S/E Asian Thai Consulates going to eVisa online system effective Tuesday Oct 8th

[Tod Daniels]

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS;

 

The following Thai consulates in S/E Asia will go to online eVisa applications ONLY starting the 8th of Oct. They will discontinue any walk up/in person visa applications at that time.

Actually some of them stopped accepting in person applications already and have consular services closed until they open on the eVisa system on Tuesday

Vietnam - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Bharu

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

 

The follow consulates are still walk up consulates (they will not be changing to eVisa at this time) BUT you need to book an appt online to get in the gate

Lao - Vientiane, Savannakhet

Burma - Yangon

 

The following consulates are walk up consulates no appt needed

Indonesia - Jakarta

Taiwan - Taipei

Philippines - Manila

 

You have to physically be IN the country whose thai consulate you are using on the eVisa system. 

Also the consulates that used to sell year/multi-Non-O's will no longer be able to seeing as that is NOT a choice on the eVisa system (so anyone thinking of going to HCMC year/multi Non-O think again 😕 )
For that year long multi-entry Non-O visa based on marriage you use Savannakhet or Yangon (where reports are that it's issued) 

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, Tod Daniels said:

Also the consulates that used to sell year/multi-Non-O's will no longer be able to seeing as that is NOT a choice on the eVisa system (so anyone thinking of going to HCMC or Savannakhet for year/multi Non-O think again 😕 )

But Savannakhet isn't going e-visa (yet) - did they stop multi's anyway?

[Tod Daniels]

24 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

But Savannakhet isn't going e-visa (yet) -

well spotted 😄
I edited the post to reflect that savannakhet and yangon will be about the only two 'walk up' consulates to get year/multi Non-O's from
 

People said they got them in Vientiane too but I can't find anyone who did it this year so dunno

[DrJack54]

Excellent update @Tod Daniels

Any idea if Laos eg Savannakhet etc will follow suit with eVisa 

 

[Liquorice]

5 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

I edited the post to reflect that savannakhet and yangon will be about the only two 'walk up' consulates to get year/multi Non-O's from

Savannahket and Yangon are by appointment, not walk up.

 

Surely you meant the below are still 'walk up'.

Indonesia - Jakarta

Taiwan - Taipei

Philippines - Manila

[Tod Daniels]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Any idea if Laos eg Savannakhet etc will follow suit with eVisa 

I think we will eventually see ALL the consulates switch over to the eVisa web portal, we can only watch the f/b pages and websites for any announcements

[Denim]

All these changes are not going to benefit the applicants.  Better for the consular staff as the net end result will be less work for them since people will see less advantage in going to these places.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Denim said:

All these changes are not going to benefit the applicants. 

Quite the opposite.

 

[Liquorice]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Any idea if Laos eg Savannakhet etc will follow suit with eVisa 

In June, the MFA announced plans for all Thai Embassies to switch to the e-visa system by the end of December.
Let's wait and see.

[JimTripper]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

All these changes are not going to benefit the applicants.  Better for the consular staff as the net end result will be less work for them since people will see less advantage in going to these places.

I very much disagree. I wish all visa stuff was automated (assuming it works correctly). The less personal contact the better.

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

All these changes are not going to benefit the applicants.  Better for the consular staff as the net end result will be less work for them since people will see less advantage in going to these places.

 

I disagree. For a Cambodian living in let's say Siem Reap who wants to apply for a Thai visa, not having to go to Phnom Penh makes the application process a lot easier and cheaper. Especially when you consider that it took up to a week to get a visa there, so an applicant either had to wait around or do that trip twice.

 

The same applies to other countries where the eVisa system has already been rolled out, of course. 

[Denim]

1 minute ago, JimTripper said:

I very much disagree. I wish all visa stuff was automated (assuming it works correctly). The less personal contact the better.

 

Big assumption.

[DrJack54]

31 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

Big assumption.

eVisa had it's teething problems early on as would be expected.

Many reports of how much the system has been improved.

eVisa for Thailand applied for in UK on example.

I travel often to Vietnam and since eVisa is available for visa for Vietnam it's a breeze. 

Simple application takes 5 minutes tops. 

Visa issued within 5 days. 

[Greenwich Boy]

Currently on a METV which I messed up by applying for too early. I need to enter Thailand once more after its expiry in January and would much rather do that on a SETV than VE. I will be in Vietnam for a month but not near an Embassy, does this mean I can apply for an e visa before flying back?

[Upnotover]

11 minutes ago, Greenwich Boy said:

Currently on a METV which I messed up by applying for too early. I need to enter Thailand once more after its expiry in January and would much rather do that on a SETV than VE. I will be in Vietnam for a month but not near an Embassy, does this mean I can apply for an e visa before flying back?

Yes.  As of tomorrow through the Thai e-visa portal. Depending on your location the application will either be processed in Hanoi or HCMC but you will not need to attend either the embassy or consulate. 

[Celsius]

Only a matter of time before visa runs are thing of the past.

 

Pretty smart of Thailand. Introduce unlimited border runs - remove the ability to do border runs. 

[Upnotover]

9 minutes ago, Celsius said:

Only a matter of time before visa runs are thing of the past.

 

Pretty smart of Thailand. Introduce unlimited border runs - remove the ability to do border runs. 

Why?  Still can go to a nearby country and make an e-visa application, just don't have to physically attend the embassy.  I am guessing they will all be asking for some proof of "residence", entry stamp/hotel booking, etc.

[Celsius]

Just now, Upnotover said:

Why?  Still can go to a nearby country and make an e-visa application, just don't have to physically attend the embassy.  I am guessing they will all be asking for some proof of "residence", entry stamp/hotel booking, etc.

 

How is that a proof of residence?

[Upnotover]

Just now, Celsius said:

 

How is that a proof of residence?

Depends on the definition of residence.  I think what they really want is proof of presence.

[Liquorice]

20 minutes ago, Celsius said:

Only a matter of time before visa runs are thing of the past.

 

Pretty smart of Thailand. Introduce unlimited border runs - remove the ability to do border runs. 

How do you come to that conclusion.

 

VE and multi entry visas will still have to cross borders.

e-visa is useless until you cross a border to enter Thailand to activate the permission of stay.

[Watawattana]

16 hours ago, Tod Daniels said:

The following Thai consulates in S/E Asia will go to online eVisa applications ONLY starting the 8th of Oct. They will discontinue any walk up/in person visa applications at that time.

Actually some of them stopped accepting in person applications already and have consular services closed until they open on the eVisa system on Tuesday

Vietnam - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City

Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Bharu

Cambodia - Phnom Penh

 

45 minutes ago, Greenwich Boy said:

Currently on a METV which I messed up by applying for too early. I need to enter Thailand once more after its expiry in January and would much rather do that on a SETV than VE. I will be in Vietnam for a month but not near an Embassy, does this mean I can apply for an e visa before flying back?

 

I reckon the captioned from the OP means you don't need to.  Anywhere with an Internet connection, and as long as you have all the right info to upload you should be okay.  The eVisa system ought to be able to 'read' your IP address so will know you are in-country, in Vietnam, therefore eligible to apply through the system based in Hanoi or HCM.

 

 

 

 

[Liquorice]

10 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

How is that a proof of residence?

I suspect they'll request a copy of the visa of the Country you're applying from, Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia etc.

[PJ71]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

eVisa had it's teething problems early on as would be expected.

Teething problems are no good when you've got an expiration date on current visa.

 

The system and website needs built properly and tested properly....which is unlikely.

[Denim]

3 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

eVisa had it's teething problems early on as would be expected.

Many reports of how much the system has been improved.

eVisa for Thailand applied for in UK on example.

I travel often to Vietnam and since eVisa is available for visa for Vietnam it's a breeze. 

Simple application takes 5 minutes tops. 

Visa issued within 5 days. 

 

Thats good.

 

I was in Big C the other day and there was a world wide internet crash. Only cash payments were being taken on that day. A lot of people with full trolleys had to go home empty handed.

 

Putting everything online is fine ......... until there is a glitch. May not happen often but if and when it does then it causes a big nightmare.

With hackers and scammers getting smarter I still prefer face to face encounters.

As an aside , I almost never use my credit card in Thailand except for big purches. Nonethless hackers / scammers somehow got hold of my cc details and went on a one day shopping spree BACK IN THE UK !!!   When I got my online bank statement there were purchases for 150 pounds at a Tesco outlet in north London ? I immediately contacted the bank security who at first were reluctant to believe me. It was only when I proved I was in Thailand with my credit card that I was refunded.

 

Paranoid much ? Guilty . But with science fiction often becoming fact I would hardly be surprised to see a Terminator coming up the soi  looking for Sarah Conner.

 

 

 

[thecyclist]

Would be great if they did the same for visa extension 

 

[Pattaya57]

38 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Teething problems are no good when you've got an expiration date on current visa.

 

The system and website needs built properly and tested properly....which is unlikely.

The e-visa system already works really well all over the World. Adding a few Asian embassies should be a pretty seamless addition 

[PJ71]

18 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

The e-visa system already works really well all over the World. Adding a few Asian embassies should be a pretty seamless addition 

Yeah, you'd think so....

[Pattaya57]

2 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Yeah, you'd think so....

Well you're the only one who thinks not. They added Australia and NZ in April no problems

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Yeah, you'd think so....

He is talking from experience in recently obtaining non O in Oz for Thailand via newly added eVisa option in AU.

No reason to suggest it won't work fine in places such a Vietnam, Laos etc

[PJ71]

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

He is talking from experience in recently obtaining non O in Oz for Thailand via newly added eVisa option in AU.

No reason to suggest it won't work fine in places such a Vietnam, Laos etc

Who obtained what in Oz, certainly not me.