hey guys,

on the website in the application documents section it says we must provide them with our flight itinerary and hotel bookings before applying for a visa. Being that most Thais, I assume, are declined for a visa, why would they make this a requirement? I think it is impossible to buy a fully refundable flight/hotel room, correct me if I'm wrong.

thank you in advance for the input.

Actually, it is possible to make a flight 'reservation' for a nominal fee, 

without fully paying for the ticket. 

 

Most travel agents can do this.
Regarding hotel bookings, it is best to choose hotels that have a free cancellation option.

 

12 hours ago, 2121 said:

on the website in the application documents section it says we must provide them with our flight itinerary and hotel bookings before applying for a visa. Being that most Thais, I assume, are declined for a visa, why would they make this a requirement? I think it is impossible to buy a fully refundable flight/hotel room, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

That has to be a commercial website as the US Embassy Bangkok does not require any proof of bookings.  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas.html

The USA wants to be sure the person in question is not going to overstay their visa illegally. When my wife did this she brought documents from her place of work stating that she currently works there and will continue to do so after her trip to the USA. I recommend your girlfriend do the same thing, if possible. Bring documents from her work/school saying she is employed and has a place to stay in Thailand. Also a deed to a house would also help obtaining a visa.

Wife has applied 3 times, the first was before we were married.  Most recent was about a year ago at AMEB BKK.  She's never been asked for nor provided itinerary or hotel bookings.  They do ask for it generally in the DS-160's Travel Info section, as well as itemized US travel history.   

 

my 2 cents - my gf at the time (wife now) was denied 3 times in a row before being granted a one-year tourist visa. The key was that she hadn't traveled out of the country (all of our trips over the 5 years we had been together at that point had been within Thailand). They want to see a pattern of leaving and coming back to Thailand. So she went to Japan and Indonesia and that seemed to do the trick. When she got her one year, we went to the US twice during the year. The next year we applied and she got a 10-year visa. 

On 1/3/2019 at 12:30 AM, kblaze said:

my 2 cents - my gf at the time (wife now) was denied 3 times in a row before being granted a one-year tourist visa. The key was that she hadn't traveled out of the country (all of our trips over the 5 years we had been together at that point had been within Thailand). They want to see a pattern of leaving and coming back to Thailand. So she went to Japan and Indonesia and that seemed to do the trick. When she got her one year, we went to the US twice during the year. The next year we applied and she got a 10-year visa. 

I gave up trying to understand US tourist visa criteria.

 

My wife lived in the US as a teenager, went to college there. We lived in Singapore, she'd travelled all over Asia....but, Yes she was denied twice for a tourist visa, when all we wanted to do was visit my daughter who'd had a baby.

 

In an ironic twist of fate, after we ended up repatriating and her getting a Green Card, she now works for the Federal Government, in I might add the Dept of Defense.

 

The irony in all of that blows my mind!

2 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

I gave up trying to understand US tourist visa criteria.

 

My wife lived in the US as a teenager, went to college there. We lived in Singapore, she'd travelled all over Asia....but, Yes she was denied twice for a tourist visa, when all we wanted to do was visit my daughter who'd had a baby.

 

In an ironic twist of fate, after we ended up repatriating and her getting a Green Card, she now works for the Federal Government, in I might add the Dept of Defense.

 

The irony in all of that blows my mind!

Yeah... but soon there's gonna be a wall!!!

On 1/5/2019 at 7:39 PM, GinBoy2 said:

I gave up trying to understand US tourist visa criteria.

 

My wife lived in the US as a teenager, went to college there. We lived in Singapore, she'd travelled all over Asia....but, Yes she was denied twice for a tourist visa, when all we wanted to do was visit my daughter who'd had a baby.

 

In an ironic twist of fate, after we ended up repatriating and her getting a Green Card, she now works for the Federal Government, in I might add the Dept of Defense.

 

The irony in all of that blows my mind!

incredible, the disparity of the experiences 

48 minutes ago, kblaze said:

incredible, the disparity of the experiences 

I think the Brits at least get a written explanation why an application is rejected. For us it's just that 'No' during the interview which makes it so much more in-fathomable