Penang consulate limits visa applications to 100 per day

[overherebc]

14 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I applied for a 90 day Non-O visa and have done it before many times in both Penang and in KB and never been asked about bank statements before, just copy of birth certificate for my kid, and copies of kids tabien Baan & ID and copy of my passport, I still got the visa but never been asked this before, maybe new policies for all Malaysian Thai consulates?  

I may be wrong but my gut feeling is that it will slowly be introduced across the board.

Only time will tell.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

43 minutes ago, overherebc said:

I may be wrong but my gut feeling is that it will slowly be introduced across the board.

Only time will tell.

Me too, the time is long gone since you could even get a visa in Penang on a Sunday for peanuts through an Indian agent near the old Tiger bar

[stud858]

No fret. When the election winners are back a pro falang stance will be reinstated and visas for us bacon and egg eaters will be easier.  

[overherebc]

2 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Me too, the time is long gone since you could even get a visa in Penang on a Sunday for peanuts through an Indian agent near the old Tiger bar

Sent you a PM.

[sanemax]

2 hours ago, stud858 said:

No fret. When the election winners are back a pro falang stance will be reinstated and visas for us bacon and egg eaters will be easier.  

These clampdowns on felangs have been increasing over the years , starting before the current gov came into power , dont think that anything will change , if or when a new gov is installed

[stud858]

7 minutes ago, sanemax said:

These clampdowns on felangs have been increasing over the years , starting before the current gov came into power , dont think that anything will change , if or when a new gov is installed

I noticed the increasing downgrades in the period after taksin was kicked out. I see taksin as falang friendly. Corrupt maybe but foreigner friendly.

Does anybody agree? 

 

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, stud858 said:

I noticed the increasing downgrades in the period after taksin was kicked out. I see taksin as falang friendly. Corrupt maybe but foreigner friendly.

Does anybody agree? 

 

I don't agree.

Plus this is off topic, not a good thing to discuss here imo.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, stud858 said:

I noticed the increasing downgrades in the period after taksin was kicked out. I see taksin as falang friendly. Corrupt maybe but foreigner friendly.

Does anybody agree? 

I disagree. Taksin is not well disposed towards Westerners because of the racism he experienced when he was younger. Immigration rules are not determined by a single individual. There is a consensus that evolves over time,  Westerners, at one time, were seen as important to the economy. Thailand has since become richer, and nearby countries (especially China) have developed into major investors and sources of mass tourism. Rightly or wrongly, the powers that be have decided that aggressively courting Westerners is no longer important. Criminal elements from Russia have not helped the perception Thais have of us.

[JackThompson]

8 hours ago, BritTim said:

Immigration rules are not determined by a single individual.

Agree with your assessment.  And not only are the rules not controlled by a single individual, they vary depending on the attitudes of whoever is in charge at a particular office or outpost.

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

Agree with your assessment.  And not only are the rules not controlled by a single individual, they vary depending on the attitudes of whoever is in charge at a particular office or outpost.

Which is exactly the point I made in a earlier post, Penang has a new head honcho and he/she seems determined to do as little work as possible, either that or they are understaffed there so have decided to limit the application numbers

 

[Paduppa]

Late report:

 

We  went to the consulate on 24 May early at 7 am since I (I'm Thai) called and asked them if there's normally over 100 visa cases per day, and an officer said yes. We waited until 9 am and there was about 30 people in queue line.

 

Please be aware to dress properly, especially for women. Tank top, short pants, short skirt and flip flop are not allowed. There is a sign at the entrance door and the security guard won't let you in if you wear any kind of those prohibited outfits.

 

We prepared all requested documents mentioned in the announcement paper at the entrance door.

- Application form 

- 2 photos

- A copy of passport ID Page

- Flight reservation to Thailand - This one is tricky because when I called to the consulate they said they don't need it. But we submitted it anyway.

- Flight reservation out from Thailand

- Accommodation proof - We use an invitation letter written by me in Thai language staging the purpose of travelling and showing the address for staying + my Thai ID card attached.

- Cash 150 RM 

 

They asked some questions to my boyfriend. I guess the officer saw the new passport transfer note stamp (showing that this is a new passport) in his new passport so they can guess if my bf has had history of staying in Thailand for some period. 

 

The questions are like...

Are you working in Thailand? (No)

What kind of your last visa you used? (tourist visa)

Where are you staying in Penang (guesthouse)

What you gonna do after Thailand? (go back to US)

How you support yourself while staying in Thailand? (saving).

They gave him a paper showing his queue number and time to collect the passport back tomorrow. In the mean time, they also asked him to submit his bank statement. 

Lucky that we prepared printed past 3 months bank. He gave it to them. 

 

We were a bit nervous and thrill for the result. Although, he got the SETV on the next day. The consulate door was opened 20 mins late that day.

 

To sum up, in my opinion, Penang is getting more and more strict. Be aware of these following issues and be prepared.

- Make sure you are 1 of 100 cases of the day

- Dress properly. I don't think it's need to be so formal, elephant long pants + T-shirt + trainer are still acceptable (if they don't change the rules). You might don't want to dress like you are working while you are applying for a tourist visa. 

- Prepare your proof/back up documents in case if they ask for it

 

Good luck

[danielbehcy]

Hi everyone, the 'Limited 100 applications per day' has been removed.

There is no limit for walk in applicant. Just make sure walk in before 11pm (Malaysia Time). Thanks!