Best Alternatives to Vientiane for a 2nd SETV in 2018? (& maybe 3rd)

[JepSoDii]

In mid July, I’ll need to get another SETV to avoid back-to-back airport entry stamps (extended by 30 days). Basically I’d like to know which consulates aren’t strict in 2018 with regard to issuing a 2nd SETV in one year. I prefer to go somewhere else besides just Vientiane and I’m wondering if any of you know which consulates in the region (other than Vientiane) are not likely to deny a 2nd SETV in just under 6 months. I’ve essentially been living in Thailand since early Dec 2017. Here is my chronology:

 

2017

02 Dec: Arrival BKK airport, 30 day stamp + 30 day extension 

28 Jan: Arrival Nong Kai land borer, w/ 60 day SETV + 30 day extension (valid til 27 Apr 2018)

(planned)

27 Apr: Arrival Mae Sai land border (day-trip from Chiang Mai), 30 day stamp

4-11 May: Not in Thailand

12 May: Arrival, BKK airport, 30 day stamp + 30 day extension

10 Jul: Need new SETV—where to go?

 

So to recap, by 10 July I will have made two (2) 30+30 airport entries sine Dec 2017, and two (2) land arrivals, one (1) of which was an arrival with an SETV.

 

So where should I go besides VTE? I'm willing to go anywhere recommended, though I’m particularly curious about the level of difficulty in my places of preference: Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Saigon, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

[Nick ZepTepi]

Hong Kong

Only need photocopy of your passport & HK entry stamp.

 

Next day service return in the morning.

 

I've had 2 back to back no questions

[JepSoDii]

22 hours ago, Nick ZepTepi said:

Hong Kong

Only need photocopy of your passport & HK entry stamp.

 

Next day service return in the morning.

 

I've had 2 back to back no questions

Thanks. So you're saying you can actually pick up in the morning instead of waiting until the afternoon?

 

How about Manila? Anyone know how strict they are?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, JepSoDii said:

Thanks. So you're saying you can actually pick up in the morning instead of waiting until the afternoon?

You pick up your passport the next morning "Collection :  Next working days.  between : 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m."

On the page it takes you to after selecting your home country on this page. http://www.thai-consulate.org.hk/web/3015.php?s=4296

 

10 minutes ago, JepSoDii said:

How about Manila? Anyone know how strict they are?

It can be difficult to get a visa there.

[JepSoDii]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You pick up your passport the next morning "Collection :  Next working days.  between : 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m."

On the page it takes you to after selecting your home country on this page. http://www.thai-consulate.org.hk/web/3015.php?s=4296

 

It can be difficult to get a visa there. 

Thank you very much, ubonjoe. I guess I won' try at Manila. Are Phnom Penh and Kuala Lumpur any better?

[lkv]

3 hours ago, JepSoDii said:

Thank you very much, ubonjoe. I guess I won' try at Manila. Are Phnom Penh and Kuala Lumpur any better?

Phnom Pehn will work with your current history. 

 

You will need a bank statement with over 1000 dollars on it (obviously the more the better) and a ticket into and out of Thailand. Plus picture.

 

Go via agent only at a cost of 50 USD (40 USD visa fee +10 USD service charge), 3 day turn around i.e. apply Monday morning before 10 am via agent pickup Wednesday afternoon after 4-5 pm from agent.

 

The agent will take care of the application form, you do not need to complete that nor sign it.

 

The one I am on right now is from Phnom Pehn. Agent Lucky Lucky but there are others similar.

Edited April 18, 2018 by lkv

[darrendsd]

These days it's not just about which Embassy is the easiest to get a visa at it's also about avoiding problems when you enter again at the Airport

 

The places  mentioned will involve coming back through the Airport, if you are planning to stay here longterm stick to Laos, yes it's boring but with land entries on a TV you have a lot lot  less chance of having issues

 

If you are planning to stay here longterm you can easily get 2 more SETV's in Vientiane, after that switch to Savannakhet

[BritTim]

Of the locations mentioned in your OP, Hong Kong is best (as already advised). Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is also pretty good. Phnom Penh will probably take 3-4 days. Manila is a bad idea. Kuala Lumpur used to be a terrible choice, but may be OK these days if you meet their requirements.

[Scott3000]

7 hours ago, darrendsd said:

The places  mentioned will involve coming back through the Airport, if you are planning to stay here longterm stick to Laos, yes it's boring but with land entries on a TV you have a lot lot  less chance of having issues

How does the Thai consulate in Vientiane compare to that in Hong Kong, in terms of requirements to get an SETV?

 

I got the red fine print in my passport last time I went to VTE for a 2-entry TV, which was 2015. Since then, I've gotten a new passport & have done my 2 land crossings for 2018. From personal experience, I agree that HKG is best, but as you say, VTE is more convenient. So I'm wondering if the requirements to get the SETV there are similar or more stringent than in HKG???

 

Thanks!

[darrendsd]

37 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

How does the Thai consulate in Vientiane compare to that in Hong Kong, in terms of requirements to get an SETV?

 

I got the red fine print in my passport last time I went to VTE for a 2-entry TV, which was 2015. Since then, I've gotten a new passport & have done my 2 land crossings for 2018. From personal experience, I agree that HKG is best, but as you say, VTE is more convenient. So I'm wondering if the requirements to get the SETV there are similar or more stringent than in HKG???

 

Thanks!

VTE is the easiest place in the region to get a TV, forms photos and money are all that is required

 

As you have a new PP you will have no issue getting more TV's there, they look at what is in your current PP,  not previous ones so the red stamp you got in your previous PP does not matter

[Scott3000]

5 hours ago, darrendsd said:

forms photos and money are all that is required

How much money is required? The cost of the visa, or do you need to show additional cash?

 

Thanks!!!

[darrendsd]

1 minute ago, Scott3000 said:

How much money is required? The cost of the visa, or do you need to show additional cash?

 

Thanks!!!

1000 Baht for the visa, I think it's around 1550 for Laos VOA, everything else needed I advised on above, no proof of funds are required to be shown at VTE

[Scott3000]

7 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

1000 Baht for the visa, I think it's around 1550 for Laos VOA, everything else needed I advised on above, no proof of funds are required to be shown at VTE

This is great, thanks! 

 

So to summarize, VTE and HKG are best -- and I happen to like both cities :-)

 

Travel costs to/from VTE are lower, but Laos devours more than a full page in your passport.

 

HKG's Thai consulate is much more efficient, but getting there and back is more costly.

[JepSoDii]

On 4/19/2018 at 1:21 AM, lkv said:

Phnom Pehn will work with your current history. 

 

You will need a bank statement with over 1000 dollars on it (obviously the more the better) and a ticket into and out of Thailand. Plus picture.

 

Go via agent only at a cost of 50 USD (40 USD visa fee +10 USD service charge), 3 day turn around i.e. apply Monday morning before 10 am via agent pickup Wednesday afternoon after 4-5 pm from agent.

 

The agent will take care of the application form, you do not need to complete that nor sign it.

 

The one I am on right now is from Phnom Pehn. Agent Lucky Lucky but there are others similar.

Thanks for that, and just to triple check with you again, you think Phnom Penh will issue an SETV immediately after the following history, beginning 02 Dec 2017:

 

air entry, 30+30

land entry SETV, 60+30

land entry visa exempt (in Thai 8 days)

out of Thailand 8 days

air entry, 30+30

 

After that, if I fly to Phnom Penh, they will, you believe, have no problem issuing another SETV even though I will have quite obviously been essentially "living" in Thailand for 7+ months by that time?

 

Anyway thanks again for replying, and clarifying. Appreciate it.

[JepSoDii]

On 4/19/2018 at 2:03 AM, darrendsd said:

These days it's not just about which Embassy is the easiest to get a visa at it's also about avoiding problems when you enter again at the Airport

 

The places  mentioned will involve coming back through the Airport, if you are planning to stay here longterm stick to Laos, yes it's boring but with land entries on a TV you have a lot lot  less chance of having issues

 

If you are planning to stay here longterm you can easily get 2 more SETV's in Vientiane, after that switch to Savannakhet

I'm planning what will be an 18-24 month stay, beginning early Dec 2017. I was hoping to minimize my chances of a red stamp, or delay it by switching locations each time. Does it work like that?

 

I also wanted to save the easiest for last, eg, I want to visit some of the moderately difficult places like Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, etc, before eventually doing the easer places like Hong Kong, Saigon, and Savannakhet. Is that a strategy that improves things?

 

And finally, I'm also willing to break he SETVs up by leaving the country and doing 30+30 re-entries in between SETVs. Does that help?

 

I plan to use Chiang Mai airport where feasible.

[JepSoDii]

On 4/19/2018 at 3:09 AM, BritTim said:

Of the locations mentioned in your OP, Hong Kong is best (as already advised). Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is also pretty good. Phnom Penh will probably take 3-4 days. Manila is a bad idea. Kuala Lumpur used to be a terrible choice, but may be OK these days if you meet their requirements.

Okay thanks for that assessment. If HK is easy, would it be better to hold off on that, not do it in July but perhaps save it for October? Manila will be avoided. Since the semi-difficult places like Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh will presumably get only harder the longer I live here, wouldn't it be better to do one of those next (asap) and then postpone the easier places like HK, Saigon and the Laos locations until after I've been on too many SETVs and exhausted my other options?

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, JepSoDii said:

Okay thanks for that assessment. If HK is easy, would it be better to hold off on that, not do it in July but perhaps save it for October? Manila will be avoided. Since the semi-difficult places like Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh will presumably get only harder the longer I live here, wouldn't it be better to do one of those next (asap) and then postpone the easier places like HK, Saigon and the Laos locations until after I've been on too many SETVs and exhausted my other options?

First point I would make, before responding to your individual questions, is that all locations are subject to change at short notice, typically when the official in charge changes. Thus, you should not rely on easy locations always remaining that way, and some locations may become easier (as I think Kuala Lumpur may have done in the last year). That said ...

 

Hong Kong might be good to keep in reserve. They may be protected against becoming strict by the fact that they are not a popular choice for those trying to get visas on the cheap.

 

Phnom Penh is unpredictable. Some claim that it is easy with an agent, if you do not mind the longer time to process the application than in most other locations. My own view is that, with a good agent, you should get a visa (and also if applying in person) but there is a risk of a "red stamp" making future visa applications tricky. If you fancy a few days in Phnom Penh, I think going there sooner rather than later would be wise. You might also choose to give them a miss.

 

I hesitate to give any advice with Kuala Lumpur as circumstances there having been changing so much. You might choose to wait to see how things develop, planning to do a later visa run there if reports show them becoming friendly.

 

Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi) and Laos (Vientiane and Savannakhet) are currently good, though Vietnam was even better two years ago. I might be inclined to use Vietnam now since there is a possible slow tightening up occurring there. Most likely, they will remain OK, though.

 

Yangon should also be on your list of good places to apply (though you need a visa in advance, an e-visa being easy to get online).

[lkv]

13 hours ago, JepSoDii said:

Thanks for that, and just to triple check with you again, you think Phnom Penh will issue an SETV immediately after the following history, beginning 02 Dec 2017:

 

air entry, 30+30

land entry SETV, 60+30

land entry visa exempt (in Thai 8 days)

out of Thailand 8 days

air entry, 30+30

 

After that, if I fly to Phnom Penh, they will, you believe, have no problem issuing another SETV even though I will have quite obviously been essentially "living" in Thailand for 7+ months by that time?

 

Anyway thanks again for replying, and clarifying. Appreciate it.

Nobody can guarantee things don't change tomorrow.

 

As BritTim said, in my view also Phnom Pehn is a place I would do sooner rather than later. In my case I had only one previous SETV from Europe in a fresh passport. You also only have one sticker, and some visa exempt entries, but all extended. Technically, if you never had one from Phnom Pehn, I would say you would not get a red stamp with your current history.

 

My advice though is, don't walk into the Embassy yourself. Use an agent. Cambodia is so corrupt and I am under the impression the Embassy staff receives a cut from the agents (like a dollar or whatever), for every passport they process, so you're playing with their bribe income if you go on your own. Secondly, you would stand out, because most Westerners don't walk into that Embassy. You stand out much less when the agent walks into the Embassy with 100 passports that day, one of them being yours. That's how many Lucky Lucky had on the table in their shop when I gave them mine.

 

Also, the way I structure things is try to start with tricky places first on a rather fresh passport and leave the easier ones such as Vientiane for later as a backup.

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by lkv

[GrimmJow]

On 4/18/2018 at 6:47 PM, JepSoDii said:

How about Manila? Anyone know how strict they are?

Just my experience from Manila from October 2018.

 

We have got a TR visa but the girl handling the applications (Filipina) asked a lot of questions, even things like why we have so many hotel bookings (travelling from Bangkok to Chanthaburi with several stays in different cities, proof of money, car rental, outbound ticket all available). Passports were ready for pick-up at the third day after handing them in and it was just our first TR in years. 

 

I wouldn't go there if I already have a TR visa in passport. Overall rather unpleasant and not advisable if it can be avoided.

[fforest1]

On 4/19/2018 at 4:38 PM, Scott3000 said:

This is great, thanks! 

 

So to summarize, VTE and HKG are best -- and I happen to like both cities ????

 

Travel costs to/from VTE are lower, but Laos devours more than a full page in your passport.

 

HKG's Thai consulate is much more efficient, but getting there and back is more costly.

Hong Kong is not a cheap or fun place in my opinion...

[Scott3000]

 

Hong Kong is not a cheap or fun place in my opinion...

... and after my latest visa run to Vientiane, I don't like that place as much as I used to. It has become more polluted, and motorbike operators make getting around much more dangerous than when I was there in 2015.

 

Nevertheless, HKG and VTE are the best consulates I'm aware of for achieving the goal, which is to get the tourist visa in the most efficient, hassle-free way possible, with the greatest chances of success.

Edited December 3, 2018 by Scott3000

[Paduppa]

I'm in a similar position as OP and I'm wondering if there are any notable updates in the ~6 months of original posting.

 

I'm considering Kuala Lumpur (I have reason to travel there) and Yangon (visa costs make this less desirable) - any sense of how much of a gamble either these would be with 2 TV's in passport?

 

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by Paduppa

[BritTim]

30 minutes ago, Paduppa said:

I'm in a similar position as OP and I'm wondering if there are any notable updates in the ~6 months of original posting.

 

I'm considering Kuala Lumpur (I have reason to travel there) and Yangon (visa costs make this less desirable) - any sense of how much of a gamble either these would be with 2 TV's in passport?

I am pretty sure Yangon would be fine. The visa cost is a little annoying, but not a major factor, especially as you might get cheap flights if you are lucky.

 

Kuala Lumpur is less of a known quantity now. A couple of years ago I would have advised against applying for visas there. However, in recent times, I get the impression that it is a decent place to apply as long as you satisfy their published requirements. I definitely would choose it over Penang these days.

[Scott3000]

Any news on the new policy, that from 15 November to January 15, there will be unlimited visa exempt entries at land borders per calendar year? 

I've got 2 land entries from early 2018, as well as 1 SETV from Vientiane in September that will require action next week... I'm trying to figure out what to do.

 

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

Any news on the new policy, that from 15 November to January 15, there will be unlimited visa exempt entries at land borders per calendar year? 

It has not been approved yet. 

Same for 2 entry tourist visas.

[Scott3000]

5 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It has not been approved yet. 

Same for 2 entry tourist visas.

Thanks for the update Ubon Joe!

 

Seems I will be off to Vientiane next week. From what I gather on this and 2 other threads, it seems like I should be fine getting my second SETV in a row there... sounds like VTE functions as it did when I went there in September, i.e., no bank statements, plane tickets, hotel bookings required. Just fill out the form, provide 2 photos (I think it was 2), pay the fee, and pick up the next day...?

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, Scott3000 said:

Just fill out the form, provide 2 photos (I think it was 2), pay the fee, and pick up the next day...?

That is all that is needed.

[Scott3000]

Thanks Ubon Joe!