Bit Of A Head-scratcher

[poppamidnight]

Bit of a conundrum here,

Fly into BKK july 4 - Fly out Aug 27th. (55 days total)

Not going to be Thailand the whole time. me and travel-mate (Both Canadians) are going to do all SE Asia. Likely 30 (scattered) days thailand, 25 the rest (or slight variation of that)

Desired trip consists of 3 entries into Thailand in that period:

1 - The initial flight over (get this on arrival obviously not worried about)

2 - Entry from Laos into Thailand (after the loop Cambodia->Vietnam->Laos)

3 - Malaysia (and possibly [but doubtfully] Indonesia) there and back

I know the multiple-entry 60 is likely the best situation,

the problem is my travel buddy (from vancouver) is in Alaska until July 1, and we don't have the time to get the things through the the consulates as he needed his passport on his Alaska trip

What's the best bet for this?

-Can we get the 60 day multiple-entries at the airport in bangkok?

-Or just take the initial 30 upon arrival, then just get the tourist visa's for the other 2 entries at the land crossings?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You only get the 30 day visa exemption if you have a confirmed outbound airticket within that 30 day period. The airline is unlikely carry you unless you have a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days or a visa. The land entries to Thailand give a 15

day stay.

[ubonjoe]

It would be best to get tourist visas. As said the airline can refuse to let you on the flight unless you have a flight out within 30 days.

Your buddy could do a mail in application for his visa while he is in Alaska. I suggest he mail it to the consulate in Portland. They give good service and I am sure he will not have a problem getting a visa from them.

Contact Info for consulate follows.

ROYAL THAI CONSULATE-GENERAL

121 S.W. SALMON STREET, SUITE 1430

PORTLAND, OR 97204-2924

Tel : (503) 221-0440

Fax : (503) 221-0550

E-mail : [email protected]

Edit: For your visa see the list near the bottom of this webpage for a list of conulates. Any of them might be a better choice than the embassy or Vancouver since they are honorary consulates and will likely give better service.

http://www.magma.ca/~thaiott/visa3.htm

[Lite Beer]

As said you need a Visa to start with or face being refused on the flight by the airline. After that you can get 15 days entries at land borders. Or get Visas.

[opalhort]

May I add a thought to the above?

The OP's mate is in Alaska (USA) with a Canadian PP. Isn't it illegal to mail a PP across international borders?

Do Thai consulates in the US issue visas by mail for Canadians?

opalhort

[ubonjoe]

What international border? Since his buddy is going to be in Alsaska that is why I suggested Portland.

Yes the consulate will issue the visa since it will be postmarked as coming from Alaska.

Also it is not illegal to send passports across international borders. You can't do it if you are sending it to get a visa for the country you are in.

[opalhort]

What international border? Since his buddy is going to be in Alsaska that is why I suggested Portland.

Yes the consulate will issue the visa since it will be postmarked as coming from Alaska.

Also it is not illegal to send passports across international borders. You can't do it if you are sending it to get a visa for the country you are in.

OK I stand corrected.

I know that Portland is in US but just thought that a Thai consulate may only issue a visa by mail for US pp holders.

Sorry for my misleading questions.

opalhort

[ubonjoe]

No different than you going to one of the consulates near here and getting a visa.

You don't have to get a visa in your home country.

He probably could even mail to Canada to get the visa done but I think it would be easier to it mail within the states.

[TerryLH]

"You only get the 30 day visa exemption if you have a confirmed outbound airticket within that 30 day period."

The above statement isn't true.

[Jingthing]

The OP's case is a good example of how Thailand's visa rules are a hindrance to easy use of Thailand as a hub of regional tourism. Sure this would be easy for visa geeks who have been here for years, but for a legit tourist like the OP, it really shouldn't be that hard. Compare to Mexico where he could come and go and get long stay tourist cards on arrival every time. What if the OP wants to stay longer than 15 days after a land entry ... a tourist like him shouldn't be required to get a new visa, or forced to use an airplane, or make a tedious visa run. Thailand shoots itself in the foot so many ways. The visa situation for legit tourists who sincerely want to travel within the region is absurdly complicated!

[ubonjoe]

The OP's case is a good example of how Thailand's visa rules are a hindrance to easy use of Thailand as a hub of regional tourism. Sure this would be easy for visa geeks who have been here for years, but for a legit tourist like the OP, it really shouldn't be that hard. Compare to Mexico where he could come and go and get long stay tourist cards on arrival every time. What if the OP wants to stay longer than 15 days after a land entry ... a tourist like him shouldn't be required to get a new visa, or forced to use an airplane, or make a tedious visa run. Thailand shoots itself in the foot so many ways. The visa situation for legit tourists who sincerely want to travel within the region is absurdly complicated!

I can't see how you can say it is a priblem for the OP. He did not say how long he would be in Thailand after each trip out of the country. He did not mention if he was making the trips by air or land.

The only problem he has is that he will not have a ticket out of the country within 30 days. So he needs a tourist visa to overcome that problem. This is nothing new it has been that way for many years.

[ubonjoe]

You only get the 30 day visa exemption if you have a confirmed outbound airticket within that 30 day period. The airline is unlikely carry you unless you have a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days or a visa. The land entries to Thailand give a 15

day stay.

"You only get the 30 day visa exemption if you have a confirmed outbound airticket within that 30 day period."

The above statement isn't true.

Only if you read it out of context. You can't get a visa exempt entry because they will not let you on the flight.

Iimmigration can refuse you entry for not having the ticket out when you arrive so it is correct even out of context.

[Jingthing]

If this is a traveler's first encounter with the byzantine Thai visa rules, it is more complicated than it needs to be. Again, as examples, I point to countries that are much friendlier to legit westerner travelers, Argentina, Mexico, Malaysia, Peru ...

Also 30 days on arrival is NOT LONG ENOUGH. If it a more civilized length, the OP would have no trouble boarding his plane visa free.

It doesn't matter if it has been that way "for years", for first time travelers here it is all new, and again, more complicated than it NEEDS to be. In fact though the 15 day land border restriction is rather recent ...

Also I read (after the loop Cambodia->Vietnam->Laos) as an implied land border trip, but yes, just a guess.

[poppamidnight]

Thanks for the help everybody,

Yes, It would be a land trip to those places...

I gotta say, as a first trip to the region as a backpacker, I gotta say this 30 day rule is really quite ridiculous....

I was totally under the assumption it would be 90 day return ticket,

which would make more sense since BKK is 'the travel hub' for the area, and Thailand desires it to be so (for economic purposes),

None the less, I'm heading to the Toronto location tomorrow to get the multi-entry tourist visa,

Think im gunna issue a complaint,

if you market yourself as a destination for backpackers, this 30 day rule is quite a joke...

*newsflash* most backpackers don't do 30 day (or under) trips....

They gotta get their stuff in order... This is bush league!

Problem with my travel mate being the fact he's driving collectors cars from Vancouver to Alaska, didn't bring cell phone, and i've sent him a bunch of emails to hightail it back a bit sooner. Lets hope all goes well on his end

[frodo77]

I politely suggest the OP refrains from going to the Toronto consulate with "all guns blazing". The staff there are not Thai. They are quite helpful, so just tell them of your plans and see what they suggest.

[Jingthing]

if you market yourself as a destination for backpackers, this 30 day rule is quite a joke...

*newsflash* most backpackers don't do 30 day (or under) trips....

They gotta get their stuff in order... This is bush league!

Agreed! Nothing much we can do though about it other than whine or boycott ...

[poppamidnight]

I politely suggest the OP refrains from going to the Toronto consulate with "all guns blazing". The staff there are not Thai. They are quite helpful, so just tell them of your plans and see what they suggest.

Clearly I'm not gunna go in there all guns blazing...hahaha,

and I know they aren't thai staff, but issuing a complaint in North America, as opposed to in Thailand itself would go further in getting them to at least re-analyze the situation, since it's coming from their 'potential' market, as opposed to the ones in thailand that already brought their travel $$$

[MJo]

Does you ticket have fee for rebooking? If not, or if it is cheap to rebook, just book return within 30 days come in without visa and rebook once you are in Thailand.

The 30 day rule used to be backbaggers best friend as it is free and there is no need to "apply" anything. Not like Laos, Vietnam or Cambo where it's min $20 when you cross the border and propably another 10 for tea money.

Unfortunately they are now after guys working illegally etc and give only 15 days on land borders but you can always take 3000 baht flight out and come back same day if you want to.

Consulates overseas work based on instructions from Thailand and the consul might have some say but it is not going to change anything only risk them giving you more <deleted>. It is not what you are used to, there is no customer service department to write you a reply and sending free visa coupons.

[cocopops]

Think im gunna issue a complaint,

To whom?