Denied Tourist Visa at Both Vientienne and Savannakhet - Told 3-6 Months Max Stay in Thailand Rules Now in Effect

[MadMuhammad]

15 hours ago, GeorgeCross said:

 

dream on, ever had a look at the wealth stats between boomers and millennials

 

have a look .. and a weep.

 

 

I’ve never been more happy to be an independently wealthy gen x-er lol

 

14 hours ago, lkv said:

Yes, and many of us left. Me included.

 

Question is, will they? And where will they go at their age?

yet you can’t let go of Thai based forums so you can tell everyone you left 

[ChakaKhan]

18 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Absolutely not safe, but lots of grey nomads are living here without health insurance, as many have said on this forum they don't have it. Thailand is saying bye bye to those people, thanks for coming.

Whats the policy with insurance these days in the ever changing LOS?

[holy cow cm]

12 hours ago, ExFarang said:

I haven't wanted to publicly speculate as it might just be my imagination, but I see such a difference now vs just 3 years ago when I was last in Thailand that I can't help but wonder if there is more to this than meets the eye insofar as preferring large Chinese tour groups.

 

As in, with the USA/ China so called 'Trade War' and general geo-politics, if Thailand is not moving away from the US and towards China and if this is a side effect. But I concede, that's highly speculative. Kind of funny though that those M-16's the Thai military totes around are US made. From what I hear the Chinese have taken over Sinoukaville so they do seem to be expanding their influence in SE Asia, including the Belt and Road initiative but I don't want to get too far off into geo-politics, but I can't help but wonder.

Anyway, it is different and has a different feeling now so you are not imagining. And it is the people like yourself taking the brunt of the immigration sling and slash. But like I did mention but just read in a post you answered after this one, the Non O medical treatment visa might be the way to go and then you would have the best of both worlds and can enjoy it here without frustration. I don't think the IO's will dare to turn down someone coming in on that one. Here are the details I just copied for you from the Thai Phnom Penh Embassy website.. Good luck. 

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

1.      Visa Application form(s) and photograph(s): Completed and signed Visa Application form and recent photograph(s) (size 3.5x4.5 cm)

2.      Passport (valid for no less than 6 months) 

3.      A copy of passport or travel document

4.      Evidence of Adequate Finance 

5.      Letter from the registered hospital in Thailand indicating applicant's name and appointment date 

VISA TYPES AND APPLICATION FEE (Cash only in US Dollars – Non-refundable)

1. Medical Tourist Visa: 40 USD for single entry of no more than 60 days

2. Non-Immigrant O Visa (Medical Treatment): 80 USD single entry of no more than 90 days, which can be extended and changed to multiple entries at Immigration Office in Thailand. 

PROCESSING TIME

Minimum of 3 working days (including day of submission and pickup)

If the letter from the hospital in Thailand states the necessity for urgent travel, faster processing may be considered. 

EXTENSION OF STAY

Those who wish to stay longer or may wish to change their type of visa must file an application for permission at the Office of Immigration Bureau located on Government Complex Building B, Chaengwattana Soi 7, Laksi, Bangkok 10210, Tel 0-2141-9889 http://www.immigration.go.th . The extension of stay as well as the change of certain type of visa is solely at the discretion of the Immigration officer.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Nationals of certain countries are required to apply for a visa only at the Thai Embassy or Consulate-General in their home/residence country or at the designated Thai Embassy. Thereford, travellers are advised to contact the nearest Thai Embassy or Consulate-General to find out where they may apply for a visa to Thailand before departure.

[apalink_thailand]

“As the title states, I haven't even been in Thailand for 3 years. Entered at Suvarnabhumi, got 1 month extension, plus 2 overland border crossings with 1 month extensions each. So it's actually my first time applying for an actual visa in years. “

 

I’m confused. You’ve e been doing this for years? If so, this is probably why they have tagged you. 

[pmh2009]

then a medical tourist visa... just saying

[overherebc]

24 minutes ago, ChakaKhan said:

Whats the policy with insurance these days in the ever changing LOS?

Changes from office to office based on a definite maybe.

Just my own feeling is that it may end up being tourist visas of all kinds will change to 'home country' issue only.

Not posting on 'I have heard or friend told me' basis. VOA would remain for selected countries and VE would disappear.

Edited October 26, 2019 by overherebc

[Tayaout]

51 minutes ago, Martyp said:

Really? Most Thais cannot get a visa to the US. If they did get a visa and overstayed they would most definitely be a criminal and deported if caught. The open borders crowd and a few sanctuary cities hasn’t changed that.

I searched this topic not long ago and was surprised to learn that overstaying in the US is not a criminal offense. They would still get deported if caught. 

Edited October 26, 2019 by Tayaout

[Nicknoodle]

A couple of weeks ago I got a visa in Vientiane without any issues and at that time I had already been in Thailand at least 4 months. I have stayed long term in thailand on several occasions as a tourist only, and I have never worked a single minute here as I earn my money from property in my own country. I did, however, note your sentence that you don’t “really” work here. Intriguing! 

[Martyp]

24 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I searched this topic not long ago and was surprised to learn that overstaying in the US is not a criminal offense. They would still get deported if caught. 

Probably right. Still you are put into detention and deported and I will guess that your case is kept in an Immigration database along with your biometric data. 
 

Hmmm . . . Pretty much the same as Thailand.

Edited October 26, 2019 by Martyp

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

This just got several posts shorter I removed several, bickering, baiting, flaming and etc posts along with the replies to them. Time to end it or this topic will be closed and warnings given.

Now more post have been removed. Time to stop the trolling and baiting.

[oslooskar]

19 hours ago, ExFarang said:

just not sure where to go next.

You might want to consider checking India out if you still have medical issues that need to be resolved. Unfortunately, I can't give you any personal up-to-date information because the last time I was in a hospital there was way back in February or March of 1966. However, I received excellent care there at the "Holy Family Hospital" in New Delhi at a price so cheap that even a poor backpacker like myself could afford to pay it without flinching. Also, you won't have a problem with the language barrier. (Note: I have the Kaiser health plan and my primary care physician back in California is from India and is an excellent physician.)

[Searat7]

20 hours ago, Jano22 said:

But living in a foreign country WITHOUT health insurance is safe ?

If you are very financially secure it is certainly safe. I had medical insurance here till I was 65 but now forced to buy in USA without coverage here except for first two months of any long stay. Cost of insurance here would be very high for little value and I only stay here 6-7 months a year anyway.

[ExFarang]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

There's plenty of foreigners working in Thailand making a good salary, there always has been.

 

They're not teachers and you're unlikely to meet them unless you go to the same places they go.

 

We're talking about jobs in multi national companies and regional managers for the Asia region, that kind of thing. There's a lot of international big business going on in Bangkok - and this is where lots of foreigners are working.

 

Precisely my point though. Unless you are stating that executives working for Coca-Cola are here working illegally haha. I doubt very few expats work in Thailand illegally in the numbers some would have us believe.

[ExFarang]

1 hour ago, apalink_thailand said:

“As the title states, I haven't even been in Thailand for 3 years. Entered at Suvarnabhumi, got 1 month extension, plus 2 overland border crossings with 1 month extensions each. So it's actually my first time applying for an actual visa in years. “

 

I’m confused. You’ve e been doing this for years? If so, this is probably why they have tagged you.

It's a pretty clear statement I thought. I have not been in Thailand for years. So how could I be "doing this for years"? Haha 6 months Max time in Thailand for TV holders, unless you can get around it somehow. I don't know how to make it clearer.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, Tayaout said:

I searched this topic not long ago and was surprised to learn that overstaying in the US is not a criminal offense. They would still get deported if caught. 

True, but the hours spent in the inevitable 'secondary inspection' room between the immigration desk and the baggage carousel where you are denied use of your phone, laptop or other devices and need to wait for an escort to the restroom (if they have one), you may as well be in jail. First-hand experience from 3 consecutive secondary inspections speaking here. I was never on overstay either but they did persist with that one-size-fits-all charge until they actually spent some time and found and exercised the only valid and legal reason to detain me.

 

The downside is, based on how long the overstay is, you will be banned from entering the US for a predetermined amount of time. I am not banned but I am no longer eligible for visa-waiver entry to the US.

[ExFarang]

2 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Old man wake up. He wasn’t in Thailand for 3 years before his recent entries  NOW he has been in Laos for 1.5 months!  Why the nonsense from you. READ HIS POST along with the other guy who liked your post ! 

Yes. This. I was exhausted from taking the overnight bus from Vientienne to Savannakhet with like an hours sleep and posted straight away from being rejected at the embassy in Savannakhet so maybe I worded it funny, I don't know. 

 

So- hadn't set foot in Thailand for 3 years. Was in Thailand for 6 months. Told 6 months Max stay in Thailand at Vientienne. Told 3 months Max stay in Thailand at Savannakhet. No visas for anyone stating longer than that is what I was told both times.

[NanLaew]

28 minutes ago, ExFarang said:

Precisely my point though. Unless you are stating that executives working for Coca-Cola are here working illegally haha. I doubt very few expats work in Thailand illegally in the numbers some would have us believe.

True, but the low-hanging fruit of the tourists foreigners that are undeniably working here illegally is quite irresistible. Tightening up on who qualifies makes for easier pickings.

[kimmywest1568]

I am a US citizen and lived in Thailand from last December until this October.  I rented a condo in Bangkok on a one-year lease.  I came in on a 30-day exempt visa and did 30-day extensions followed by visa runs -- 2 by land and the rest by air.  My border runs were primarily via Malaysia, although I did do one in Cambodia (which was almost problematic, but I got past it). 

 

Not once did the immigration officer even flinch before stamping my passport -- not on a 30-day renewal, nor on a visa run.  Maybe I got lucky, but I did it.  Effortlessly.  

[Tony125]

2 hours ago, Martyp said:

Really? Most Thais cannot get a visa to the US. If they did get a visa and overstayed they would most definitely be a criminal and deported if caught. The open borders crowd and a few sanctuary cities hasn’t changed that.

More than a few from Google:The resolution was followed the same year by an ordinance which prohibited the use of city funds and resources to assist federal immigration enforcement–the defining characteristic of a sanctuary city in the U.S. As of 2018 more than 560 cities, states and counties considered themselves sanctuaries.

Had a friend  marry a Phillippines girl and as soon as she got to  USA (2 weeks) she filed for diviorce claiming spousal abuse. Court decided she committed fraudulant marriage and anuuled the marriage. She would have been deported but ran off to California where she had a sisiter. 8 Years later she is still there even after a friend of his located her there. He reported it to US Immigration they said not worth the effort to run around looking for her there as she hadn't broken any laws.

[Zeid]

All good official and respectful hospitals assist with visas, some even have immigration officers come once a week to issue extensions

Sent from my LDN-LX2 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dean2926]

On 10/25/2019 at 12:09 PM, GeorgeCross said:

"And for those aforementioned O/Non-O people, your time is short, they are coming for you soon. The insurance requirement is just the beginning."

 

please enlighten me i must have missed the memo

 

That's the problem, there is no memo

[dean2926]

On 10/25/2019 at 12:17 PM, orchis said:

there are enough examples to the contrary to disprove this canard.

Says someone who does  not know what he's talking about.

[Letseng]

How long can I stay in the US as a tourist legally? 90 days?

Europe is 90 days in 180 days, within Schengen area it is 90 days in 180 days for the whole of Schengen. No hopping from country to country.

Thailand is following the trend. Why shouldn't they?

 

[SunsetT]

21 hours ago, Caldera said:

Savannakhet will not issue a tourist visa if you've spent 3 out of the last 6 months in Thailand. That's a local rule they have.

Really! Since when? Thats news to me!

Edited October 26, 2019 by SunsetT

[bbi1]

19 minutes ago, Letseng said:

How long can I stay in the US as a tourist legally? 90 days?

Europe is 90 days in 180 days, within Schengen area it is 90 days in 180 days for the whole of Schengen. No hopping from country to country.

Thailand is following the trend. Why shouldn't they?

 

How long can you stay in the US or Europe on a retirement visa? Correct me if I'm wrong, there's no retirement visa for grey nomads who wish to want to live in those countries as foreigners. Thailand should follow the trend. Why shouldn't they?

[SunsetT]

21 hours ago, bbi1 said:

How are these Indians & Bangladesh managing to stay & work in Thailand legally? Surely they can't get work permits to work there as they don't have the required Thai staff. I don't think they're on tourist visas either. I'm not talking about the Indians with Thai nationality but the other ones.

They come from corrupt countries so probably soon learn and accept how the system works here, i.e., what to pay, who to pay.

[natway09]

In the course of my day I meet under 50's & over 50's from all countries who come here 6-8 times a year,,, I have still to meet one that has had a problem entering through Suvarnabhumi

[FarFlungFalang]

4 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Old man wake up. He wasn’t in Thailand for 3 years before his recent entries  NOW he has been in Laos for 1.5 months!  Why the nonsense from you. READ HIS POST along with the other guy who liked your post ! 

If you can read please re-read my post then point out to me where I state that he was in Thailand for three years.These are quotes from his posts I am merely pointing out the discrepancy.Please learn to read if that's at all possible young man.May try some THC oil to help calm down,I can recommend a good shop to get some if you like!

Edited October 26, 2019 by FarFlungFalang

[SpanishExpat]

32 minutes ago, Letseng said:

How long can I stay in the US as a tourist legally? 90 days?

Europe is 90 days in 180 days, within Schengen area it is 90 days in 180 days for the whole of Schengen. No hopping from country to country.

Thailand is following the trend. Why shouldn't they?

 

How often this has to be repeated? Follow the trend and PASS A LAW. Perfectly fine. Follow the trend and base it on moody IO decisions, regional embassies etc. A NO GO and 3rd world country attitude. 

But for now they won`t pass that law and the reason is simple. If they pass it, they also have to implement it for the chinese etc who get a better treatment than westerners. So they prefer to play this game. They couldn`t care less about a few denied people.

Edited October 26, 2019 by SpanishExpat

[pookondee]

16 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Not many people start threads saying they successfully got through passport control and were able to enter Thailand! The number of denials is minimal.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

True, but if TOT are to be believed, we can assume some 30 million per year ARE getting through without any dramas...

Over 80,000 people per day.

 

And we only see but a few of these reports pop up every week or so??

 

Some would no doubt be from bored, sad trolls,

some probably have valid reasons (which they conveniently left out of the post) as to why they got knocked back.

 

It does seem however, if you have any history at all with VOAs, the Thai IOs (rightly or wrongly)

assume you are working illegally,

have got someting to hide, or are up to no good. 

 

From my perspective, the one common factor of folks who come and go without a problem is...they never ever used a VOA or free visa..

 

this i can say is true for me and people i know personally anyway.

 

Many of us punters have definately

"been in Thailand to long"

by the reasoning these IOs have told people they reject...

but yet we are still let through without a question.

(and yes, i am well aware my luck could change at any time).

 

Still, that makes me wonder, are people really getting knocked back for the reason of "being here to long"??

OR..

is it an excuse the IO's use when they suspect something else is going on but cant prove it??