Us Tourist Visa For Thai Nationals

[jingjingna]

I have been invited to go visit my brother in the States. I haven't seen him for well over ten years now as we kind of lost contact in our teenage years. I don't want to go alone and am wondering if I can take a friend along for moral support. She is a Thai teacher and has been teaching at the same school for over 15 years. She will cover the cost of her own air fare and we will be staying at my brother's home. Would it be easy enough for her to obtain a tourist visa?

[lopburi3]

Don't believe it will be a problem if you go ahead and plan during school vacation and have brother write invitation letter to provide accommodations. I would have everything planned as to times and go with her to offer your moral support - am sure they will understand desire to travel with a friend as a positive in application for visa.

All bets are off is she is going to marry your brother however.

[jingjingna]

Thanks for your input Lopburi.

Marriage to my brother seems highly unlikely since he is happily married with two kids now.

[thaigirl20]

I have been invited to go visit my brother in the States. I haven't seen him for well over ten years now as we kind of lost contact in our teenage years. I don't want to go alone and am wondering if I can take a friend along for moral support. She is a Thai teacher and has been teaching at the same school for over 15 years. She will cover the cost of her own air fare and we will be staying at my brother's home. Would it be easy enough for her to obtain a tourist visa?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

hello I'd like to suggest you something as I got the visa before. I think bringing yout friend doesn't help you to go easier. It's about you and personal reason why you want to go to the US. Your brother is Thai? If he is your brother you should be able to go by yourself and the consulate will ask you about that brother and about expense in the trip. If you are student please dress formally and let them see that you are mature and smart (rich) not schol uniform cuz that 's going to make you look younger. Be firm on it that you will come back ( if you will ) but if you think to elope the tourist visa, when you get caght you will not be able to get into the US again Forever. and make other Thai ppl can not get the tourist visa or make thai ppl to get the visa harder, you should be sure about What you going to do over there... and enough statement

good luck

[jingjingna]

My brother is a British citizen and so am I so I don't think I will have any probs getting a tourist visa for myself. My previous post was asking about taking a Thai friend along with me.

[TRIPxCORE]

If you are a British citizen then you do not need to worry about getting a tourist visa before you go to the US. Citizens of England are allowed to obtain a "visa on arrival" in the US. Your friend, the Thai citizen teacher, will need to get a visa to accompany you there and I don't have any personal experience in trying to get a tourist visa for Thai citizens but it's my understanding that it isn't easy.

[TypicalAnonym]

Citizens of England are allowed to obtain a "visa on arrival" in the US.

So, the UK is on the list of nationalities whose passport holders can enter the US without visas. This is not a visa on arrival.

[SK1972]

A tourist visa to US isnt that easy. The fact that your Thai friend has been employed by the same employer for 15 years does help but it still doesnt justify her return.

They will definitely ask to see bank statements, property deeds and etc to justify she will have a valid reason for return. I assume your Thai friend is not married or have kids? It would help if she has been to a "Western" country before (not Asia).

I personally know of a Thai friend who was refused a tourist visa even though she has 2 properties in her name, about 1 Million Baht in her account and been employed for 8 years in the same company. She is single. Why? No one knows....they just stated "no valid reason for return".....go figure!

You would be better off going alone to avoid all the hassle.

It is never as easy as it looks and they go on a case-to-case basis.

Good luck!

Edited December 21, 2004 by SK1972

[thaihome]

Citizens of England are allowed to obtain a "visa on arrival" in the US.

So, the UK is on the list of nationalities whose passport holders can enter the US without visas. This is not a visa on arrival.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In order to qualify for the Visa Waiver Programme for entry into USA, the British passport must be machine readable. After October 2005, the passport must be a biometric passport.

TH

[lukamar]

It took from 9:30am to 3:45pm for my wife (Thai with Canadian PR) to get a tourist visa at the US Consulate in Vancouver, Canada so we could go on holidays to the US. The people in front of us were denied I don'r have any idea why but they wanted to go to a funeral of a family member ( they were from India). Good luck but be prepared for the worst.

[jingjingna]

Thanks guys for your input. We'll give it a shot anyway and see how it goes! Worst case scenario is that I'll end up going alone!

[grrr]

It took 3 hours of waiting here in Chiang Mai, but today my girlfriend (of 3 years) got a tourist visa to visit the US with me in a few months. We had some very good letters from our landlord, employers, and friends which seemed to do the trick. The biggest factor is probably that I live in Chiang Mai and will be coming back...