Singapore For Tourist Visa

[jeebusjones]

I'm thinking about going to Singapore sometime next month to get a new tourist visa. What is the latest feeling coming from the embassy there? Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Here is my history:

American, about 36+ visa exemptions spread out over three years

One tourist visa issued in Penang in November

One tourist visa issued in Vientienne in March

Could I expect to get a tourist visa in Singapore? Any (confirmed) reports of people being denied in Singapore?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[rambling]

I'm thinking about going to Singapore sometime next month to get a new tourist visa. What is the latest feeling coming from the embassy there? Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Here is my history:

American, about 36+ visa exemptions spread out over three years

One tourist visa issued in Penang in November

One tourist visa issued in Vientienne in March

Could I expect to get a tourist visa in Singapore? Any (confirmed) reports of people being denied in Singapore?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Interested to hear about this as well. Especially from any Singapore PR's.

[jdinasia]

have you put any thought into just getting legal somehow? why have the stress every few months (or every month) when it can be less than annually <every 15 months?>

[tropo]

have you put any thought into just getting legal somehow?

?????

What has he done that's illegal? He's just worked within the system's parameters.

[marginline]

have you put any thought into just getting legal somehow? why have the stress every few months (or every month) when it can be less than annually <every 15 months?>

Just following-up from MTW:

Can you please share your wisdom about how to do this if you are under 50, not married, not in business here, don't have a Thai child, or any of the other less obvious ways? How do you do it Jdinasia?

...would appreciate your advice JD as I'm in MTW's position and the whole visa exemption/tourist visa lark is beginning to get a bit lame for me too. Thanks a lot!

[eek]

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it.

[marginline]

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it.

Ha! Ha! Don't you see the delicious irony in obtaining a Non-Immigration (ED) Visa? Just as you and I are not really tourists eek, we're probably not edumacators either! So you and I end up trumping one lie with a bigger lie. Is that the definition of "getting legal" in LOS then?

[Charles2550]

have you put any thought into just getting legal somehow? why have the stress every few months (or every month) when it can be less than annually <every 15 months?>

Just following-up from MTW:

Can you please share your wisdom about how to do this if you are under 50, not married, not in business here, don't have a Thai child, or any of the other less obvious ways? How do you do it Jdinasia?

...would appreciate your advice JD as I'm in MTW's position and the whole visa exemption/tourist visa lark is beginning to get a bit lame for me too. Thanks a lot!

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it.

Althought I don't see myself as "illegal", I am in the same situation and very eager to hear jdinasia solution...

Marginline I like your irony; it's so true...

[jeebusjones]

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it.

Ha! Ha! Don't you see the delicious irony in obtaining a Non-Immigration (ED) Visa? Just as you and I are not really tourists eek, we're probably not edumacators either! So you and I end up trumping one lie with a bigger lie. Is that the definition of "getting legal" in LOS then?

I think what he means is get an ed visa by becoming a student somewhere. For example, at many Thai language schools it's possible to get a one year Ed visa by studying Thai a few hours a week. It is actually not a bad idea, but I don't plan to stick around for another year so at this point I won't bother.

To jdinasia, I agree with the other posters. What have I done that's illegal? When I first arrived, I never imagined that I'd still be here 3 years later. So I just kept popping over the border to get another 30 days, usually convinced that it would be the last. In the past, visa exemption was a pretty easy and hassle free way to stay in the country. And in the beginning, I actually enjoyed the trips across the border, as I'd often spend a night and make a little holiday of it.

Now things have certainly changed, and the visa exemption is proving to be too much of a hassle. Tourist visas are ok, but I wonder how long I'll be able to get them before the rules change on that, too. I plan to move onto a new country within the next few months, as Thailand just isn't worth the hassle anymore.

But back to the main question:

What's the latest from Singapore?

Edited June 13, 2007 by jeebusjones

[jdinasia]

have you put any thought into just getting legal somehow? why have the stress every few months (or every month) when it can be less than annually

Just following-up from MTW:

Can you please share your wisdom about how to do this if you are under 50, not married, not in business here, don't have a Thai child, or any of the other less obvious ways? How do you do it Jdinasia?

...would appreciate your advice JD as I'm in MTW's position and the whole visa exemption/tourist visa lark is beginning to get a bit lame for me too. Thanks a lot! I assume you have existing relationships etc ... as noted below My first couple of years were on non-imm-ed visas.... followed by a non-immB and now a non-imm o (all multiple entry) I am under 50 gay (no wife or kids) and not working here and never have

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it.

im in similar situation too.

I think our only option is something like an education visa unfortunately.

Im still looking into it. If you are willing and able to be a student on any legit level is is a good option!

Ha! Ha! Don't you see the delicious irony in obtaining a Non-Immigration (ED) Visa? Just as you and I are not really tourists eek, we're probably not edumacators either! So you and I end up trumping one lie with a bigger lie. Is that the definition of "getting legal" in LOS then?

I assume he's referring to enrolling in scholl and getting a student (ed) visa and not a visa to teach (non-. That was what covered my first couple of years in the country

Jeebus --- while the law was not enforced ... the rules have been on the books for YEARS regarding the visa-exemptions. and well .... living here and being a tourist (tourist visa) are different things don't you think?

I found taking my partner's house registration book and a job OFFER was more than adequate to obtain a real visa (non-imm-multiple) just the same as taking an acceptance letter from a legit school in Thailand was. I did have to go to Australia for the non-B and to the USA for the non-O but I wanted to see perth and 19k for the ticket was not bad, and I had not seen my family for 4 years so the trip to the USA was nice!

A note on non-ED's ... many times you will only be given a 3 month visa that the school will help you extend if you are attending classes regularly and passing/progressing!

My point was not in the illegality of it as much as it was the stressof being at the whim of a consulate or embassy often (will they give me a tourist visa? will they turn me away? and then at the whim of an immigration officer as well!

I know a guy that had lived in Japan for 5 years on tourist visas ... one day coming back from his 90 day trip out of the country he was turned away at the airport ... and off to LAX he was sent. Not welcome back by Japanese law (I think) for a minimum of a year. and then at the discretion of the next Immigration Officer he would meet. He then moved to Thailand doing 30 day border runs until the visa exemption rules being enforced was announced. I do feel sorry for him (he's a horrible drunk) in having to abandon all his stuff in Japan that he couldn't get shipped to him, but basically the I.O. looked at his passport and said "you are not a tourist, you are living here"

glad this thread popped back up as i had not seen the questions

Edited June 17, 2007 by Ijustwannateach

[jdinasia]

and Je---- so far as I know .. nobody has been told NO at Singapore ... but a few have been told "only this time ... no more"

[cali4995]

The straight poop is jdinasia is an English Teacher. This is his solution to the visa problem. Why he goes around chiding everyone else to get legal I don't even want to know. Perhaps it's best left dropped now that the truth is revealed.

Edited June 16, 2007 by cali4995

[tropo]

The straight poop is jdinasia is an English Teacher. This is his solution to the visa problem. Why he goes around chiding everyone else to get legal I don't even want to know. Perhaps it's best left dropped now that the truth is revealed.

I would have thought his trip to Australia for his Non-B and USA for Non-O would be more of a nuissance than tripping to Penang every 3 months..

Any tourist should enjoy a trip somewhere every 3 months.

Japan is not really a good comparison. You're comparing a 3rd world country with the second strongest economy on the planet. They are not desperate to have foreigners there and probably would prefer not to and they definitely don't need them.

[MisterMan]

Hi All, Regarding the OP question..

I never had a problem in Singapore. I had many Tourist and Non-imm B's in my passport spanning 5 years. 14 Visa stickers in all.I am going again on the 25th. I have a new passport now with only 2 30 day entry stamps and will apply for a 60 day tourist.

The only problem so far is the hours. I had planned to drop off my passport by 12:30pm but now they only accept them until 11:00 am. and pick up is after 2pm I think.

I reckon that I wont have any problems and never heard of anyone having any problems.

[jdinasia]

Hi All, Regarding the OP question..

I never had a problem in Singapore. I had many Tourist and Non-imm B's in my passport spanning 5 years. 14 Visa stickers in all.I am going again on the 25th. I have a new passport now with only 2 30 day entry stamps and will apply for a 60 day tourist.

The only problem so far is the hours. I had planned to drop off my passport by 12:30pm but now they only accept them until 11:00 am. and pick up is after 2pm I think.

I reckon that I wont have any problems and never heard of anyone having any problems.

I would HOPE that would be the same as 36 visa exempt entries and 2 tourist visas ... but ....

Edited June 16, 2007 by jdinasia

[Maestro]

Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Based on everything I have read here I would say it is safe to go to Singapore for a tourist visa. I have seen no report of a tourist visa being refused, but there have been a few reports of having a stamp or handwritten note added to the visa that this would be the last time that Singapore would give it to that person, as another poster in this thread has already mentioned. Whether this special treatment is arbitrary or based on the history of stamps in the passport is not known, as the reported cases were not accompanied by details of the stamp history. Of the various posts on this subject, I kept this link to a post in November last year and as far as Singapore is concerned the situation appears to be the same today: some get the additional remark, others, even with many years of visa-exempt stay in Thailand, do not get it.

From the reports of members over the past few months one can see a trend that it is indeed getting increasingly difficult to get a tourist visa from consulates in the region. As I remember it, some applicants have been refused a visa outright in Phnom Penh, Yangon and Manila. No such report about Singapore so far; the worst-case scenario there is that additional remark about subsequent refusal at that consulate.

Keep reading this forum for reports of members on new developments at consulates.

--

Maestro

[jdinasia]

The straight poop is jdinasia is an English Teacher. This is his solution to the visa problem. Why he goes around chiding everyone else to get legal I don't even want to know. Perhaps it's best left dropped now that the truth is revealed.

LOL ... no JD is NOT an English teacher not that being an English teacher is bad ! in fact JD has never worked in Thailand

It would be nice if you didn't lie about me though

[itsgottabedone]

I got my 60+30 tourist visa from Singapore a couple of months ago (after the initial 60 days you can extend for another 30 days from within thailand). Very simple. The only problem was they would only give me a single entry visa. Not a problem if you plan to stay in thailand for 2 or 3 months at a time but if you need to move around, single entry is no good. I think this is a recent change as i recall reading last year people were readily getting multi entry tourist visas from singapore. I'm a brit and had about 20 thai visa stamps in my passport, but this didnt seem unique to me, i think it is a new policy.

Hope this helps.

[Sateev]

I'm thinking about going to Singapore sometime next month to get a new tourist visa. What is the latest feeling coming from the embassy there? Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Here is my history:

American, about 36+ visa exemptions spread out over three years

One tourist visa issued in Penang in November

One tourist visa issued in Vientienne in March

Could I expect to get a tourist visa in Singapore? Any (confirmed) reports of people being denied in Singapore?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

I just returned from Singapore Thursday, 14 June, with a new non-B, 90-day, single entry visa.

The guy at the head of the line had a job offer from a school, but was otherwise horribly ill-prepared (went to the window without an immigration form, didn't have his background check, or Ministry of Education permit, etc., obviously doesn't read this forum). He was offered a tourist visa as a consolation prize, since he just couldn't comprehend what the clerk needed.

I got the impression that there was no problem getting a tourist visa, but no one except the consular clerk could possibly know the reaction to your passport full of stamps.

The clerk was extremely polite and tried to be helpful, and was similarly nice to me, especially since I had all my paperwork intact. I never sensed any negative attitude toward farangs, but I would heed others' advice regarding your appearance: dress businesslike.

The price for the non-b was $85 Singapore dollars, no other currency accepted.

Good luck, and be sure to post your story to the forum to help the next guy/gal.

[aussiecollin]

I'm thinking about going to Singapore sometime next month to get a new tourist visa. What is the latest feeling coming from the embassy there? Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Here is my history:

American, about 36+ visa exemptions spread out over three years

One tourist visa issued in Penang in November

One tourist visa issued in Vientienne in March

Could I expect to get a tourist visa in Singapore? Any (confirmed) reports of people being denied in Singapore?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

I just returned from Singapore Thursday, 14 June, with a new non-B, 90-day, single entry visa.

The guy at the head of the line had a job offer from a school, but was otherwise horribly ill-prepared (went to the window without an immigration form, didn't have his background check, or Ministry of Education permit, etc., obviously doesn't read this forum). He was offered a tourist visa as a consolation prize, since he just couldn't comprehend what the clerk needed.

I got the impression that there was no problem getting a tourist visa, but no one except the consular clerk could possibly know the reaction to your passport full of stamps.

The clerk was extremely polite and tried to be helpful, and was similarly nice to me, especially since I had all my paperwork intact. I never sensed any negative attitude toward farangs, but I would heed others' advice regarding your appearance: dress businesslike.

The price for the non-b was $85 Singapore dollars, no other currency accepted.

Good luck, and be sure to post your story to the forum to help the next guy/gal.

I )(Australian passport) was 'posted' to Singapore by my company and all the paperwork was done for me...however, my Thai common-law wife (ie not officially married) could not gain entry...

The only way I could ovecome this was to get a local Singaporian 'fixer' who arranged for her to be my 'maid'.

BEWARE: The Singaporian Govt. has extensive computer records, and it IS a police state, all info re people are recorded, trips to the doctor, subscription to cable TV, trips in/out of the country....be sure that this info is available on-line to Govt agencies. I had to go to a hospital there once, and the form I had to complete even had 'race' as a question: I wrote 'human' and this did not go down well at all...teehee.

Take care....they are watching you...and probaly this forum.... woo woo

[Doug]

I have had 6 or 7 60-day tourist visas from the Singapore Embassy. Several times I tried for a 90-day one on business grounds and was refused each time. One time I said I was investigating the possibility of setting up a new business in Thailand, and wanted a 90 day visa to give me more time to investigate. The lady was polite, but said no, only 60 days, and to make sure I got a lawyer involved before I opened any business.

[Finlaco]

Hi

I've on my 4th Tourist Visa issued by the Thai Embassy in Singapore. I have only seen one farang refused, he was dressed very lo-so and thought what a great idea it would be to bring his 'Isan' with him, cos she would be able to translate. Dress well, and bring ur Thai with you, only if she/he is educated. No need to over-dress, but at least look presentable (from a Thai perspective)

[jeebusjones]

Thanks for all the replies. That link was very interesting, Maestro.

Looks like Singapore will be safe at least once. I will post again next month after I've returned.

[astral]

I )(Australian passport) was 'posted' to Singapore by my company and all the paperwork was done for me...however, my Thai common-law wife (ie not officially married) could not gain entry...

I do not understand this statement.

Are you saying that Thai citizen was refused a 30 day stamp at the airport in Singapore?

Surely Singapore and Thailand have reciprocal visa arrangements permitting a stay of 30 day

for members of ASEAN countries?

[Brian Allen]

I'm thinking about going to Singapore sometime next month to get a new tourist visa. What is the latest feeling coming from the embassy there? Is it pretty safe to get a tourist visa?

Hi there, I'm an American too -- and have homes in Chiang Mai and Singapore. I am there very often and drop by the Embassy before I head north again, fill in the form, pay my SID$50.00 and drop back next day for my visa.

A very pleasant and simple procedeure.

And - a little unsolicited and purely gratuitous comment here - during the past 46 years and around 750 Earth circumnavigations, I've been in and out of Thailand hundreds of times. I botherd to get a non-immigrant visa only once in that time. There is no easier place to enter and no more hospitable people nor more pleasant bureacracy on the planet.

And if it suits you to get a tourist visa and do border runs? Good on yah! Keep it up!

Best ones - Brian .:

[Krub]

I got my 60+30 tourist visa from Singapore a couple of months ago (after the initial 60 days you can extend for another 30 days from within thailand). Very simple. The only problem was they would only give me a single entry visa. Not a problem if you plan to stay in thailand for 2 or 3 months at a time but if you need to move around, single entry is no good. I think this is a recent change as i recall reading last year people were readily getting multi entry tourist visas from singapore. I'm a brit and had about 20 thai visa stamps in my passport, but this didnt seem unique to me, i think it is a new policy.

Hope this helps.

If you want tokeep your period of stay alive, you can purchase a re-enrty permit and come back up to the end of your period of stay.

Not sure it works on the 30 days extension of the initial 60 days period of stay