Americans: Heads Up (tr)

[luumak]

Appears by website that embassy now requires a ticket out for a two month visa - or so it states... so why bother stay - just get my ticket out @ one month and thai people lose yet again. Saves the fee increase (us15) and the mailers.

TiT.

[jstumbo]

Which consulate? This has always been a requirement, but rarely enforced by most consulates.

[lopburi3]

This has always been a requirement and long ago stated on websites as such. But it has only been enforced for non US passport holders. Normally there is no check if using US Passport.

[luumak]

I dont think eithe rof you guys get it. certainly not #1. not consulate - WDC EMBASSY

Lop: Totally harsh...so why bother with the TR? Really...US60 for mailers alone and they more than likely will only issue a single?!!?!?!

[lopburi3]

Visa issue is a Consulate function, even if that consulate is a part of an Embassy.

The tourist visa allows you to board an aircraft without an outbound ticket within 30 days.

The tourist visa allows a stay of 60 days that can be extended to 90 days.

The tourist visa is not counted against the 90 days in six months rules of visa exempt entry.

[zeusbheld]

on a more general note, i've NEVER been asked for an air ticket by a consulate.

the airline in KL (Dare Asia) almost denied me boarding, but when they saw i had a visa they let me on the plane. no problem at Suvarnabhumi immigration, even though the visa was past entry date and i got a 30 day stamp.

so my assessment is that while the rule has been in place forever, consulates don't generally ask for ticket or bank info. airlines may ask, and seem to have been instructed to do so recently (i'd NEVER been asked before last month in KL). land crossings, no one asks. i guess they assume that if you come by land you can figure out how to leave by land.

[zeusbheld]

I dont think eithe rof you guys get it. certainly not #1. not consulate - WDC EMBASSY

i'm confused as to why you're dealing with an embassy at all? i mean, yeah, consulates have "of the embassy" as part of the official name, but other than that you never deal with any embassy functions, only consulate.

[sriracha john]

the airline in KL (Dare Asia)

"Dare Asia" good one...

[Maestro]

I dont think eithe rof you guys get it. certainly not #1. not consulate - WDC EMBASSY

i'm confused as to why you're dealing with an embassy at all? i mean, yeah, consulates have "of the embassy" as part of the official name, but other than that you never deal with any embassy functions, only consulate.

In defence of the OP it must be said that the visa application form’s letterhead says “Consular Office, Royal Thai Embassy...Washington, D.C.”. The word “Consulate” does not appear anywhere on the form.

Link for the form: http://www.thaiembdc.org/forms/visa.pdf

Personally, I find it acceptable that for brevity somebody writes “Embassy” instead of “Consular Office of the Embassy”, more so if the consular office is in the same building and at the same address as the embassy.

I can be sanctimonious, too, if necessary to understand clearly a poster's question but with the OP there was no room for misunderstanding.

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Maestro

[jstumbo]

I think people are just having a go at him because of they way he came back and said that I certainly did not get what he was asking about because I asked him which consulate he was talking about.

My question was a completely valid question because he could be from the UK, Germany, India, US, Australia or anywhere else in the world. He just got a little uptight because I asked which consulate and he said he looked on an embassy website.

[luumak]

hey im back. no for regional reasons i need to use the EMBASSY and btw it is full on hassle and for real via wdc. what a bloody hassle.

I AM 100% finished with thailand as of this year. it is too much hassle, visas too spendy and the staff way too rude. i am a college educated human bean and i have accomplished enough to live off my investments near 50. i dont need the grief.

[Carib]

" i am a college educated human bean " ?

couldnot resist...

[britmaveric]

Well goodbye then, I'm sure thailand will miss you mate!!!

[luumak]

carib - took the bait, missed the play on words. too clever you is.

brit - the veneer has long since been off, if others want to put up 800k baht at zero interest in banks that have no transparency and go thru the litany of ever changing annual rules - enforced by arbitrary insufferable bureaucrats - up to them.

it always give me a great laugh to see what people put up with and how they make huge life plans based on a turd of a 3month to 1year promise.

[whatchamacallit]

hey im back. no for regional reasons i need to use the EMBASSY and btw it is full on hassle and for real via wdc. what a bloody hassle.

I AM 100% finished with thailand as of this year. it is too much hassle, visas too spendy and the staff way too rude. i am a college educated human bean and i have accomplished enough to live off my investments near 50. i dont need the grief.

The Thai Embassy Staff in DC are indeed very rude!! My Sister who lives in Austin, Texas needed to have a Thai Power of Attorney signed by her then Notarized (Authorized) by any Thai Embassy/Consulate outside of Thailand. Also because of Regional Reasons and because the Thai Honorary Consulate in both Houston and Dallas refused to help her (they have no Thai nationals who can read thai they said - which is totally ridiculous!!!), my sister had to fly to DC. At the embassy she got a long lecture by a very rude Thai Embassy staff: "Why are you buying a condo in Thailand??", "DO you read Thai?", "Why you signed this paper?", "Aren't you afraid that you might get cheated?".... TIT I guess....

[JimGant]

the Thai Honorary Consulate in both Houston and Dallas refused to help her (they have no Thai nationals who can read thai they said - which is totally ridiculous!!!),

Honorary Consulates are, almost be definition, staffed by local folks. It's a sideline operation (Houston's Consulate is a law firm), primarily for issuing visas, which requires no knowledge of the Thai language.

With honoraries, you get excellent service in your local dialect. If you want/need Thai language service, be prepared for the tradeoff........ Sigh.

[Maestro]

I believe no knowledge of the Thai language is needed to certify (notarise) the signature on a document. The consular official certifying the signature does not have to read the document, only verify your identity and have you sign the document in his presence.

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Maestro

[pumpuiman]

The staff at the D.C. consulate were extremely helpful and courteous to both myself and my wife. As my wife was renewing her passport, I was graciously offered a snack by a staff member....no kidding. I sat eating pastry and sipping a root beer while they swiftly assisted my wife with her renewal.

Just thought I'd mention it.

[lopburi3]

I believe no knowledge of the Thai language is needed to certify (notarise) the signature on a document. The consular official certifying the signature does not have to read the document, only verify your identity and have you sign the document in his presence.

--

Maestro

I believe what was probably required was a Thai Government Official signature rather than a notarize stamp which Thailand does not use. So they probably could not read the document or the instructions on what was required.

[Prakanong]

Visa issue is a Consulate function, even if that consulate is a part of an Embassy.

The tourist visa allows you to board an aircraft without an outbound ticket within 30 days.

The tourist visa allows a stay of 60 days that can be extended to 90 days.

The tourist visa is not counted against the 90 days in six months rules of visa exempt entry.

To be a tad pedantic is ot not it "Consular" function not "Consulate".

The consular section at an Embassy is usually manned by members of the countries diplomatic corps where any tom dick or harry can man a consulate.

[lopburi3]

A Consulate section is manned by Consular Officers. As are official Consulates.