Visa for China

[bobnuts]

Has anyone done one recently?

 

I need to go to China for a short visit, 6-7 days. Previously I have always made a visit visa by going to the CTS office in Hong Kong and getting the visa next day or day after that at the most. This time I would prefer to do the visa here in Bangkok if at all possible and I understand they have an office on Phetburi road for that very purpose.

 

Any insights, gotchas or other issues or is it a sensible and simple process?

 

Any info much appreciated.

 

Bob

 

[BritManToo]

You need to show them a complete itinerary with flights.

I just booked a hotel on Booking.com and printed it out for the VISA, then cancelled the hotel after the VISA was granted.

Dead easy to get, takes about a week (pay extra for quicker), and as a Brit only 1,000bht in Thailand Vs 5,000bht in the UK.

Very nice people to deal with, no queues and no funny business like Thai Immigration.

Edited January 4, 2019 by BritManToo

[bobnuts]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

When you say itinerary with flights. Do I need to have the flights booked and paid up front?

Hotel is already reserved on Booking.com

 

Thanks

 

Bob

 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, bobnuts said:

Do I need to have the flights booked and paid up front?

I did.

As stated on this site 'section L'

http://chiangmai.chineseconsulate.org/eng/consularservices/passports/t1099575.htm

[bobnuts]

Okay, thanks again, good info.

I have a letter from the Chinese company that wants me to visit them so if I sort the tickets out now hopefully I will not need to change them.

 

Will be doing it in Bangkok but guess its the same.

 

Thanks

Bob

 

[Mavideol]

do you intend to come back? there's a travel warning to China

[josephbloggs]

2 hours ago, bobnuts said:

Okay, thanks again, good info.

I have a letter from the Chinese company that wants me to visit them so if I sort the tickets out now hopefully I will not need to change them.

 

Will be doing it in Bangkok but guess its the same.

 

Thanks

Bob

 

Are you here on a long term visa?

[White Christmas13]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

do you intend to come back? there's a travel warning to China

There is a travel warning for Kho Tao as well ????

[bobnuts]

1 hour ago, Mavideol said:

do you intend to come back? there's a travel warning to China

Yes, about a week later. Travel warning? What travel warning? If it's anything like the one the US had posted about travel to the UK during the Irish troubles, that was in place for about 20 years, its probably not worth much, but I'm intrigued.

Please elucidate.

 

5 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Are you here on a long term visa?

Yes, O-A based on marriage

Edited January 4, 2019 by bobnuts

[White Christmas13]

If you only go for 6 days you will get a visa on arrival, more depends what part of China you go to

I went not long ago and had no problems at all but I reside in OZ now 

[bobnuts]

Visa on arrival? For mainland China? With a UK passport?

Never heard of such a thing.

 

[josephbloggs]

Just now, bobnuts said:

Yes, about a week later. Travel warning? What travel warning? If it's anything like the one the US had posted about travel to the UK during the Irish troubles its probably not worth much, but I'm intrigued.

Please elucidate.

 

Yes, O-A based on marriage

Ok, then you'll be fine.  I've got business visas easily with letters of invitation, but once when I was working in Singapore but here on a visit (on a 90 day O based on marriage) they wouldn't accept my application as I had only been in the country about 6 days - they said I needed to be here at least three weeks.  All other occasions have been really easy.

[bobnuts]

1 minute ago, josephbloggs said:

Ok, then you'll be fine.  I've got business visas easily with letters of invitation, but once when I was working in Singapore but here on a visit (on a 90 day O based on marriage) they wouldn't accept my application as I had only been in the country about 6 days - they said I needed to be here at least three weeks.  All other occasions have been really easy.

Thanks for that. Useful data point.

 

[taxout]

If you only go for 6 days you will get a visa on arrival, more depends what part of China you go to

No, that's a Transit Without Visa (TWOV). In some Chinese cities you can stay in that city and the surrounding area for up to 144 hours without a visa, but only if you are indeed transitting, which in Chinese terms means you're just stopping in China in the middle of an international itinerary. So a flight from Thailand to Beijing then back to Thailand won't qualify since you're not "transitting" in Chinese terms. There are also some other conditions.

(There is a visa-on-arrival in some places, but it's loaded down with restrictions and very rarely used.)

[Mavideol]

On 1/4/2019 at 7:25 PM, bobnuts said:

Yes, about a week later. Travel warning? What travel warning? If it's anything like the one the US had posted about travel to the UK during the Irish troubles, that was in place for about 20 years, its probably not worth much, but I'm intrigued.

Please elucidate.

 

Yes, O-A based on marriage

they arrested a couple people recently, they use them as negotiating tools with their country of origin..... just saying better be safe than sorry

[bobnuts]

Ah, okay. I hope I'll avoid any such complication. ????