Disturbing request while getting tourist visa

[kannot]

7 hours ago, newatthis said:

And less hassles for you, if you ever got divorced. Maybe, the IO's see a few of them.

Highly unlikely Mrs  Kannot  knows  full well when shes  well off and its not the IO's  job to "decide" for me especially  if they are trying to force it on you.

"have you thought about a retirement visa instead" Thats the way to ask me correctly, as  opposed to "next year you do retirement yes"

[KiChakayan]

2 minutes ago, kannot said:

Highly unlikely Mrs  Kannot  knows  full well when shes  well off and its not the IO's  job to "decide" for me especially  if they are trying to force it on you.

"have you thought about a retirement visa instead" Thats the way to ask me correctly, as  opposed to "next year you do retirement yes"

Which in the English spoken by your average Thai IO means exactly the same thing. Seems you haven't been around enough to understand that even though English has become the International Language the people you deal with may have various levels of command of it...

[LongTimeLurker]

6 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Where did I mention country of Nationality? I got visas to Thailand issued in Canberra before I became and Australian citizen. But I have to show proof of residence status, assets and source of income.

Read the OP, the issue is about having a return ticket to country of nationality.

[KiChakayan]

2 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Read the OP, the issue is about having a return ticket to country of nationality.

I did read it, the question is what is the residence status of the OP in Malaysia?

[kannot]

35 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

Which in the English spoken by your average Thai IO means exactly the same thing. Seems you haven't been around enough to understand that even though English has become the International Language the people you deal with may have various levels of command of it...

My Wife spoke to them in Thai

[StayinThailand2much]

13 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

So no more round the world trips allowed now ??

Go to Thailand, go home

Go to China, go home

Go to Australia, go home

Go to Mexico, go home

 

Going to take forever to go everywhere I want to go ?

I don't know about Mexico, but I'm pretty sure that the Aussies don't have such silly visa requirements.

[StevieAus]

10 hours ago, glegolo said:

I like to defend these IO;s just in this case. I dont know how familiar you are overall. But for me that have heard really many people thinking and believing that "I am married to a thai lady, so I must get a marriage extension of stay..."

 

Many people really think this, yes people are that stupid. The IO:s sees this happening mayby every day, so dont judge them too hard...

 

glegolo

I think you may find that the reason many opt for the Marriage rather than the Retirement Extension is that for the former the annual income requirement is half that of the Retirement extension

 I know of a few in this situation it is purely financial.

[manchega]

The us just like the uk at the moment, make it incredibly hard for thai citizents to get visa etc.

 

I suspect this is someone getting uncle sam and his orange buddy fart boy back.

 

in future vote to do away with racist protectionist policies and you and your family will get treated with respect.

 

also because you are us citizen i agree with the muppet in penang that not only should you do it from us but eat my shorts orange fat boy lvoer

[LongTimeLurker]

1 hour ago, KiChakayan said:

I did read it, the question is what is the residence status of the OP in Malaysia?

He doesn't have a residence status in Malaysia, he doesn't need to be resident in Malaysia to get a tourist visa.

 

Neither does he need to be a resident of his country of nationality.

[glegolo]

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

I think you may find that the reason many opt for the Marriage rather than the Retirement Extension is that for the former the annual income requirement is half that of the Retirement extension

 I know of a few in this situation it is purely financial.

Yes you mostly may find these guys basing it on financial reason. But I as well, have friends here that newbies as they are, many of them thought that marriage extension for people married to thailady and reirement-extension for people who just retired.....

 

I was trying to make you understand that there are somtimes reasons why they NOT wish to have tons of documents for marriage extensions when the moiney is OK and the expat doesn´t understand a shit what is going on..

 

glegolo

[NetJunkie]

7 hours ago, Lancashireman said:

They like to think so. But if you challenge them, firmly and politely, they back down.

Shape up or ship out is for cowards. Enjoy your dream.

 

Yeh, whatever, good luck with your dreams in reality.

[Shaunduhpostman]

Just sayin, but Penang has never been a good place to get a visa. I nearly didn't get my visa for work back in the 90's there.

 

Another thing is that trying to go by the book and do things in the most secure way weirdly backfires in Thailand. Thais fly by the seat of their pants without complaint, so they probably don't get why anyone would go to the trouble of getting a visa, probably looks suspect to them like you are looking to be putting on airs once you arrive, flashing your tourist visa in the halls of influence and what not, which is ironic since they are the ones offering a visa, so why would they offer something that only dodgy people will take. And like others have noted, they can just as easily deny you entry if you have a visa as they can with the visa exempt stamp.

 

They don't want to give tourist visas any more either, for the most part. One month is all they want to allow with the visa exempt stamp, and its been that way for about 6-7 years. You can also convert a tourist visa into a non-B, so there is probably some irrational assumptions that you are coming to Thailand to try and work, god forbid. Again, its their rule that you have to have the tourist visa, yet if you play by that rule its like, "Ah ha! Gotchya! You dirty rat!" 

 

Tourism is not that important to the economy period. We can get stuffed and to be fair the amount of stress we cause the locals just by being here, most of them in Bangkok and Pattaya anyway despise us, you have to wonder if the benefit they get is worth it. BAngkok Thais for sure mostly would rather never see another foreigner as long as they live. Though I often fantasize about Thailand just trying it on, just walling the country off and see how they like it. They should do it I think. No tourists, no foreigners here at all except very high level business and diplomatic people, the rest of you out! Thats what the people with power and influence want they should just do it. 

 

[darrendsd]

34 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Just sayin, but Penang has never been a good place to get a visa. I nearly didn't get my visa for work back in the 90's there.

 

Another thing is that trying to go by the book and do things in the most secure way weirdly backfires in Thailand. Thais fly by the seat of their pants without complaint, so they probably don't get why anyone would go to the trouble of getting a visa, probably looks suspect to them like you are looking to be putting on airs once you arrive, flashing your tourist visa in the halls of influence and what not, which is ironic since they are the ones offering a visa, so why would they offer something that only dodgy people will take. And like others have noted, they can just as easily deny you entry if you have a visa as they can with the visa exempt stamp.

 

They don't want to give tourist visas any more either, for the most part. One month is all they want to allow with the visa exempt stamp, and its been that way for about 6-7 years. You can also convert a tourist visa into a non-B, so there is probably some irrational assumptions that you are coming to Thailand to try and work, god forbid. Again, its their rule that you have to have the tourist visa, yet if you play by that rule its like, "Ah ha! Gotchya! You dirty rat!" 

 

Tourism is not that important to the economy period. We can get stuffed and to be fair the amount of stress we cause the locals just by being here, most of them in Bangkok and Pattaya anyway despise us, you have to wonder if the benefit they get is worth it. BAngkok Thais for sure mostly would rather never see another foreigner as long as they live. Though I often fantasize about Thailand just trying it on, just walling the country off and see how they like it. They should do it I think. No tourists, no foreigners here at all except very high level business and diplomatic people, the rest of you out! Thats what the people with power and influence want they should just do it. 

 

Apart from your first paragraph probably the biggest load of rubbish I have read on this forum and considering the amount there is that is saying something

Edited June 4, 2018 by darrendsd

[lkv]

38 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Tourism is not that important to the economy period.

It is important, about 13% of the GDP. Numbers go down, the people on top get sleepless nights. Seriously.

 

38 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

We can get stuffed and to be fair the amount of stress we cause the locals just by being here, most of them in Bangkok and Pattaya anyway despise us, you have to wonder if the benefit they get is worth it.

True, but they only liked our money anyways. Most of the smiles are not real. This is not new. But there is an anti foreigner vibe coming from the current administration. All people read in the newspapers every week or see on Thai TV nowadays are negative examples of arrests, raids, crimes and so on.

 

38 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

No tourists, no foreigners here at all except very high level business and diplomatic people, the rest of you out! Thats what the people with power and influence want they should just do it. 

They want tourists, but obviously the more money they have the better. See the TAT commercials for the luxury HK market, Elite visas and so on.

Edited June 4, 2018 by lkv

[Shaunduhpostman]

34 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

Apart from your first paragraph probably the biggest load of rubbish I have read on this forum and considering the amount there is that is saying something

No it isn't  saying anything other than you don't like what I and many others have to say on TV. Who cares, Darren. Who cares what is rubbish to you and what isn't. If you have a different perspective on topic  then by all means share it, that is what a good post is about not simply lashing out at people's opinions that personally offend you or what ever the problem is.

[darrendsd]

3 minutes ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

No it isn't  saying anything other than you don't like what I and many others have to say on TV. Who cares, Darren. Who cares what is rubbish to you and what isn't. If you have a different perspective on topic  then by all means share it, that is what a good post is about not simply lashing out at people's opinions that personally offend you or what ever the problem is.

They don't offend me, they are just rubbish

 

"Tourism is not that important to the economy period"

 

Really??

 

The 2014 total is estimated to have accounted for 19.3 percent (2.3 trillion baht) of Thailand's GDP

 

And that was 4 years ago, just a quick search will probably reveal it is more now, i'm sure I read a while ago  it is around 22-25 % now

 

If you really think that tourism is not important to Thailand and that Thailand can afford to lose 20-25 % of it's GDP you must live on another planet, no country in the world can afford to lose 20-25 % of it's GDP no matter where it comes from

 

Tourism IS important to Thailand, very important, the % it generates of it's GDP prove this

 

 

[Shaunduhpostman]

49 minutes ago, lkv said:

It is important, about 13% of the GDP. Numbers go down, the people on top get sleepless nights. Seriously.

 

True, but they only liked our money anyways. Most of the smiles are not real. This is not new. But there is an anti foreigner vibe coming from the current administration. All people read in the newspapers every week or see on Thai TV nowadays are negative examples of arrests, raids, crimes and so on.

 

They want tourists, but obviously the more money they have the better. See the TAT commercials for the luxury HK market, Elite visas and so on.

I agree with all of your comments. If I am not mistaken 13% is at the upper end of the estimates I seem to have re-called seeing. 

 

 

[Shaunduhpostman]

4 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

They don't offend me, they are just rubbish

 

"Tourism is not that important to the economy period"

 

Really??

 

The 2014 total is estimated to have accounted for 19.3 percent (2.3 trillion baht) of Thailand's GDP

 

And that was 4 years ago, just a quick search will probably reveal it is more now, i'm sure I read a while ago  it is around 22-25 % now

 

If you really think that tourism is not important to Thailand and that Thailand can afford to lose 20-25 % of it's GDP you must live on another planet, no country in the world can afford to lose 20-25 % of it's GDP no matter where it comes from

 

Tourism IS important to Thailand, very important, the % it generates of it's GDP prove this

 

 

Those figures seem to me to be a bit on the higher side compared to what I have seen, where are they from? At any rate there is such a variation in how much it accounts for the economy I'm not sure it matters. If they are actually as high as you say here then OK I'll give you that that it is important to theh economy. Seems to me I have seen it as 8-13% at best from non-Thai sources. Thats what I based my remark on. I don't think you can go by what the TAT says or other government entities, obviously they may have a stake in the figures being as high as possible.

 

Thanks all the same then Darren. I appreciate this kind of reply as opposed to your initial one.

 

 

[tropo]

2 hours ago, Shaunduhpostman said:

Just sayin, but Penang has never been a good place to get a visa. I nearly didn't get my visa for work back in the 90's there.

1

That's not true. I did three fantastic tourist visa runs to Penang in 2006 - 2007. I got 3-entry tourist visas on each occasion and it couldn't have been easier. They were hands down the best tourist visa runs I ever did.

[lkv]

1 minute ago, tropo said:

That's not true. I did three fantastic tourist visa runs to Penang in 2006 - 2007. I got 3-entry tourist visas on each occasion and it couldn't have been easier. They were hands down the best tourist visa runs I ever did.

On the other hand, in 2008-2009, in Penang, I got the red stamp on my third consecutive single entry tourist visa: "This person travels under a tourist visa etc".

 

So this was 10 years ago.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, lkv said:

On the other hand, in 2008-2009, in Penang, I got the red stamp on my third consecutive single entry tourist visa: "This person travels under a tourist visa etc".

 

So this was 10 years ago.

Same here - so I moved to the next favourite tourist visa consulate at the time - Vientianne. I made my first trip there in early 2008. 

[bandito]

21 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

I think onward travel ticket has always been a requirement, the where to aspect is a local addition.

 

Not allways.

In 1976 I came here on a 60 days tourist visa and I gould get an extension by going to my Embassy (which I did) and getting them to write a letter (which was free) asking Immigration to give me an extension of three months on my Tourist Visa.

Immigration at soi Suan Plu stamped my pasport for three more months so I  was here for 5 months on a Tourist Visa.

After one of the countless coups did Pa Prem away with all that.

He stayed on for 8 years and did not like foreigners and made a lot of new Immigration rules.

[Bucko]

Just filling in my 60 day Tourist Visa Application here in NZ ---a few things have changed _just to make applying a bit more difficult  -- main ones are -- have to go to the bank now for a print and  stamp to prove your  funds -- before an online copy was Ok -- also Now have to send copies of hotel booking --before just have to state hotel staying on arrival --not sure  how that works for me yet -as I -like other tourist do just that - I Tour -and arrange accommodations as I go---also states  must have a return airfare --cant remember that being there before?  always thought you could enter on a one way with T.V ??  but that does not bother me.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/wellington/contents/files/services-20180214-040324-230864.pdf

 

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 12:42 AM, tropo said:

I remember my first tourist visa there in 2006 - 3 entries, no questions asked. It was a pleasure to go there. An agent did it all for a small fee and all I had to do was relax and enjoy the holiday.

In the 80s you could get a visa in Penang on a Sunday through a visa agent (when the consulate was officially closed!) Different times than, this was when Thailand was open for business and still was a developing country, today its sliding backwards fast.

[lucifer666]

I remember years ago, i went to renew my tourist  visa ( For the third time) and the officer took my passport into a back office,,,, and then said, " your passport is damaged" ,,, Pages had been torn, and i know there was nothing wrong with my passport before i handed it over

[KiChakayan]

35 minutes ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

In the 80s you could get a visa in Penang on a Sunday through a visa agent (when the consulate was officially closed!) Different times than, this was when Thailand was open for business and still was a developing country, today its sliding backwards fast.

That's precisely the point. With Thailand joining the group of emerging economies, they have to look seriously into ways to curb illegal immigration. Therefore they have to tighten the visas rules, like most of our countries of origin. Requiring proof of income, residence, assets etc. are part of that. In the case of METV, the vast majority of applicants won't have any objection. So they may be just weeding out a tiny minority of travellers who might cause some workload for the authorities further down the track.

[mugaly]

13 minutes ago, KiChakayan said:

With Thailand joining the group of emerging economies,

Joining????  Didn't they join the emerging economies 30-40 years ago?

[KiChakayan]

A low-income country in the 1980s, Thailand was upgraded in status to an "upper-middle income economy" by the World Bank in 2011. Also, we all know what happened in 1997.

 

But let's not start another sub sub sub topic in this thread which is already all over the place..

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

1 hour ago, KiChakayan said:

Thailand joining the group of emerging economies

You sure about that???

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, Bucko said:

 always thought you could enter on a one way with T.V ??  but that does not bother me. 

By law, you can enter without an outgoing ticket if you have a Tourist Visa, if you enter where Immigration is following the law (may not be the case at the lawless Bangkok airports, where some have been reported to have been forced to buy unnecessary tickets).  But, you may be required by a consulate to show an outgoing ticket to get the visa in the first place - every consulate makes up its own rules.