Thoughts on Entry

[SAcanman]

My entry history is:

March 2020 - August 2021: Entered on METV and then the lockdown happened.  Extended 30 days, then amnesty, and then covid extensions.  Approx. 17 months.

April 2022 - June 2023:  Entered on SETV.  Extended 30 days, and then converted to an ED visa in country (yes, I took the actual classes).  Approx. 15 months.

 

I've been out of country since June and would like to enter again in September (approx. 2.5-3 months absence from Thailand).  Ideally, in my mind, I obtain a SETV and fly into Chiang Mai.  I find myself stressing a bit of being denied entering due to my history.  I am in Vietnam currently.

 

Am I stressing unnecessarily?  HCMC appears to have negative reviews.  Is Hanoi a better option?  Or should i get the SETV and enter from somewhere like Laos or Cambodia?

 

Additional info:  I am under 50 and a Canadian citizen.  I have a new passport since I was last in Thailand.  I contacted a well known Elite Visa agent in Chiang Mai about obtaining an Elite visa but they said I would not qualify because my ED visa was issued in country.  They have not had 1 person approved in my situation since May 2023.

 

Thanks in advance.

[BritTim]

For the tourist visa application, Hanoi is even worse than HCMC. For a stress free experience, make an appointment to apply for the visa in Vientiane.

Entering at Chiang Mai airport with a tourist visa should be very safe. You can also enter via the Friendship Bridge from Vientiane to Nong Khai, and fly to Chiang Mai from Udon Thani airport.

[sallecc]

I'll be in a similar boat like you OP, but I'm planning to be back in December... You got a new clean passport right? I wonder will they ask to see the old passport at the embassy during the application? (on e-Visa website they require "a copy of passport pages with past 12 months travel history", which could be a bit troublesome for us)

[thinktoomuch]

11 hours ago, SAcanman said:

Am I stressing unnecessarily?  HCMC appears to have negative reviews.  Is Hanoi a better option?  Or should i get the SETV and enter from somewhere like Laos or Cambodia?

 

Additional info:  I am under 50 and a Canadian citizen.  I have a new passport since I was last in Thailand.  I contacted a well known Elite Visa agent in Chiang Mai about obtaining an Elite visa but they said I would not qualify because my ED visa was issued in country.  They have not had 1 person approved in my situation since May 2023.

If you're stressing about it, get a visa in Laos and enter via land, which was one of the suggestions BrtiTim made.

 

Also, contact the Elite team directly instead of talking to an agent.  FYI, there is a thread on this forum about expected changes to the Elite memberships in the next few weeks, as well as expected price rises. So I'd talk to them directly, ASAP, if I were you.

[SAcanman]

7 hours ago, BritTim said:

For the tourist visa application, Hanoi is even worse than HCMC. For a stress free experience, make an appointment to apply for the visa in Vientiane.

Entering at Chiang Mai airport with a tourist visa should be very safe. You can also enter via the Friendship Bridge from Vientiane to Nong Khai, and fly to Chiang Mai from Udon Thani airport.

Thanks for the advice.  A couple follow up questions:

-when applying for a visa, it usually asks for flight information.  What do you input if you are crossing by land, using Vientiane as an example.

-Any thoughts about obtaining a visa in Cambodia?  Logistically it may be easier to get there (Cambodia).  

[SAcanman]

3 hours ago, sallecc said:

I'll be in a similar boat like you OP, but I'm planning to be back in December... You got a new clean passport right? I wonder will they ask to see the old passport at the embassy during the application? (on e-Visa website they require "a copy of passport pages with past 12 months travel history", which could be a bit troublesome for us)

Yes, I've got a new passport.  I do have my old one with me as well.  I can't apply using evisa as I'm not in Canada.  I won't have flights tickets from Canada to Thailand to show as proof for the application.  They'll also see I'm overseas due to the current stamp.  That's my understanding anyway.

[sallecc]

1 minute ago, SAcanman said:

Yes, I've got a new passport.  I do have my old one with me as well.  I can't apply using evisa as I'm not in Canada.  I won't have flights tickets from Canada to Thailand to show as proof for the application.  They'll also see I'm overseas due to the current stamp.  That's my understanding anyway.

Yep you'll need to apply in one of the nearby embassies... Hope they will not ask to see the old passport (if new one is quite empty), like they are asking for e-Visa.

[SAcanman]

58 minutes ago, thinktoomuch said:

If you're stressing about it, get a visa in Laos and enter via land, which was one of the suggestions BrtiTim made.

 

Also, contact the Elite team directly instead of talking to an agent.  FYI, there is a thread on this forum about expected changes to the Elite memberships in the next few weeks, as well as expected price rises. So I'd talk to them directly, ASAP, if I were you.

Thanks.  Based on the research done here and other forums, it seems highly unlikely I will be able to get an Elite based on my ED history, even directly from Thai Elite.  

I may go the ED route once again to buy some time.  I enjoyed learning the language and it make my time there more enjoyable.  I only have a couple years until i reach 50.

[BritTim]

On 8/5/2023 at 7:40 AM, SAcanman said:

Thanks for the advice.  A couple follow up questions:

-when applying for a visa, it usually asks for flight information.  What do you input if you are crossing by land, using Vientiane as an example.

-Any thoughts about obtaining a visa in Cambodia?  Logistically it may be easier to get there (Cambodia).  

In Cambodia, the only option is the Phnom Penh embassy. The application takes several days, and, historically, tourist visa applications have often been denied, with stamps that make it clear this happened. A few years ago, I would advise people to avoid applying in Phnom Penh unless they were very obviously occasional Thai visitors. It is a bit different now that almost everywhere has become tough.

 

Where flight information is concerned, every embassy/consulate is different. In the past, Vientiane was not insistent on flight bookings. At most, a plausible itinerary seemed to satisfy them.

 

If the cost of getting from Ho Chi Minh City to Vientiane is a serious concern to you, there are buses. That is obviously a very tiring option, taking almost 24 hours. Tell yourself you are still 19 years old, a backpacker seeking adventure.

[SAcanman]

I'm thinking I will fly to Vientiane from Da Nang.  Get the SETV, go up to Luang Prabang for a couple days and then fly into Chiang Mai.  

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, SAcanman said:

I'm thinking I will fly to Vientiane from Da Nang.  Get the SETV, go up to Luang Prabang for a couple days and then fly into Chiang Mai.  

That is an excellent plan. Luang Prabang is well worth a visit if you have never been: more fun than just crossing to Nong Khai and flying from Udon Thani.

[SAcanman]

23 hours ago, BritTim said:

That is an excellent plan. Luang Prabang is well worth a visit if you have never been: more fun than just crossing to Nong Khai and flying from Udon Thani.

I'd rather cross at nong khai to tell you the truth.   But if I have to supply an airplane ticket to get the visa, I might as well use it.  It would be so much easier if you didn't have to supply an airplane ticket in.  There isn't a work-around here is there?  I mean, being right on the border, the consulate should understand people will cross by bridge.  Why make them buy an airline ticket?

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, SAcanman said:

I'd rather cross at nong khai to tell you the truth.   But if I have to supply an airplane ticket to get the visa, I might as well use it.  It would be so much easier if you didn't have to supply an airplane ticket in.  There isn't a work-around here is there?  I mean, being right on the border, the consulate should understand people will cross by bridge.  Why make them buy an airline ticket?

In the past, Vientiane has been happy with a plausible itinerary in place of booked flights. You could ask them.

[SAcanman]

11 hours ago, BritTim said:

In the past, Vientiane has been happy with a plausible itinerary in place of booked flights. You could ask them.

Does a plausible itinerary have to have verified flights booked within Thailand, such as Udon to CNX and a hotel reservation for a week or so, vs a this is what I would like to do, please believe me?  I'd hate to make flight reservations as such and then find out they wont accept them.  Do you know if they respond to inquiries if i email the consulate?  I'll try emailing them but just asking in case someone knows the answer.

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, SAcanman said:

Does a plausible itinerary have to have verified flights booked within Thailand, such as Udon to CNX and a hotel reservation for a week or so, vs a this is what I would like to do, please believe me?  I'd hate to make flight reservations as such and then find out they wont accept them.  Do you know if they respond to inquiries if i email the consulate?  I'll try emailing them but just asking in case someone knows the answer.

I do not know their current policy, only that they are still relatively helpful. A written itinerary, stating your plans used to be sufficient, but I make no guarantees that this is still true.

[SAcanman]

On 8/8/2023 at 3:37 PM, BritTim said:

I do not know their current policy, only that they are still relatively helpful. A written itinerary, stating your plans used to be sufficient, but I make no guarantees that this is still true.

Well, I've emailed them for advice or clarification and it's been a couple work days since and no reply.  I'll wait a couple more to see of they reply. 

[SAcanman]

I wanted to give this thread some closure for anyone who may have a similar circumstance. 

I followed the plan of getting g a SETV from Vientiane, then go to Luang Prabang, and finally fly to Chiang Mai.

The visa was easy to get.  Followed all the instructions on the Vientiane Thai embassy website, arrived with an appointment on a Monday around 9:30 am.  Waited in line outside the gates for about 20 minutes and another 20 minutes inside the embassy.  Submitted my paperwork and no questions asked.  Came back on Wednesday afternoon at about 2pm and I was the only person picking up my visa.  2 minutes and finished.

Flew into Chiang Mai on a Sunday afternoon.  Was the only international flight so I walked straight up to the IO without any wait.  IO was a man in his 50s I would guess, if it makes any difference.  Submitted my passport.  He never said 1 word to me.  He gave my passport back and I was done there in no more than 90 seconds.

Thanks everyone for your help and input.