Staying Here For A Long Time

[jamesthefirst]

Yo dudes,

I'm sure this question has been asked before more than once on this forum, but I don't seem to have the answer at hand, so will ask anyway...

I'm married to a Thai lady, we have two kids.

Although I do like going to Laos every so often and enjoy my tri-monthly beerlao session, quite frankly is there an Embassy that will give me a one-year o visa, multiple entry, without me having to show 400k plus in a Thai bank account (because I don't have that kind of dough here in this country). Any sensible (non-'get out of here, you poor farang'-type) responses would be appreciated.

Cheers.

[lopburi3]

Probably not - without going to Oz or Europe. You could try KL or Penang (but we know only 9k would not cut it in Penang last week).

[sweetchariot]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

[jamesthefirst]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

[Lite Beer]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

If you wish do use Hull you can apply by post, once you are in the UK.

You may not be aware ,but the 12 month non o visa will actually give you a 15 month stay if you do the final visa run just before it expires.

[apetley]

Birmingham Consulate is very easy and quick.

When I go back to UK, every 15 months or so just give them my passport, show them either wifeys passport or ID card and I am out with my 1 year multi entry usually within 10 minutes.

Helps if you have the form already filled in and give them a quick call before you arrive.

[LivinLOS]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

If you wish do use Hull you can apply by post, once you are in the UK.

You may not be aware ,but the 12 month non o visa will actually give you a 15 month stay if you do the final visa run just before it expires.

You can apply by post if you are outside of Thailand (eg in Laos)..

Last I heard hull said they would not post back internationally as they were not prepared to accept the risk of lost passports stranding people overseas, they are quite happy for you to apply while not in the UK though.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

If you wish do use Hull you can apply by post, once you are in the UK.

You may not be aware ,but the 12 month non o visa will actually give you a 15 month stay if you do the final visa run just before it expires.

You can apply by post if you are outside of Thailand (eg in Laos)..

Last I heard hull said they would not post back internationally as they were not prepared to accept the risk of lost passports stranding people overseas, they are quite happy for you to apply while not in the UK though.

That is still an unlawful visa. The applicant must be in the jurisdiction of application at the time of that application.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Birmingham Consulate is very easy and quick.

When I go back to UK, every 15 months or so just give them my passport, show them either wifeys passport or ID card and I am out with my 1 year multi entry usually within 10 minutes.

Helps if you have the form already filled in and give them a quick call before you arrive.

Birmingham is still great.

[gzu88bv]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

You just do not have to be a Brit, and I know what I am talking about as the visa in question was possible for me too.

[torrenova]

That is still an unlawful visa. The applicant must be in the jurisdiction of application at the time of that application.

Sorry but I think you are wrong and Hull themselves have clarified this. There are only two issues. One is whether them receiving a Fed Ex parcel with your passport say from Cambodia would cause an alert (though they will accept it if you are not in the UK or Thailand) and whether they would Fed Ex it back to you in Cambodia (in this example).

In my exchange of emails, the example I used utilised a friend as an intermediary where he would accept the Fed Ex and Fed Ex it back with the UK post doing the return to Hull and back. This they agreen was perfectly acceptable. The only thing they insisted on was that you must have an exit stamp from Thailand.

I roughly priced the cost to do this and it works something like this:

Get to border via border run - 2000

Get to somewhere - 500

Hotel for a week - 5000

Fed Ex (2 ways) - 3000

Visa - 7000

UK post - 1000

Get back to border - 500

Bus back - 500 (just tip some driver)

So all in you have about 19,500 and you get some holiday.

Alternatively, go fly somewhere and do the same.

[Khutan]

I would guess that when Immigration look at the visa and see you were not in the jurisdiction of the Consulate/Embassy, that your visa may very well be cancelled.

[sweetchariot]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

Hull still seems to be number one for 12 month non-o visas. Flew back in October, purely to get a new visa. Sent recorded delivery to Hull from Devon on Monday, received passport back Wednesday. No personal or financial details required, you just sign a declaration saying you have enough funds to repatriate yourself if necessary.

I was very impressed with the whole thing, especially when you hear some of the nightmare scenarios some TV members seem to have. Would be interested in the legitimacy of posting from Asia (outside LOS) for next time.

[LivinLOS]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

If you wish do use Hull you can apply by post, once you are in the UK.

You may not be aware ,but the 12 month non o visa will actually give you a 15 month stay if you do the final visa run just before it expires.

You can apply by post if you are outside of Thailand (eg in Laos)..

Last I heard hull said they would not post back internationally as they were not prepared to accept the risk of lost passports stranding people overseas, they are quite happy for you to apply while not in the UK though.

That is still an unlawful visa. The applicant must be in the jurisdiction of application at the time of that application.

This is often repeated and categorically not true according to both my embassy, the issuing consul, and the application forms.

[LivinLOS]

That is still an unlawful visa. The applicant must be in the jurisdiction of application at the time of that application.

Sorry but I think you are wrong and Hull themselves have clarified this. There are only two issues. One is whether them receiving a Fed Ex parcel with your passport say from Cambodia would cause an alert (though they will accept it if you are not in the UK or Thailand) and whether they would Fed Ex it back to you in Cambodia (in this example).

2 or three years back this was confirmed as perfectly ok.. They said they were fine about this in writing and I couriered to them and arranged for a courier collection to visit them to return it internationally.

In the last year or two they have told me that they are not prepared to accept the return courier risk as they feel are responsible for the passport leg and are scared of a lost in mail passport stranding someone in a 3rd country (even though I have two passports) they feel this is thier policy and its one I can understand. They have however stated that they have no problem at all if you post it by courier and they then return it UK special delivery to a UK address, obviously you then need a uk assistant to perform the courier to you at your own risk.

Lastly it should be said courier companies can be a bit leary of passports being couriered around, they suspect immigration fraud (sending it back so 2 people can be using the same passport to gain access to UK, hence I made sure to include a clarifying letter explaining I am a dual passport holder and that this was used for a visa application in my home country, this has not yet been needed but I just try to cover all bases.

In my exchange of emails, the example I used utilised a friend as an intermediary where he would accept the Fed Ex and Fed Ex it back with the UK post doing the return to Hull and back. This they agreen was perfectly acceptable. The only thing they insisted on was that you must have an exit stamp from Thailand.

I roughly priced the cost to do this and it works something like this:

Get to border via border run - 2000

Get to somewhere - 500

Hotel for a week - 5000

Fed Ex (2 ways) - 3000

Visa - 7000

UK post - 1000

Get back to border - 500

Bus back - 500 (just tip some driver)

So all in you have about 19,500 and you get some holiday.

Alternatively, go fly somewhere and do the same.

As stated hull have never asked me to use an intermediary to receive the passport only return, I would guess it takes more than a week so adds to your costs but also tend to have vacations which mean that I dont really see the travel issue as a 'cost'.. Also I always fly as I find 'flipping' between passports at land borders to be a potential problem.

As you stay passport must show via chops you are not in Thailand at time of application. People apply for visa's (not just Thai) all the time internationally, my oil worker mates all have 2 passports for exactly this reason, for example Libya does not have any Thai consul or embassy, if you want a visa you have to post it internationally (I would use London) to do so.. This is all above board despite the continual denials by members of this forum.

[jamesthefirst]

Where are you from? Very easy to get a 12 month non-o in the UK, if you are British, of course.

My friend,

I am from England. That's a relief, was planning to go home for a trip next year. The closest consulate to me is Birmingham, where I once obtained a tourist visa within about twenty minutes. Heard some good stories about Hull as well, but thanks for the input.

Hull still seems to be number one for 12 month non-o visas. Flew back in October, purely to get a new visa. Sent recorded delivery to Hull from Devon on Monday, received passport back Wednesday. No personal or financial details required, you just sign a declaration saying you have enough funds to repatriate yourself if necessary.

I was very impressed with the whole thing, especially when you hear some of the nightmare scenarios some TV members seem to have. Would be interested in the legitimacy of posting from Asia (outside LOS) for next time.

Hi there,

Thanks for that valuable information. Suppose going home is the best bet and not all that bad a deal I suppose.

Cheers