SETV from Savannakhet report

[Najinsky]

Just collected SETV from Savannakhet.

 

Made the application yesterday at 9:30am and collected today at 2:20pm

 

1. There are no application forms there. They may have them behind the desk but that means queuing twice. I joined the queue and asked the couple in front where they got their form from. They said they downloaded it and printed it from the internet. They had a spare blank form and gave it to me.

 

Im not sure how you are supposed to know this in advance, the website here: http://www.thaisavannakhet.com/savannakhet/th/index.php is in Thai with no obvious way to change it to English.

 

A second page to the form listed the documents required, which seemed out of date and didn’t match the documents they actually wanted:

 

2. Passport

 

3. Photocopy of passport (ID page)

 

4. They want TWO photos for the form and they stick them next to each other. Maybe someone smarter than me knows why they would want two of the same photo next to each other. No biggy but just remember to take two.

 

5. They DID ask for my bank statement.

 

6. They DIDN'T ask for my ticket out of Thailand.

 

7. They DIDN’T ask for my proof of address in Thailand.

 

8. The form requires a LAOS Sponsor name, address and Telephone number, I used my hotel.

 

9. The form requires a THAI Sponsor name, address and Telephone number. I used my ex-girlfriend details, but I expect hotel details would suffice.

 

10. The fee was 1000 Baht.

 

All quick and painless with the right papers. The couple in front of me did seem to have some kind of issue but I didn’t overhear what it was.

[Essecola]

Isn't there some type of photocopying and photo place across the road or nearby to the consulate? I had heard this before..

..I wonder if they would have the forms

[Wang Lalker]

http://www.thaisavannakhet.com/images/savannakhet/25571020%20Visa%20Form/SVK-VisaForm.PDF

http://www.thaisavannakhet.com/savannakhet/th/consulate-service/inspect/index.php

[StayinThailand2much]

9 hours ago, Essecola said:

Isn't there some type of photocopying and photo place across the road or nearby to the consulate? I had heard this before..

..I wonder if they would have the forms

That's a good question! The other day (another consulate), I was quite in trouble to get a newly required printout (ticket to Thailand) just in time before closing time, as there were no facilities to print out near the consulate. The embassy/consulate staff can just come up with new requirements, i.e. documents they want to see, and, with the consular offices usually located away from the town centre, getting to photocopying and photo shops, and back to the consulate in time, can easily turn into a nightmare.

[yuiop]

12 hours ago, Essecola said:

Isn't there some type of photocopying and photo place across the road or nearby to the consulate? I had heard this before..

..I wonder if they would have the forms

Yes, there's one "shop" across the road, and they do have the forms, can take photos as well.

They charged me 20 baht for 3 copies! (it costs 3 baht in Thailand).

I don't care about 20 baht, just saying that Laos is a rip-off country, they will cheat on you everytime they can.

[BuckBee]

12 hours ago, Essecola said:

Isn't there some type of photocopying and photo place across the road or nearby to the consulate? I had heard this before..

..I wonder if they would have the forms

Yes several which will supply all docs and do photos too if needed.

Rule of visas in thailand is do your due diligence before applying so you turn up properly prepared and saves yourself any headache and wasting money .

[Najinsky]

17 hours ago, BuckBee said:

Yes several which will supply all docs and do photos too if needed.

Rule of visas in thailand is do your due diligence before applying so you turn up properly prepared and saves yourself any headache and wasting money .

I don’t have a problem with the concept of doing the due diligence, but the mechanics of doing it are somewhat unpredictable.

 

If I had relied on the information in the official application form above I would not have known about needing a copy of my bank statement. But because of my own and others experiences that we share here, I was aware of that requirement, along with the proof of address in Thailand and onward flight out of Thailand, but which this time were not asked for, but I was prepared for if I did.

 

So it’s important to try to find good sources of information, and as the process has been in continuous flux for years, it’s important to get accurate and up to date information.

 

I’ve seen some of the old timers here get irked with people asking the same questions all the time, but when the ‘official’ sources of the answers can be hard to find, and out of date or inaccurate once it is found, that’s where a community site like this has a role. And generating traffic on a site funded by advertising is usually good for the site too.

[StayinThailand2much]

19 hours ago, yuiop said:

Yes, there's one "shop" across the road, and they do have the forms, can take photos as well.

They charged me 20 baht for 3 copies! (it costs 3 baht in Thailand).

I don't care about 20 baht, just saying that Laos is a rip-off country, they will cheat on you everytime they can.

Still better than having to hire a tuk-tuk to find a shop someplace else. Try getting a last-minute copy in, say, Phnom Penh: expect at least 3 US$ (94 baht), just to get to the hard-to-find next copy shop "close" to the embassy! Also, it's always best to pay in local currency. Pay with baht or dollars, and you have to pay a premium.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, Najinsky said:

I’ve seen some of the old timers here get irked with people asking the same questions all the time, but when the ‘official’ sources of the answers can be hard to find, and out of date or inaccurate once it is found, that’s where a community site like this has a role. And generating traffic on a site funded by advertising is usually good for the site too.

True. I went twice to the same Thai consulate within 3 months. The second time there were completely different, new staff. They looked like college students the second time, asking people for new requirements as they went, e.g. 'need flight back to Thailand', 'no, not data, but a printout from the website', 'write yourself (by hand) a guarantee letter', etc. 

 

It's this unprofessionalism and randomness that makes it difficult...

[JackThompson]

On 4/12/2018 at 4:53 PM, Najinsky said:

5. They DID ask for my bank statement.

 

6. They DIDN'T ask for my ticket out of Thailand.

 

7. They DIDN’T ask for my proof of address in Thailand.

Glad to hear they are only asking for actually-relevant information, now. 
"Got Money?  Welcome!"

[jenny2017]

On 4/13/2018 at 5:15 AM, Essecola said:

Isn't there some type of photocopying and photo place across the road or nearby to the consulate? I had heard this before..

..I wonder if they would have the forms

They've got the forms. 

[BuckBee]

7 hours ago, Najinsky said:

I don’t have a problem with the concept of doing the due diligence, but the mechanics of doing it are somewhat unpredictable.

 

If I had relied on the information in the official application form above I would not have known about needing a copy of my bank statement. But because of my own and others experiences that we share here, I was aware of that requirement, along with the proof of address in Thailand and onward flight out of Thailand, but which this time were not asked for, but I was prepared for if I did.

 

So it’s important to try to find good sources of information, and as the process has been in continuous flux for years, it’s important to get accurate and up to date information.

 

I’ve seen some of the old timers here get irked with people asking the same questions all the time, but when the ‘official’ sources of the answers can be hard to find, and out of date or inaccurate once it is found, that’s where a community site like this has a role. And generating traffic on a site funded by advertising is usually good for the site too.

One thing you got remember in asia is official written details generally always wrong or outdated or not followed anyway :-) , those savanakhet forms not changed in over 6 years.

Search on google would of bought up all info you ideally needed and mix info from that with belt and braces approach on paperwork and you pretty much good to go .

Lucky currently as they not so fussy on return flights or hotel bookings like was about 15months ago when first introduced new document requirements .

 

Requirements constantly change so due diligence is our friend before every visa application even if done it several times before .

[ExpatDraco]

Yes, there's one "shop" across the road, and they do have the forms, can take photos as well.
They charged me 20 baht for 3 copies! (it costs 3 baht in Thailand).
I don't care about 20 baht, just saying that Laos is a rip-off country, they will cheat on you everytime they can.

Cheat? It's called doing business and take opportunity. I would have charged you 100 thb.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[Briggsy]

I will soon be applying for an SETV from Savannakhet.

Is the following list of documents in line with what is currently required? (Things do change regularly and without warning.)

 

2 photos

Application Form (already downloaded and completed)

Bank statement showing a balance of 20,000 Baht or equivalent.

Copy of Flight ticket (in my case, 84 days in the future)

Copy of Laos entry stamp / Visa

Copy of Passport details page

Itinerary or Programme (already typed out)

Hotel Booking (in my case, a rental contract)

1000 Baht

[freedomnow]

Also, good to know if they are going into lock-step with the Vient. consulate recent announcement...

[sanemax]

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I will soon be applying for an SETV from Savannakhet.

Is the following list of documents in line with what is currently required? (Things do change regularly and without warning.)

 

2 photos

 

Application Form (already downloaded and completed)

 

Bank statement showing a balance of 20,000 Baht or equivalent.

 

Copy of Flight ticket (in my case, 84 days in the future)

 

Copy of Laos entry stamp / Visa

 

Copy of Passport details page

 

Itinerary or Programme (already typed out)

 

Hotel Booking (in my case, a rental contract)

1000 Baht

 

I have made  two recent applications there for a SETV ,first time I gave just the application form , photocopies and 1000 Baht , second time (a few weeks ago) , I also provided a bank statement .

   Hand in your application and ask them if they require any further documents , 

[Briggsy]

@sanemax

 

Yes, thanks.

 

I have learnt over the years and had planned to use my usual 2-plastic-envelope approach. Envelope 1 contains the documents I believe are necessary. This is handed over. Envelope 2 contains documents that may be requested and is kept in reserve. Currently the Rental Contract and the Itinerary are in Envelope 2.