Question regarding applying for an Evisa

[Aionss888]

Hello, My passport is from the UK but I am currently in Hong kong for a couple of weeks, am I able to apply for a Thailand E visa? On the website it says I can apply but its not totally clear whether or not I have to be a resident in Hong Kong.

 

https://gyazo.com/fb3e40f5561e2854dd49041057f16634

 

Under "Permanent Residency / Current Location" it says "Your resident status in a country of which you are granted a residence visa to stay for more than six months."

 

So I am not sure if I have to be both located in Hong kong and a resident.

[DrJack54]

Which category of visa?

 

From your post ...thinking that you do not have permanent residency status in HK.

 

Several folk have asked about applying for example a SETV e-Visa from places such as London while being located in various places such as Laos etc.

 

IMO was a flaw in e visa introduction. 

Folk asking also if they can get around requirement for the METV being only available in passport country or country where you have permanent resident status

Edited July 7, 2023 by DrJack54

[Maestro]

Where is your permanent residency, ie where did you live six months prior to your arrival in Hongkong?

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Maestro said:

Where is your permanent residency, ie where did you live six months prior to your arrival in Hongkong?

Thinking the 6 months is a "lost in translation" thing in the OP post.

 

Permanent residency status is not obtained by staying 6+ months in any country. 

 

 

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, Aionss888 said:

So I am not sure if I have to be both located in Hong kong and a resident.

Officially, the answer is yes.

[pomchop]

I am a bit confused re evisa rules....if i want to get another evisa tourist visa i was planning on going to thai embassy in saigon...

 

.i will get first tourist visa for 60 days online from usa then extend 30 days at immigration but then need another 90 days as my total thai stay is 85 days...so plan to to to saigon and get a second 60 day tourist then extend 30 days then back to usa..

 

is there any problem with doing that?  obviously i am not a resident of vietnam and plan to be there about 10 days total...

[BritTim]

4 hours ago, pomchop said:

I am a bit confused re evisa rules....if i want to get another evisa tourist visa i was planning on going to thai embassy in saigon...

 

.i will get first tourist visa for 60 days online from usa then extend 30 days at immigration but then need another 90 days as my total thai stay is 85 days...so plan to to to saigon and get a second 60 day tourist then extend 30 days then back to usa..

 

is there any problem with doing that?  obviously i am not a resident of vietnam and plan to be there about 10 days total...

You can apply for the tourist visa at the Thai consulate in Saigon. Note that you need an appointment to apply there. The rules on residence do not apply when applying at some Thai embassies/consulates in the region, including Vietnam. Make sure you carefully meet all the requirements for a tourist visa application in HCMC. It is not a friendly consulate these days.

[DrJack54]

4 hours ago, pomchop said:

is there any problem with doing that?  obviously i am not a resident of vietnam and plan to be there about 10 days total...

No problem.

You need an appointment to apply for tourist visa for Thailand  at Saigon.

Being USA you need e-Visa for Vietnam.

That can be done online..

Simple process takes 5 business days cost $25usd.

How many days is your stay in Thailand in total. 

 

[pomchop]

56 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

No problem.

You need an appointment to apply for tourist visa for Thailand  at Saigon.

Being USA you need e-Visa for Vietnam.

That can be done online..

Simple process takes 5 business days cost $25usd.

How many days is your stay in Thailand in total. 

 

my total thai stay is 85 days..

[BritTim]

5 hours ago, pomchop said:

my total thai stay is 85 days..

We are all confused here. If you plan to have a tourist visa when you arrive in Thailand, and will extend it, what is the purpose of your trip to Saigon? You can already get 90 days from your first tourist visa and extension. 90 days is greater than the 85 days you plan.

[Toby1947]

11 hours ago, pomchop said:

I am a bit confused re evisa rules....if i want to get another evisa tourist visa i was planning on going to thai embassy in saigon...

 

.i will get first tourist visa for 60 days online from usa then extend 30 days at immigration but then need another 90 days as my total thai stay is 85 days...so plan to to to saigon and get a second 60 day tourist then extend 30 days then back to usa..

 

is there any problem with doing that?  obviously i am not a resident of vietnam and plan to be there about 10 days total...

Why not get a METV. in the USA. Simple job done 

[sandyf]

11 hours ago, pomchop said:

I am a bit confused re evisa rules....if i want to get another evisa tourist visa i was planning on going to thai embassy in saigon...

You cannot get an E-visa for Thailand from Vietnam, they are not on the E-visa platform, only Asian countries are China and South Korea.

As you say, you can go to the embassy in HCMC and apply in person for visa in line with their requirements.

[Red Phoenix]

Like all things Immigration, it's a typically Thai unclear and confusing situation. 

My understanding is as follows:

- You can apply IN PERSON for a Visa (Tourist Visa or Non Imm O Visa) at a Thai Embassy/Consulate in some countries neighboring Thailand, e.g. Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia.  But you need to inform yourself very well before attempting this, as the requirements and the specific Visa these Embassies/Consulates can provide are different (even in same country, e.g. Vientiane Embassy and Savannakhet Consulate have different requirements/application rules). 

Note also that the websites of these Embassies/Consulates are often unclear/incomplete, and so it is highly recommended to get 'first hand information' on one of the Visa Forums from people that have done same.

- In many countries you cannot apply in person anymore, and it has to be done by eVisa. The eVisa application process is not fully clear either, as the requirements do not always indicate for which specific Visa they are applicable, and it can become a 'hit and miss'.

- In principle you need to apply for an eVisa while you are staying in your home-country or country of official residence. This is a rather strange requirement, as imo the Visa application should not depend on where you are  staying when doing the application, but on providing all the required evidence to meet the Visa requirements. Also an eVisa application obviously opens the door to apply from another country, because when using a VPN the Embassy/Consulate will have no way of knowing from where you are applying. 

Note that you would always have to leave Thailand even when applying from there, as the Visa entitles you to a permit to stay that has to be stamped in your Passport by Thai border-immigration.  

Edited July 8, 2023 by Red Phoenix

[sandyf]

21 hours ago, Aionss888 said:

On the website it says I can apply but its not totally clear whether or not I have to be a resident in Hong Kong.

Seems fairly clear to me.

 

• Confirmation of legal residence, in the context of the Hong Kong SAR, generally refers to (a) Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card (“A” HKID); (b) Hong Kong Identity Card indicating right to land (“R” HKID) or unconditional stay permit (“U” HKID); or (c) valid stay permit issued by Hong Kong Immigration (for “C” HKID holders).

https://hongkong.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa-info?menu=5d84804a15e39c03c800281e

[sandyf]

3 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

Also, it obviously opens the door to apply from another country, because when using a VPN the Embassy/Consulate will have no way of knowing from where you are applying. 

This is a misleading statement as on the application you must show your right to legal residence.

As far as the OP is concerned he would need to show one of the listed Hong Kong ID cards.

A VPN would only open the door to an application in your home country, by way of passport, while outside your home country, but not without risk. If you were to  make the application during a visit to say Vietnam an observant IO on your return to Thailand may spot the date on the E-visa was during your stay in Vietnam.

[Red Phoenix]

27 minutes ago, sandyf said:

This is a misleading statement as on the application you must show your right to legal residence.

As far as the OP is concerned he would need to show one of the listed Hong Kong ID cards.

A VPN would only open the door to an application in your home country, by way of passport, while outside your home country, but not without risk. If you were to  make the application during a visit to say Vietnam an observant IO on your return to Thailand may spot the date on the E-visa was during your stay in Vietnam.

The statement was that when using a VPN the Embassy/Consulate will have no way of knowing from where you are applying. 

Obviously if the application requires documents that you are not able to show, then it's of no use applying.

It's indeed correct that when the border Immigration official stamping you on arrival, notices that the eVisa was issued when you were not in your home-country according to your passport stamps, that this might create a problem.

But as I wrote, I do not understand the reason for the requirement that you can only apply for the eVisa from your home-country or country of official residence.  Is there a sensible reason for that requirement or is it just bureaucratic nonsense?

[at15]

If you are currently in hong kong you can apply for evisa, its no problem for non resident foreigners.

 

For an evisa you either apply in your home country or you need to apply to the embassy where you are currently located. China and Korea are the only two places that accept evisa in Asia. The consulate needs your flight so they can see where you originate from.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

But as I wrote, I do not understand the reason for the requirement that you can only apply for the eVisa from your home-country or country of official residence.  Is there a sensible reason for that requirement or is it just bureaucratic nonsense?

The requirement that you can only apply when in the country where the embassy/consulate is located is longstanding, predating the e-visa system. It would, indeed, be very convenient if you could apply for serial tourist visas (especially METVs) without ever needing to do more than border bounces to use them. However, the authorities have decided not to make it easy to circumvent the limits on visa exempt entries by land by simply using continuous online visa applications.

[DrJack54]

I'm so over this topic that has been asked about often.

Most often from e-Visa for Thailand from eg London while not being in UK.

 

The requirements for eg METV is clear.

It needs to be applied for in pp country or country where you have permanent resident status.

 

If you are in Thailand or country that has consulate to apply for eg SETV in Saigon...

You should not be applying for e-Visa  from London.

 

The usual suspects saw a loop hole.

Hopefully Thailand immigration can sort that out quickly.

 

By way of contrast I recently obtained a e-Visa to visit Vietnam while living in Thailand.

Completely different animal. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by DrJack54

[pomchop]

17 hours ago, pomchop said:

my total thai stay is 85 days..

i got that wrong..total stay is 175 days so plan is 60 day tourist evisa ..30 day immigration extension then appt with saigon thai embassy to get another 60 day tourist and then final 30 day extension and should be good to go

[Aionss888]

OK thanks, the Thai embassy in Hong Kong also does not accept applications in person so there is no way for me to get a tourist visa in Hong Kong anymore.

 

What is the best embassy to get a tourist visa from these days, preferably near to Thailand?

[Skipalongcassidy]

The best place to get it is in Thailand... if you are going to Vietnam, enter visa free for 15 days... fly to Thailand visa exempt for 30 days... while here in Thailand get 60 tourist visa... simple and covers all your time requirements 

[JayClay]

24 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

while here in Thailand get 60 tourist visa..

This is not possible 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

. while here in Thailand get 60 tourist visa...

Cannot be done however he could enter Thailand visa exempt and obtain 30 day extension and after that do a border bounce for another visa exempt entry 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, Aionss888 said:

OK thanks, the Thai embassy in Hong Kong also does not accept applications in person so there is no way for me to get a tourist visa in Hong Kong anymore.

 

What is the best embassy to get a tourist visa from these days, preferably near to Thailand?

If you plan far enough ahead, and can make the required appointment, best is probably Vientiane. Recognise that there is no embassy/consulate in the region that will issue you unlimited serial tourist visas these days. If you want to be a long stay tourist, you will need to find a solution other than tourist visas and visa exemptions.

[sandyf]

19 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

The statement was that when using a VPN the Embassy/Consulate will have no way of knowing from where you are applying. 

Obviously if the application requires documents that you are not able to show, then it's of no use applying.

It's indeed correct that when the border Immigration official stamping you on arrival, notices that the eVisa was issued when you were not in your home-country according to your passport stamps, that this might create a problem.

But as I wrote, I do not understand the reason for the requirement that you can only apply for the eVisa from your home-country or country of official residence.  Is there a sensible reason for that requirement or is it just bureaucratic nonsense?

You have now truncated the statement to suit your agenda.

As far as the last point is concerned I would have thought it was incorporated to protect certain embassies, in particular the English speaking ones,  from being overloaded.

Highly likely the UK and US would be flooded with applications from people going to Vietnam and Laos. The other aspect is local embassies probably rely on physical  applications for funding.

[Aionss888]

I think I will try to get a tourist visa in Kuala Lumpur as they have nearest appointment time.  Anyone have a recent experience there?

[sandyf]

On 7/8/2023 at 8:55 PM, DrJack54 said:

By way of contrast I recently obtained a e-Visa to visit Vietnam while living in Thailand.

Completely different animal. 

Different countries - different rules.

I recently did an e-visa for Laos but had to use my UK address, wouldn't accept Thai address with UK passport.

Wouldn't know about Vietnam on that, got visa exempt.

There is a huge difference between the Laos/Vietnam arrangement and Thailand E-visas in the types of visa available and how applications are processed.

[BritTim]

9 hours ago, Aionss888 said:

I think I will try to get a tourist visa in Kuala Lumpur as they have nearest appointment time.  Anyone have a recent experience there?

Good luck. The experience when using Kuala Lumpur has varied dramatically over the years. The most recent reports suggest it may again be a bad place to apply. Please report back on this forum on your experience. Apart from Vientiane, there is a lack of good places to apply.