Tourist Visa "-runs" a lot easier with the e-visa system?

[aldriglikvid]

Hi, 

 

I mentioned in a STV thread earlier last week that I applied for, and got granted, my new STV all while still being located inside Thailand. In my situation I went back to my homecountry and I'm about to re-enter next week. 

 

With all this in mind, is it reasonable to conclude that closer "visa runs" such as applying for a TV in Vietnam, now will be a lot less headache? Or is the routine different if I apply for a TV in a country of which I'm not a citizen in? 

 

Of course, it wasn't the end of the world spending 2 days in Saigon running back and forth to the consulate, standing in line, dozen of documents, photos that needed to be taken etc. - but it would be a breeze just to everything online beforehand. 

[BritTim]

In another thread, a British guy reported that he had contacted the Thai embassy in London to ask if it is possible to apply for an e-visa when not in the UK. Predictably, in my view, he received an official statement that this is not allowed. On the other hand, there was another thread where someone reported successfully applying for an e-visa while still in Thailand, and using it to do a border bounce.

 

The current status appears to be that you should not do this, but the UK embassy (at least) is not carefully checking applications to see where you are currently located. Applications, right now, are likely to succeed. I personally expect a crackdown on out of home country visa applications at some stage.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, aldriglikvid said:

With all this in mind, is it reasonable to conclude that closer "visa runs" such as applying for a TV in Vietnam, now will be a lot less headache? Or is the routine different if I apply for a TV in a country of which I'm not a citizen in? 

At the moment the e-visa platform is only available in a relatively few countries,  about 12 I think, and the only 2 in Asia are China and South Korea. In other words you cannot apply for an E-visa in Vietnam, still has to be done the old way and with the speed of rollout that is likely to be the case for some time.

 

If you are suggesting applying for an E-visa in one of the existing countries and then doing a quick out/in with the E-visa there is fairly high risk the IO will query why visa not from the country you have traveled from.

I did a Non O marriage at HCMC shortly before the pandemic and that was a lot more straightforward than the E-visa I have just obtained.

If you need to leave the country I would suggest the travelling is more of an issue than getting the visa, I was fortunate I got into Vietnam visa exempt. 

[sandyf]

14 hours ago, BritTim said:

In another thread, a British guy reported that he had contacted the Thai embassy in London to ask if it is possible to apply for an e-visa when not in the UK. Predictably, in my view, he received an official statement that this is not allowed.

That is a misleading statement. A UK national is quite entitled to apply for an E-visa while in another country using the E-visa platform. Foreign nationals have always been allowed to apply for visas at a foreign embassy. Twice I have obtained visas for China here in Bangkok.

On the application evidence would be required as to why the application was being made from that country.

It is certainly not disallowed.

[Andrew65]

A few times in recent years I got an e-visa for Cambodia. The main reason being that it saves the hassle of doing a visa application at Phnom Penh Airport. It's a satisfactory system, if a bit more expensive than applying in person.

(I was in Thailand when I completed the applications).

Edited September 14, 2022 by Andrew65

[at15]

no no man its the same as before. that evisa thing is only for developed rich countries. any southeast asian country you have to go in person. laos is still horrid its busy again and you have to stand in line in the heat and sun for hours like how it got in 2019.

[freedomnow]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

If you are suggesting applying for an E-visa in one of the existing countries and then doing a quick out/in with the E-visa there is fairly high risk the IO will query why visa not from the country you have traveled from.

Not really, sonce I applied in the UK and came to Thailand from Malaysia after a whistlestop visit.

There is nothing stopping a person going around another country/ies prior to entry.

UK exit is not stamped in the passport of a UK national.

Edited September 14, 2022 by freedomnow

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Not really, sonce I applied in the UK and came to Thailand from Malaysia after a whistlestop visit.

There is nothing stopping a person going around another country/ies prior to entry.

UK exit is not stamped in the passport of a UK national.

Did you apply in the UK from Malaysia and then come to Thailand from Malaysia?, or did you apply in the UK from Thailand, go to the UK and come back to Thailand via Malaysia?

Nothing wrong in what you say but not in line with the OPs scenario.

[aldriglikvid]

Thanks for all the input, perhaps it's helpful for many of us since it's somewhat of a new protocol. 

 

The IO most certainly have the tools to see what country I'm currently arriving from. But it's (to my understanding) not outright clear that he would reject a (let's say) Norwegian citizen arriving directly from Vietnam, with an approved Single Entry Tourist Visa that was acquired via the evisa-system as a Norwegian citizen. The big Q is rejection should/will be rejected on the basis that it was not applied for while being in Norway. As someone mentioned above, it is perhaps reasonable to expect that it will be enforced in the future as the current system (physical applications) don't let you apply for TV's while in the country.  

 

 

[Alldar]

In one field of the application you have to provide all stamps from the passport from past 12 months. They will clearly see that the applicant is currently in Thailand (or a different country than home country). It is not clear to me how they get the application approved if they provide all the stamps as asked. If they lie in the application they could be banned for future entries.

[MrJ2U]

Evisa hard great.

 

Cambodia entrance a breeze.

 

Suprised the brainless people running immigration didn't start this years ago.

 

There are worried about not getting some kickbacks.

 

Glad you had great experience! 

[aldriglikvid]

1 hour ago, Alldar said:

In one field of the application you have to provide all stamps from the passport from past 12 months. They will clearly see that the applicant is currently in Thailand (or a different country than home country). It is not clear to me how they get the application approved if they provide all the stamps as asked. If they lie in the application they could be banned for future entries.

This got me thinking, and you're correct: I had to supply the last 6pages of my passport to the system and if it was checked thoroughly they could've seen I hadn't left Thailand while applying. Either they didn't care about that detail, or they didn't notice.  

[MajorTom]

Don't think too much. In my line of work across the globe i have had visas issued for several countries from embassies I have never been to. This is completely normal practice.

 

I also did get a Thai e-visa from my native EU country while in Thailand. Flew to Cambodia and returned on that visa with no issues. I have not been to Europe for years. Legal practice? Why not? I cant think of any good reason it would not be. Other than making things difficult for the sake of it. Where you are during this visa process makes zero practical difference.