17 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

After we have confirmed our appointment with the Vientiane Embassy do we then have to either email or phone your company to book our trip? 

 

Your website is not very clear on this

we still happy if you just walk in. Thank you

45 minutes ago, visarunner said:

How would you know ?

Oh Please,  OK  it is coincidence then......And how would you know then it is not what I posted.....

It's not like you don't know 90 days ahead of time when you need to go.  If you plan ahead, I think this is much better no worries about huge crowds waiting for hours etc.  If you need a visa today go to KL or something and schedule appt next time.

Either the procedure is too tedious, the entire immigration visa law needs to be overhauled, there is not enough staff at the visa section or the staff is inefficient - your call! 

12 minutes ago, Peter702 said:

It's not like you don't know 90 days ahead of time when you need to go.  If you plan ahead, I think this is much better no worries about huge crowds waiting for hours etc.  If you need a visa today go to KL or something and schedule appt next time.

Like some one already said...This will have little affect on the professional tourist....But it will have a big impact on the regular tourist....And they could reduce the available openings any time they want....

No surprises here it's just another turn of the screw to get rid of those pesky farangs.   They've just about wiped out the possibilities of retiring here for most people and now they're starting on tourist visas....... Who didn't see this one coming ?   ( How to destroy your countries tourist industry in one go)   La la land, where the inmates now the control the asylum.......

About time they sorted the whole visa nightmare out, but one must remember you are dealing with the most uneducated race on the planet.

8 hours 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.

That sounds like work for financial gain.

Those clowns have a work permit?

How about a link to those posts? Figure out who they are and open up some slots real quick...

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Either the procedure is too tedious, the entire immigration visa law needs to be overhauled, there is not enough staff at the visa section or the staff is inefficient - your call! 

It all worked very well when there was shed loads of tourists years ago, all this is is a tactic just like the retirement visas to put more hurdles in front of those pesky farangs......... 

" How to destroy your countries tourist industry in one go)  "

 

Not true at all tourism is booming. They have 11 million Chinese, projected to have 6+ million Indians. Thais are blinded by numbers so a few million pissed off falangs doesn't bother them at all. 

A troll post containing a disallowed reference to the current government has been removed. 

4 minutes ago, biggles45 said:

" How to destroy your countries tourist industry in one go)  "

 

Not true at all tourism is booming. They have 11 million Chinese, projected to have 6+ million Indians. Thais are blinded by numbers so a few million pissed off falangs doesn't bother them at all. 

I'm taking that to be scarcasm.........  If not, where do i buy a pair of those rose tinted spectacles that TAT look through ?  

5 hours ago, visarunner said:

Savannakhet is more strict, you need to show onward ticket within 60 days and Bank Statement for Tourist Visa, in case of Non Immigrant visa you have to address your documents to Royal Thai Consulate Savannakhet.

I was in savannakhet in January and the only thing they asked me for was 20,000 baht in the bank, but yes they usually ask for onward ticket.

Some baiting and bickering posts have been removed. Time to end it.

9 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Please God don't make this destroy the wonderful, quiet, easy, peaceful, pleasant Muk-Sav border crossing & visa processing.

Stuck in savannakhet for 2 weeks, please God no.

I just checked and for tomorrow some slots are available and for Tuesday too.

Wednesday still full.

 

I wonder about Thursday, why it is full, Friday is a holiday.

 

Just plan ahead, slots after 21st March are still plentiful.

For April no schedule open yet.

 

12 hours ago, ebean001 said:

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.

sounds like you are living in Thailand too..  If you're living in Thailand, then you are no longer a tourist.  A real tourist that will come for a few days, weeks has no issues. 

7 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Like some one already said...This will have little affect on the professional tourist....But it will have a big impact on the regular tourist....And they could reduce the available openings any time they want....

Why would it have a big impact on a regular tourist?? Most tourists have plans and this is just one embassy (at this time), they can use another embassy, enter Thailand on visa exempt, etc..  

11 hours ago, Caine said:

About time they sorted the whole visa nightmare out

This is the problem. Almost every overhaul they've brought in, big or small has added more bureaucracy, complication and obstruction to every party involved. Rather than wishing for change, the least worst scenario anyone can hope for is they take their hands off rudder and let things alone. At least in the past everyone, from consulates and embassies, to immigration, to hotels and landlords, to the end user tourists and expats knew where they stood and how to navigate the system. It's got to the point where I shudder every time I read any kind of headline or new announcement coming from immigration or the authorities here. 

18 hours ago, visarunner said:

No, not at all.

I am curious, how do you know this?

16 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Same thing. Meanwhile, I dont have to worry about it till Jan 21, 2020 when my current Extension expires

I thought you'd had enough and were going home?

On 3/3/2019 at 8:11 AM, edwinchester said:

“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.

 

Not exactly a problem that's suddenly appeared overnight is it so wait so long before trying to fix it?

Thainess

20 hours ago, wharria said:

The Thai Embassy in London will only accept visa applications online from the 1st of April, If approved you have to make a appointment to go to the Embassy to have the visa put into your passport.

The visa fees are also going up From £125 to £150 for a non 'O' multiple entry with all other visas rising pro rata.

Thought they did that by post ??

23 hours 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.

So correct.. this is great for visa run companies and Thai visa officers.. will be more efficient... user pays.

27 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Thought they did that by post ??

I may not be available after April 1st. They have not stated yet if you can mail your passport after doing the application online.

See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84397-How-to-apply-visa-by-post.html

 

16 hours ago, SupermarineS6B said:

No surprises here it's just another turn of the screw to get rid of those pesky farangs.   They've just about wiped out the possibilities of retiring here for most people and now they're starting on tourist visas....... Who didn't see this one coming ?   ( How to destroy your countries tourist industry in one go)   La la land, where the inmates now the control the asylum.......

They have a "new tourist industry" now - one based on "tour group" companies bringing in poor people in droves, with the infrastructure-costs of shuttling these masses through subsidized by the govt (even free VOA, now) - where the marks are taken to spend what little funds they have at "connected" businesses, and just walking by and gawking at the rest. 

5 hours ago, rott said:

I thought you'd had enough and were going home?

I havent had enough ????

Im just not dealing with the weather here from April to September. 

I have a great summer tenatively planned (if my xgf doesnt interrupt it):

Fly to Shanghai, visit my Kid

Fly into LAX, get some concentrates, bang xgf, explain why our relationship wont work.

Fly out to East Coast, bond with family.

Beach house on the Carolina/Virginia coast or Country house by a Lake in the Mountains

Month in Alaska (Caribou season?)

Edit photos, eat burgers, fight off xgf

Fly to Thailand October

 

Life is grand

On 3/3/2019 at 12:29 PM, Steeple said:

There's an agent here that has some sort of connect at Vientiane consulate and is able to legit book people on any date. The bookings appear on the booking site and all, with the requested date and correct name.

Is that fact or just something that you think happens ?

On 3/3/2019 at 12:29 PM, visarunner said:

Savannakhet is more strict, you need to show onward ticket within 60 days and Bank Statement for Tourist Visa, in case of Non Immigrant visa you have to address your documents to Royal Thai Consulate Savannakhet. 

In the past, they were ok with an onward ticket within 90-days (I did this, back when they first became more difficult - wanted flight + money + residence/hotel).  Has that changed?

 

On 3/3/2019 at 12:11 PM, hotchilli said:

At least you can turn up for an appointment time & guarantee being seen. As apposed to sitting in a queue all day hoping your ticket number is called out.

Just can't please some people !!!!

As long as you got in the daily-queue before the cut-off time, you always got service at Vientiane, before.  There could be a wait, but you could eat/drink at the place across the street to kill time. 

To everyone in this situation now, what are you doing about it?

Just waiting a few weeks first, going to savannaket or leaving the country?