First application for a SETV refused at Penang

[phiti]

A Filipina friend first arrived in Thailand on 20 December 2017, which was extended to 17 February 2018 at Phuket Immigration. She travelled to Penang with a visa run service on Tuesday, they took her to Ravi Sharma Travel, who took her passport and application for a SETV. Yesterday she had her passport returned with the visa stamped void. Neither the agent, Ravi Sharma Travel or the visa run driver gave any information about why her visa was refused.
Can anyone shed some light on what could have happened here? To re-iterate, her first ever time in Thailand was on 20 December 2017, also she has a clean record.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

Apparently some required document was missing. That is the only reason I can think of.

[elviajero]

A, presumably young, female Filipino applying for a ‘tourist’ visa having already been in the country as a ‘tourist’ for two months. 

 

If the paperwork was complete, which it likely was if using a visa run service/agent, they have probably declined the visa based on suspicion of working.

[Just Weird]

What work is she doing in Thailand?

[BritTim]

21 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

What work is she doing in Thailand?

Possibly none.  However, if you check sites like Craigslist, you will see how some young Filipinas pay for their stay. She may well be a victim of profiling.

[JackThompson]

It could also be a case of the agent not being the best / not providing the necessary docs (not as if they would admit this).

 

For this run, I would re-enter by land and use up one of her 2 land-border visa-exempt entries per calendar year. 

 

Bummer to have that in her passport - hopefully will not stop her from being able to get Tourist Visas from more "friendly to PI" consulates in the future.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Possibly none.  However, if you check sites like Craigslist, you will see how some young Filipinas pay for their stay. She may well be a victim of profiling.

I think you're right, maybe she's just minted and doesn't need to work.

[phiti]

13 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

It could also be a case of the agent not being the best / not providing the necessary docs (not as if they would admit this).

 

For this run, I would re-enter by land and use up one of her 2 land-border visa-exempt entries per calendar year. 

 

Bummer to have that in her passport - hopefully will not stop her from being able to get Tourist Visas from more "friendly to PI" consulates in the future.

Thanks Jack. I was wondering about this agent and I have noticed the Penang Consulate getting more particular in issuing visas.

Can anyone recommend a friendly consulate in the region to get an SETV?

[BritTim]

Just now, phiti said:

Thanks Jack. I was wondering about this agent and I have noticed the Penang Consulate getting more particular in issuing visas.

Can anyone recommend a friendly consulate in the region to get an SETV?

If you can meet the requirements, I am pretty sure Savannakhet will be fine. Vientiane will likely also be OK. Further afield, I would expect Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Yangon all to issue a tourist visa to a Filipina without issues. However, because of the existing voided visa, I would go for Savannakhet.

[elviajero]

46 minutes ago, phiti said:

Thanks Jack. I was wondering about this agent and I have noticed the Penang Consulate getting more particular in issuing visas.

Can anyone recommend a friendly consulate in the region to get an SETV?

Penang is a "friendly consulate". Without knowing the actual reason she was denied a visa it's difficult for anyone to advise an alternative. I think it will be difficult anywhere with evidence of a denied visa application in the passport. All embassies and consulates seem to be getting "more particular" in issuing tourist visas. Generally I would have said Vientiane was the best option, but not sure how they will react to the voided visa, and I seem to recall (not 100% sure of my recollection so I could be wrong) a report of a Filipino being denied a visa there last year for no particular reason.

 

IMO a young, Filipina, long term tourist, is a big red flag to consular services and immigration. 

Edited February 15, 2018 by elviajero

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

Penang is a "friendly consulate".

The evidence of the last few months suggests that Penang was a friendly consulate, but is no longer. Personally, I would probably choose Kuala Lumpur now over Penang, and that would have been unthinkable six months ago.

[speedtripler]

6 hours ago, Just Weird said:

What work is she doing in Thailand?

Maybe they think she's polishing guns..... 

[PoorSucker]

Did she have flight ticket out and hotel reservations? 

[robsamui]

Penang USED to be "friendly". But over the last year or so it's now upped the time to 8-month's life on a Work Permit in order to get a new Non Im B visa, and just recently put a cap of only 200 a day on the overall  total of visa applications.

 

Additionally the govt is now cracking hard on 'fake' applications for education purposes, as too many language schools are supplying backdoor sign-ups from people who simply want to stay in Thailand for 15 months or more. (Plus consulates in neighbouring countries have been instructed to give 2nd-year SETV applicants verbal tests in the Thai language, with the threat of a written test too for a further visa.)

 

Or it could simply be another result of the ongoing agents' war in Penang. There are two big 'agents' (and numerous smaller ones) which collect large numbers of batch-processed applications and put them through the back door of the Penang Consulate (with appropriate kick-backs to the consular staff). Last time I was there there was all sorts of in-fighting with these agencies and the consulate was being obstructive to one agent and easy on the other.

 

OR - simply a complete revision and overhaul of the system, with tighter controls on education visas in general, as per the current national trend.

 

It's anybody's guess. It's impossible to get a reason for this kind of thing, as once it's stated publicly then the staff have to remain consistent with all their other grants and refusals and, seeing that this means being visibly consistent, nobody wants to commit themselves.

 

This is Thailand, a proud nation and totally unaccountable to anyone - even to itself.

Edited February 16, 2018 by robsamui

[thecyclist]

A voided visa looks very bad. Best , of course, would be a new passport.

If that is not an option, I would even consider Phnom Penh.Although not considered a really friendly embassy, I have been able to get a TV visa with a bunch of visas and a red warning stamp in it by going through an agent there ,The embassy gets some 'teamoney' from the agents, so in contrast to Laos they personally profit from the issuance of visas.

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, thecyclist said:

I would even consider Phnom Penh.Although not considered a really friendly embassy, I have been able to get a TV visa with a bunch of visas and a red warning stamp in it by going through an agent there ,The embassy gets some 'teamoney' from the agents, so in contrast to Laos they personally profit from the issuance of visas.

This used to be the case, but they would not even do "quick service" for money the last time I was there.  Savannakhet with all the docs would be my first try.  They gave me a TR visa without issue to spite a warning-stamp on a previous TR-Visa (from Phnom Penh) - but, I supplied everything on their list.

[lkv]

8 hours ago, robsamui said:

Plus consulates in neighbouring countries have been instructed to give 2nd-year SETV applicants verbal tests in the Thai language, with the threat of a written test too for a further visa.

 

Sorry?

[robsamui]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

Sorry?

That's OK.

[pearciderman]

14 hours ago, robsamui said:

(Plus consulates in neighbouring countries have been instructed to give 2nd-year SETV applicants verbal tests in the Thai language, with the threat of a written test too for a further visa.)

 

Total and utter tripe!

 

Let us just for a moment assume that you meant Ed visa applicants and not tourist visa applicants. You are aware that consulates are staffed primarily by locals, so please explain how the Malaysian, (or any other nationality), worker in the consulate will test anybody on their Thai?

Edited February 17, 2018 by pearciderman

[robsamui]

10 hours ago, pearciderman said:

 

Total and utter tripe!

 

Let us just for a moment assume that you meant Ed visa applicants and not tourist visa applicants. You are aware that consulates are staffed primarily by locals, so please explain how the Malaysian, (or any other nationality), worker in the consulate will test anybody on their Thai?

Because, smarty pants, I spent 30 minutes talking to the new, Thai, Oxford-educated Consul at Kota Baru last December. He told me he has been personally interviewing  Ed Visa applicants and has introduced a written screening exam, as well as a verbal one, for Ed visa applicants who are on their 3rd visa.

He's a very pleasant and intelligent young man, and I really can't imagine why he would lie about this. 

 

You really need to get your facts up to date before you start spluttering with self-righteous indignation ;-)

Edited February 17, 2018 by robsamui
editing

[lkv]

@robsamui If you read your previous post you will realise that you've suggested Single Entry Tourist Visa applicants are being tested on their Thai language skills. Now you probably understand what created the fuss.

 

@pearciderman Yes, Thai Embassies and consulates abroad do have Thai staff working as well, along with locals.

Edited February 17, 2018 by lkv

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, robsamui said:

Because, smarty pants, I spent 30 minutes talking to the new, Thai, Oxford-educated Consul at Kota Baru last December. He told me he has been personally interviewing  Ed Visa applicants and has introduced a written screening exam, as well as a verbal one, for Ed visa applicants who are on their 3rd visa.

And why should somebody who is for example studying english on an Ed Visa be able to speak Thai?

[pearciderman]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

@robsamui If you read your previous post you will realise that you've suggested Single Entry Tourist Visa applicants are being tested on their Thai language skills. Now you probably understand what created the fuss.

 

@pearciderman Yes, Thai Embassies and consulates abroad do have Thai staff working as well, along with locals.

 

They do indeed have some Thai staff, but not at the frontline. To say that the consul is going to interview every Ed visa applicant, (if they are 2nd or 3rd) is utter tripe.

[pearciderman]

2 hours ago, robsamui said:

Because, smarty pants, I spent 30 minutes talking to the new, Thai, Oxford-educated Consul at Kota Baru last December. He told me he has been personally interviewing  Ed Visa applicants and has introduced a written screening exam, as well as a verbal one, for Ed visa applicants who are on their 3rd visa.

He's a very pleasant and intelligent young man, and I really can't imagine why he would lie about this. 

 

You really need to get your facts up to date before you start spluttering with self-righteous indignation ;-)

 

Strange, I would have thought you would have been discussing only your case, not that of random other people.

 

"I have now also gone to the consulate in Kota Baru and (after a detailed interview with the Consul) they have given me a single entry Non-Im B without any more documentation than letters from my employer and the police reports. (The Consul actually phoned my employer and the company accountants to confirm this, and stated in front of witnesses that he is baffled by the attitude of the Labor Department.)"

 

How did your ever so friendly talk get from your Non-B to other people's Ed visa?

[danielbehcy]

Now a day, go to agents is not the best way. She should go to Thai consulate submit SETV herself directly. In the same time if she lack any document, the officer will let her know immediately. Then she can go to prepare documents. And at outside Thai consulate, there is a Van helping people taking photo and copy documents. This guys is fabulous! If you got any problem remember seek for him. He have many solution and experience!