SETV No-go in Seoul

[PBR STREETGANG]

The Thai embassy in Seoul has been a great experience in the past for a single entry tourist visa.  No lines, light document requests-simple and straight forward.  

 

I made the trip last week and maybe it was just an off-day.  Very busy in a sort of frantic way.  There now is a checklist of documents that is highlighted depending on nationality and group size.  My TM30 wasn't accepted and they asked for a copy of my lease agreement.  On top of that, cash in hand didn't matter-copies of my checking account statement were asked for.

 

For a 60 day tourist visa?  No thanks-that's unreasonable.  I collected my belongings and left.

 

Brave new world, I guess.  

 

There are are other places to visit that don't ask how many bathrooms you have or care how much you spend on groceries.

 

 

[overherebc]

I would reckon that in general they are more inclined towards issuing tourist visas to

Koreans, similar to Japan.

[SicTransit]

TM30 is not a confirmation of accomodation in any way and embassies have never been interested in seeing your cash as they need hard copy evidence to attach to the rest of the paperwork.

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, PBR STREETGANG said:

On top of that, cash in hand didn't matter-copies of my checking account statement were asked for.

As far as I know, there are no consulates that are interested in seeing how much cash you are carrying. Quite apart from anything else, there is no way of knowing if the cash is yours. More important, if they require financial proof at all, they need something for their files. When inconvenient to provide a recent bank statement, I have used an older statement (proving it is my account) combined with an ATM machine slip showing my current balance, and that has been accepted.

[gk10002000]

How can there be a lease agreement?  If this really was a SETV, many people would not have entered Thailand yet and would be booking a hotel when they got there.  Now granted the visa application form does ask for contacts and stuff in Thailand but many people such as me would not book or pay in advance without seeing the hotel first.  And income checks for a SETV?  I don't see any of that in any other paperwork for an SETV in the USA embassies anyway.   I suspect they had some doubts about if you are actually touristing or not

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

As far as I know, there are no consulates that are interested in seeing how much cash you are carrying. Quite apart from anything else, there is no way of knowing if the cash is yours. More important, if they require financial proof at all, they need something for their files. When inconvenient to provide a recent bank statement, I have used an older statement (proving it is my account) combined with an ATM machine slip showing my current balance, and that has been accepted.

Well now you know that the Thai Embassy in Seoul does.

 

...or has at least once.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

11 hours ago, PBR STREETGANG said:

On top of that, cash in hand didn't matter-copies of my checking account statement were asked for.

As far as I know, there are no consulates that are interested in seeing how much cash you are carrying. Quite apart from anything else, there is no way of knowing if the cash is yours. More important, if they require financial proof at all, they need something for their files. When inconvenient to provide a recent bank statement, I have used an older statement (proving it is my account) combined with an ATM machine slip showing my current balance, and that has been accepted.

Well now you know that the Thai Embassy in Seoul does.

 

...or has at least once.

We seem to have interpreted the OP differently. You seem to be saying that the Seoul embassy was interested in how much cash the OP was carrying. I interpreted it differently, as meaning they would only accept a bank statement.

[SEtonal]

I had no idea that Thai Embassies and Consulates wanted to see a bank statement from anywhere in world as proof of 20k baht until I started reading recent posts saying that the Savannakhet Consulate was refusing tourist visas to those without a bank statement.   

[BritTim]

1 minute ago, SEtonal said:

I had no idea that Thai Embassies and Consulates wanted to see a bank statement from anywhere in world as proof of 20k baht until I started reading recent posts saying that the Savannakhet Consulate was refusing tourist visas to those without a bank statement.   

Typically, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh want to see them now also.

[Danthai]

Bank statement or bank book, such as BKK direct deposit book?

[asiaexpat]

Over the last 40 years of travel around the world I have always been asked for a document showing funds, either a bank statement or company guaranty letter when applying for a visa. Seems to be normal requirement for most countries when applying for a visa. The requirement for a lease agreement could have been settled with a confirmed hotel booking I would guess.

[yokat]

A 'free cancellation' hotel booking and a bank statement are very simple to obtain and nowhere near unreasonable. If you stick to the required documents the SETV is very straight forward. Cash is useful when you enter Thailand but I never heard of a consulate interested in seeing it.

[BritTim]

On 5/21/2019 at 9:11 AM, Danthai said:

Bank statement or bank book, such as BKK direct deposit book?

Any paperwork that is not easily faked that shows you have the requisite money. Either Thai or foreign bank accounts are fine (if paranoid, the latter possibly better).

[JackThompson]

On 5/21/2019 at 2:06 AM, gk10002000 said:

If this really was a SETV, many people would not have entered Thailand yet and would be booking a hotel when they got there.  Now granted the visa application form does ask for contacts and stuff in Thailand but many people such as me would not book or pay in advance without seeing the hotel first. 

Reports I have read indicate the booking can be for a week or so.  These can be done online w/o charge, then printed-out for this purpose.

 

On 5/20/2019 at 7:08 PM, PBR STREETGANG said:

My TM30 wasn't accepted and they asked for a copy of my lease agreement.  On top of that, cash in hand didn't matter-copies of my checking account statement were asked for.

They could also ask for proof of a flight-out of Thailand within 60 days - which is also a stipulated requirement for a SETV.