Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas To Three

[jstumbo]

apply for an APEX card

90 day entry on arrival for some asian countries (thailand indluded) no limit on entries

It is APEC card. I would love to have one, but unfortunately the US is not yet a member of the scheme. They are working towards it and maybe in a few more years...

Would be good for people from Australia and New Zealand though if they could get one.

[percy2]

The ideal would be just to remove the age requirement for the retirement visa.

50 is rather arbitrary anyway.

Cheers

[phuketrichard]

the reason i mentioned it is a friend of mine ( from Oz) has one. he loves it, fast track thru immigration and 90 days for thailand. Can't imagine a better deal

[david96]

There is the option of returning to your home country and applying for visas there. This is probably what they want you to do and it is a lot easier to obtain visas in your own country than in a third party country.

[david96]

the reason i mentioned it is a friend of mine ( from Oz) has one. he loves it, fast track thru immigration and 90 days for thailand. Can't imagine a better deal

The average punter ( Aust/NZ ) is not eligible for this card as one has to be for genuine business requirements.

[phuketrichard]

hey if u give them a good enough reason why you travel in asia they will give you one. I have seen what is needed to apply and recieve one. Alot easier than what Immigration wants from u for most visas.

[Jim Abbott]

Why is this a vitually unknown visa that no one seems to have or talk about. dont make sense to me

[phuketrichard]

it is NOT a visa,

The card is valid for three years and is based on a unique electronic pre-clearance system, providing members with VIP entry into 17 APEC countries.

The APEC Business Travel Card provides accredited business people with streamlined access to participating APEC countries. Cardholders enjoy:

express immigration clearance through special APEC lanes on arrival and departure

no requirement to apply for visas or entry permits

multiple entry to participating countries for a stay of up to 90 days on each visit.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/apec/ for NZ info.

[Fred Sanford]

That Apec card wont do americans or euros any good. I wonder why more aussies and zealanders dont take advantage. I never met anyone who had that card

[TopDogger]

Sorry that I have put my reply on this, but what a load of CRAP!!! There is no 3 time t.v. rule at Penang or at Laos. I have 3 from Penang in the last 8 months and know people on 3 from Vientiane in the last 8-9. Stop scaremongering -it really does'nt help any credibility this site may have!

Its was done @ Laos early last year, they were actually asking for a bank statement showing THB400k to get a 4th none consequtive tourist visa in a single passport. Then it was forgotten about.

Edited October 21, 2007 by TopDogger

[Mac1]

There is the option of returning to your home country and applying for visas there. This is probably what they want you to do and it is a lot easier to obtain visas in your own country than in a third party country.

Return to my country for a new TR visa for Thailand =

Airplane ticket t/r B 35.000

Hotel 6 days ..... B 36.000 + (takes 4-5 days to get visa,Embassy told me)

Visa fee B 1.000

=B 72,000 total cost for a TR visa in my home country.................

Not a good option for many of us, specially under 50 yrs.

NON O' visa is n e v e r given to people under 50 yrs, in my home country.

(even I have proof og pension more than B 1.000.000 year)

[oma22]

Penang is limiting tourist visas now. They count from this month to the future ?

or they count from past TV on my passport also?

I mean ,if I have 4 TV on my pasport already, they donot give me more?

or They will refuse to give me TV after making new 3TV in the future?

[tropo]

Penang is limiting tourist visas now. They count from this month to the future ?

or they count from past TV on my passport also?

I mean ,if I have 4 TV on my pasport already, they donot give me more?

or They will refuse to give me TV after making new 3TV in the future?

Those are questions we'd all like the answers to. Unfortunately it is still early days and no one (including the visa agents in Penang) has a clue.

You're lucky that you haven't yet received a warning stamp, so you should still be okay for at least one more TV from Penang.

[Ehre]

According to the agent in Penang they said,The red stamp is counted from nov 2006 if you already have 2 TV ,you'll see the red ink on your passport.

Penang is no longer a visa mill.

[tropo]

According to the agent in Penang they said,The red stamp is counted from nov 2006 if you already have 2 TV ,you'll see the red ink on your passport.

Penang is no longer a visa mill.

If that is the case, then I could be lucky this week because I only have one in my passport from Nov 2006. Perhaps I will avoid the dreaded red stamp.

[pkspeaker]

well i just got back from the Los Angeles Thai consulate and they approved the 2 entry TV w/o any questions or documents..so at least if you go back to your country (certain countries) your still good to stay 6 months when you get there(with 1 drive to the border)..

Edited October 22, 2007 by pkspeaker

[h5n1]

Judging by the massive response to the original post, this new regulation will effect ALL you postees, that means I will be the only true expat on this forum ............

One should now consider a seperate Tourist and Expatriate forum for clarity !!!!

it separates far more than that friend.

having this visa or that visa does not make you an expatriate. living it (for years on whatever visa you desire) does. it separates guys that have a love and firm desire to live in thailand and asia - and those that have dragged their small minds and their excessive western habits here - basically creating an identical existance to that of thier home country- oh and add the lovely 'thai girlfriend'.

take away all the modern conveniences and especially the ladies and 90% of the 'retirees' would be gone tomorrow. having a retirement visa hardly in and of itself makes you an expat. you 'earn' that 'label' by living it and being out here a LONG time.

[MacWalen]

There is the option of returning to your home country and applying for visas there. This is probably what they want you to do and it is a lot easier to obtain visas in your own country than in a third party country.

Return to my country for a new TR visa for Thailand =

Airplane ticket t/r B 35.000

Hotel 6 days ..... B 36.000 + (takes 4-5 days to get visa,Embassy told me)

Visa fee B 1.000

=B 72,000 total cost for a TR visa in my home country.................

Not a good option for many of us, specially under 50 yrs.

NON O' visa is n e v e r given to people under 50 yrs, in my home country.

(even I have proof og pension more than B 1.000.000 year)

Traveling to your home country to get TV sounds like a very expensive option. I am curious how much on average you spend on making 3 visa runs to Penang?

Studying Thai and obtaining ED visa is perhaps a cheaper option for some, making extensions locally without making visa runs, so you learn Thai and do not have to worry about your visa situation.

www.thaiwalen.com

[tropo]

Allow me to amend the title of this thread from:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas To Three, Is This the Hammer Down? More Strict?

to:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas, period. The hammer is already down!

The NEW Consul General in Penang is fast becoming the strictest of all.

My GF was given the "red stamp" after having only 2 TV's in one year (this was the second). I avoided the stamp only because I was using a brand new passport. This new stamp even indicates the amount of arrivals by tourist visa.

(note: the pink smudges were added to cover the perferated passport number.)

The Consul General is seriously concerned with stopping people from living in Thailand full time on tourist visas. It doesn't matter in the slightest if a person does border runs in between TV's. If an applicant has a "red stamp" from another consulate they will not be given another tourist visa.

Aparently the Consul General reads this forum, and it was the reports about people getting 3, 4 and 5 tourist visas (back-to-back) so easily that lead to the clamp down in Penang. There's some irony for you!

Edited October 26, 2007 by tropo

[astral]

This will be bad news for the touris trade in Penang.

I wonder if the consul will relent when he sees his income from visas drying up.

For the APEC card you have to show you are a resident of the country where you are applying.

[thaiman]

According to the agent in Penang they said,The red stamp is counted from nov 2006 if you already have 2 TV ,you'll see the red ink on your passport.

Penang is no longer a visa mill.

just got back form penang. had 1 tv from penang ever. this is my second and i got the stamp.

[tropo]

According to the agent in Penang they said,The red stamp is counted from nov 2006 if you already have 2 TV ,you'll see the red ink on your passport.

Penang is no longer a visa mill.

just got back form penang. had 1 tv from penang ever. this is my second and i got the stamp.

When did you get your first visa there?

[thaiman]

According to the agent in Penang they said,The red stamp is counted from nov 2006 if you already have 2 TV ,you'll see the red ink on your passport.

Penang is no longer a visa mill.

just got back form penang. had 1 tv from penang ever. this is my second and i got the stamp.

When did you get your first visa there?

March 2007

[thaiman]

Allow me to amend the title of this thread from:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas To Three, Is This the Hammer Down? More Strict?

to:

If an applicant has a "red stamp" from another consulate they will not be given another tourist visa.

How do you know this?

[tropo]

Allow me to amend the title of this thread from:

Penang Consulate To Limit Issuance Of Tourist Visas To Three, Is This the Hammer Down? More Strict?

to:

If an applicant has a "red stamp" from another consulate they will not be given another tourist visa.

How do you know this?

Recent case histories.

It follows that if they limit people to only 2 visas in a year without "red stamps", they wouldn't be rushing to issue visas to people with warning stamps from other consulates.

Edited October 26, 2007 by tropo

[Herbie nus]

Has anyone already visit Penang ,and had a visa being rejected.

[tropo]

Has anyone already visit Penang ,and had a visa being rejected.

I don't think too many people who have been given a warning stamp would waste their time going back to try again. The warning stamp is worded ambiguously, but it basically means "don't come back".

However...

If you approach the Consulate with evidence that you are spending a lot of money in Thailand (bank statements proving ATM withdrawals) they will probably give you another TV.

Edited October 29, 2007 by tropo

[phuketrichard]

mmm is it worth the risk to go back> also i would love to hear from someone that was refused?

what options are there?

they could only then come back on a 30 day pass. Or would they be refused entry

Would they be refused at another consulate ( ike Kota Bahru) or embassy KL/Singapore?

It would seem that this would be the end of their visits to thailand on that passport for how LONG.

then what do they do?

[devaram]

Does anyone know for for sure if its still ok to go to mae sai three times in the six month period as before.

I just went through there for the first time in over six months and they did not write #1.

Does anyopne know if they are still counting?

[Mac1]

There is the option of returning to your home country and applying for visas there. This is probably what they want you to do and it is a lot easier to obtain visas in your own country than in a third party country.

Return to my country for a new TR visa for Thailand =

Airplane ticket t/r B 35.000

Hotel 6 days ..... B 36.000 + (takes 4-5 days to get visa,Embassy told me)

Visa fee B 1.000

=B 72,000 total cost for a TR visa in my home country.................

Not a good option for many of us, specially under 50 yrs.

NON O' visa is n e v e r given to people under 50 yrs, in my home country.

(even I have proof og pension more than B 1.000.000 year)

Traveling to your home country to get TV sounds like a very expensive option. I am curious how much on average you spend on making 3 visa runs to Penang?

Studying Thai and obtaining ED visa is perhaps a cheaper option for some, making extensions locally without making visa runs, so you learn Thai and do not have to worry about your visa situation.

www.thaiwalen.com

But - I live in Pattaya, and travel to ur school in BKK 2 times a week is not tempting either ..