Arandora

19 minutes ago, partington said:

If you all don't realise this is an elaborate joke you need a cup of strong coffee.

Just brewed mine but now stopping feeding the troll! 

Are you taking it upon yourself to contact every country in the world to provide a standard visa policy for each of them? If not, why not? Visa Policy is a vital part of Immigration control and a very necessary part these days of Security Control. Can you imagine any country in the world considering requests for changes in its policy by an outsider who may have a vested interest in changes in policy that may threaten both Immigration and Security policies? Get real! 

4 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Example

I like to fly to Thailand for the temples, beach, fun, girls or whatever.
As an European I can enter without a visa and get a 30 day stamp at the airport.
So my planned stays 2017 with flying in and out to Thailand would be February 3 weeks, April 3 weeks, July 3 weeks, September 2 weeks and December 3 weeks.
A visa is then not necessary at all.

And this would not be longer possible?
I can not believe that.
 

The change only applies to land entries (at the moment) so as you re-enter by air, you should be able to continue receiving a 30 day Visa Exempt stamp each time. 

2 hours ago, visarunner said:

Yes, it only affects people under visa exempt

But if someone enters under a 60 day Single Entry Tourist Visa, then leaves, they can only re-enter under Visa Exempt twice? Yes? 

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I wrote that it might be needed to apply for the tourist visa, I certainly did not say it was needed for entry with a visa.

My misunderstanding. 

A Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) for 60 days (extrendable by 30 days) obtained at a Thai Embassy or Consulate is FREE until the end of February 2017. 

On 12/6/2016 at 10:32 AM, ubonjoe said:

Dependent upon where you apply for the tourist visa you may need a confirmed ticket out of the country within 60 or 90 days

AFAIK you do not need Proof Of Onward Travel (POOT) out of Thailand if you enter on an SETV only with 30 day Visa Exempt entries. 

1 hour ago, juice777 said:

Why are they giving out free visas then?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Desperation? Tourist numbers from all countries dropping? 

However, just what will this achieve? The relaxation in VOA fees applies to countries with few (except China and India) visitors and saving 1000 baht is hardly likely to persuade them to visit LOS. Most other tourists arrive FREE already under the 30 day Visa Exempt Scheme. Will this persuade them to stay FREE for 60 days instead? 

Window dressing and face saving, a heady Thai mixture! 

As far as I'm aware aware every country wants proof of when you are going to enter the country when they issue a visa. 

METV requirements per Liverpool Consulate:

1.    A completed application form with 2 identical professionally printed photographs (45mm high x 35mm wide);
2.    A current passport with validity of over 6 months beyond the date of application;
3.    Proof of resident status in the UK or Ireland (Passport or UK/Ireland residence card) along with a photocopy;
4.    Original bank statement of the applicant showing a balance of at least £5,000 (for 6 months) or a print-out with official stamp of the bank.
5.    A letter from the applicant’s employer (in the UK and addressed to the Royal Thai Consulate) stating length of service and expected return to work.  If you are self-employed your self-assessment form.
6.    A photocopy of the confirmed air ticket to Thailand;
7.    A photocopy of the hotel reservation confirmation in Thailand.

and from Thai Embassy London
-  A photocopy of the confirmed Air ticket to Thailand

Hull doesn't make sense! 

Not sure what you mean by a " Tourist Multiple Entry Visa". The current Multi Entry Tourist Visa (METV) has only been in force a couple of years and replaced the One, Two or Three Entry 60 day Tourist Visa which is now only One Entry. If you are referring to a Non Immigrant O Multi Entry Visa for UK retirees over age 65 and in receipt of State Pension, you can obtain those at the Thai Embassy by post with only proof of your pension as detailed on the Embassy website. Consulates cannot issue any visas by post, only in person by prior appointment and can only issue Single Entry 60 day Tourist Visas, METVs ( which give as many entries of up to 60 days with an extension of up to 30 days for 1900 baht at a local Immigration Office, then you have to leave and get another 60 + 30 days as many times as you want within 6 months of first entry) or Single Entry Non Immigrant O visas. 

Both Hull and Liverpool told me to contact the Embassy which as I posted earlier proved impossible as they just don't answer the phones. Ordinarily a Tourist METV, with an extension for each entry to 90 days would have been an alternative to our Multi Entry Non Imm O but I needed a Non Imm in order to renew my Thai Driving Licence. 

As it turns out I have had to cancel our return in November as we found out yesterday my wife has to have an operation on the day we were due to return to Thailand and rebook after the op when we find out when she can travel. Now, if we cannot return before 11th January 2017 when my Thai DL expires I have to find out can I do so when we do return later. 

"Thailand" and "a clear strategy and marketing plan" are a contradiction in terms! 

Until late August at Liverpool personal appointment for Non Imm O Multi Entry which we had appointment for on 9th November. Consul herself phoned me and advised that instruction received from Embassy that she could only from then issue Single Entry and understood that applied to all UK Consulates. Contacted Hull where you could send your application and supporting information or Email it and they would forward to the Embassy for approval and when approved make an appointment to get the visas. They had not heard anything at that stage and were making enquiries as the Embassy had stopped approving applications done this way. I phoned back and spoke to the Consul who confirmed that Consulates could now only issue Single Entry Non Imm O and the Tourist METV and that all Non Imm O Multi Entry had to go direct to the embassy. He said that he had been told that the Embassy would only do this by appointment. This started my weeks long unanswered phone calls to the Embassy to confirm whether I could apply by post until last week when the message on the answerphone had changed to say no postal applications. I phoned Consul in Liverpool who said she had just been informed by Email from the Embassy that that message was wrong and applications for Non Imm O Multi Entry could still be made by post as well as in person at the Embassy. 

Seems typical Thai confusion. My experience for Liverpool and Hull i.e. no Non-Imm O Multi entry since August/September, only Single Entry from then on, only from London Embassy,  not consistent with Cardiff. Should have tried Cardiff as well! 

21 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

Changed happening end of the month according to wales. 

 

 

 

Multiple still issued yesterday.. 

Just to be clear,  are you saying that you obtained a Multi Entry Non Immigrant O Visa from a Consulate (Cardiff?) yesterday?

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy can still issue a multiple entry visa.

That is correct and unlike the message on the Embassy automated answerphone, unless they have changed it since last Thursday, you can apply by post as well as by appointment. The automated message said all Non Imm visas by appointment only. Having tried for three weeks to get through on the phone to the Embassy to confirm whether they were still processing Multi Entry Non Imm O for retirees over 65 in receipt of state pension I spoke to the Consul at Liverpool who said she had just received an Email from the Embassy informing all Consulates that "someone" had given incorrect information that the Embassy was not issuing any Non Imm visas by post but confirming that all Consulates could only issue Single Entry which has been the case since late August. 

Latest Update:

The Thai Embassy website says Applications by Post accepted. Contact hours are given as 2pm to 5pm. Extension 5500

The Thai Embassy automated answering service says, contact hours 9am to 12.30pm, go via Consular service to Visa Service that then says "No visas will be issued by post." Press 1 top speak to Visa Section which I did and enjoyed the same "we value your custom, we will be attending to you shortly" message  in English and Thai for 59 minutes then I hing up before my calls became chargeable under my calls plan.

Phoned the Consul at Hull who told me she had just this morning while I must have been on the phone received an Email from the Embassy asking all Consuls to deny the false information that "someone" had given out  that they were not accepting postal applications and confirming that they were. I told her that the possible source of that incorrect information was the Embassy's own automated message and the other conflicts which she said she would report to the Embassy by Email as "it's a waste of time by phone as they never answer". 

5 hours ago, Fithman said:

 

 

Then 

 

 

Then 

 

 

 

 

If you are only going to be satisfied/reassured by confirmation issued directly from the Embassy why do you keep posting here ? 

Because the Consulates at both Hull and Liverpool still insist that the Embassy is now from only very recently issuing Single Entry not Multiple Entry. On that basis would you post your passports, application and payment for a Multi Entry only for them to be returned with only a Single Entry and promised refund of overpayment or just returned when you already have an appointment in Liverpool with overnight accommodation booked to get a Single Entry on the spot? 

If you can't give the information why do you keep posting here? 

Thanks. I will try one last time to contact the Embassy to confirm. 

No way I'm going down to London to find out!!! 

Been there, done that, of course. Just wanting confirmation that they are still issuing Multi Entry by post after being told they are not by Hull Consulate before I send our passports. Thai Embassy and Consulate websites are notoriously out of date. 

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The embassy will still do a multiple entry non-o visa if you are 65 or over and getting a state pension.

 

Do you have recent confirmation of that as the Consulate in Hull told me three weeks ago that the Embassy is only issuing Single Entry Non-Imm O for UK retirees too?  Despite phoning the Embassy nearly every day, the Visa Section is either engaged and disconnects or its extension (5500) and the operator just rings for upwards of 30 minutes or more unanswered and disconnects! I already have an appointment in Liverpool, an hour away from my home, for a Single Entry and want to use the Embassy for a Multi Entry by post if it still provides this service. 

3 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Airlines are not focussed on assisting with some Immigration Control master plan but merely in avoiding additional costs to themselves!

You've missed the point. It was Thai Immigration who placed the responsibility on airlines who of course would want to comply to avoid the financial penalties. But it is a delegation or some would say an abdication of the Thailand Immigration Department's responsibility, as it is in other countries, to ensure that visitors have a valid visa or to seek proof of how and when they will leave Thailand if they don't. Two different reasons but the ultimate responsibility is Thai Immigration. 

4 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Actually the real reason why they try and stop you is that they don't want to risk being lumbered with the cost of flying you back to your airport of origin in the event of your being refused entry into Thailand. Having a visa provides them with a cast-iron  guarantee (in their eyes) that this won't happen. 

Actually the real reason is Immigration Control with part of the process being transferred to airlines with the threat of financial penalties and repatriation cost but it is intended to stop people without a visa or proof of leaving from entering illegally and slipping under the radar i.e. illegal immigrants. 

That's why I said "supposed to be" as it was told to me by Thai company owner from the information he had and discussions he had been involved in at Phang Nga Provincial level.