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Posted

Two week wait for tourist & non-immigrant visa appointments at Thai Embassy in Vientiane

 

Thailand_image of a thai visa 600x414.jpg

 

Anyone who was planning to visit the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane to apply for a tourist or non-immigrant visa should be aware that there are no appointments available for at least two weeks. 

 

Since 1st February 2019, foreigners who need to a apply for either a tourist, non-immigrant or transit visa first need to schedule an online appointment before submitting the visa application in person at the Embassy.

 

Appointments are scheduled via the new online booking platform at: https://thaivisavientiane.com/

 

However, according to the online booking system the are no appointments available for either tourist visas or non-immigrant visas until 20th March 2019.

 

Screenshot 2562-03-02 at 15.56.05.png

 

This effectively rules out Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane for anyone who urgently needs to apply for any of the aforementioned visas.

 

In January it was announced that the online application system needed to be implemented to help Embassy staff deal with the large amounts of visa applications that were being made at the Royal Thai Embassy Vientiane.

 

“The number of visa applicants at the the Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane has increased significantly in the past years”, the Embassy said on its website.

 

“Due to a limited number of officers, the Embassy needs to implement the Visa Application Appointment System in order to maintain service quality with an aim to reduce waiting time of applicants while increasing,” it added.
 

thai+visa_news.jpg

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-03

Posted
3 hours ago, mstevens said:

Wow, this is going to cause a lot of worry and anxiety for many, and it must play havoc with the visa run companies. I wonder if other embassies and consulates in the region will see an increase in visa applicants in what could be a spillover from people who would have otherwise used Vientiane?

I suspect the visa run companies can pay for overtime for some of the officers needed...  so they likely are still getting service.

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
Posted
1 hour ago, BestB said:

According to some posts on Facebook , people try to make money out of it by booking out slots and then selling it.

 

appearantly embassy is aware and changing the booking process where each appointment will have your personal data and giving it to someone also would not be possible.

 

from memory change will go into effect from 24 March 

Yes, all they need to do is save the name, passport number and nationality of passport then print a sign-in sheet at the front gate.

Posted
32 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

The people that it will most likely impact are actually the real tourists who assume that like many embassies, you would just go there and get a visa without having to book 2 weeks in advance...  the 'professional' tourist in Thailand probably reads boards like this and will plan ahead. 

I am neither . Could not extend my non b in time , so had to go out to get a new non b only no slots for 10 days ahead.

 

Went to Penang instead with 9 days overstay, but good thing I had a letter from immigration confirming I was in process of extending yet still had to pay overstay 

  • Like 1
Posted

As I understand it, this doesn't mean you can't turn up and apply in person, the online bookings are separate from the regular queue of people that just turn up. 

Posted
5 minutes ago, jspill said:

As I understand it, this doesn't mean you can't turn up and apply in person, the online bookings are separate from the regular queue of people that just turn up. 

As far as I know having an appointment is mandatory,

Without one you will not be allowed to do it without an an appointment,

  • Like 2
Posted

All countries have immigration issues. I wish all countries would understand a few things.

  1. You beg tourist/expats to come. Remember that. They advertise, etc. They are inviting people to be in their country. Please come.

  2. There is a ‘cost of business’ when millions come. Yes, you might have to clean up a mess or 2. Yes, someone might end up in the hospital. Paperwork required at immigration. Countries, for the most part, complain about these costs as they continue to beg for people to come.

  3. I spend 100,000b a month. If I leave I assume some people will have less income. If you leave, the same. If many leave then the economy suffers.

  4. If many leave and fewer tourist because a country does not recognize the ‘cost of doing business’ then the economy suffers and it is even better for expat/tourist to be in that country. The cost of living goes down.

There are silver linings. I lived in Russia. That was easy…very easy to live there. Too easy. The average woman wage went from $300/month to $1,000/month quickly for that reason and many more. The ‘mail order bride’ business is almost nonexistent there after many years of thriving.

  • Like 1
Posted
1 hour ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

I suspect the visa run companies can pay for overtime for some of the officers needed...  so they likely are still getting service.

as part of a visa run company, this is not possible. The slots are handled online. There are also holidays on 8th and not announced by Embassy that 11th and 12th is a voting day , so no slot available, even visa run companies can not go. 

We update our website daily. 

  • Like 1
Posted
34 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

As far as I know having an appointment is mandatory,

Without one you will not be allowed to do it without an an appointment,

Yes, read my post above ... we must now make an appointment on line ... all of us ... and that's just to apply for the visa ...

  • Like 1
Posted
37 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

As far as I know having an appointment is mandatory,

Without one you will not be allowed to do it without an an appointment,

Only Laos nationals under MOU applications can still walk in. 

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Posted
23 minutes ago, British Bulldog said:

As a Vientiane resident for 26 years now, the whole thing is a Joke ... there are heaps of people like me in the same boat where the wife wanted to take the family to Udon for a family day or weekends shopping .... all that has gone now, most of us won't bother trying to get a Visa on principle, why should we have to pay 1000 for a single entry visa when we never paid anything before .... we do get our 2 free boarder crossing visa's per year, but most of us hang on to these until we have a really good reason to use them, in my case I go to Khon Khen Hospital at least every 6 months for treatment .... now I wonder what will happen if I have to wait 2 weeks for Visa whilst I suspect I have a medical problem ? Ha ! And the Thai Government wonder why their economy is dropping, especially in the north east, as nobody is going shopping from Laos there anymore ... and we use to buy up Big Time ! (For those readers who don't know, we can fly into Thailand every day of the year if we wish, as long as it is a valid international Thai airport .... even more stupid !

Laos people can cross unlimited times into Thailand, the limitation is just for nations under visa exempt stamp and IMHO has hurt Thailand a lot.... 

Posted
1 hour ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Yes, all they need to do is save the name, passport number and nationality of passport then print a sign-in sheet at the front gate.

Not possible, system not allow same day booking. The cut off is midnight. 

  • Haha 1
Posted

Could this delay be due to the recent changes to the retirement visa, with the embassy now seeing its 1st influx of applications from people who don’t have 400/800 baht in the bank ?

Posted
41 minutes ago, British Bulldog said:

As a Vientiane resident for 26 years now, the whole thing is a Joke ... there are heaps of people like me in the same boat where the wife wanted to take the family to Udon for a family day or weekends shopping .... all that has gone now, most of us won't bother trying to get a Visa on principle, why should we have to pay 1000 for a single entry visa when we never paid anything before .... we do get our 2 free boarder crossing visa's per year, but most of us hang on to these until we have a really good reason to use them, in my case I go to Khon Khen Hospital at least every 6 months for treatment .... now I wonder what will happen if I have to wait 2 weeks for Visa whilst I suspect I have a medical problem ? Ha ! And the Thai Government wonder why their economy is dropping, especially in the north east, as nobody is going shopping from Laos there anymore ... and we use to buy up Big Time ! (For those readers who don't know, we can fly into Thailand every day of the year if we wish, as long as it is a valid international Thai airport .... even more stupid !

Most expats I know in Vientiane get a multiple entry visa, it’s not really expensive and it’s easy to get. Yeah it was great when we got free travel before but you can’t keep living in the past. I don’t really think businesses suffer too greatly because of the few cheap Charlie’s who don’t bother getting a METV

  • Haha 1

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