E-Visa option legitimate option?

[Deserted]

Hi there, I am presently in Saudi Arabia. There is a Thai embassy here and I called them up saying I would be in Thailand for the summer for 55 days, do you issue 60 day tourist visas. I got a bit of an impolite response. They said just go on-line and apply for E-visa and do it that way. I have never done this before as this is the first time I have been told this. He said 'Why should we when you can' so I couldn't be sure if they just don't want to or they do not have authority. Hard to tell. Anyway, if I want to spend 50 days in Thailand over the summer, can this be taken care of by applying for an E-visa on line? Never been down this path before, hence why I am asking. How does the process work exactly?

Edited May 3 by Deserted

[CartagenaWarlock]

If you passport allow visa exempt entry, enter visa exempt for 30-days and then extend it for another 30 days. If your passport does not allow visa exempt entry, you have to do what they are telling you to do. 

[Deserted]

My passport is British. So I can extend for 30 days at Immigration in Bangkok? I normally come for just a week and never do such things. So 30 day tourist visa can get 30 day extension in Bangkok?

[DrJack54]

36 minutes ago, Deserted said:

They said just go on-line and apply for E-visa and do it that way.

eVisa for Thailand was intended to be applied for in your own country or country where you have residence status.

There are reports of being able to apply for eVisa while out of pp country.

Suggest you apply and if eVisa issued you would not have trouble upon entry to Thailand. 

 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Deserted said:

My passport is British. So I can extend for 30 days at Immigration in Bangkok? I normally come for just a week and never do such things. So 30 day tourist visa can get 30 day extension in Bangkok?

Yes.

Note it's not a 30 day tourist visa.

It's a visa exempt entry and can be extended by 30 days. 1900b

You can also do border bounces to obtain 30 + 30 extension twice

[CartagenaWarlock]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can also do border bounces to obtain 30 + 30 extension twice

In my opinion, a border bounce in a cattle cart should be the last option for a person. Sitting all day in a crammed minivan is no joy for a holiday. 

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, CartagenaWarlock said:

In my opinion, a border bounce in a cattle cart should be the last option for a person. Sitting all day in a crammed minivan is no joy for a holiday. 

You can also go in a nice one with a decent breakfast and lunch included.  Horses for courses.

[Deserted]

Okay, so I can arrive on 30 day visa exemption and have this extended in Bangkok by 30 days, is that correct?

[GroveHillWanderer]

Quote

12 minutes ago, Deserted said:

 

Okay, so I can arrive on 30 day visa exemption and have this extended in Bangkok by 30 days, is that correct?

 

Yes.

Edited May 3 by GroveHillWanderer

[DrJack54]

21 minutes ago, Deserted said:

Okay, so I can arrive on 30 day visa exemption and have this extended in Bangkok by 30 days, is that correct?

Yes.

You apply with a tm7 and cost is 1900b.

Most likely you require TM30 for application.

[Caldera]

4 hours ago, Deserted said:

Hi there, I am presently in Saudi Arabia.

 

Are you a foreign resident of Saudi Arabia, or just a tourist there?

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

Are you a foreign resident of Saudi Arabia, or just a tourist there?

Very good question 

[Deserted]

3 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Are you a foreign resident of Saudi Arabia, or just a tourist there?

 

I am a resident there. Can I do it here and get a 60 day visa, save me waiting at immigration.

[DrJack54]

7 hours ago, Deserted said:

 

I am a resident there. Can I do it here and get a 60 day visa, save me waiting at immigration.

Yes. 

Note the 60 day tourist visa can also be extended by 30 days if needed..

[sandyf]

8 hours ago, Deserted said:

 

I am a resident there. Can I do it here and get a 60 day visa, save me waiting at immigration.

No, you cannot do it "here" if you mean Saudia Arabia as it is not on the E-visa platform. Even if it were there may be language issues, Hong Kong created their website in English.

You should be able to do it online using the London website, full instructions can be found here

https://thaievisa.go.th/static/English-Manual.pdf

 

[VBF]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

No, you cannot do it "here" if you mean Saudia Arabia as it is not on the E-visa platform. Even if it were there may be language issues, Hong Kong created their website in English.

You should be able to do it online using the London website, full instructions can be found here

https://thaievisa.go.th/static/English-Manual.pdf

 

All Thai visa applications are now online, so the KSA embassy were correct, if a little abrupt.

Apply here https://www.thaievisa.go.th/  not on any other, unofficial site.

 

If you choose the London option, one of the questions asked will be your current location. If you say KSA, you're telling the truth, however were you to accidentally say that you're in UK, (!) I imagine the application would be successful.  When it's granted, all you get is a PDF file which you must print out and present at immigration  with your passport on arrival.
 

[sandyf]

43 minutes ago, VBF said:

All Thai visa applications are now online, so the KSA embassy were correct, if a little abrupt.

Apply here https://www.thaievisa.go.th/  not on any other, unofficial site.

 

If you choose the London option, one of the questions asked will be your current location. If you say KSA, you're telling the truth, however were you to accidentally say that you're in UK, (!) I imagine the application would be successful.  When it's granted, all you get is a PDF file which you must print out and present at immigration  with your passport on arrival.
 

The E-visa platform was only available in 23 countries Nov 22,  since then I think Slovakia, Slovenia and Austria have been added.

I created my account when e-visa was only available in China, did quite a bit of testing on the China one and then on the London site when available.

Had several e-visas, one obtained here in Thailand, well aware of how it works.

 

 

Edited May 4 by sandyf

[VBF]

2 minutes ago, sandyf said:

The E-visa platform is only available in 23 countries.

I created my account when e-visa was only available in China, did quite a bit of testing on the China one and then on the London site when available.

Had several e-visas, one obtained here in Thailand, well aware of how it works.

 

 

I guessed you were, but although I replied to you to keep the thread moving, the information was for the OP.

BUT...are you saying that the OP could not even access the site from KSA?  If so, that I didn't know.

[sandyf]

19 minutes ago, VBF said:

BUT...are you saying that the OP could not even access the site from KSA?  If so, that I didn't know.

No I am not saying that, the site is made up of centralised pages and country specific pages but not sure how you are directed to the right ones, could be linked to your account.

I just logged in and as a matterof interest put in UK passport and Saudi resident, a message popped up and said to contact regional offices.

I wouldn't take that as gospel as the system may have seen a conflict in respect of my account, the OP should try it with a new account. It could however mean that residents of countries not on the e-visa platform cannot use the e-visa. When I tried the same thing before it was another e-visa country and that worked.

[Deserted]

On the embassy webpage in Saudi, it links the E-visa platform and when I called them they told me to go there. I will call them back Monday and ask how to proceed.

[Maestro]

Seeing how unhelpful the Thai embassy in Saudi Arabia was, don't call them again. Instead, on their website, click on the link to the eVisa site and take it from there. It runs you through about a dozen data entry pages and if you have any question along the way, ask for advice in this topic.

[stubuzz]

1 hour ago, Deserted said:

On the embassy webpage in Saudi, it links the E-visa platform and when I called them they told me to go there. I will call them back Monday and ask how to proceed.

Correct. E-visas not available from the Saudi Embassy.

[VBF]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

No I am not saying that, the site is made up of centralised pages and country specific pages but not sure how you are directed to the right ones, could be linked to your account.

I just logged in and as a matterof interest put in UK passport and Saudi resident, a message popped up and said to contact regional offices.

I wouldn't take that as gospel as the system may have seen a conflict in respect of my account, the OP should try it with a new account. It could however mean that residents of countries not on the e-visa platform cannot use the e-visa. When I tried the same thing before it was another e-visa country and that worked.

Understood. 👍

So presumably if  the OP put in UK passport and UK resident that would work(?)

As I intimated above, assuming the visa is granted, once you get to Thailand, nobody would know.

Even handing over one's boarding pass shouldn't cause a problem - I always get my visa in UK (which is genuine in my case) fly UK-Dubai-Thailand  and hand over  a BP showing I've arrived from Dubai - never even questioned even though I keep the London to Dubai BP "just in case".

Edited May 4 by VBF

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, VBF said:

 

So presumably if  the OP put in UK passport and UK resident that would work(?)

Indeed, but if you do that you are supposed to be in the UK at the time, but there is always the VPN.

The sooner the system is complete and global the better, then there wouldn't be these anomalies.