New "E-visa" System; Thai Consulate, George Town (Penang Island), Malaysia

[allane]

Is there anyone who has processed a Non-Immigrant "B" visa there since Jan. 1, 2025 ? I have just been asked a for guidance by someone who is an absolute beginner.  His main question is processing time.  Does he receive some sort of temporary sticker which will enable him to return to Thailand immediately ?  Or will it be necessary for him to remain in Malaysia for some period of time ?

[Hocus Pocus]

I have not processed as such, but am in a similar situation. All nearby country Thai Embassy/Consulate websites quote a blanket 15 business day processing time except Kuala Lumpur, which quotes a 7 day processing time (calendar or business day unknown). Just an educated guess at this point, but I think that type of visa (Tourist visa will take less time and Non-B/Non-O longer due to more paperwork) and completeness/accuracy of required documents will be factors in actual processing time.

 

The EVISA process assumes that the applicant is physically in the country at the time of application and requires the applicant to upload proof of location (either visa stamp and/or plane ticket stub) as part of document submission. Assuming documents are in order when submitted, there is no interaction from the Embassy until the visa is approved and sent by mail. They will not issue any temporary "sticker" to return. In theory, your friend could pop back to Thailand, but then he would have to return to Malaysia once the visa is issued in order to return to Thailand with the non-B visa printout. Personally, I would NOT recommend this as immigration in Thailand could check in/out stamps upon return with possible problems.

 

As to the required documents, I would recommend that your friend make an EVISA account and prepare a draft application online. You can save the application and ensure that you have prepared/uploaded all of the necessary documents (except for the proof of location) in advance. I logged into my account and did the first page as attached. There are several types of Non-B visas, so the required documents may vary based on exactly what your friend intends to do.

 

For myself, if I am forced to leave the country to reset from my current non-B work extension to a non-O retirement, I will leave on a Sunday afternoon to KL, add the proof of location to my application, submit and pay online. Then from Monday I will vacation in cheap and comfortable KL until the approval arrives by email. Good luck.