Hi,

 

I hope that this will help someone in future. I just got back from HCMC. 

 

I applied for Multiple Entry Non - Immigrant "O" visa. The whole process was so easy. I arrived to the Thai Consulate at 8:25 am and 4 people were already waiting in line. After they opened doors at 8:30 I waited maybe 5 min in queue until it was my turn. The room is really small but air conditioned which was in this hot weather nice. They have plenty of application forms inside the room. I applied for the visa in the morning and picked the visa up next day in the afternoon. The fee for the visa is 200 USD. They only accept USD. 

 

Embassy opens Monday - Friday from:

8:30 to 11:30

and

13:30 to 15:00

 

The list of requirements on their website are up to date.

 

I applied with these:

Passport with at least 6 months validity

Copy of passport (data page, no need to sign the copy)

Filled out application for visa with one attached photo (3.5x4.5cm)

Hand written letter from my wife addressed to the Thai Consulate in which she kindly ask the Thai Consulate to issue me visa.

Signed copy of wife's Thai ID card 

Signed copy of wife's house book (Tabien Baan)

Front and back copy of marriage certificate

200 USD

 

I didn't have to show the real marriage certificate but take it with you just in case. In some cases they will ask you to show it.

 

The embassy doesn't provide any printing, copying or photo services.

 

If you need to print or copy something there is a shop nearby at this address:

234 Điện Biên Phủ, Phường 7, Quận 3, Hồ Chí Minh

 

I you need to take a photos, there is also a place little bit more further at this address (but with Grab bike its like 2-3 min) :

148 Lý Chính Thắng, phường 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh

 

 

Can you give us more details on where you stayed, forex, costs to expect from airport to hotel to embassy? Photos?

looking to visit in the 4 weeks, thank you so very much for the details.

 

Quote

Hand written letter from my wife addressed to the Thai Consulate in which she kindly ask the Thai Consulate to issue me visa.

Was this long? who was it address too?

Paul

How long is the visa valid for (3 months, 1 year, or another duration)?

 

Thanks for this great report.

 

And any non-immigrant O spouse visa visa reports from Savannakhet lately? How does Savannakhet compare to HCMC for the marriage visa right now?

 

2 minutes ago, Falconator said:

Thanks for this great report.

 

And any non-immigrant O spouse visa visa reports from Savannakhet lately? How does Savannakhet compare to HCMC for the marriage visa right now?

 

Saigon is not busy. Savannakhet can be very busy

I'm planning to apply for this visa next month.

 

Some useful links are here. But I can't download the visa application form.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/2886/46902-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O"---Accompanying-Th.html

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/7440

 

Cheers. I'm most likely to be going there early next year. I take it you got a 1 yr visa, you didn't say.

18 minutes ago, Falconator said:

How long is the visa valid for (3 months, 1 year, or another duration)?

 

Valid 1 year and unlimited 90 stamp on entry. Each stamp can be extended 60 days at immigration to visit wife/child if needed. 

11 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

Valid 1 year and unlimited 90 stamp on entry. Each stamp can be extended 60 days at immigration to visit wife/child if needed. 

So technically we can get 15 months + 2 months extension, a total of 17 months. Sweet deal!

 

1 hour ago, Falconator said:

But I can't download the visa application form.

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/2886/46902-Non-Immigrant-Visa-"O"---Accompanying-Th.html

 

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hochiminh/en/services/7440

 

 

Visa Application Form Ho Chi Minh City.pdf HCMC Non-O-Visa Requirements 190820.pdf

4 hours ago, PaulHamon said:

Was this long? who was it address too?

addressed to the consulate. it just needs to say something like this "hello, my name is [wifes name here] and i am asking for the consulate to please grant a visa for my husband [husband name here] with passport number [passport number here] from [home country here] so that he can come stay with me in [city/province you live in here] thank you. [wife signature]" ***written in thai 

 

it is easy. i did this in january.

1 hour ago, homemade514 said:

it is easy. i did this in january.

THANKYOU.

18 hours ago, Falconator said:

Thanks for this great report.

 

And any non-immigrant O spouse visa visa reports from Savannakhet lately? How does Savannakhet compare to HCMC for the marriage visa right now?

 

do you need to show funds at hcmc, !?

15 minutes ago, Joromei said:

do you need to show funds at hcmc, !?

No you don't.

So it means 6000 thb for multiple non-O visa ?

1000 more than Savanahket ?

But as easy ?

 

19 hours ago, Falconator said:

So technically we can get 15 months + 2 months extension, a total of 17 months. Sweet deal!

 

Yes. And it is so easy to rent a car (Bangkok) drive to Ban Phu Nam Ron every 90 days and skip the immigration office for a whole year (except for the TM-30 now).

On return to Thailand how were the immigration queues and the immigration officers ?

30 minutes ago, gamesgplayemail said:

So it means 6000 thb for multiple non-O visa ?

1000 more than Savanahket ?

But as easy ?

The amount in Baht depends upon the exchange rate you get when you change it to $200 US that is the fee there.

Just as easy as Savannakhet from reports I have seen.

 

Great report. What hotel did you use and was in close to the consulate?

We are also in HCMC right now and getting a ME NON-O for my wife (I know we can easily get a 1 year extension in CW but we travel a lot so it's easier). Getting VND exchanged to USD can be tricky and not all exchange places can do that. A place that is definitely giving you USD is in:

 

135 Đồng Khởi

Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

 

It's a 5 minute Grab bike ride from the Thai embassy or just exchange at the airport which is probably the easiest.

24 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Great report. What hotel did you use and was in close to the consulate?

Not OP, but we are staying in the Orchids Hotel Saigon and it's a 10 minute walk to the embassy and also a 10 minute walk to the city center in the other direction.

This is a very accurate report, nice one.
Just got back from doing the same trip - arrived Monday morning around about the same time. Only slight delay were people filling in stuff while in the embassy.
I was there with my wife. All documents and paperwork, in and out in about 3 minutes. See you next year HCMC.

 

We stayed at the GK Central Hotel. Was our first time in HCMC so wanted somewhere central. Not a bad hotel - breakfast a little underwhelming and some communication issues w/ the staff but a good room and well connected. Don't think we waited more than 5 minutes for a Grab car at any given time.

make no mistake HCMC thai consulate is very ruthless, its easy if you have all your paper work in order for mult non o, i have seen many get rejected because missing document, every time im in there's always someone getting reject either for tourist visa or whatever visa they going for.

going to VN you need a visa 2700baht not cheap, hotel are not cheap either, if you're on a budget don't bother going there.

26 minutes ago, clorox said:

make no mistake HCMC thai consulate is very ruthless, its easy if you have all your paper work in order for mult non o, i have seen many get rejected because missing document, every time im in there's always someone getting reject either for tourist visa or whatever visa they going for.

going to VN you need a visa 2700baht not cheap, hotel are not cheap either, if you're on a budget don't bother going there.

I think I might try Savannakhet then.

 

My Thai lady is heaving a sigh of relief. She doesn't feel like letting me go to Vietnam because I'm fluent in Vietnamese and have chatted up a few Vietnamese girls in the past. You know, Viet women can be much more aggressive when hunting for boyfriends and husbands (at least that's how they're stereotyped in Cambodia and Laos).

32 minutes ago, clorox said:

make no mistake HCMC thai consulate is very ruthless, its easy if you have all your paper work in order for mult non o, i have seen many get rejected because missing document, every time im in there's always someone getting reject either for tourist visa or whatever visa they going for.

going to VN you need a visa 2700baht not cheap, hotel are not cheap either, if you're on a budget don't bother going there.

 

Balderdash! All the posters before your post report good to great experiences. A friend of mine just got an SETV two weeks ago. Absolute breeze, except he had to get one more photocopy. The counsellor told him where to go downstairs. Finished his application, came back the next day at 1:30 pm for his passport and fresh visa. He had income proof if needed but it wasn't.

 

A 30-day VN visa is $30 or $35/900-1000 baht via government portal, unless you're from Scandinavia or a few other (lucky) Euro nations who get free 15 day visit. I'm not sure of exact visa fee because I was just living in VN for two years on long-term visas.

 

Loads of hotels for $25-$35 a night in District 1. It's 130,000-150,000 VND from the airport to D1 hotel.

34 minutes ago, clorox said:

make no mistake HCMC thai consulate is very ruthless, its easy if you have all your paper work in order for mult non o, i have seen many get rejected because missing document, every time im in there's always someone getting reject either for tourist visa or whatever visa they going for.

going to VN you need a visa 2700baht not cheap, hotel are not cheap either, if you're on a budget don't bother going there.

HCMC is the same price as Suvannahket.

Thai non-O Visa $200, free waiver on entry, same price as Laos if you include the $30 VISA fee.

Hotels in HCMC same price as Laos, $10/night, $5 if you're OK with a hostel.

 

Bus from the Airport to district 1 is 20,000VND (or $1).

On 8/21/2019 at 1:48 PM, Falconator said:

So technically we can get 15 months + 2 months extension, a total of 17 months. Sweet deal!

 

What's the process for an extension, I tried to do it in Udon and they wanted singed bank statements from my embassy.  

I ended up going to savanakhet getting a new visa.

1 hour ago, clorox said:

make no mistake HCMC thai consulate is very ruthless, its easy if you have all your paper work in order for mult non o, i have seen many get rejected because missing document, every time im in there's always someone getting reject either for tourist visa or whatever visa they going for.

going to VN you need a visa 2700baht not cheap, hotel are not cheap either, if you're on a budget don't bother going there.

Everywhere is difficult if you don’t have your documentation in order.

Most western countries are 15 days visa exempt.

Everyone has a different concept of what is cheap for a hotel. Personally I think hotels are generally cheaper than Thailand.

Does this only apply for a visa based on marriage?