Ghost Visa Runs Illegal

[LivinLOS]

Hmmm…so hypothetically if I physically departed LOS for a week’s vacation in say Malaysia, and overnighted my UK passport to a visa agent in London, would the 3x, 6-month validity tourist visa duly stamped into my passport and subsequently returned to me in Malaysia – be legal for me to use to re-enter Thailand?

My understanding is it all boils down to whether or not I physically need to be present at the Royal Thai Embassy in London in order to submit and collect my own visa paperwork as well. Can anyone help with this please?

I am not sure how the Malaysians will feel about you not having your passport,

but as far as the Thai's are concerned you were outside Thailand when you applied

so it may be acceptable.

As has been noted in the forum there are several embassies/consulates that will accept postal application.

I am not sure about the Embassy in London, but the consulates in Birmingham, Hull and Liverpool

definitely do.

As others have said it is not uncommon to have to mail a passport overseas to obtain a visa

where the country you are applying to does not have a presence where you are staying.

This is why the UK for one will allow multiple passports.

One for your current visa, a second at an embassy for visa application.

A few years back I had to send my passport to the Saudi Embassy in Singapore as I could

not get a Saudi visa in Thailand.

I am not sure at what point this becomes illegal.

I would say the only time this becomes illegal is if your in a country that insists you carry or have access to a passport and you only have one.. Then when you send it away you are breaking the law of that country as a visitor.

This is the exact reason for dual passports and the whole system is built to do exactly this.. There would not be a dual passport system if this was illegal.

[astral]

The embassy wouldnt issue the visa, you'd have an entry stamp for Malaysia but no exit stamp, the only way you could do it is if you travel to a country that doesnt stamp your passport.

I seriously doubt that the Thai consulates in the UK will check any visa stamps in a UK passport.

A UK passport in the UK, no stamps are expected

Even if they did it could be quite a task for a well used passport.

[jdinasia]

bump

[cneuy]

Amazing the bullshit people go thru trying to snake the Thai Immigration office. Why not just do things legit and forget about it. Cost a bit more but who cares. Much Much Much easier.

I'm reading over this thread and it has answered allot of my questions regarding the legality of ghost visa runs. That being said someone on this thread mentions a BMW driving immigration officer who will shell out O-Visas for 20K a pop. I'd gladly pay this fee provided my visa would be legal and allow me the hassle free existance to stay in Thailand without doing border runs or visa runs every couple of months.

To me it's not he cost but the convenience of not having the travel out the country so frequently. I'm sure many other falangs will agree with me.

[Crossy]

I'm reading over this thread and it has answered allot of my questions regarding the legality of ghost visa runs. That being said someone on this thread mentions a BMW driving immigration officer who will shell out O-Visas for 20K a pop. I'd gladly pay this fee provided my visa would be legal and allow me the hassle free existance to stay in Thailand without doing border runs or visa runs every couple of months.

If the visa is issued whilst you are in Thailand then it's illegal. QED

A dual passport holder would probably get away with it, but it would still require an air trip to swap passports (not possible at land borders).

Edited May 28, 2007 by Crossy

[cneuy]

This is how one could do it legally.

Some countries, The UK is one of them, allow their citizens to hold 2 passports.

1. Depart Thailand, perhaps to Malaysia, using the passport you have the entry permit in for Thailand, and use the same passport to get the entry stamp for Malaysia (or the country of your choice). Retain this passport for use in your country of choice and to exit the country.

2. Whilst in the country of choice send the other passport to a friend in a country where you can legally obtain a non immigrant multi or 1 year visa. Make sure the friend uses his or her address in that particular country to apply for and recieve the visa. Have the friend post it back to you in your country of choice.

3. Depart your country of choice using the passport you kept all along and enter Thailand with the passport you just got back from your friend with a new non immigrant visa.

4. A short cut would be to post the 2nd passport to a friend before leaving Thailand and have your hotel or a friend in your country of choice inform you when it arrives. You just need to hop across the border, pick it up and re-enter Thailand.

This of course is hypothetical, never done it myself as I have no need. I would be interested to know if anyone else has though.

This is, according to the British embassy, and the Thai consul, perfectly legal.. I have this in writing.

I have done this myself 2 years running and will be doing it again later in the year while I take a month in India.. The Thai consul have even offered to courier the passport to me in India if I leave the credit card amount blank on the form (so they can adjust based on courier costs) or arrange my own courier collection.

This is good to know. Thanks.

[Crossy]

This is, according to the British embassy, and the Thai consul, perfectly legal.. I have this in writing.

I have done this myself 2 years running and will be doing it again later in the year while I take a month in India.. The Thai consul have even offered to courier the passport to me in India if I leave the credit card amount blank on the form (so they can adjust based on courier costs) or arrange my own courier collection.

This is good to know. Thanks.

Of course, the British passport service want a valid and checkable reason for you to receive a second passport.

The proviso for the visa legality is that you are outside Thailand when it's issued.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Crossy

[cneuy]

This is, according to the British embassy, and the Thai consul, perfectly legal.. I have this in writing.

I have done this myself 2 years running and will be doing it again later in the year while I take a month in India.. The Thai consul have even offered to courier the passport to me in India if I leave the credit card amount blank on the form (so they can adjust based on courier costs) or arrange my own courier collection.

This is good to know. Thanks.

Of course, the British passport service want a valid and checkable reason for you to receive a second passport.

The proviso for the visa legality is that you are outside Thailand when it's issued.

I just read this. I'm from the US. Is it possible to apply and receive a 2nd US passport while in Thailand from the US embassy in Bangkok? It sounded like it was on their website but you make it sound like I'd have to be outside of Thailand.

[h90]

"Ghost Visa Runs Illegal"

Well I know there are a lot of Ghosts in Thailand.

They have to apply for the NonImmD (Death) Visa. They must be at least 1 year dead (valid translated dead certificate not older than 3 month as proof is necessary) and have 400.000 Baht on a Thai bank account (hidden treasure, or gold on sunk ships does not count).

Immigration Pattaya has special office hours from Midnight to 4 am for Ghost visitors to Pattaya

[Crossy]

I just read this. I'm from the US. Is it possible to apply and receive a 2nd US passport while in Thailand from the US embassy in Bangkok? It sounded like it was on their website but you make it sound like I'd have to be outside of Thailand.

I see no reason why you shouldn't receive your second PASSPORT whilst in Thailand (assuming you can meet the requirements for being issued one)

It's the visa legality that's suspect if it's issued whilst you yourself are in the country (even if it's in a second passport). So getting a visa from the UK whilst in say, India (as a previous poster is doing) is perfectly legal and above board.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Crossy

[LivinLOS]

Amazing the bullshit people go thru trying to snake the Thai Immigration office. Why not just do things legit and forget about it. Cost a bit more but who cares. Much Much Much easier.

I'm reading over this thread and it has answered allot of my questions regarding the legality of ghost visa runs. That being said someone on this thread mentions a BMW driving immigration officer who will shell out O-Visas for 20K a pop. I'd gladly pay this fee provided my visa would be legal and allow me the hassle free existance to stay in Thailand without doing border runs or visa runs every couple of months.

To me it's not he cost but the convenience of not having the travel out the country so frequently. I'm sure many other falangs will agree with me.

Lets be realistic here, how legal do you expect a purchased bent visa to be ??

And its a non imm O multi, so you still visa run at 90 days.. It is not a 12 month extension to stay..

[Maestro]

how legal do you expect a purchased bent visa to be ??

1. Bent, as in “fake visa stamp”

It is definitely and absolutely illegal.

2. Bent, as in “genuine visa obtained from a Thai consulate, but without leaving Thailand”

The visa as such is legal, but the Immigration officer can and will consider it invalid for entry and treat you as arriving without a visa.

--------------

Maestro

[LivinLOS]

I personally feel that if you are paying immigration money to get your stamps you know the world your entering..

I personally find that its easy enough to sort my own things out, but if I did go the purchase route, I would do it with my eyes open knowing that bent stamps run high risks.