No more mail application for Thai visa in Switzerland

[Maestro]

Whereas previously the Thai embassy and all consulates in Switzerland accepted visa applications by mail, none do so now. One consulate, in Zurich, even stopped issuing visas altogether.

 

Spending an entire day to go and apply for a visa is a bit much but if the Thai government tries to reduce the inflow of tourist, it is obviously a step in the right direction.

 

Bern
The Royal Thai Embassy do not accept any visa application via post. Applicant can ONLY apply for a visa personally at the counter from Monday-Friday (except national holidays) between 9:00-12:00hr. 
Source: http://www.thaiembassy.ch/Content/Embassy/55.html

 

Basel
(Translated from German) From 15 August 2016, visa applications can be accepted only if they are made in person, not by mail.
Source (in German): https://thaikonsulat.ch/visa/

 

Geneva
(Translated from Fench) All adult visa applicants must submit their applications in person. Applications by mail are no longer accepted.
Source in French): https://thaiconsulate.ch/visas/visas-categorie-tr-maximum-3-entrees/

 

Zurich
(Translated from German) The Royal Thai Honorary Consulate General in Zurich would hereby like to announce that the Consular Section (visa applications and attestations) of the The Royal Thai Honorary Consulate General in Zurich will be closed as per the end of February 2018.
Source (in German): http://www.thai-consulate.ch/

[Maestro]

I believe the same is happening in other parts of the world, if not for all visas, at least for some types.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

More developed countries sell e-visas these days, I doubt a guy living far away from one of the Thai consulates in Switzerland bother to get there in person to pay for a tourist visa, when he can travel freely to many other countries in the region without applying for a visa before leaving home. 

[fforest1]

Also  if they are willing to do this to Switzerland look for this only applying in person policy to spread to other western countries...

[Langsuan Man]

I doubt it has anything to do with not wanting to issue visas  

 

More likely budget cuts for overseas Embassies and Consulates.  Since unless you are processing a large amount of visas is not worth paying for a Thai foreign service officer to basically be a clerk.  Most Thai diplomatic posts in the US have hired a local national to process visas and the Consul only gets involved by signing the visas in the passport

 

An educated guess is that labor costs are so high in Switzerland that the Thai Ambassador has chosen a different route  

[fforest1]

1 minute ago, Langsuan Man said:

I doubt it has anything to do with not wanting to issue visas  

 

More likely budget cuts for overseas Embassies and Consulates.  Since unless you are processing a large amount of visas is not worth paying for a Thai foreign service officer to basically be a clerk.  Most Thai diplomatic posts in the US have hired a local national to process visas and the Consul only gets involved by signing the visas in the passport

 

An educated guess is that labor costs are so high in Switzerland that the Thai Ambassador has chosen a different route  

So does it cost Thailand LESS to process a visa in person than by mail?....No not one cent cheaper in person,,,Maybe more and possibly a lot more....But it can for sure cost the person trying to get the visa a lot more if mail is not a option....

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, Maestro said:

Whereas previously the Thai embassy and all consulates in Switzerland accepted visa applications by mail, none do so now. One consulate, in Zurich, even stopped issuing visas altogether.

 

Spending an entire day to go and apply for a visa is a bit much but if the Thai government tries to reduce the inflow of tourist, it is obviously a step in the right direction.

Only Western tourists appear to be targeted for elimination - even from one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, evidently.

 

7 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

More likely budget cuts for overseas Embassies and Consulates.  Since unless you are processing a large amount of visas is not worth paying for a Thai foreign service officer to basically be a clerk.  Most Thai diplomatic posts in the US have hired a local national to process visas and the Consul only gets involved by signing the visas in the passport

Having only one-office in the country offer mail-service would make sense, in that context - since applications could be mailed from anywhere in the country to that one office.  Removing the option entirely is something else.  If there are not that may applications, it would not take much of anyone's time, and could even offset office / counter-clerk hours.

[fforest1]

2 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Only Western tourists appear to be targeted for elimination - even from one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, evidently.

 

Having only one-office in the country offer mail-service would make sense, in that context - since applications could be mailed from anywhere in the country to that one office.  Removing the option entirely is something else.  If there are not that may applications, it would not take much of anyone's time, and could even offset office / counter-clerk hours.

Exactly what I was thinking...

[Langsuan Man]

16 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Only Western tourists appear to be targeted for elimination - even from one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, evidently.

 

Having only one-office in the country offer mail-service would make sense, in that context - since applications could be mailed from anywhere in the country to that one office.  Removing the option entirely is something else.  If there are not that may applications, it would not take much of anyone's time, and could even offset office / counter-clerk hours.

You are forgetting that Thai Embassies and Consulates act like Immigration here, they are a law unto themselves.  Just look at the US;  3 Consulates and 1 Embassy and each one has different application requirements

 

Yes, the Embassy should be required to offer mail in service, but who is going to make them ?  MFA, they have to have Immigration enforce the rules here and obviously don't control foreign offices or there would be no variance in submission requirements 

 

Do you think that the Consulate in CM does what it wants, no way, they follow explicit instructions for the Embassy in Bangkok, who in turn take explicit instructions from the Department of State in Washington DC

[fforest1]

5 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

You are forgetting that Thai Embassies and Consulates act like Immigration here, they are a law unto themselves.  Just look at the US;  3 Consulates and 1 Embassy and each one has different application requirements

 

Yes, the Embassy should be required to offer mail in service, but who is going to make them ?  MFA, they have to have Immigration enforce the rules here and obviously don't control foreign offices or there would be no variance in submission requirements 

 

Do you think that the Consulate in CM does what it wants, no way, they follow explicit instructions for the Embassy in Bangkok, who in turn take explicit instructions from the Department of State in Washington DC

So the Swiss Consulates enacted the in person policy because they want a HIGHER operation cost?

The only thing this policy will achieve is higher cost and more hassle to the tourist....And hence a possible reduction of tourist from Switzerland to Thailand...

 

People dont like hoop jumping....The more hoops the less tourist.... 

[ubonjoe]

I would say that the number of Thai embassies and official consulates that allow mailed in applications is far less than those that don't.

Perhaps check a few of their websites that you can click a link to on this website. http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/

The majority of honorary Thai consulate do not or are not allowed to accept them.

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, JackThompson said:

Only Western tourists appear to be targeted for elimination - even from one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, evidently.

 

Having only one-office in the country offer mail-service would make sense, in that context - since applications could be mailed from anywhere in the country to that one office.  Removing the option entirely is something else.  If there are not that may applications, it would not take much of anyone's time, and could even offset office / counter-clerk hours.

I'm waiting for the news that soon my wife will have to fly to India ( she's Thai ) to apply for her next UK holiday/visitors visa. 

[steve73]

Is this perhaps a way to discourage western (or Swiss initially) tourists from spending more than 30 days at a time here.

 

The new mantra - Rich tourists in (but only for a short time), Poor "long-termers" out.

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, steve73 said:

Is this perhaps a way to discourage western (or Swiss initially) tourists from spending more than 30 days at a time here.

 

The new mantra - Rich tourists in (but only for a short time), Poor "long-termers" out.

Poor short termers are certainly being pursued with vigor.

[JimGant]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I would say that the number of Thai embassies and official consulates that allow mailed in applications is far less than those that don't.

Perhaps check a few of their websites that you can click a link to on this website. http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/

The majority of honorary Thai consulate do not or are not allowed to accept them.

Fortunately, the four such consulates in the US still take mail in applications (and some honorary consulates, or at least one that I know of).

 

The Thai tourist authority must be appalled at what they're now seeing in Switzerland. And as someone said, there aren't any efficiencies in this new scheme -- whether it's a walk-in application, or a mail-in, processing time is the same. Self-return envelopes preclude any pick-up inefficiencies.

 

New guy at MFA?

[vinegarbase]

10 hours ago, Maestro said:

but if the Thai government tries to reduce the inflow of tourist, it is obviously a step in the right direction.

Right in line with policy. Make it as inconvenient as possible for Farang as possible. Sounds like they need to close 3 of those consulates and head back to Thailand. Just keep the embassy open for show. 

[SchuetzRob]

Maybe most swiss tourists do not intend to spend more than 30 days in thailand and thus do not require a visa. However, for those who need non-imm visa, or other kinds of visa.....the loops to jump now already begin before arriving in Thailand...

[Sydebolle]

Interesting indeed considering the fact, that Thailand does really not know anymore where to go with all those quality tourists!

Burma (Myanmar, these days), often if not mostly looked down upon by Khon Thai, has an absolutely perfect functioning electronic visa on the web, earning them USD 50/visa which is professionally done, processed and easy to handle for visitors. The visa comes by email, to be printed out by the applicant/traveller - smooth as (Burmese) silk.

Also of possible interest is how the Cambodians and the Vietnamese deal with it; the Laotians deal with it manually still at the border posts except Pudu and Buengkan. 

This backfires BIG time, travellers from Eastern Switzerland travelling all the way to Berne will kill one full day; trust me, not many Swiss will do this trip ...... 

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Only Western tourists appear to be targeted for elimination - even from one of the wealthiest nations in Europe, evidently.

 

Having only one-office in the country offer mail-service would make sense, in that context - since applications could be mailed from anywhere in the country to that one office.  Removing the option entirely is something else.  If there are not that may applications, it would not take much of anyone's time, and could even offset office / counter-clerk hours.

You are talking Thailand and logic in one sentence. That is futile.

[Formaleins]

11 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

More developed countries sell e-visas these days, I doubt a guy living far away from one of the Thai consulates in Switzerland bother to get there in person to pay for a tourist visa, when he can travel freely to many other countries in the region without applying for a visa before leaving home. 

Ha,ha! Developed being the key word here! What hope has this place got of issuing an E Visa when they cannot even get their 90 day online report software to work correctly - Besides, not many people would be able to apply for a Thai E visa as most computer users these days no longer use Windows 95 or Windows 98.

[AloisAmrein]

Ok, so no visa. Just visa-free entry for 30 days or less. I can spend my money elsewhere, e.g. Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Edited November 24, 2018 by AloisAmrein

[TSF]

12 hours ago, AloisAmrein said:

Ok, so no visa. Just visa-free entry for 30 days or less. I can spend my money elsewhere, e.g. Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.

That's the solution. Give Thailand a big miss. Vote with your feet. Who needs all this nonsense.

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, SchuetzRob said:

Maybe most swiss tourists do not intend to spend more than 30 days in thailand and thus do not require a visa. However, for those who need non-imm visa, or other kinds of visa.....the loops to jump now already begin before arriving in Thailand...

As Thai visas are mostly not issued in country that is what one would expect. 

[ubonjoe]

As I wrote before most embassies and consulates around the world do not accept applications by mail 

For example I checked a few in Europe and found that these do not do them, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece and the Netherlands. There are likely more.

[JayBird]

I know France does not accept mail in. However they accept an appointed agent, who does accept mail in.

Perhaps CH will indicate which agent they will work with.

For people living in Zurich, this is very annoying, as it is a day off and possibly a hotel stay to get there in the morning.

It's part of their "Rich tourist out, Poor tourist in" campaign



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[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, JayBird said:

It's part of their "Rich tourist out, Poor tourist in" campaign
 

Nonsense

As I wrote before many embassies and consulates never had mail in applications. It is more the norm not to accept thme than to accept them.

 

[HampiK]

4 hours ago, JayBird said:

I know France does not accept mail in. However they accept an appointed agent, who does accept mail in.

Perhaps CH will indicate which agent they will work with.

For people living in Zurich, this is very annoying, as it is a day off and possibly a hotel stay to get there in the morning.

It's part of their "Rich tourist out, Poor tourist in" campaign



Sent from my ASUS_Z017DB using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Sorry, but Switzerland is not that big, The only people which really are unlucky are the ones from the south (Ticino), which not have an easy way. But the rest can go to Basel or Bern or Geneva. As from most part of Switzerland you can reach one of this destinations in 2 hours or less. And from Zurich you can reach Basel in about 1 hour with the train!

 

Yes I agree that this was better before, but I always was going myself to the consulat or Embassy instead sending my Passport by mail. And It is still the same for about 95% of the Swiss travelers to Thailand as they not stay longer than the allowed 30 days visa Excempt.