anatta0

Hi, wanted to apply SETV in Bali, Indonesia. I wonder if I can directly book and submit the application with OUT of thailand ticket that fly out on 85th day since entry ? Since SETV allow 60 days only but assume I want to extend 30 more days.

24 minutes ago, Cloudy said:

Time for you to head on to another country you’re clearly working here in Thailand And trying to circumvent the system


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I wrote it because i found freelance worker wrote the letter for schengen visa application and they are fine, consider that people who run there are more likely to work illegally. 

My understanding is that working illegally is like being employed by a Thai or any Thai company without work permit and that is stealing the job from the locals. 

The nature of my job is analogous to a CEO of a company, when they visit a country as a tourist, often they have to still deal day to day operations of the business back at home country by phone, emails etc

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

That's an unusual request, even considering it's Phnom Penh we're talking about. Maybe something the OP wrote on the application form (they do ask for the applicant's occupation, after all) triggered it, if it was unclear or suspicious? OP, could you share with us what you wrote there?

We didn't fill any application form, all are handled by the visa agent. I am Indonesian passport holder, my friend is USA passport holder. 

It is a NEW NORMAL now in PP for employment letter on SETV, before we applied, Lucky Lucky agent already told us, many get asked for employment letter too. So we have to be prepared for it. 

8 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

That could explain this previously unreported request at that consulate; Thai authorities may view your coming to Thailand as a potential means to obtain a higher-paying job than in your passport-country - even though this may not be at all true, in your particular case.

EDIT : 

It is a NEW NORMAL now in PP for employment letter on SETV, before we applied, Lucky Lucky agent already told us, many get asked for employment letter too. So we have to be prepared for it. 

My friend's national is USA, he got the same request from embassy too. 

9 minutes ago, KarlS said:

Don't be surprised if (when) your application is rejected especially if it mentions "remote working"! 

Yeah, i feel silly now ???? Digital nomad is a normal thing nowadays, but i forgot that i should see from the Immigration eyes, it is a no no.

Ok, too late, i already give the letter saying that i have a part time work with company in my country that i can run remotely in my laptop while i travel. Also have some side job that i can run remotely, which is true. But i am not employed or do any business in Thailand.

Lucky lucky said we will get the news today by 5 PM. Either approved or rejected. Before we submitted the visa, we already been warned by lucky lucky that these days, the embassy may ask employment letter. We knew going to Vientiane will be easier, but i like coming to siem-reap and pp as i have not been there before. Also we have no any SETV. 

I understand many are frustrated with the visa rules of Thai immigration here. Fyi, i am from Indonesia, have travelled to 9 ASEAN countries (not yet to Brunei) and had been a digital nomad for years in few countries. There is a good reason i picked Thailand.

Hi, me and my friend applied SETV in Phnom penh, we are aware it is a stricter place. We applied with Lucky lucky visa agent, the agent email us late today that the Thai embassy wants to see Employment letter, i suppose a letter from our home country or wherever we work right ? I know i should call lucky lucky but they are already closed now for today and we have a flight out tmrw late evening, thinking we will be able to get our visa after 4 days according to them. 

The problem is me and my friend work in IT as programmer, we work as freelancer, develop website remotely for people and also run online store remotely. We are self employed, so how can we write this employment letter ? What should be the content? 

As a freelancer also i dont have an officially registered company. 

Update : this is the first time we applied SETV anywhere and also we both had been in Thailand with 30 days exempt visa and extended another 30 days. 

Does anyone has any fresh info about SETV in Phnom Penh for 2019 ? Any rules changes ? Seems like going via agent is the way to go. Need financial proof ? Ticket out of thailand ? 

@ubonjoe Can I ask, is it a good idea to reveal my condo rental contract as the proof of accommodation in Bangkok if they ask for hotel proof ? I have a 6 months rent contract here, as it's more cost saving than staying in hotel/airbnb etc, I won't be staying here all the time, will leave Thailand for a few weeks during this 6 months. I don't work here illegally, but I am afraid if showing them the rent contract, will it raise the red flag ? Will they suspect that I am working illegally ? Even i don't. Thanks

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Either one of those would be better than Phnom Penh.

Vientiane does not ask for tickets out of the country or financial proof and HCMC does.

Once you are in the country your passports validity means nothing for as long it is still valid. Only if you were applying for an extension beyond the date it expires would there be a problem.

Do you think Phnom Penh, people get rejected because for doing too many SETV ?

As this is my first time doing SETV for anywhere, will that give me a better chance in Phnom Penh ? Also does the Phnom Penh asked for tickets out of Thailand and financial proof too ?

I have preference for Cambodia because this is a country that I have not been yet, will like to visit for a week, while I have been to many places in Laos & Vietnam already.

Thanks

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

No problem to enter the country after getting the visa or to apply for the 30 day extension.

Btw, I updated my question, adding that I will get the 30 days extension before the 60 days expired. So when I apply for the 30 days extension my passport already has less than 6 months expiry date, you meant that this is no a problem too ?

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You will be within the 6 months needed to apply for the SETV. But Phnom Penh recently has been reported as being difficult to get visa there.

No problem to enter the country after getting the visa or to apply for the 30 day extension.

Thanks for the info, glad to know. So which city will you suggest that is easier ? Vientiane ? Ho Chi Minh ?

I want to go  Phnom Penh, Cambodia to get SETV on around 7 March, but my passport is expiring on 5 November 2019, so my passport will enter 6 months expiry time frame on 5 May, if I apply the visa on 8 March that means that my 60 days visa will be valid till let's say 8 May, so my last day of visa in Thailand will make my passport validity slightly less than 6 months.

First, will the embassy allow me to apply SETV because of this ?

Secondly, if they allow me to apply, will they also allow me to apply 30 days visa extension after that 60 days visa expired on 8 May ? Cause that will make my passport expire in around 5 months on the last day of the visa.

Thanks

6 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

A possible option is to use TransferWise (best rates - midrate / small handling fee / quick processing / fully transparent) and have the money sent to a Thai friend / someone you trust who has a Thai bank account, and who can withdraw the money in cash once it arrived (usually next working day) and hand it over to you.

I am aware of this, Transferwise cannot transfer out from Indonesia. So I am using Topremit.com , transferwise equivalent for Indonesia outbound transfer. I am aware about transferring to friend is one way to go, but as I am travelling here, don't have many local friends, so I want to know if there's a service for money receiving agent that I can trust and without bothering friend.

22 hours ago, chrisatchch said:

You should be able to open bank account, if you can’t provide required documents, u can use some private people to help you open bank account, Siam Legal,fee about 3000 bhat.   A lady from Bangkokhelper.com ,    Also more people do this service 

This is a nice idea, I have seen that Bangkok Helper and Siam Legal, cheapest fee is Siam Legal with USD 120 around 4000 THB. Which I am trying to getch if it's worth it to spent this just for few times usage of the bank account. Looking for cheaper provider if there's any. Thanks.

26 minutes ago, Xaos said:

Bitcoin

Coinbase.com

Bx.th.in

I can feel your enthusiasm in bitcoin, I actually looked into that already. But have you given a thought about if I can withdraw into fiat currency (BAHT) WITHOUT Bank account ?

23 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It can be done online in the US with a credit/debit card or from a bank account. See: https://www.moneygram.com/us/en/send-money-online

Okay, to be more specific, I am transferring from Indonesia to Thailand. The fees are more expensive than from USA.  EDIT : There's no online banking option for me from Indonesia.

I estimated, say transferring IDR 14 500 000 (USD 1000) , the fee IDR 630K (USD 43) + lost in poor exchange rate THB 1286 (USD 39), total USD 82. It's always a privilege to be American ???? 

https://secure.moneygram.com/embed/estimate/transaction-information 

Compared to this https://topremit.com/en/send-money-to/THA

Fee and using the mid-market/almost real-time rate, fee is just USD 8 and not bothering anyone to initiate the transfer.

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You might want to check MoneyGram's rates. It has been a few years since I used them but their rates were much lower than WU.

See: http://moneygram.co.th/en

Hi, thanks, I have heard of this often. I will check on this. But i also prefer to use my transfer agent (alike Transferwise, but not) as this way I can initiate the transfer with online banking myself without bothering friends/family in my country to do the transfer for me. With WU/Moneygram I have to bother someone to go to the agent. So, still hope if there's a money changer in Bangkok will do this for a fee ?

Hi, I am traveling in Bangkok, Thailand, I need to transfer money from overseas with a money transfer agent that I know that has very good rate and relatively low fees.

I can't withdraw with my foreign ATM as the card is spoiled, need to go back to my country to fix that.

I want to receive money transfer that will be triggered with a transfer agent from overseas, but I need a bank account in Thailand to receive this money.

I can't open a bank account even with Bangkok Bank, they ask me to get a recommendation letter from my embassy, but my embassy will only produce this letter if I am a residence/work in Thailand.

So I wonder if there's money agent in Bangkok that will help to receive money for me ? That I can pay a small fees.

I called up Bangkok Bank, they said I can receive money without bank account, just ask the sender to go to Bangkok bank branch to transfer and provide my full name, address, passport number, phone number and I can pickup from the branch. But my transfer agent won't do that for me.

I know about Western Union, the fees is high, trying to avoid that.