On my way for third tourist VISA next week

[WTProduction]

Dear All,

 

I know these questions and concerns always comeback to topics but rules and moods are changing often so I rather ask and be ready.

 

Next week I will be going to Vientiane for a third tourist visa. One was done in Oh Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the last one in Vientiane. Fairly new passport beside the two existing visas. I am booked for the date I wanted.

 

I was just wondering in what mood are they lately in the consulate?

 

Thank you in advance for your time.

[spiekerjozef]

Tourist Visa, if you had previously some Tourist visas your application will be considered more carefully. Vientiane is now, in most cases, asking for proof of funds, Book Bank with balance THB 20,000.- up OR print out from Bank account from home country value USD 700.-up. Onward air ticket is not required.

[WTProduction]

Thank you.

[sanemax]

Be prepared for heaving your application refused

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, sanemax said:

Be prepared for heaving your application refused

Whatever happens, let us know...

[WTProduction]

I am going to Vientiane tomorrow.

 

I will report back.

 

Thank you.

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, WTProduction said:

I am going to Vientiane tomorrow.

 

I will report back.

 

Thank you.

Good luck!

[problemfarang]

you have 2 visas from 2 other places already, and now your going for another place. They might think something fishy here. So be ready for no visa situation.

 

If i were you, i would book a hotel, plane ticket would be really helpful. and 20K baht thats for sure.

[Caldera]

4 hours ago, problemfarang said:

you have 2 visas from 2 other places already, and now your going for another place. They might think something fishy here.

I think going to different places fits the profile of a genuine tourist (who, as such, travels around) better than returning to the same place for several tourist visa. Obviously time out of the country should also be a factor, is it just a visa run or is some more time spent traveling other countries.

[WTProduction]

Hi,

just came back yesterday. The visa as been approved but I had to meet an agent for a proper interview. They wanted me to elaborate on my lifestyle and future plans.

 

I had all these extra documents : guarantor ID, proof of address. Bank Statement and my occupation's competent certificate. The agent told me that my occupation certificate made the difference. He was going to reject my application on the spot until he saw this certificate which lead to the interview. We had a polite exchange and I explained that my work is on contractual basis and between contract I come here to relax. And I explained that because I am not retired, not married, not employed in Thailand, the tourist visa is the only way for me. He understood and said that as long as I show proof that I leave the country for work, such as employment contracts it should help the process in my favor.

 

I am glad it went well at the end but nothing is for granted. Might not workout this way if I attempt for an other one.

 

I doubt I will push for an other one anyways.

[spiekerjozef]

Who would have thought a tourist visa and an occupation's competent certificate would do the trick?

[ryanhull]

On 10/4/2019 at 4:13 AM, WTProduction said:

Hi,

just came back yesterday. The visa as been approved but I had to meet an agent for a proper interview. They wanted me to elaborate on my lifestyle and future plans.

 

I had all these extra documents : guarantor ID, proof of address. Bank Statement and my occupation's competent certificate. The agent told me that my occupation certificate made the difference. He was going to reject my application on the spot until he saw this certificate which lead to the interview. We had a polite exchange and I explained that my work is on contractual basis and between contract I come here to relax. And I explained that because I am not retired, not married, not employed in Thailand, the tourist visa is the only way for me. He understood and said that as long as I show proof that I leave the country for work, such as employment contracts it should help the process in my favor.

 

I am glad it went well at the end but nothing is for granted. Might not workout this way if I attempt for an other one.

 

I doubt I will push for an other one anyways.

You should consider yourself very lucky, highly doubt you will get in the same way again, your not per say a tourist, I believe you are allowed 60 days now as a 'tourist' and to be quite frank your lucky they even listened to one word you said, normally it would just be 'your going home'

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, ryanhull said:

You should consider yourself very lucky, highly doubt you will get in the same way again, your not per say a tourist, I believe you are allowed 60 days now as a 'tourist' and to be quite frank your lucky they even listened to one word you said, normally it would just be 'your going home'

Incorrect.

[emptypockets]

On 10/4/2019 at 9:57 AM, spiekerjozef said:

Who would have thought a tourist visa and an occupation's competent certificate would do the trick?

I have 5 years worth of monthly visa exempt entries in a couple of passports. Every second page has a business visa from an adjoining country. Never had a problem. Pretty obvious I was working in another country and r&r in Thailand.

There's always a back story to everything.

According to some forum members I should have been screwed after my 6th VE entry.

 

Guess the swampy I/o's have more intelligence than a lot of posters on here give them credit for.

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, ryanhull said:

You should consider yourself very lucky, highly doubt you will get in the same way again, your not per say a tourist, I believe you are allowed 60 days now as a 'tourist' and to be quite frank your lucky they even listened to one word you said, normally it would just be 'your going home'

Why do you believe you can only spend 60 days as a tourist?

That's a new one...the uninformed usually say 180 days in any 12 month period. They are wrong also.

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Why do you believe you can only spend 60 days as a tourist?

That's a new one...the uninformed usually say 180 days in any 12 month period. They are wrong also.

What's with the know it all attitude. Yes the guy you quoted was wrong...180+ is pretty easy in Thailand. Much more in fact. The business visa you refered to is available in many places. Can get one under table in Vietnam as agent provides business invitation. Cambodia used to be a snap. All under table. Rather than snipe perhaps provide the less knowlegable with detail of how you obtain business visa in other countries and how long you stay out of los. Info rather than smug I choose every day of the week.

Edited October 5, 2019 by DrJack54

[emptypockets]

27 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

What's with the know it all attitude. Yes the guy you quoted was wrong...180+ is pretty easy in Thailand. Much more in fact. The business visa you reffered to is available in many places. Can get one under table in Vietnam as agent provides business invitation. Cambodia used to be a snap. All under table. Rather than snipe perhaps provide the less knowledgeable with detail of how you obtain business visa in other countries and how long you stay out of los. Info rather than smug I choose every day of the week.

Whoa, settle down sunshine. There is no attitude. All fact.

My business visa is completely above board since I work for a business. A very large business ...over 80,000 employees, mostly in Asia. Turnover in excess of 40 billon USD.

Starting to get the picture??

I obtain a business visa, validity 70 days, because I go to the country to work. In fact I am posting from there now.

I stay 3 weeks on average and then come to Thailand for 2 weeks to visit the wife and relax. I then return to work....I need a little bit of paperwork to get the visa, but my employer provides that. The business visa is full page which is the reason I have gone through three passports in 5 years.

Is that sufficient to satisfy your curiosity?

I should mention the three weeks is seven days a week , ten hours a day. I need a break after three weeks.

The job does help to pay the bills in Thailand ...5555!!

The exchange rate is a pain agreed but I still nett 3xx,000 baht equivalent a month.

Edited October 5, 2019 by emptypockets

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Whoa, settle down sunshine. There is no attitude. All fact.

My business visa is completely above board since I work for a business. A very large business ...over 80,000 employees, mostly in Asia. Turnover in excess of 40 billon USD.

Starting to get the picture??

I obtain a business visa, validity 70 days, because I go to the country to work. In fact I am posting from there now.

I stay 3 weeks on average and then come to Thailand for 2 weeks to visit the wife and relax. I then return to work....I need a little bit of paperwork to get the visa, but my employer provides that. The business visa is full page which is the reason I have gone through three passports in 5 years.

Well thanks for clearing that up. Fact is your situation has zip to do with the thread. Many threads floating about asking how to max out stay in los. Your post is similar to me jumping in on folk asking about best entry points or how many tourist visas can I obtain. Then I post "I have an elite visa its easy". Zero help. Just flop it out.

Keep to topic.

Edited October 5, 2019 by DrJack54

[emptypockets]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Well thanks for clearing that up. Fact is your situation has zip to do with the thread. Many threads floating about asking how to max out stay in los. Your post is similar to me jumping in on folk asking about best entry points or how many tourist visas can I obtain. Then posting "I have an elite visa its easy"

Keep to topic.

Its entirely relevant. There is always a back story to these posts. I've heard them so many times before...denied on my second MTV...blah blah sob sob....but then you find out a history of 10 visa exempt, all extended,  five Ed visa in another passport etc etc.

The days of Thai visa being the thought bubble of George on how to game the system are well and truly over in my opinion. When this forum was conceived the 30 day unlimited visa run was in it's heyday. Thailand has changed. Unfortunately some people have not and think those days still exist. They don't.

 

Personally I wish they would come back...but I don't make Immigration Policy.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

Its entirely relevant. There is always a back story to these posts. I've heard them so many times before...denied on my second MTV...blah blah sob sob....but then you find out a history of 10 visa exempt, all extended,  five Ed visa in another passport etc etc.

The days of Thai visa being the thought bubble of George on how to game the system are well and truly over in my opinion. When this forum was conceived the 30 day unlimited visa run was in it's heyday. Thailand has changed. Unfortunately some people have not and think those days still exist. They don't.

 

Personally I wish they would come back...but I don't make Immigration Policy.

You make a good point. I'm over 50, but I would love Thai imm give a simple formulae for those under 50. Been suggested many times. Something like max 180 days/yr or whatever. That way younger folk could enter even via airports with absolute confidence. VE or tourist visa. Maybe spend the other 6 months in other Asian countries. Vietnam being my #1. 

 

[Caldera]

4 hours ago, ryanhull said:

You should consider yourself very lucky, highly doubt you will get in the same way again, your not per say a tourist, I believe you are allowed 60 days now as a 'tourist' and to be quite frank your lucky they even listened to one word you said, normally it would just be 'your going home'

That's a bit over the top, although it cannot be denied that things got more difficult and erratic.

 

To put the OP's experience in perspective, I just got a 4th SETV in my current passport elsewhere (all issued within the region, but all by different consulates/embassies). So the consular officer approving it saw my previous SETVs (3) from last year and this year in this passport, plus extensions, plus visa exempt entries. Nevertheless, my application was granted without a single question asked and without any remarks on the visa.

[aldriglikvid]

I'm glad it worked out for you OP. May I ask what type of profession you are in (sounds like it made a whole lot of difference).? ????

 

I made 2 back-to-back SETV in Ho Chi Minh City. They never questioned anything. I've never provided proof of employment, but I will pick up that idea from you perhaps. I'm employed but will go on a leave for travel a year. 

[kylep]

On 10/4/2019 at 5:13 AM, WTProduction said:

just came back yesterday. The visa as been approved but I had to meet an agent for a proper interview.

 

That's just half of the "chance factor". The other half is the crossing-the-border bit. It's never 100%, even with a visa.

Edited October 5, 2019 by kylep

[Toadie]

4 - 6 weeks ago its was definately one TV only per year at Savannakhet regardless of funds.

 

Never heard of a certificate of competence. Be hysterical if you get them here