Savannakhet_Transit Visa

[Nuki]

Hi! Just got denied from Thai consulate in Savannakhet for tourist visa because "I have been in Thailand for too long".

They suggested me to apply for a 30 days transit visa to Thailand instead. 

With a rush and hundreds of people queuing behind me, I accepted to apply for a transit visa. 

Came back to hotel, made some research and found out that with american passport, I don't need a transit visa.

I can get in to Thailand by land with visa exemption for 30 days and ask for an extension for another 30 days in Bangkok.

Anyways already paid, lesson learnt.  

 

My question is, can I get into Thailand with visa exemption, extend and keep the transit visa to use afterwards?

Has anyone have experience for this?

 

I have 20,000 THB cash with me. American passport and never have visa exemption in current passport.

 

Thanks so much. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

Immigration may insist on using the transit visa when you enter the country. You can try by not putting the visa number on your arrival card.

It might be best to use the transit visa now instead of a visa exempt entry since you are only allowed 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

 

[Nuki]

16 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration may insist on using the transit visa when you enter the country. You can try by not putting the visa number on your arrival card.

It might be best to use the transit visa now instead of a visa exempt entry since you are only allowed 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

 

Thank you for your reply.  Do you know why they pushed the transit visa to me? Is this normal or is it something that Savanakhet is doing specifically? In front of me an American and Japanese person were told "no tourist visa, you been in Thailand too long." Though, the American was offered a transit visa as well. It might be a revenue source since it costs 800 baht?

 

Can a transit visa be extended once inside the country?

 

Also do you think a transit visa would look bad if I were to go and apply for a tourist visa elsewhere or would it be viewed in the same manner as a tourist visa?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

24 minutes ago, Nuki said:

Do you know why they pushed the transit visa to me?

Possibly due to not being aware you could get a visa exempt entry.

 

27 minutes ago, Nuki said:

Can a transit visa be extended once inside the country?

No it cannot be extended.

 

27 minutes ago, Nuki said:

Also do you think a transit visa would look bad if I were to go and apply for a tourist visa elsewhere or would it be viewed in the same manner as a tourist visa?

About the same as a tourist visa IMO.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration may insist on using the transit visa when you enter the country. You can try by not putting the visa number on your arrival card.

It might be best to use the transit visa now instead of a visa exempt entry since you are only allowed 2 per calendar year at land border crossings.

 

Would be interesting to know, whether, instead of repeat SETVs, they are offering repeat transit visas now. Financially it would make sense for them: 2× 800 baht instead of 1x 1,000 baht.

[Nuki]

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Would be interesting to know, whether, instead of repeat SETVs, they are offering repeat transit visas now. Financially it would make sense for them: 2× 800 baht instead of 1x 1,000 baht.

 

That's a good question. Because they should know that certain people with strong passports should be able to come back into the border without much issues as long as they haven't abused the entry via border regulations. But they pushed me towards the transit via or told me to leave and deal with it on my own. Also, that consulate is a zoo. Vans upon vans of people and all sorts of 'queue jumping by paying' by dodgy individuals going on. 

[StayinThailand2much]

16 minutes ago, Nuki said:

 

That's a good question. Because they should know that certain people with strong passports should be able to come back into the border without much issues as long as they haven't abused the entry via border regulations. 

I reckon it to be the typical Thai money-grab. Sending you away to get a visa-free entry at the border, they would have gotten zilch. But offering a visa, where they have no orders from Bangkok (or the local ambassador) against it, at least they could relieve you of 800 baht or the better part of what they would have gotten, if they could have given you the tourist visa. 

 

Depending whether you want to use your two land border visa exemptions, it may make sense for you, or not...

[elviajero]

3 hours ago, Nuki said:

Thank you for your reply.  Do you know why they pushed the transit visa to me? Is this normal or is it something that Savanakhet is doing specifically? In front of me an American and Japanese person were told "no tourist visa, you been in Thailand too long." Though, the American was offered a transit visa as well. It might be a revenue source since it costs 800 baht?

They exists to sell visas and are being forced to limit TR's from above, but it looks like they've found a workaround.

 

No idea how long they will get away with it, but my guess it will be closed down pretty quickly if it becomes a thing. And I doubt the IO's at the border will be too impressed.

 

3 hours ago, Nuki said:

Can a transit visa be extended once inside the country?

No.

 

3 hours ago, Nuki said:

Also do you think a transit visa would look bad if I were to go and apply for a tourist visa elsewhere or would it be viewed in the same manner as a tourist visa?

I doubt it will make any difference.

[BuckBee]

Nuki

How many tourist visas you had and what pattern, all back to back, all had 30 day extensions ?

[PingRoundTheWorld]

As others above said - they were probably told from above to limit repeat visas, but wanted your money anyway so sold you a transit visa instead. Given that visa exempt entries by land are limited to 2 times a year it's best for you to use the transit visa and save your exempt entry for another time.

 

Meanwhile, apply for a new American passport. I'm not sure if that's still the case, but at least up until recently AFAIK they didn't check for entries using previous passports, so a new passport would "reset" your status for getting a tourist visa. Hell, it might even be an excuse for them so they can sell you one without directly disobeying the boys upstairs...

[Nuki]

2 hours ago, BuckBee said:

Nuki

How many tourist visas you had and what pattern, all back to back, all had 30 day extensions ?

I had a 14 month education visa and no entries with exemption. My last tourist visas were 2 years ago before my education visas. Not sure if it could be it...stayed for more than 90 days or 180 days in a year? The whole process is confusing. 

[Nuki]

1 hour ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

As others above said - they were probably told from above to limit repeat visas, but wanted your money anyway so sold you a transit visa instead. Given that visa exempt entries by land are limited to 2 times a year it's best for you to use the transit visa and save your exempt entry for another time.

 

Meanwhile, apply for a new American passport. I'm not sure if that's still the case, but at least up until recently AFAIK they didn't check for entries using previous passports, so a new passport would "reset" your status for getting a tourist visa. Hell, it might even be an excuse for them so they can sell you one without directly disobeying the boys upstairs...

That makes sense. Though with 14 month of education visas, one tourist visa and one transit visa that I have right now in my passport, do you think there will be an issue for me to get in via land border with visa exemption, within the limit of 2 times/year? What are the odds of running into a situation of conflict? I am stuck because I am not ready to leave. I need at least a few months to plan my departure. 

[Caldera]

5 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Would be interesting to know, whether, instead of repeat SETVs, they are offering repeat transit visas now. Financially it would make sense for them: 2× 800 baht instead of 1x 1,000 baht.

Who knows, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's just a transitional "fix" so that those who go there but don't know about their new rules yet won't have to leave empty-handed. For someone who has already used up their land border visa exempts (or who doesn't qualify for visa exempt entries), that could save them quite some hassle.

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Would be interesting to know, whether, instead of repeat SETVs, they are offering repeat transit visas now. Financially it would make sense for them: 2× 800 baht instead of 1x 1,000 baht.

Well, if they are, I hope they understand that it could cause a doubling or tripling of the length of their queues when the visa run vans arrive (tourist visa 60-90 days; transit visa 30 days).

[PingRoundTheWorld]

46 minutes ago, Nuki said:

I had a 14 month education visa

That's the problem probably. From reports it seems like they don't like to issue tourist visas to those just coming out of ED. Either they're worried about people working illegally, or they think that if you finished your studies you should go home.

 

44 minutes ago, Nuki said:

with 14 month of education visas, one tourist visa and one transit visa that I have right now in my passport, do you think there will be an issue for me to get in via land border with visa exemption, within the limit of 2 times/year?

Up until recently I would say no problem as we heard very few reports of people being denied at land borders, however with the current immigration climate who knows. Get a new passport and try again for a tourist visa next month. Worst case scenario they'll say no and you can try an exempt entry.

[Nuki]

Thank you all for your advice.

 

I have crossed the border with a transit visa even though I tried to explain that I would prefer to enter with visa exemption instead. The police at the border explained that "if there is a valid visa in the passport, I will have to use it first" and couldn't just keep the transit visa for later use. She was quite cool actually and recommended to come out via this border or at Pakse in one month and at that time get back in with visa exemption since I haven't done it before, but that will probably be it for me for now. She also confirmed that the transit visa can be extended for 30 days. Though this should be verified as they might not say the same at Chaengwattana.

 

By the way, the border police didn't ask me to show THB 20,000 in cash at all.

 

This visa run experience in Savannakhet was horrible and exhausting. No only for people like me whom are trying to extend their stay in the Kingdom with tourist visas and education visas, but also for people who have been in Thailand for a long time and are married or retired. They are treated like dirt at this consulate and the process shows them no mercy. I understand why they do it though, you go through all that BS just to make it back and once you make it back to your place of comfort and spend time with your partner and eat a nice plate of food you forget about those horrible 3 days trying to extend your stay here by any means possible and being treated like you're a refugee. But the sad thing is that 30 days, 90 days, or 12 months from now that experience will be relived again even with more uncertainty because things are not getting better. Thailand wants us out. Why? I'm not sure, we contribute towards the overall economy and the masses generally love us since we indirectly or directly put food on their table. But then again the masses are the poor people and there seems to be some pressure from certain type of people who do not need our money to rebrand Thailand if that's even possible at this point and in the process further oppressing the poor. But since the pockets of these people are not being hurt, it doesn't matter.  Anyway I feel bad for myself for becoming this and putting myself in this position, and for the other cool folks of all types of ages who live their life not knowing if they will be accepted back here in 12 months even though they've been here 15+ years. 

 

Much appreciated if you can recommend some land borders that are friendly so I can border hop until I get my things together in a few months to depart.

 

Thanks a lot in advance. 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, Nuki said:

She also confirmed that the transit visa can be extended for 30 days. Though this should be verified as they might not say the same at Chaengwattana.

I would say she is wrong. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_4

Alsos clause 2.4 of the police order.

Quote

(1) Must have been granted a tourist visa (TOURIST) or exempted from applying for a visa. Each permission shall be granted for no more than 30 days as announced by the Ministry of Interior.

 

9 hours ago, Nuki said:

Much appreciated if you can recommend some land borders that are friendly so I can border hop until I get my things together in a few months to depart.

Since you have not done any visa exempt entries at a land border crossing you can do 2 of them this year.

Any crossing at the Lao border would be good and about any other crossing other the the Poi Pet crossing to Cambodia. At crossings to Malaysia you may be told you have to stay out of the country overnight to do one.

[Nuki]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I would say she is wrong. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_4

Alsos clause 2.4 of the police order.

 

Since you have not done any visa exempt entries at a land border crossing you can do 2 of them this year.

Any crossing at the Lao border would be good and about any other crossing other the the Poi Pet crossing to Cambodia. At crossings to Malaysia you may be told you have to stay out of the country overnight to do one.

Thank you for that information.