What To Do? Renew Tourist Visa in Singapore or Malaysia?

[Boogy]

Hi!

I wonder if anybody out there can provide me with an answer to the above title question?

 

I am in a bit of a quandary,regarding what I should do......I am a dual national passport holder ( Australian & U.K ) so I play one passport off with the other on my trips to Thailand and generally I utilize the 30 day ' Visa On Arrival ' option and sometimes I extend my stay for another 30 days,attaining  the visa extension at the Chaeng Wattana Immigration Office,before I do a ' visa run ' after my 60 days are up,generally for a 4 or 5 day period,visiting adjacent Asian countries,before returning to Thailand,re-entering for another 30 day period.

 

However,I am intending to apply for another 60 day Tourist Visa shortly,utilizing my U.K passport as I am currently utilizing my Australian passport on a 60 day visa, which I extended for another 30 days recently at Chaeng Wattana ,giving me a 90 day stay.

 

But after doing some research,I have noticed that in order to get a new 60 Day Tourist Visa,from the Thai Embassy in Singapore,I have to apply online first,and if my application is successful,attend in person at the Thai Embassy in Singapore,ON A DATE SET by the Thai Embassy,to physically submit my passport and the original documents that I uploaded at the ONLINE application stage, before waiting 48 hours,or possibly longer at the discretion of the Thai Embassy,before I can return and pick up my passport and new visa.

 

This seems to me to be a rather convoluted method put in place by the Thai authorities at the Singapore office, in order to get a visa,whereas if I was to go to the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia,I could just download the visa application form,print it off,submit the application with the required documents,fee and passport directly at the embassy,then return 48 hours later to pick up my visa.More importantly for my situation,if I was to go to the Embassy in KL,I could fly down from Bangkok AT A DATE AND TIME OF MY CHOICE and not one that is dictated to me,as in the Singapore option.

 

So in regard to the points I have raised....Has anybody recently had dealings with attaining a Thai Visa at the Thai Embassy in Singapore? Did you encounter any problems? Was there anything that caught you out,or did the whole process and the online application system go smoothly,efficiently and was it better than downloading/picking up  the forms,as I have done for years at other embassies,mainly in the UK,Australia and Cambodia and submitting the application on a day of your choosing.

 

I guess the main reason why I have asked so many questions ( sorry! ),is that I have already got a flight booked on a particular date to Singapore in a few weeks time,and because of other commitments here in Thailand,I would rather utilize that flight and date and get the visa in Singapore, as opposed to booking and paying for a new flight to KL,even though I will have more freedom regarding the day I choose to fly to KL. 

 

Anyway,I have rambled on long enough! Thanks for finding the time to read this,and if any of you have got any information you can offer me,good or bad then please do.....it will be most appreciated!

 

Thanks!

 

Boogy!  

[Get Real]

And that was a small title question? Short answer. You can renew tourist visa anywhere as long as you follow the rules and regulations.

[Boogy]

I guess some rules and regulations are easier from place to place.......but hey.....ta for your point all the same!

[BritTim]

Neither Singapore nor Malaysia are considered ideal locations to apply for a tourist visa. Based on recent reports, Kuala Lumpur may be OK if you follow their checklist.

[ubonjoe]

A member did the online submission prior to going to Singapore but has not posted what happened when he got there.

Topic about doing it is here.

 

[Boogy]

Thanks for the info BritTim....If it turns out to be a disaster getting a visa in Singapore,it looks like I will just have to get a cheap flight from Changhi to KL...!?!

[Boogy]

Thanks ubonjoe for your input........at least it looks like they are attending to the online applications......... even if it does take 3 days to reply!?!

[elviajero]

As long as you provide the requested documents it’s possible to get a visa from either location. However, neither seem to like to issue new tourist visas to those with a recent history of tourism. i.e. someone trying to extend their stay in Thailand as a tourist.

[Boogy]

Hi elviajero.....in answer to your reply...... It begs the question..... why? All I'm doing is loading the Thai coffers with dollars....I ain't taking anything from them!!! Still...I will provide them with the required documents.... I just hope I get lucky and don't get some Thai bureaucract making it awkward in the time I'm in Singapore.

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, Boogy said:

Hi elviajero.....in answer to your reply...... It begs the question..... why? All I'm doing is loading the Thai coffers with dollars....I ain't taking anything from them!!! Still...I will provide them with the required documents.... I just hope I get lucky and don't get some Thai bureaucract making it awkward in the time I'm in Singapore.

You will have an advantage when you apply in Singapore since you will not have a recent departure stamp from Thailand if you use your other passport to enter there. Thas been a problem for many since they sometimes state you have to be out of the country for 90 days before your can apply for a visa there.

[elviajero]

11 minutes ago, Boogy said:

Hi elviajero.....in answer to your reply...... It begs the question..... why? All I'm doing is loading the Thai coffers with dollars....I ain't taking anything from them!!! Still...I will provide them with the required documents.... I just hope I get lucky and don't get some Thai bureaucract making it awkward in the time I'm in Singapore.

The short answer is that Tourist Visas are meant for short term tourism and some Embassies enforce that. Tourism/immigration in Thailand isn’t, contrary to popular opinion, just about the money. 

 

You should enter Sinagapore using your British passport and as long as it doesn’t have a recent history of ‘tourism’ you should be ok.

[Boogy]

That's exactly what I was intending to do ubonjoe....but it's interesting you mention about that 90 day period out of Thailand before re-applying again!?! I was never aware of that particular 'rule'!?! Is that a relatively new rule....or is it just used on a discretionary basis by a Thai immigration official? 

[Boogy]

I will definitely heed your advice elviajero....gotta say that,that bit of info makes me feel that maybe the visa process in Singapore won't be too bad after all!?! 

[uncleeagle]

Boogy if its possible getting a visa may take a few days then Malaysia is going to be a cheaper place for hotels etc than Singapore. Bear that in mind. Also, you said KL in Malaysia, but Penang would be an alternative and is only a one hour flight either from BKK or Singapore. Just make sure you can show flight tickets, hotel bookings and bank statements all printed, as well as the photos, form and passport details page copy etc. All things being equal, Id go for Malaysia.

[Boogy]

Cheers for that uncle eagle....it looks like I've got some decisions to make,but I guess it's good to have a choice!?!

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Boogy said:

That's exactly what I was intending to do ubonjoe....but it's interesting you mention about that 90 day period out of Thailand before re-applying again!?! I was never aware of that particular 'rule'!?! Is that a relatively new rule....or is it just used on a discretionary basis by a Thai immigration official? 

It is not a new rule, and it is not applied by most embassies/consulates in the region. The rule has often been applied in Singapore and Seoul. That is a decision by the consular officials in those locations.

Avoid Singapore unless doing so is really inconvenient. Kuala Lumpur was for several years also unfriendly to those applying for tourist visas. However, reports more recently have suggested the attitude there has improved (still no guarantees).

[ubonjoe]

13 hours ago, Boogy said:

That's exactly what I was intending to do ubonjoe....but it's interesting you mention about that 90 day period out of Thailand before re-applying again!?! I was never aware of that particular 'rule'!?! Is that a relatively new rule....or is it just used on a discretionary basis by a Thai immigration official? 

It is a Singapore (and Paris France) embassy rule. It is not a written rule. Singapore has turned people away before just because they had just left Thailand when they tried applying before.