Thai Embassy, London email re visa exemption - can anyone understand this?

[brobro2424]

I am a British passport holder. I sent an email to the Embassy:

 

Hi

When I arrived from UK to Bangkok, they gave me 30 days but your website http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/102120-Visa-on-Arrival.html says only 15 days. Who is correct?

thanks

 

their exact reply:

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

If you are going to Thailand not longer than 30 days with the proof of onward ticket (confirmed air, train, bus or boat tickets)  to leave the country you can use visa exemption but if you are leaving the country by land crossing you must apply tourist single entry before you are going for second visa if you stay less than 30 days with proof of flight ticket back to UK, you can use visa exemption.

Kind Regards,

Visa Officer

 

I just cannot understand it. Can anyone detangle this logic? Are they always this terrible at answering questions?

 

[KhunBENQ]

8 minutes ago, brobro2424 said:

If you are going to Thailand not longer than 30 days with the proof of onward ticket (confirmed air, train, bus or boat tickets)  to leave the country you can use visa exemption

This part is completely clear.

And you referred to visa on arrival which does NOT apply to UK citizens.

You fall for the usual confusion of terms visa exempt ("no visa needed") vs. visa on arrival (visa applied and paid on arrival).

 

The part after "but" is for linguistic experts (English not my first language).

 

Best answer would have been:

If you are UK citizen and visa on arrival does not apply for you.

and then ???

Indeed the website is terrible as I can not find the most import part "rules for 30 day visa exempt"?

Edited December 24, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[steve187]

30 days is correct for visa exempt entry at airport or land border, only 2 land crossings allowed each year jan to dec.

the embassy web page refers to a visa on arrival which as a UK passport holder you can get get, 2 different things, the embassy website goes on to list 18 countries.

[KhunBENQ]

Here it is embedded:

http://www.thaiembassy.org/london/en/services/7742/84394-Who-needs-visa?.html

Under "Tourist visa exemption".

A good example how to create much confusion.

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[BritTim]

First, in future, do not expect a correct reply from a consulate for anything other than the services they provide themselves. You might think a Thai embassy/consulate would be an expert on Thai immigration rules, but they routinely provide incorrect information.

 

The "15 days for a visa exempt entry" was correct at one time, but has long been incorrect.

 

The garbled business of needing a tourist visa between visa exempt entries is someone's (erroneous) interpretation of a Police Order from 2014. That order instructed Immigration to stop people using back-to-back visa exempt entries for extended stay in Thailand. The Prime Minister almost immediately stated that such a policy should be applied flexibly. As a practical matter, visa exempt entry may be denied when you have spent significant time in Thailand.

 

This board contains plenty of misinformation, but can be an excellent source if you are careful about which members' posts you believe.

[ubonjoe]

Just the usual confusion due to people calling a visa exempt entry a visa on arrival. Happens all the time.

I often wonder how many people that qualify for visa exempt entries line up to to apply for a visa on arrival only to find out they wasted their time by lining up at the wrong place.

[KhunBENQ]

Just now, ubonjoe said:

I often wonder how many people that qualify for visa exempt entries line up to to apply for a visa on arrival only to find out they wasted their time by lining up at the wrong place.

With this terrible website it must be a lot.

So confusing, badly structured.

A Thai embassy/consulate in the UK that does not clearly refer to UK citizens and their travel rules to Thailand

[KhunBENQ]

Just compared to consulate in Berlin, Germany.

Under general information, first headline about passport(validity), second headline about visa requirement.

First paragraph about no visa needed for German citizens for tourist travel up to 30 days.

 

 

Edited December 24, 2019 by KhunBENQ

[brobro2424]

Thanks for clearing up how it currently works. Appreciated.

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, brobro2424 said:

if you stay less than 30 days with proof of flight ticket back to UK, you can use visa exemption

I believe this part is completely wrong, you can have a flight ticket to anywhere outside the country if you're staying for less than 30 days on a a visa exemption, you don't have to go back to the UK.

 

For example you could enter Thailand on a visa exemption and then inside the granted 30 day stamp travel on to Vietnam, Cambodia or anywhere else for that matter.