Proof of accommodation for multi entry tourist e-visa

[MaxSain]

Hi all. A friend of mine has applied for a multi entry e-visa for his first trip into south-east Asia. His plan is to travel around for 4 to 5 months and treat Thailand as his hub so we figured that a multi entry tourist visa is the right way to go. Long story short - he is unable to provide a proof of accommodation as he doesn't yet know if he's gonna stay in Bangkok first, or go South straight away and he would prefer to avoid booking something online and paying for it before seeing it with his own eyes. So the question is what kind of proof of accommodation would satisfy the visa people? Will a one night booking in Bangkok be enough? He has been given time until Tuesday to upload required documents and we can't find any official website with the proof of accommodation requirements for people like him. I would greatly appreciate if someone who has been in a similar situation shared his experience.

[Tod Daniels]

Have them make a booking for the first 60 days of that METV online at a hotel then cancel it once they approve the visa 

Also some people are getting denied that METV because they don't show what the reason is for getting it

I recommend booking a flight out of thailand about 2 months after you arrive and then a flight right back in a day or two later <- that will more than meet the "reason you need an METV" requirement

You can cancel that booking once they approve the visa too 😮

[Skipalongcassidy]

As Todd says above... satisfying METV is NOT a one step process... it involves doing reservations and plans in a way that they can be cancelled and changed after the METV is approved.

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

Have them make a booking for the first 60 days of that METV online at a hotel then cancel it once they approve the visa 

 

This is what I did. But not the full 60 days... It's a multi entry visa so you're supposed to be able to come and go as you please.

 

I booked just a few days with Agoda then cancelled after I got my visa.

[MaxSain]

Thank you all gentlemen

[bear9]

Make a fully refundable airline booking both Finnair and Klm have this option available you just pay a bit more to give you the option to cancel it later.

 

Lots of hotels on Agoda come with free cancellation options some of them don’t take the payment until 48 hours before so in that case you will have it cancelled by that time anyway. 
 

I once only gave a week of booking in 1 of my applications for the special tourist visa they came back to me saying they needed the entire bookings when I gave it for the entire duration they approved it.

 

A week of bookings might be sufficient for the metv but to stay on the safe side I would give them 2 months of bookings that payment won’t be taken until 48 hours before and can be cancelled for free

[ChristianBlessing]

I've done several METV applications and always book 1-2 nights at my destination (typically Chiang Mai). That has  always proven sufficient. I suppose one could book accommodation with cancellation if one planned to immediately travel on. As @Tod Danielsnoted do make sure to have a flight out of Thailand by your 60th day already booked.

[JayClay]

9 minutes ago, ChristianBlessing said:

As @Tod Danielsnoted do make sure to have a flight out of Thailand by your 60th day already booked.

 

This wasn't necessary in my case. The only flight details I gave were for my flights in and out of Thailand. And even then, the return flight was well after the expiry date of the visa (and also after the date of the latest possible exit using said visa even if I'd done a 60+30 on the final valid day on the visa)

[Canadian Snowbird]

It used to be fairly simple to get an METV prior to covid for those of us who prefer to spend our winters here. The evisa system, however, seems to be serving more as a big deterrent to spending more than a few weeks in Thailand. You have to pay for your flights and put a deposit up front for a condo rental. They want a copy of all of your bank activity for 3 months, which is extremely intrusive. Some embassies will take their sweet time before they will even look at your application, and they don't seem to care if you have to pay extra to change your flights or pay on a condo you can't get too if they do not issue your visa in time to make your flights. The entire experience is becoming such a frustrating hassle that for many of us, Thailand is quickly losing its attraction as a winter destination. Maybe it will start to sink in when they cannot fill up all the condos they have overbuilt, or keep the golf courses open because the golfers have gone elsewhere.

[farangbuffalo]

Can anyone confirm what the latest requirements are for bank statements and letter from employer? In the past I had to get my bank statements certified but not sure if they ask for that any more?

[JayClay]

23 minutes ago, farangbuffalo said:

Can anyone confirm what the latest requirements are for bank statements and letter from employer? In the past I had to get my bank statements certified but not sure if they ask for that any more?

 

You do not need bank statements to be certified for an METV

[farangbuffalo]

11 hours ago, JayClay said:

 

You do not need bank statements to be certified for an METV

 

The first couple of years I got one they did starting in 2016. Maybe they only required this for print outs 

[CharlieH]

Bickering exchange completely removed.

 

A difference of opinion is one thing but no excuse to be rude or abusive, that will result in the entire exchange being deleted.

 

See community guidelines.

[bear9]

8 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Bickering exchange completely removed.

 

A difference of opinion is one thing but no excuse to be rude or abusive, that will result in the entire exchange being deleted.

 

See community guidelines.

Thank you 

[MangoKorat]

On 11/5/2023 at 1:03 PM, Canadian Snowbird said:

It used to be fairly simple to get an METV prior to covid for those of us who prefer to spend our winters here. The evisa system, however, seems to be serving more as a big deterrent to spending more than a few weeks in Thailand. You have to pay for your flights and put a deposit up front for a condo rental. They want a copy of all of your bank activity for 3 months, which is extremely intrusive. Some embassies will take their sweet time before they will even look at your application, and they don't seem to care if you have to pay extra to change your flights or pay on a condo you can't get too if they do not issue your visa in time to make your flights. The entire experience is becoming such a frustrating hassle that for many of us, Thailand is quickly losing its attraction as a winter destination. Maybe it will start to sink in when they cannot fill up all the condos they have overbuilt, or keep the golf courses open because the golfers have gone elsewhere.

And yet almost every week we see a report where they are complaining that toursim is down!

[taninthai]

Just got a metv this week didn’t ask for any bank statements/financial proof at all also didn’t ask for anything to do with employment,was really easy this time round didn’t even have flights booked just sent screenshot off preview screen off flight booking.

[freedomnow]

8 minutes ago, taninthai said:

Just got a metv this week didn’t ask for any bank statements/financial proof at all also didn’t ask for anything to do with employment,was really easy this time round didn’t even have flights booked just sent screenshot off preview screen off flight booking.

application country of origin ??

[taninthai]

17 hours ago, freedomnow said:

application country of origin ??

U.K.    

  letter from Thai friend saying I stay there house

copy off elec bill in U.K. for proof of residence.

screenshot off flight booking(flight wasn’t paid it was screenshot before payment page)

And that was it nothing else every other visa I got they wanted bank statements and letter showing accounts as I self employed this time that not asked for applied Sunday visa issued Wednesday (yesterday).

 

[freedomnow]

21 hours ago, taninthai said:

U.K.    

  letter from Thai friend saying I stay there house

copy off elec bill in U.K. for proof of residence.

screenshot off flight booking(flight wasn’t paid it was screenshot before payment page)

And that was it nothing else every other visa I got they wanted bank statements and letter showing accounts as I self employed this time that not asked for applied Sunday visa issued Wednesday (yesterday).

 

With all the tabs on the application website did you just upload blank photos or something or has the application website also been simplified ?

 

[taninthai]

7 hours ago, freedomnow said:

With all the tabs on the application website did you just upload blank photos or something or has the application website also been simplified ?

 

Seems website been simplified,,there was no other tabs apart from passport bio pic and recent selfie……..just see guy on other thread got same visa same simple process ,,,,,,bit strange but all good.

Edited November 10, 2023 by taninthai

[El Matador]

Apparently they just changed the requirements for the METV visa :

- No more 5000 euros/$ requirement with proofs you had that money in the last 6 months. This is huge.

- Only a proof of accomodation when you arrive but no need to show some bookings for 2 months.

 

They stopped the most idiotic requirements of that visa. Now that sounds attractive. Not as good as the 90 days visa exemption they are giving to Russians but still a very nice improvement as you can do only one application per year and you are good to avoid the Thai immigration (and the tax system) with pretty much the same requirements as those of a single entry visa.

[JayClay]

16 minutes ago, El Matador said:

Only a proof of accomodation when you arrive but no need to show some bookings for 2 months

 

Has there ever been a requirement to show 2 months bookings? When I applied the wording was proof of accommodation for "your first stay". It's a multiple entry visa so your first stay could be a single night for all they know. Certainly I only provided proof of accomodation for the first few days.

 

Anyway it's good to hear that the process has been simplified. It looks like the new administration are indeed telling embassies to lighten up a little bit. I wonder if the consulates will follow suit with regards to issuing SETVs?

 

Does anybody know if the requirement to be in the county of residence before applying for a METV has been relaxed, either officially or otherwise?

 

 

[El Matador]

I don't remember it exactly but I remember they wanted the proof of accomodation for the whole stay at some point.

And I completely skipped and forgot about that visa when I saw they also asked 6 months of having 5000 euros in the bank doing nothing with certified papers from the bank.

I would consider that visa now, although I would try to apply 2 months before the first flight to avoid any bad surprise from the embassy.

3 stays of almost 2 months with 2 forced exits seem pretty ok for never dealing again with the immigration and embassies during the year. The procedure seems much less bureaucratic.