" Illegal " Visa .....

[engineer]

I am in Thailand on a Non Immigrant B which is due to expire in 3 weeks . I had decided to apply for another visa by mail as I did not want to incur the cost of flying home .

I got talking to someone the other day who told me he personally heard of 4 farang who were arrested then deported for having got their visa by mail while they were inside Thailand . One guy was in the slammer for a few weeks as well and then told he could not return to Thailand for 3 years.

I kinda thought this sounded a bit unreal so I investigated.

I contacted my local Consulate outside Thailand and was told that " unless I actually applied for the visa while I was actually in my country of residence , the visa was illegal " . It seems that the Immigration have been checking the exit and entry stamps on peoples passports to see if they corrospond with the dates in which the visa was issued.

I gave the Embassy a call then and got the same story from them .

The word " illegal " was used in both occasions during both conversations.

All news to me .

Have I had my head in the sand or is this common knowledge these days ?

Considering the amount of Falang who enter Thailand on a daily basis , presentage wise the chances of the guy spending time going through the passport is small , but it just takes one time it seems . In my year here no one has ever gone through my passport or questioned me as to how I got the visa . The thought of deportation is enough to scare me into taking a trip home now , but at a huge cost .

Ideas greatly appreciated.

[Wizzard of Oz]

If you are ok with a 3 month visa, just pop across to laos or panang. No need ot go all the way home.

[engineer]

Thanks Oz , forgot to mention thats its a one year multiple .

[meadish_sweetball]

Yes, visas acquired from a foreign posting without leaving Thailand yourself are illegal.

[engineer]

The answer I TRIED to get from both the Consulate and Embassy was that if i applied for a new visa from my home country while outside Thailand ( Singapore was given as an example ) would it be valid .

All my business documents and bank statements relate to my home country .

They could not answer that .

[meadish_sweetball]

You'll get more straight up replies in the visa subforum I believe, as that is where the visa anoraks reside...

So I will move this but leave a reference link here.

[Maejo Man]

The answer I TRIED to get from both the Consulate and Embassy was that if i applied for a new visa from my home country while outside Thailand ( Singapore was given as an example ) would it be valid .

All my business documents and bank statements relate to my home country .

They could not answer that .

If you apply in person (by registered mail if you are in that country) it's valid, by mail from Thailand has always been illegal, althought it was done by a lot of people for years untill they clamped down.

There is no restriction on which country you apply in, providing you have the necessary documentation, but the final decision lies with the Embassy or Consulate. I have never heard of anybody being refused in Singapore with the issue of non immigrant visas.

[Ulysses G.]

The only thing that you really have to worry about is not applying for the visa from outside the country while you are in Thailand. You can go to Malaysia and send your passport elsewhere and return to Thailand when you have the visa. I don't know what Thailand's law says about that, but there is no way to control it.

By the way, if you DON"T have the correct documentation, Singapore is one of the strictest embassies about refusing to issue any visa at all.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[calibanjr.]

I don't see it as a problem for Thailand Immigration. If you sat in Singapore and fedexed your papers to the Thai consul in your home country and reentered Thailand with it. I would for sure call the home country consul to make sure they will send it back to you in Singapore (or wherever, postage paid of course). I think they would be fine with that, too. But I would absolutely clarify it with them. I doubt very much that the honorary-consul general who does my visas cares where I get them, or actually even signs mine himself!

[melmark]

You are a lot braver than me to be considering sending your passport out of the country you are physically in to obtain a visa. How many countries is it legal to be in the country without your passport?

Melmark

[lazeeboy]

You are a lot braver than me to be considering sending your passport out of the country you are physically in to obtain a visa. How many countries is it legal to be in the country without your passport?

Melmark

non b ,i take you have a work permit,why dont you apply for a resident b visa at your local imigration in thailand,cost 5000b and you sign on every 3 month in thailand imigration ,your tax goes up slightly ,but what you save on visa runs makes it swings and roundabouts..

[lopburi3]

There is no such thing. Believe what you are thinking about is a one year extension of stay from Immigration and 90 day address reports (which can be done by mail). But unless you meet the conditions required you can not make any such extension of stay and the cost is 1,900 baht - not 5,000 baht.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You are a lot braver than me to be considering sending your passport out of the country you are physically in to obtain a visa. How many countries is it legal to be in the country without your passport?

Melmark

non b ,i take you have a work permit,why dont you apply for a resident b visa at your local imigration in thailand,cost 5000b and you sign on every 3 month in thailand imigration ,your tax goes up slightly ,but what you save on visa runs makes it swings and roundabouts..

Rubbish

[Lite Beer]

There is no such thing. Believe what you are thinking about is a one year extension of stay from Immigration and 90 day address reports (which can be done by mail). But unless you meet the conditions required you can not make any such extension of stay and the cost is 1,900 baht - not 5,000 baht.

In Samui it probably would be 5,000 as that is what they charged me at every annual extension. Many others reported the same.

Samui is it`s own little world.

[Briggsy]

You are a lot braver than me to be considering sending your passport out of the country you are physically in to obtain a visa. How many countries is it legal to be in the country without your passport?

Melmark

non b ,i take you have a work permit,why dont you apply for a resident b visa at your local imigration in thailand,cost 5000b and you sign on every 3 month in thailand imigration ,your tax goes up slightly ,but what you save on visa runs makes it swings and roundabouts..

<deleted> is a "resident b visa"??????

[lopburi3]

There is no such thing - poster seems to be talking about annual extension of stay from Immigration on the basis of work and meeting the income/paperwork requirements of that.

[Ajarn]

According to a phone call I made a couple of years ago to a Thai consulate in America, you must be in America in order to get your visa. Any other way is illegal.

I should ad that for 4 years, I sent my passport to America and got a non-im visa in return..

[OxfordWill]

sending your passport from another country like Malaysia, to your home country, still be a risk because they can see that you stamped into Malaysia but not out again (until you enter Thailand again)? And of course not having your passport is a slight risk.

[engineer]

According to a phone call I made a couple of years ago to a Thai consulate in America, you must be in America in order to get your visa. Any other way is illegal.

I should ad that for 4 years, I sent my passport to America and got a non-im visa in return..

I guess its a numbers game , as I said , thousands of Falang enter here on a daily basis and if you pick the wrong guy on the wrong day then you are up sh**s creek without a paddle . The thought of going through the nightmare at Immigration is enuff to make me fly home . ( sadly ) That at least will show I have been out of Thailand for 5 weeks and I guess that will satisfy them .

[visarunner]

I got talking to someone the other day who told me he personally heard of 4 farang who were arrested then deported for having got their visa by mail while they were inside Thailand . One guy was in the slammer for a few weeks as well and then told he could not return to Thailand for 3 years.

I kinda thought this sounded a bit unreal so I investigated.

Those individuals were arrested because they had fake Visa issued from Cardiff.

This is currently big story in Pattaya.

In general it is illegal to send Passport outside of Thailand while you still here.

[visarunner]

sending your passport from another country like Malaysia, to your home country, still be a risk because they can see that you stamped into Malaysia but not out again (until you enter Thailand again)? And of course not having your passport is a slight risk.

This practise has been done by a number of my friends with a European Consulate and so far no one had ever a problem.

Be reminded you need to be outside of the country.

[Crossy]

Those individuals were arrested because they had fake Visa issued from Cardiff.

You can tell real visas from Cardiff, the stamp says 'Cardief'

[ovenman]

Those individuals were arrested because they had fake Visa issued from Cardiff.

Just to clarify, do you mean a fake visa or a legitimate visa from Cardiff that was obtained using questionable means?

[visarunner]

Those individuals were arrested because they had fake Visa issued from Cardiff.

Just to clarify, do you mean a fake visa or a legitimate visa from Cardiff that was obtained using questionable means?

FAKE Visa.Homemade stamp.

[ovenman]

Those individuals were arrested because they had fake Visa issued from Cardiff.

Just to clarify, do you mean a fake visa or a legitimate visa from Cardiff that was obtained using questionable means?

FAKE Visa.Homemade stamp.

Noted, thanks.

[lazeeboy]

There is no such thing. Believe what you are thinking about is a one year extension of stay from Immigration and 90 day address reports (which can be done by mail). But unless you meet the conditions required you can not make any such extension of stay and the cost is 1,900 baht - not 5,000 baht.

maybe in bkk its 1900b but here in samui its 5000b or you dont get it .........

[Lite Beer]

There is no such thing. Believe what you are thinking about is a one year extension of stay from Immigration and 90 day address reports (which can be done by mail). But unless you meet the conditions required you can not make any such extension of stay and the cost is 1,900 baht - not 5,000 baht.

maybe in bkk its 1900b but here in samui its 5000b or you dont get it .........

In Samui it has been 5,000 for a long time.1,900 every where else.

Why do you think the Samui oficers are always smilling?

[torrenova]

sending your passport from another country like Malaysia, to your home country, still be a risk because they can see that you stamped into Malaysia but not out again (until you enter Thailand again)? And of course not having your passport is a slight risk.

And prey tell me why the Thai Embassy would give a hoot about your Malaysia stamps (or any other than Thai actually) ?

The reality is that it can be done this way you would be without a passport for a few days. The costs savings are not that great anyway.

Schedule:

Monday - leave Thailand and FedEx your passport to your mate back home. Stay hotel in foreign country

Tuesday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Wednesday - your mate receives your passport. Stay hotel in foreign country

Thursday - your mate sends your passport off. Stay hotel in foreign country

Friday - Embassy receives your passport and stamps your visa. Stay hotel in foreign country

Saturday - your mate receives your passport. Stay hotel in foreign country

Sunday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Monday - your mate FedExs your passport back to you. Stay hotel in foreign country

Tuesday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Wednesday - you receive your passport back with new visa. Stay hotel in foreign country

Thursday - return to Thailand

Costs:

FedeEx twice - 3000

Post in your country - 1000

Visa fee - 7000

Travel to foreign country - 1000 (bus) or 5000 (plane)

Hotel in foreign country - 10 nights at 1000 = 10,000

Travel back to Thailand - 1000 (bus) or 5000 (plane)

Total from 23,000 to 31,000. You could pay more but you could probably only shave off 5000 at the most really roughing it.

Alternative:

Fly to UK - 28,000

Go to Hull - 5000

Pay for visa - 7000

Stay in cheap hotel - 3000

Go to airport - 3000

Fly to Thailand - 0

Total cost = 46,000 maybe you could shave off a bit.

[engineer]

sending your passport from another country like Malaysia, to your home country, still be a risk because they can see that you stamped into Malaysia but not out again (until you enter Thailand again)? And of course not having your passport is a slight risk.

And prey tell me why the Thai Embassy would give a hoot about your Malaysia stamps (or any other than Thai actually) ?

The reality is that it can be done this way you would be without a passport for a few days. The costs savings are not that great anyway.

Schedule:

Monday - leave Thailand and FedEx your passport to your mate back home. Stay hotel in foreign country

Tuesday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Wednesday - your mate receives your passport. Stay hotel in foreign country

Thursday - your mate sends your passport off. Stay hotel in foreign country

Friday - Embassy receives your passport and stamps your visa. Stay hotel in foreign country

Saturday - your mate receives your passport. Stay hotel in foreign country

Sunday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Monday - your mate FedExs your passport back to you. Stay hotel in foreign country

Tuesday - Stay hotel in foreign country

Wednesday - you receive your passport back with new visa. Stay hotel in foreign country

Thursday - return to Thailand

Costs:

FedeEx twice - 3000

Post in your country - 1000

Visa fee - 7000

Travel to foreign country - 1000 (bus) or 5000 (plane)

Hotel in foreign country - 10 nights at 1000 = 10,000

Travel back to Thailand - 1000 (bus) or 5000 (plane)

Total from 23,000 to 31,000. You could pay more but you could probably only shave off 5000 at the most really roughing it.

Alternative:

Fly to UK - 28,000

Go to Hull - 5000

Pay for visa - 7000

Stay in cheap hotel - 3000

Go to airport - 3000

Fly to Thailand - 0

Total cost = 46,000 maybe you could shave off a bit.

Thats taking things a bit too seriously .

The people who I heard that got arrested did not get their visas in Cardiff . They were caught because they had no exit stamp in their passport , in fact , you dont need an exit stamp , when they scan your passport they know exactly who you are and where you have been and even have ALL fotos of your previous enteries as well on the screen . ( thank the americans for giving them the technology ).

I suppose I better go home and poke the folks with a stick to make sure they are still alive anyway , I dont want to be left out of the will