I haven't had a tourist visa in many years.

 

I was warned last time coming in on a visa exempt at BKK airport, so may have problems with TRV this time? (Or maybe not, but want to help my hand a bit just in case)...either at embassy itself or immigration coming back in.

 

Where's the easiest these days? Savanakket (land), Vietienne (land), or Kuala Lumphur (coming back in through air CM).

 

Tia

Edited May 29, 20197 yr by happysanook

25 minutes ago, happysanook said:

I was warned last time coming in on a visa exempt at BKK airport,

Curious- what were you told?

 

I got grilled a couple of times last year with crap like "what are you doing in Thailand" blah blah after coming in on exempt entries until then, so decided to switch passports (dual nationality) and get a METV - so far no more questions, but we'll see....

My advice depends on how often you expect to apply for Thai tourist visas. If you just want one every now and again, any of the options you list will work. If you expect to spend a lot of time in Thailand, you should plan ahead and use the OK consulates first, moving on to the easiest.

 

Places like Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Hong Kong will issue you your visa without trouble, but you are then flying into Thailand. It is recommended that you do this before you have a long history of entries with tourist visas. Vientiane (need to book well in advance) and Savannakhet will issue you a handful of visas, and you enter Thailand safely by land. However, ask for too many there, and you will get a nasty stamp making it very difficult to get more tourist visas without replacing your passport. Yangon is another pretty good option, but entering by land means an overnight VIP bus trip to the Myawaddy/Maesot border.

 

In an emergency, you have the two visa exempt entries by land each year to play with. I recommend you husband these and only use them when regular plans fall through (such as not getting an expected visa).

IMO... Saigon for TV. Firstly because consulate not busy and helpful. They do follow the rules. Secondly flight to Saigon around 90 minute and cheap. Depending on your passport you may be visa exempt. Easy trip from airport to district 1 on 109 bus, just outside. 1usd.

Lastly great joint for piss up. Cheap grog.

PS...britTim is on the money (as usual) regarding ongoing entries. Take good note of that advice.

Edited May 29, 20197 yr by DrJack54

15 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Curious- what were you told?

 

I got grilled a couple of times last year with crap like "what are you doing in Thailand" blah blah after coming in on exempt entries until then, so decided to switch passports (dual nationality) and get a METV - so far no more questions, but we'll see....

I think the main problem is they saw I had been teaching here for quite a few years (and on proper visa), so they saw I'd been here for a long while, even though "only" 4 visa-exempts with extensions in a row, and no tourist visas.

 

Basically they suspected wife/family and broke or working illegally (which I'm not). "You have wife? You work?". First immigration handed me off to some intermediate guy who was the most serious...could see he really wanted to make his day useful by "keeping the bad guys out". Then went off to get my computer report. After a stern talking to he said "he'd talk to supervisor". I could hear supervisor in background saying "maipenrai, pben khon America". She gave me requisite speech but much less serious than the other guy, then they let me through saying if came back without correct visa they'd "send me home".

 

I suspect the intermediate guy made some note in the computer, which is my main concern.

Where's the "easiest" these days for Tourist Visa?

I'd start in Vietnam and Cambodia -- for stays in Vietnam and Cambodia.  

If I had it to do over again, I would bypass Thailand.  You should consider that too. 

Edited May 31, 20197 yr by connda

On 5/30/2019 at 1:12 PM, happysanook said:

I think the main problem is they saw I had been teaching here for quite a few years (and on proper visa), so they saw I'd been here for a long while, even though "only" 4 visa-exempts with extensions in a row, and no tourist visas.

The 4 Visa Exempts in a row would/could create problems at the airport, unless significant time-out between them.  If anything, being here before teaching could have been a plus.

 

On 5/30/2019 at 1:12 PM, happysanook said:

She gave me requisite speech but much less serious than the other guy, then they let me through saying if came back without correct visa they'd "send me home".

I have seen this "go home" so many times - including posters obviously representing imm's position.  It is so funny they think we would go/stay there, when other countries in the region and around the world are happy for us to stay and spend our money in them.  They just don't "get" it.

Edited June 1, 20197 yr by JackThompson