Savanakhet TR visa rejected!

[problemfarang]

Hi guys,

 

So my company is hiring a new employee from Bhutan.

He quitted from his previous company and went to the immigration and left Thailand in 24 hours. He went to get a TR (tourist visa) to come back and meanwhile my company is preparing his documents for NON-B to get here.

 

Yesterday embassy accepted his documents and told him to get it today. But at 2:00pm then they told him he lived in Thialand too long and cannot get a TR visa. He was in thailand on NON-B visa from his last company for 4 years! His past has 2 TR visas.

 

So i asked him to go and talk to the embassy again and explain that hes hired already and the only way to get NON-b is to come back thailand. We also wrote a letter verification of his position in thai company in thai language with the signature of the director and all. We send him via email also line file.

 

We hope this letter will help him to explain the situation. In the letter director also mentioned that its a thai immigration law that he had to leave the country in 24 hours so we kindly ask the embassy to obtain him a TR visa so we can continue with non-b paper work.

 

Any ideas?

 

thanks

Edited November 15, 2019 by problemfarang

[BritManToo]

Not supposed to work on a Tourist Visa so hardly surprising he was refused.

[problemfarang]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not supposed to work on a Tourist Visa so hardly surprising he was refused.

 

hi,

well he wont be working illegal. But as you know he had to leave the country in 24 hours and the paper work from my company was not ready in that time. It takes 1 or 2 months. 

So how a person can do? cannot stay must leave and get a new TR visa and come back.. proceed with the paper work and get non-b... 

 

Also he contacted his embassy and they just told him there must be a mistake because everything is ok for him to get a TR visa

Edited November 15, 2019 by problemfarang

[ubonjoe]

Is he from a country that qualifies for a 30 day visa exempt entry that can be extended for 30 days?

The labor ministry normally accepts work permit applications with that type of entry.

[problemfarang]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Is he from a country that qualifies for a 30 day visa exempt entry that can be extended for 30 days?

The labor ministry normally accepts work permit applications with that type of entry.

 

He is from Buthan. He has 2 TR visa before.. like 4 years ago. And he lived in thailand for 4 years on NON-B. he cancelled his non-b and went to sav. in 24 hours.

His embassy told him that savanakhet thai embassy probably made a mistake. They called them but no one answered the phone.

and they closed the window on his face so he couldnt explain the situation. (thai embassy in SAv.

 

there is nothing wrong on his passport for him getting a TR visa. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by problemfarang

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

He is from Buthan.

He does not qualify for a visa exempt entry.

Hopefully the consulate will agree to issue the tourist visa on Monday. If not then he could try for a transit visa.

It seems they applied their 90 days in 6 months limit when he applied. That should only be applied if a person has stayed here on tourist visas and/or visa exempt entries.

[problemfarang]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He does not qualify for a visa exempt entry.

Hopefully the consulate will agree to issue the tourist visa on Monday. If not then he could try for a transit visa.

It seems they applied their 90 days in 6 months limit when he applied. That should only be applied if a person has stayed here on tourist visas and/or visa exempt entries.

 

thanks a lot ubon. At this point even his visa agent thinks they made a mistake and now he is taking him to Vientiene. If they still not give him TR, i will tell him to apply for a transit as you suggested.

 

Do you think that letter we send to his email will help him? Telling his position and he will be hired and his starting day as 1 december with the companies official paper and director signature

Edited November 15, 2019 by problemfarang

[teatree]

I have heard from someone who recently got back from Savannaket that the consulate there is being inundated with applicants and are being unreasonably picky to change their reputation as an easy place to get a visa.

 

Lots of people were being refused and the staff were very rude.

[sanemax]

10 minutes ago, teatree said:

I have heard from someone who recently got back from Savannaket that the consulate there is being inundated with applicants and are being unreasonably picky to change their reputation as an easy place to get a visa.

 

Lots of people were being refused and the staff were very rude.

It used to be a friendly welcoming place a few years ago , when there used to be about 10 people a day applying for visas , the staff were genuinley pleased to see you 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

thanks a lot ubon. At this point even his visa agent thinks they made a mistake and now he is taking him to Vientiene. If they still not give him TR, i will tell him to apply for a transit as you suggested.

They are being strict in Vientiane as well. A appointment is needed to for the application.

 

9 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

Do you think that letter we send to his email will help him? Telling his position and he will be hired and his starting day as 1 december with the companies official paper and director signature

The letter should help. Perhaps they did not understand the reason for getting the tourist visa.

[lopburi3]

Do not believe this is a Savannakhet issue (although they have tightened up on issue of tourist visas for those suspected of working on them).  For a tourist visa believe he must obtain at the Honorary Royal Thai Consulate in Buthan due to nationality.

[ukrules]

19 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He does not qualify for a visa exempt entry.

Hopefully the consulate will agree to issue the tourist visa on Monday. If not then he could try for a transit visa.

It seems they applied their 90 days in 6 months limit when he applied. That should only be applied if a person has stayed here on tourist visas and/or visa exempt entries.

This is going to cause a massive amount of problems if they apply an arbitrary 6 month limit when people are between jobs, even if issued a visa based on what I'm reading the next hurdle would be getting past immigration with a tourist visa after coming off a long term visa.

 

People won't be able to work here legally any more.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Do not believe this is a Savannakhet issue (although they have tightened up on issue of tourist visas for those suspected of working on them).  For a tourist visa believe he must obtain at the Honorary Royal Thai Consulate in Buthan due to nationality.

Bhutan is not on the list of restricted countries. See: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/RestrictedCountries2013.pdf

[spiekerjozef]

30 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Hopefully the consulate will agree to issue the tourist visa on Monday. If not then he could try for a transit visa.

Update 9th November 2019: Savannakhet can NOT give Transit visa anymore.

(source thaivisaservice.com)

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

Update 9th November 2019: Savannakhet can NOT give Transit visa anymore.

Perhaps cannot should of been will not.

"If refused/denied a visa, the Consulate can NOT give Transit visa anymore."

I suspect in certain circumstances they will issue one.

[thai006]

i was there 2 day ago and the girl in the windows is really rude not the same as before ???? 

[4evermaat]

It's a double-edged sword.  The consulates were freely giving out the visas also.  An entire industry floated around this:

 

• Thai consulate bosses getting extra processing fees (on top of the normal application fees) to process several hundred applications.
• visa run / border run companies making commissions.
• border officials taking extra fees if necessary
• other auxiliary service companies (law firms, schools, etc) offering visa packages.
• tourism economy (border towns + usual tourist spots) certainly got a boost from the free flow of tourists extending their stay.

 

But the negatives like strengthening baht, security issues with undesirable and/or too many foreign nationals, etc finally caught up with them.   But you cannot just say applicants were abusing the system.   The visa system (at the time) encouraged this free flow of tourism dollars; no one was complaining when the money was rolling in seemingly risk free.

Edited November 16, 2019 by ubonjoe
removed quote of a removed post

[ubonjoe]

This topic just got several posts shorter after I cleaned out several troll, bickering, baiting posts and etc.

[brewsterbudgen]

16 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is going to cause a massive amount of problems if they apply an arbitrary 6 month limit when people are between jobs, even if issued a visa based on what I'm reading the next hurdle would be getting past immigration with a tourist visa after coming off a long term visa.

 

People won't be able to work here legally any more.

Indeed it will.  I've worked here continuously since 2005, and always understood that on the day my work/work permit ends I can just leave the country (as required) and re-enter as a tourist, giving me time to find a new job.

[problemfarang]

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They are being strict in Vientiane as well. A appointment is needed to for the application.

 

The letter should help. Perhaps they did not understand the reason for getting the tourist visa.

 

thanks Ubon. hes in Vientiene now.

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, problemfarang said:

 

thanks Ubon. hes in Vientiene now.

He could try on Monday but there are no appointments available. I suggest he make an appointment for Tuesday in case they will not help him since there are some available. See: https://thaivisavientiane.com/#

[problemfarang]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

He could try on Monday but there are no appointments available. I suggest he make an appointment for Tuesday in case they will not help him since there are some available. See: https://thaivisavientiane.com/#

 

thanks again, will tell him.

[problemfarang]

UPDATE (16/11/19):

 

It is very confirmed by Savanakhet and Vientiane Thai embassies:

- starting new, there will be no more TR visa to people who quitted from their job and come to SAV to get a new TR visa.

this is told to the person went there to do so by SAV embassy. Also same thing from the VIEN embassy.

from now on ppl must go back to their country and get a new TR from there. At least this one is for Bhutan nationals for sure. But both embassies didnt mention about nationality. So it can be for all. 

reason for visa deny is, staying and living in thailand for too long.

[problemfarang]

8 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Indeed it will.  I've worked here continuously since 2005, and always understood that on the day my work/work permit ends I can just leave the country (as required) and re-enter as a tourist, giving me time to find a new job.

 

Seems not anymore for Laos... sadly

[ubonjoe]

I suspect there other other embassies and consulates that would issue a tourist visa to him. Not only in a person's home country.

[problemfarang]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I suspect their other embassies and consulates that would issue a tourist visa to him. Not only in a person's home country.

Well, this will be so interesting...

Thai immigration law says leave the country in 24 hours after your NON-B ends. means your visa... So normally you should go and get a new TR visa, come back and look for a new job or continue doing your non-b paper work with your company.

But now at least for Laos, this is not like this anymore. They will not give you a TR visa because.. you lived here too long. 

I really wonder now, what is next? what people will do? For example... go back to your country and try your luck for another TR? really whats next? its totally nonsense!

Edited November 16, 2019 by problemfarang

[ukrules]

12 hours ago, problemfarang said:

I really wonder now, what is next? what people will do? For example... go back to your country and try your luck for another TR? really whats next? its totally nonsense!

They're discouraging people from coming to Thailand to work. Why would they do such a thing?

 

Foreign governments should take note and act accordingly.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

They're discouraging people from coming to Thailand to work. Why would they do such a thing?

 

Foreign governments should take note and act accordingly.

You could interpret it as Thailand wishing to discourage foreigners from resigning from their current jobs. Since there is no mechanism for staying briefly in Thailand between jobs, Thailand is being moved closer to the system operated by some other (especially Middle Eastern) countries where you are indentured to your employer.

[ubonjoe]

14 hours ago, problemfarang said:

Well, this will be so interesting...

Nearby options are the embassy in Kuala Lumpur or the consulate in Penang.

Here is KL's requirements to apply for a tourist visa.http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/images/text_editor/files/1_1.pdf

More info is here along with a link to their appointment site.site. http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/99061-Visa-Requirements-II.html

If he cannot get a tourist or transit visa in Vientiane flying to KL is a good option.

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, BritTim said:

You could interpret it as Thailand wishing to discourage foreigners from resigning from their current jobs.

I don't think that is the intention. It is only in Laos that there is a ongoing problem with getting at tourist visa after working here. Thay have tightened up to discourage people from going there to get tourist visas.