Back from Penang. Got a SETV. We applied through Jim's agency. Jim sortied out our papers , and took us (and others) to Thai consulate and we handed our documents in person. Next day Jim again took us to Thai consulate to pick up our passports.  All was fine and the staff in the consulate was very kind and helpful. What you need for a single entry visa ( apart from valid passport ,2 photos with white background, a copy of the  page with your details ) is a ticket out of Thailand and a hotel booking. A bank statement not required, unless the staff want it as an additional document . In front of the consulate there is an internet service to help tourists who may need to print a document : a return ticket or a hotel booking etc. And it is nice to stay in Penang, it is charming and restaurants called Nasi Kandar  and Indian Banana Leaf offer delicious food. Want to go again. 

Who is Jim? Jim Thompson?

40 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Who is Jim?

He is the most well known agent in Penang.

Yes, Jim is the best known visa agent in Penang and his agency is named Jim's place.

Here is the address JIM'S PLACE , 431 Chulia Street,10200 Penang, mob.tel.+6016-6536963. It is not expensive to call Malaysia from Thailand 

Website: http://jimsplace-penang.com

Did you have previous SETVs in your passport, or was this one the first you applied for? I'm asking because your "history" seems (or seemed) to matter quite a bit in Penang.

Why would someone require/need an agent to get a very simple straight forward SETV?  Is the Thai consulate in a secret location that only Jim knows? 

46 minutes ago, alex8912 said:

Why would someone require/need an agent to get a very simple straight forward SETV?  Is the Thai consulate in a secret location that only Jim knows? 

Because, similar to many immigration offices, you could be treated poorly if not using the agent - as an encouragement to use the agent in the future.  Differences reported at that consulate in recent months include whether or not the bank-statement is needed, and/or whether your outgoing flight must be only to your passport-country.

10 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

Because, similar to many immigration offices, you could be treated poorly if not using the agent - as an encouragement to use the agent in the future.  Differences reported at that consulate in recent months include whether or not the bank-statement is needed, and/or whether your outgoing flight must be only to your passport-country.

Jack - is Jim Thompson a relative ? You seem to be keen to promote his services 

14 minutes ago, peterb17 said:

Jack - is Jim Thompson a relative ? You seem to be keen to promote his services 

Hardly.  And I used a different agent years ago when I went to Penang for a Tourist Visa (Banana).  But in both Penang and Phnom Penh (Lucky Lucky), reports indicate an applicant would be wise to use an agent.  In-person reports are terrible at both.

Edited February 6, 20197 yr by JackThompson

After obtaining your SETV,  did  you enter Thailand via land border crossing (Pedang Besar) ?

If so, did you need to show 20,000 THB in cash?

There are a few good questions here , first about the number of  SETV in my passport : I have got 5 SETV in my passport, 3 from a Thai consulate in Europe (first dating in 2017 ,stayed in February and March,then go home ) and 2 visas from Penang. I stay here with my partner on 2 months visa + 1 month extension ,then we go to Penang and get another visa (and we  apply for an extension again ). We stay here less then 180 days, go back to Europe , come here again in 6 months. My partner has got his third tourist visa from  Penang in succession ,without a problem or a warning stamp.  You can apply without using an agent, it is also OK, it seemed easier to us to go with Jim's. Banana agency not anymore there. And we entered Thailand via Phuket International Airport, the IO didn't ask to see 20k, but  of course we had it ready ,and our return tickets as well. Also  got a bank statement  ready to show in Thai Consulate if they asked.

One more, a bank statement in Penang is not required by the consulate, although at Jim's we were told to get one. Just in case. But a bank statement is not mentioned on the check list of documents given by the consulate .Our tickets out of Thailand are tickets to our country.

Why would someone require/need an agent to get a very simple straight forward SETV?  Is the Thai consulate in a secret location that only Jim knows? 

Because instead of waiting at the consulate for everything to get finished I could drive around on my scooter and enjoy a some sightseeing . But now it seems you have to go in person anyway, so not sure if it's still worth it. :)

 

14 hours ago, looking on the bright side said:

Next day Jim again took us to Thai consulate to pick up our passports.

It's a long time since I did the Penang run but there used to be agents in most hotel lobbies that would do the visa for you for a small fee whilst you stayed in bed. No need to go to the Consulate yourself.

21 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Because, similar to many immigration offices, you could be treated poorly if not using the agent - as an encouragement to use the agent in the future.  Differences reported at that consulate in recent months include whether or not the bank-statement is needed, and/or whether your outgoing flight must be only to your passport-country.

I’ve read dozens of reports how easy and straight forward Penang is. Do you ever see the visa glass half full? I simply do not believe any report of someone getting their first SETV needing a ticket back to their home country. That is not true or you can speak to a supervisor and sort it out. You have the right to spend 60 days in Thailand and then fly to another country other than your own. 

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I’ve read dozens of reports how easy and straight forward Penang is. Do you ever see the visa glass half full? I simply do not believe any report of someone getting their first SETV needing a ticket back to their home country. That is not true or you can speak to a supervisor and sort it out. You have the right to spend 60 days in Thailand and then fly to another country other than your own. 

 

 

 

For me Penang was nice until last year, previously been going there atleast one time per year for 3 years and then while applying for second TV from  Penang, 3rd in passport total the staff got rather rude with me. When applying the guy working there freaked out over my flight ticket. The flight was to my country but had a connecting flight in Doha which could clearly be seen on the printout. He proceeded to actually yell straight to my face "WAI U TICKET NOT HOME COUNTRY?! I SEE U PASSPOT DOHA NOT YOUR COUNTRY". 

 

I pointed on the paper and told him that as he can see I have connecting flight there. He seemed very irritated by my response and then told me "tis time last time u do visa here!" 

 

Seems to depend on their mood. This happened just some month after the penang consult massconfusion when they limited the amount of applications per day and that agent Jim on Facebook and a certain user on this forum tried to convince people  they really needed to have bank statements to apply for TV there, needless to say that wasn't really the truth since i didn't need one a few weeks later. However the tantrum that guy at the consulate demonstrated was enough for me to go somewhere else. 

Edited February 7, 20197 yr by Okis