I heard the free visa promo is ending on June 5th. I thought that if I applied before the 5th I would have 3 months in which to use it. I rang the consulate in Adelaide, Consul was busy and a phone answerer tried to tell me it would be free if I arrived in BK by the 5th. I was planning to head back to LOS from Oz in about 3 weeks arriving in time for the girl's birthday on the 7th. Anyone know what the deal is with the visas? No problem, but it will save me $90 for a double entry. (Get a lot of Mae Khong for that)

You can get a tourist visa for free until June 4th. As you have always time to use them it is not possible to only make them free unless you use them before June 5th. That would mean people get them for free and if they don't enter before the 5th they will still have to pay when they arrive at the airport.

Thanks for that Mario, not really what I was hoping to hear. As I am only flying one way I suppose I should still get one here in case they won't let me in at BKK with no return ticket.

edit. PS What does a double entry tourist visa cost at Swampy

Edited May 12, 200917 yr by krading

You should have no problem getting a free tourist visa if you apply before the 5th.

Edit:

Seems my post wasn't clear. There is no problem with getting a free tourist visa before the 5th. You should then have 3 months to make use of the visa.

And you can not obtain a tourist visa inside Thailand "What does a double entry tourist visa cost at Swampy" - you have to obtain from a Consulate in another country.

You can get a tourist visa for free until June 4th. As you have always time to use them it is not possible to only make them free unless you use them before June 5th. That would mean people get them for free and if they don't enter before the 5th they will still have to pay when they arrive at the airport.

Please excuse my addled brain, are you saying that if I apply and receive the visa here in Australia before June 5th I have 3 months to use it or do have to arrive in Thailand before the 5th

You can get a tourist visa for free until June 4th. As you have always time to use them it is not possible to only make them free unless you use them before June 5th. That would mean people get them for free and if they don't enter before the 5th they will still have to pay when they arrive at the airport.

Please excuse my addled brain, are you saying that if I apply and receive the visa here in Australia before June 5th I have 3 months to use it or do have to arrive in Thailand before the 5th

Mario has already corrected his post.

If you get a tourist visa before June 4th it will be free. Some consulates only will give free single entry tourist visas. You have to pay if its more than a single.

If it is issued in Australia it will most likely be valid for 90 days if it's a single. For a one that has more than one entry it will be good for 6 months.

So yes you can enter after the 5th and it will still be free.

Back to your original post. I think the lady on the phone was talking about visas on arrival which of course you don't need and could not get anyway.

Thanks for that Joe and a belated welcome back to you. I'll visit the Consulate today and try my luck.

If it is issued in Australia it will most likely be valid for 90 days if it's a single. For a one that has more than one entry it will be good for 6 months.

Recently paid US$70 for a double entry tourist visa from PnomPenh about a week before coming here. Extended once, tried a re-entry but visa expired after 90 days from date of purchase, though visa expiry date marked "enter before",not "visa expires" or "all entries before". Tried to argue that initial entry was before said date, was told to take 15 days or a hike. Tried again at Immigration koh Samui

Where is the logic in selling a visa with a expected validity of 6 months with a 3 month expiry from the date of purchase? Most tourists will buy their visa well before date of travel, and may be planning a side-trip to a 3rd country. Just what Thailand needs, more tourists with disrupted travel plans and a justifiable feeling that they have been ripped-off (again).

Personally, I'm using the 15 days and then spending the rest of my trip in Cambodia.

Edited May 14, 200917 yr by OzMick

If it is issued in Australia it will most likely be valid for 90 days if it's a single. For a one that has more than one entry it will be good for 6 months.

Recently paid US$70 for a double entry tourist visa from PnomPenh about a week before coming here. Extended once, tried a re-entry but visa expired after 90 days from date of purchase, though visa expiry date marked "enter before",not "visa expires" or "all entries before". Tried to argue that initial entry was before said date, was told to take 15 days or a hike. Tried again at Immigration koh Samui

Where is the logic in selling a visa with a expected validity of 6 months with a 3 month expiry from the date of purchase? Most tourists will buy their visa well before date of travel, and may be planning a side-trip to a 3rd country. Just what Thailand needs, more tourists with disrupted travel plans and a justifiable feeling that they have been ripped-off (again).

Personally, I'm using the 15 days and then spending the rest of my trip in Cambodia.

The use before date is quite clear in what it says and means. You must use the visa before that date to enter the country. If its a single entry then you must make that one entry before that date. If it is for more thant one entry then all entries must be made before that date.

Visas for Thailand have been this way for a very long time along with visas from many other countries.