First off, I was wondering if there is a Thai Consulate in San Francisco. If I need to apply for a Non-Immigrant B Visa, must I send my application & passport via post to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles? Does anyone know the additional fees associated with FedEx'ing the documents back and forth? Can this be accomplished at the "Honorary" Consulate in Portland Oregon?

My second question relates to how difficult it is to receive a 1 year Non-Imm B Visa from the LA consulate. Are they handed out like hot cakes? I currently have a used single entry non-imm B visa issued from Penang, and am in the process of starting to apply for a Work Permit. I plan to travel in and out of Thailand in the next year. My question is, would it be better to pay for a 3,800 baht multiple re-entry permit and keep my existing visa or apply for a new 1-year non Imm B visa via LA? (I am currently in Thailand, but headed back to the States for 10-days in early March) Do the multiple entry re-entry permit expire (or does it expire with the Visa it is associated with? Thanks

Matt

Edited February 28, 200521 yr by MattFS218

You won't get a multiple entry Non-imm B from either San Fran or LA! Theyll only issue you a single! For sure! So re-entry permit is a moot point!

Portland is your best bet and then if you're not going to get a WP you don't even need to worry about a re-entry permit as you have an infinite amount of entries for the next 12 months!

I personally would stick with an extended Visa (as they're in the process of doing to your now) and a WP and purchase a multiple re-entry permit which would cover you for as long as your extension (I think this last bit is correct?).

First off, I was wondering if there is a Thai Consulate in San Francisco.

I am unaware of a Thai consular office in San Francisco.

My second question relates to how difficult it is to receive a 1 year Non-Imm B Visa from the LA consulate. Are they handed out like hot cakes?

Unless things have changed at the Los Angeles office recently, they won't issue what you are seeking without reams of accompanying paperwork.

Hey:

Re-entry permits expire with their associated visa, or before if the visa is replaced with a different type of visa.

Re: Fedex: you're responsible for all the fees. You can make it easy for the consulate by enclosing a second Fedex envelope and waybill in your outbound application, and put your CC# on it for Fedex to bill you. Leave the dates blank, but use your own name as both sender and recipient (weird, I know, but when I tried to use consulate address for return they scratched it out. Fedex doesn't seem to care. You can try to clarify official preference by phone in advance if it matters to you). I suppose this only applies if you want to get a new visa.

dc

First off, I was wondering if there is a Thai Consulate in San Francisco. If I need to apply for a Non-Immigrant B Visa, must I send my application & passport via post to the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles? Does anyone know the additional fees associated with FedEx'ing the documents back and forth? Can this be accomplished at the "Honorary" Consulate in Portland Oregon?

My second question relates to how difficult it is to receive a 1 year Non-Imm B Visa from the LA consulate. Are they handed out like hot cakes? I currently have a used single entry non-imm B visa issued from Penang, and am in the process of starting to apply for a Work Permit. I plan to travel in and out of Thailand in the next year. My question is, would it be better to pay for a 3,800 baht multiple re-entry permit and keep my existing visa or apply for a new 1-year non Imm B visa via LA? (I am currently in Thailand, but headed back to the States for 10-days in early March) Do the multiple entry re-entry permit expire (or does it expire with the Visa it is associated with? Thanks

Matt

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"My question is, would it be better to pay for a 3,800 baht multiple re-entry permit and keep my existing visa or apply for a new 1-year non Imm B visa via LA? (I am currently in Thailand, but headed back to the States for 10-days in early March) Do the multiple entry re-entry permit expire (or does it expire with the Visa it is associated with? Thanks"

I assume that you are already working over in LoS? All depends on when your current visa expires. Might be easiest for you to spend 2 days in LA (maybe 3) to get all you stuff re-newed (assuming you have proper documents). If not, you might want to pay for the multiple re-entry over here.

BUT, I think it all depends on the original visa date (so a new one would give greater flexibility for time). Dates are important and don't wait until it is too late.

Tam supap le puut passa Thai gaw dee duay tii Consul tii LA.

I hope this was of help. It all depends on your particulars, but I found the LA folks to be rather nice if you are nice with them and you have all the right paper work. I think the Non-Imm B was $75.00. I forget.

Good luck. Chok dee na krap.

dseawarrior

Yes $75 USD for ONLY a SINGLE entry, which is all LA generally issues!

Hey:

Re-entry permits expire with their associated visa, or before if the visa is replaced with a different type of visa.

dc

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I should amend this to note that reentry permits also become invalid when a visa is extended - you need to get a new permit along with the extension.

Hey:

Re-entry permits expire with their associated visa, or before if the visa is replaced with a different type of visa.

dc

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I should amend this to note that reentry permits also become invalid when a visa is extended - you need to get a new permit along with the extension.

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Can anyone else verify this...as it's important in deciding which re-entry permit I need!!!

This means that a Multiple Entry Non-Imm B holds greater leverage than an extended single entry Non-Imm B visa because it allows a limitless entry/exits without the 3800 baht yearly (because visa's are usually only be extended for a year) multiple re-entry permits.

If this is the case, does anyone know exactly what paper work is needed to get a Multiple Entry Non-Imm B Visa from LA or any other consolate/Embassey in the United States? What is the cost? Thanks

matt

My source for the item about rentry permits expiring with a new extension comes from a paper stapled in my passport by Immigration.

Keep in mind that (re)-entry permits are different from and (I believe) easier to get than visas themselves. For instance, if you have a tourist visa, it's the same process to get a single or multiple re-entry permit from the Immigration office in Bangkok as it is to get the same permits for a non-immigrant visa - it's just a function of your travel plans which is more desirable. The visa allows you X entries up until it expires, where X is the number stamped on the visa or what you get here. There's little documentation involved for getting an entry permit - it's functionally the same as getting an extension, unlike the aplication for the non-imm visa itself. The permit itself is the same for any kind of visa.

If you have the pretext to support a non-imm visa, I don't think you should sweat whether its a single entry or multiple, you can get your multiple reentry permit when you get here. At the same time, keep in mind that you may not get a 1-year non-imm to start with - you may start with a 90-day and then must apply for a (up to) 1-year extension (It may be different if you have confirmed employment or suchlike, but that's what's happening with me). In this case, of course, you may not want to get the multiple reentry ASAP, as it will expire when your extension is approved.

Again, the hard part isn't getting re-entry permits, it's getting the B visa. And of course, lots of people commute on tourist visas....

later

dc

A multi entry visa only allows entry for 90 days so you would have to exit and return each 90 days or less and obtain a new work permit each time. If you are going to be using a work permit and meet the income requirements for extension of stay would think that would be the method to use, even if you have to pay 3,800 baht for a multi re entry permit if you travel a lot.