Two Tourist Visa's From The States... Possible, Difficult..?

[sukatoro]

hi all, me and my wife are already planning to visit Thailand in september and planned on getting a normal tourist visa from our local consulate here in the US, so we were resigned to the 60-days + 30 day extension caveat already... but, last night i spoke w/ a good friend who is an american retired in Phuket and he told me that we should get two tourist visa's instead so we could stay through the holidays, allowing i guess 180 days total possible.

i had never heard of this possibility. can anyone tell me whether this is in fact correct, if we go into my local consulate and just ask for two of them ready to pay will they be granted? we would really love to stay longer than the 90 days if possible, we are committed to leaving in september but being able to stay through new years and even beyond some is very attractive to us!

if anyone could be kind enough to shed some light on this or clarify it would be greatly appreciated, should i expect to be interrogated at the consulate as to why we want to stay this long or is it business as usual to them? thx in advance friends..!

[ProThaiExpat]

There is much loose language used by so called "knowledgeable" well intentioned people when speaking of visa rules and regulations.

While I have never heard of multiple visas being granted at the same time, I have heard of multiple entry tourist visas granted by Embassy's and Consulates. By obtaining a multiple entry tourist visa, you could stay here much longer but you would have to make a visa run across the border. First time might just turn out to be a nice sojourn. Honorary Consulates may not be able to give this type visa.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

There is much loose language used by so called "knowledgeable" well intentioned people when speaking of visa rules and regulations.

While I have never heard of multiple visas being granted at the same time, I have heard of multiple entry tourist visas granted by Embassy's and Consulates. By obtaining a multiple entry tourist visa, you could stay here much longer but you would have to make a visa run across the border. First time might just turn out to be a nice sojourn. Honorary Consulates may not be able to give this type visa.

A double entry tourist visa is easy anywhere in the US. Honorary Consulates CAN issue.

[sukatoro]

There is much loose language used by so called "knowledgeable" well intentioned people when speaking of visa rules and regulations.

While I have never heard of multiple visas being granted at the same time, I have heard of multiple entry tourist visas granted by Embassy's and Consulates. By obtaining a multiple entry tourist visa, you could stay here much longer but you would have to make a visa run across the border. First time might just turn out to be a nice sojourn. Honorary Consulates may not be able to give this type visa.

A double entry tourist visa is easy anywhere in the US. Honorary Consulates CAN issue.

thx for your replies friends, so it is likely that we can get these then? that is great news... is that what we should walk in asking for then, a "double entry tourist visa"..?

[ovenman]

is that what we should walk in asking for then, a "double entry tourist visa"..?

Correct.

[billp]

Each entry gives you 60 days + 30 day extension possible.

[sukatoro]

thx again for all the replies friends, we went down to our locale consulate yesterday and they were very nice about it. when we told them we wanted double-entry tourist visas w/ multiple entries they gave us no problem at all... we were told we could have 6 months w/ 3 entries apiece at the maximum, but were advised to come back w/ the application closer to our departure so the time doesn't start ticking down now on us. i didn't realize that the visas worked that way but they told us not to worry about it and just return in the week before we leave to get them done overnight so we get the full 6 months activation...

do i understand this properly, from the date of issue the visas are good for 6 months, does that mean if we leave a week later after they are issued we can only stay in Thailand for 5 months 3 weeks? or that the visa must just be used for the first time before the end of the 6 month period? my friend who lives over there had suggested that we try to get these two tourist visas, and then when we arrive for the first time to tell them we want a 'Visa on Arrival' stamp for the normal 30 days so we can save our two tourist visas, so we can garner an extra month of stay... is this inaccurate? does the date of issue on our tourist visas set the entire time we can stay, or just the maximum time before the visa itself can 'activated' so to speak..?

hope that made sense, and any clarification would be great..!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Generally Immigration will not let you 'reserve' a visa for use another time.

[sukatoro]

Generally Immigration will not let you 'reserve' a visa for use another time.

ok, but just so i am clear... if i get the two toruist visas on sep 15, which together garner an official total of 180 days possible, and i arrive in thailand on the 21st and activate my first tourist visa, am i now left w/ a total now of only 173 days instead of the 180? i understand that the visas must be used w/in the 6 months allotted, but does that just mean they must be activated before the end of the 6 months, or are literally counting down the days from the minute they are issued? i hope that makes sense, it almost doesn't to me now when i read back over it..!

[lopburi3]

1. Visa allows entry up to six months from date of issue.

2. If used for full time (max) you would enter 60 plus extend 30, exit country/enter 60 plus extend 30 for total of about 180 days.

3. You could also stay out of Thailand for a bit and enter before the six month validity of visa expires and obtain a new 60 plus extend 30 then.

4. There would be no advantage to asking for visa exempt entry as you could do that after you use the visas if you really want to stay longer.

5. You could also visit a Consulate in a bordering country to obtain a new tourist visa (although not likely more than one single entry at a time).

[sukatoro]

1. Visa allows entry up to six months from date of issue.

2. If used for full time (max) you would enter 60 plus extend 30, exit country/enter 60 plus extend 30 for total of about 180 days.

3. You could also stay out of Thailand for a bit and enter before the six month validity of visa expires and obtain a new 60 plus extend 30 then.

4. There would be no advantage to asking for visa exempt entry as you could do that after you use the visas if you really want to stay longer.

5. You could also visit a Consulate in a bordering country to obtain a new tourist visa (although not likely more than one single entry at a time).

many thx to you very much for the clarification friend, i've got it down pat now. will be getting back to paradise soon enough now it appears..!

[cmagrad]

is that what we should walk in asking for then, a "double entry tourist visa"..?

Correct.

Not True

Chicago will only give tourist visas based on the number of tickets you have. Even if you show a round trip ticket with 6 months duration they will only issue one tourist visa. One ticket One visa. The only way I can get a 2 stamp tourist visa from Chicago is to buy full price tickets to some other place (from thailand) during my original 6 month stay in Thailand. Then after I show the 2 tickets and get the 2 stamp tourist visa I cancel the second flight for a full refund.

Hope this info helps

B