Seeking Advice for Visa Run to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

[typ123]

Dear all,

 

I am American and want to get another 2-month tourist visa (this will be my second in my passport).  I am flying to KL from Chonburi on January 17th (Wednesday) and flying back to Chonburi on the 21st (Sunday).  As far as I am aware, I will need the following documents:

 

-Visa Application

-Passport

-One signed copy of passport photo page

-Two passport-sized photos taken within the last six months

-Printed, confirmed flight into Thailand

-Printed confirmation of accommodation in Thailand for entire stay (1)

-Printed, confirmed flight out of Thailand (2)

-150 MYR exactly (NO dollars/NO baht/NO refunds)

 

My questions are:

 

1) What do I need to provide as "confirmation of accommodation" if I am staying at my friend's house?  He is married to a Thai and has a marriage visa and lives here.  I'm just on extended holiday. 

 

2) Do I really need a "confirmed flight out of Thailand"?  I will have to leave anyway, but I plan on getting an ED visa because I'd like to study Thai language for a year, so I may not need an exit flight.

 

Please help me with these two questions if you can, and any other tips for this particular visa run would be very much appreciated!  

 

 

Edited January 11, 2018 by typ123

[geisha]

typ123, Hi, just to add, I saw on TV by Jack Thompson this last week , that in Penang they are also asking for proof of funds bank statement for a tourist visa. 

I do not know if this is true and if it also applies to KL. 

[keeniau96]

Could just do a visa-exempt (30 days) then an extension of that for another 30.

[Essecola]

If you were going to one of the friendlier embassys to fetch a visa, some of these problems would not arise. But maybe you have some reason for getting it in KL. :)

Edited January 12, 2018 by Essecola

[typ123]

2 hours ago, geisha said:

typ123, Hi, just to add, I saw on TV by Jack Thompson this last week , that in Penang they are also asking for proof of funds bank statement for a tourist visa. 

I do not know if this is true and if it also applies to KL. 

Okay I will print out my bank statement as well.  Thank you!

 

2 hours ago, keeniau96 said:

Could just do a visa-exempt (30 days) then an extension of that for another 30.

Yeah I know.  This is basically my fall back plan if for some reason I can't get the visa.  I'll just get a new 1 month stamp at the airport.  I think I should be fine though.

 

1 hour ago, Essecola said:

If you were going to one of the friendlier embassys to fetch a visa, some of these problems would not arise. But maybe you have some reason for getting it in KL. :)

1

True.  Reason for choosing KL is because I have a friend that's letting me use his place there, and I got a good deal on flights. 

[ubonjoe]

20 hours ago, typ123 said:

1) What do I need to provide as "confirmation of accommodation" if I am staying at my friend's house?  He is married to a Thai and has a marriage visa and lives here.  I'm just on extended holiday. 

 

2) Do I really need a "confirmed flight out of Thailand"?  I will have to leave anyway, but I plan on getting an ED visa because I'd like to study Thai language for a year, so I may not need an exit flight.

1. You could have your friend and his wife right a short letter stating you are staying with them. Have them attach a signed copy of her ID card and his passport to it.

From their checklist under #6.

Quote

If staying with a friend/relative, please submit his/her invitation letter and a copy of his/her identity card/passport.

2. Yes they do want that. You could buy a low cost one way ticket to anywhere from any airport here to meet the requirement.

 

Be sure you attach a copy of their checklist to your application. http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20170329-105808-985625.pdf

 

[typ123]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. You could have your friend and his wife right a short letter stating you are staying with them. Have them attach a signed copy of her ID card and his passport to it.

From their checklist under #6.

2. Yes they do want that. You could buy a low cost one way ticket to anywhere from any airport here to meet the requirement.

 

Be sure you attach a copy of their checklist to your application. http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20170329-105808-985625.pdf

 

3

Thanks for the info!  This checklist is really handy.  I've already paid for a 15 day stay at a very cheap hostel.  I will probably use it half of the time I am here anyway cause the house is pretty noisy.

 

I've also booked a flight to Ho Chi Min City for 1,100 baht to exit Thailand.  I will use this for a third tourist visa if I don't have an ED visa by then.  Should be okay to do multiple in a row as long as I go to different countries and present all documents each time right?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, typ123 said:

Should be okay to do multiple in a row as long as I go to different countries and present all documents each time right?

It depends upon the embassy or consulate you apply at. Some look at all of them.

[typ123]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It depends upon the embassy or consulate you apply at. Some look at all of them.

So what you're saying is that some embassies or consulates will look at back to back tourist visas and decide to deny entry for that reason alone.  Reason being there are an undetermined amount of consecutive visas.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, typ123 said:

So what you're saying is that some embassies or consulates will look at back to back tourist visas and decide to deny entry for that reason alone.  Reason being there are an undetermined amount of consecutive visas.

Yes 

The one's I can recall doing it are Penang and Phenom Penh. Penang has done a stamp saying no more there after issuing a visa.

[typ123]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes 

The one's I can recall doing it are Penang and Phenom Penh. Penang has done a stamp saying no more there after issuing a visa.

Oh I see. Hmm.  So just to clarify, you mean that in Penang for example, they stamped AFTER issuing a tourist visa to state that one cannot return to the same consulate/embassy for another tourist visa.  Correct?  So it seems that the issue is returning to the same consulate/embassy, perhaps back to back, unless I'm mistaken.

 

So I then wonder, if everything follows so far, that if one goes to a different consulate/embassy to get another visa, and THEN returns to that same consulate/embassy in Penang, will they be denied based on the previous "no more" stamp on the already used tourist visa?

 

Hope this isn't too convoluted and easy to understand. 

Edited January 12, 2018 by typ123

[typ123]

I’ve returned from Kuala Lumpur with a new tourist visa.  They DID require the proof accommodation and an exiting flight.  My 15-day hostel reservation and a flight to Ho Chi Min city were sufficient.  They did NOT require the bank statement.

 

To drop off your visa the embassy is only open from 9:30 - 11:30 and there were quite a bit of people waiting in line.  Many were turned away once they reached the max amount of people they would serve for the day.  I suggest going early to make sure you get in.  I was the second to last person and I arrived at 10:30 I went too late.  

 

First you wait outside in line, then as you enter through the gateway there is a kiosk where someone will check your documents and give you a number.  Then you wait inside the complex until they call your number.  For the tourist visa I dropped it off the first day around 11:30 and picked it up the following day at 2:30 (pick up is late afternoon) The embassy has signs requesting that you wear polite clothing so keep that in mind.

 

Avoid the taxis in KL!  Get the Grab app on your phone.  I paid 8 ringit to get to the embassy from where I was staying, but the same ride in a taxi cost me 31 Ringit!  You’ll need a Malaysian SIM card and you can get that at 7/11.  They will need your passport to activate your SIM card so make sure you do this before you drop off your passport at the embassy and that you have a pin to pop open your SIM card drive.  I paid 15 ringit for a package including the SIM which was plenty for a few days in KL.

 

For lunch there is a lovely Chinese temple walking distance from the embassy called  Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery (about a 10-15 walk but worth it. But you can easily take a cheap bus for one ringit if you don’t want to walk) serving healthy food in a large canteen in the back of the temple grounds.  Buffet closes at 2 pm for a chanting ceremony.  Petronas Towers are also very close to the embassy so you can check that out.  It’s 1 ringit by public bus (they pass by frequently on the road the embassy is on.  Just wait at one of the stops and pay when you get on) one way to the towers from the embassy.  Nice way to kill time after drop off and before pick up. 

 

I stayed at my friend’s condo near India Town (really cool place!  Especially if you like Indian food) in Bangsar which was kind of far but I liked staying in that area.  You may want to find a place closer to the embassy.

 

Good luck!

Edited January 26, 2018 by typ123