from the PR dept of the gov't all leave out some critical tidbits of information 😞 As a rule you have to be IN the country whose thai consulate you are using the eVisa system to apply at AND You prove you're in that country by uploading your visa/entry stamp and then you stay IN that country until your visa is approved or rejected. 😮 <- that is the one that people have a hard time wrapping their heads around 😕 We are seeing more and more consulates once the application is submitted sending a "request for additional documentation" email after 3-5 days asking for scans of EVERY passport page including blank pages Clearly this is to see IF you left the country you applied in or entered thailand and yes before you even ask. . . .. 😉 people have been rejected once it was discovered they did indeed come back here after applying for the eVisa in another country

It works this way, if you do not get your extension or visa through the One-Stop service center at Cham Churi Square, you can only use the main immigration office at Chaengwattana for 90 day reporting

Okay this is what I know to be mostly true 😉 at least at Chaengwattana in Bangkok 😜 , (your mileage at your immigration office may vary) 1 - you need to file a new TM30 when you come in from abroad even if you're staying at the same address you had a previous TM30 filed at 2 - you have to file your first 90 day report in person after coming back from abroad. 3 - the TM30 system and the TM47 system cross check against passport and registered address 4 - if there is a mismatch you'll get rejected. 5 - the new window of opportunity to file a 90 day report online is from 2 weeks before down until 1 week BEFORE the due date <- you have only a 7 day window (people were rejected applying after the 7 day before their due date new cut off) SO my advice to @indieke is IF you have a log in to the online TM30 program FILE a new TM30 every time you come into the country, export the PDF receipt file and print it. There are reports that not every office is enforcing the "must do the first 90 day report returning from abroad in person" rule as some people did come back, file new TM30's and then were able to file online 90 day reporting thru the TM47 online portal. All you can do is try it. Again this is my direct experience with BANGKOK immigrations at Chaengwattana in both the TM30 section (Section B) and the TM47 section (Section A). As I said, your mileage may vary

I think you got your wires crossed 😮 I know someone who got one of the first DTV's issued (just after they started handing them out) and he's been in and out of the country over a dozen times on it since his first entry.. Each entry got him a new 180 day entry stamp and he wasn't asked anything by the officer at passport control. Just bounce out/back to activate a new entry on the visa

I was out at Chaengwattana main immigration office in Bangkok last week and the week before that too. I specifically asked in Section J <- the section that does real tourist visa extensions AND the section that will do extensions on DTV's for any update on extensions for DTV's. They said they still don't have any official hand out listing the documentation requirements for this 180 day extension to a 180 day entry stamp from a Destination Thailand Visa. Now factoring in this visa was only approved to be issued July 15th, AND the earliest I know of someone getting a DTV was close to the end of July, we definitely should be comin' up on people wanting to try an extension especially seeing as at Chaengwattana you can apply for any extension when you have 45 days or less left on your current stamp. NO ONE <- as in not even the immigration officers who will handle the extensions know what other documentation will be required aside from passport copies, visa copy, entry stamp copy, TM30 copy, TM7 application form. Will they ask for proof you still have 500K in the bank? Will they ask for proof you're still enrolled in what ever you signed up for to get the visa approved soft power, that you're still under medical treatment for what ever treatment you needed 5 year visa for? These and more questions remain to be answered... Honestly I think people who are getting close to their stamps running out should just bounce out and back to activate a new 180 day entry (as at least that is trouble free and document free) and lets see HOW this extension process plays out

The thai consulates in Cambodia & Vietnam only take USD and you can pay online thru the eVisa system

Yep you were referring to a Visa Exempt entry (60 day free stamp for 90+ countries since July 15th) <- which is not a visa at all just a free entry stamp and you were not referring to a real VOA (Visa On Arrival) which is SOLD to people from 31 countries now when they land here for 2000baht, and as you pointed out is only valid 15 days <- which means it can't be used to switch to any visa inside the country.. (not 31) Here's the list of Visa Exempt countries AND the list of Visa On Arrival countries AND Before someone mentions it, YES it is totally possible for a country to appear on BOTH lists 😮

Right now the TTEO (Thailand Trade and Economic Office) in Taipei is the GO TO place for visas.. They are a walk up consulate, and you get your passport sometimes the same day (or the next day at the latest) People have been flocking there for DTV's because they're easy going and a "user friendly" consulate My advice would be IF you're thinking of getting a visa before they switch over to eVisa get to Taipei NOW (before the 27th) and apply in person

We are seeing more and more consulates that are on the eVisa system sending a "request for extra documentation" after the eVisa is applied for and asking for EVERY page of your passport including blank pages <- That could be a way to make sure you're actually STILL in the country where you applied. Interesting that it says on some of those notices that someone else can show up and pay for you, so it would appear it's not to check if the applicant is in the country or not. Dunno, really. Hanoi, HCMC, and Jakarta all switched over to eVisa pretty seamlessly and after the first week they got their processing time down to not that long. People are still avoiding using the 3 consulates in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu and Penang) because they have extended processing (or that is what has been reported)

Probably old news (as I've been off this forum for a bit) BUT I wanted to put all the notices in one place so everyone knows, effective Jan 1st 2025 there are no longer any "walk in" (apply in person consulates) This also means that effective that date the year-long, multi-entry Non-O visas based on marriage that people were getting from "user friendly" consulates in the area will no longer be available. Note that you apply online in Yangon, Vientiane and Savannakhet but then have th GO in person to pay for the visa (wonder if people could ask at that time if they could get a year/multi Non-O)? These are the last consulates to switch to eVisa ; Taipei, Yangon, Singapore, Manila, Vientiane & Savannakhet

careful, @sandyf your bullheadedness is getting in the way of your common sense 😕 FEW consulates on the evisa system require legal permanent residence to apply for a visa when you're in a country. MOST <- other than the piss poor examples you showed, just require you to show you're legally IN that country and use an address in that country when you apply. I think you're going out of the way to select "hard consulates" to show examples of how you need legal residence, might as well add all the thai consulates in China to your list too 😉 believe me (or don't) HCMC, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Bharu, Penang, and Phnom Penh <- who all went on the eVisa system tuesday DO NOT require anything but proof you're legally in the country and an address where you're staying there, nor do the nearby walk up consulates Vientiane, Savannakhet, Yangon, Jakarta, Taipei require anything other than what I mentioned