Hey guys, thanks for all of your help on ThaiVisa. Instead of ripping my hair out trying to find a 12 month Visa. I figured a three entry six month tourist visa is all I need. I don't mind leaving every two months for a short vacation somewhere, I just hated having to go to the visa extension office after 30 days.

Here were the steps.

Office:

ROYAL THAI CONSULATE-GENERAL

600 Travis, Ste. 2800

HOUSTON, TX 77002-3940

Website:

None

Contact:

Sarah Andriamanana in the Visa Section at

Phone: 713-335-3995

Download: The Application to be filled out

And more importantly, the Information FAQ - This should be a sticky by itself, it does the best job I've ever seen of breaking down the requirements for each type of visa.

My Story: I called Sarah before sending out my passport and she was extremely helpful and kind. She said the first two entries were waived and I just had to get a money order for $35 for the third entry. I sent in the money order with two passport photos, the filled out application, and a self-addressed stamped envelope from UPS with tracking, and less than a week later I got my passport back with a shiny new 3 entry stamp in it!

Piece of cake! See you guys back in Thailand!

Visa_Application_Information.pdf

Visa_Applicaton_Form.pdf

Houston has a reputation of being efficient and helpful. Good to hear you got your visa ok. You can stretch your visa to nearly 9 months with extensions and two border runs depending on how long you want to stay.

I don't mind leaving every two months for a short vacation somewhere, I just hated having to go to the visa extension office after 30 days.

You don't have to get a visa extension on a tourist visa after 30 days. You do it after 60 days.

Let it be a lesson to everyone.

If you want friendly and expedite service, then use a consulate.

The consulates are effectively businesses which have no Thai roots, they get to keep a large percentage of the funds you pay them as part of thier agreement with the embassy.

These guys will back to back you for years..

All visas are issued by Consulates. It is the "Honorary" Consulates that have a reputation for non bureaucratic attitude.

so he was issued a 'can be used until' that was 6 months after the issue date?

That is the normal policy at many consulates. 3 months for single and 6 months for 2 or more.

Portland, Oregon, an honorary consulate, is also very friendly and efficient.

Let it be a lesson to everyone.

If you want friendly and expedite service, then use a consulate.

The consulates are effectively businesses which have no Thai roots, they get to keep a large percentage of the funds you pay them as part of thier agreement with the embassy.

These guys will back to back you for years..

If you ever used the Los Angeles consulate, you would have an entirely different story.

I used the Los Angeles Consulate to get my last double entry tourist

visa and they gave me a 2 entry without much hassle. However, they

will not even consider giving a 3 entry, ever. I asked them why and

they said, "it's impossible to use so many entries in six months."

Which obviously doesn't make any sense.

However, I used to live 10 minutes away from the LA Consulate which is

in Larchmount Village a very nice place to hang out, go to the

farmer's market and have a coffee. So if you've close by and don't

mind going back to pick it up the next day, the LA consulate isn't

bad. They were efficient, did their job and friendly enough. But

definitely the honorary consulates are 20x friendlier and more easy

going.

Anyways, I'm sitting on my balcony overlooking the water in beautiful

Koh Lanta as I type this, so I can't complain. =)

P.S. Good to hear that I can stretch out my visa for 9 months by doing

the 30 day extension after 60 days, making a visa run, doing it again,

and coming back in before the 6month expiry for another three months.

I'm planning on going back to the U.S. in March so I won't need it,

but if anything, it's easier and cheaper for me to do a border run

(mini vacation somewhere else) every 60 days than it is to do a 30 day

extension.

That is the normal policy at many consulates. 3 months for single and 6 months for 2 or more.

Yes, but in the home country of the person asking the visa.

I really do not understand why a consulate in Laos can legally give me a turist visa, i have italian passport....

In Laos they should give other visa and tourist visa for Lao citizen only.

The visa situation in Thailand is a total mess........

kosh, there is nothing in the Thai immigration law and regulations to forbid a Thai consulate outside Italy to give you a tourist visa to allow you to travel to Thailand for the purpose of tourism.

--

Maestro

I used the Los Angeles Consulate to get my last double entry tourist

visa and they gave me a 2 entry without much hassle. However, they

will not even consider giving a 3 entry, ever. I asked them why and

they said, "it's impossible to use so many entries in six months."

Which obviously doesn't make any sense...

Sometimes with bureaucrats, you have to draw a picture to make them understand, ie in a case like yours give them a copy of your travel plans: first arrival date, first departure date,second arrival date, second departure date, third arrival date, third departure date. In fact, some consulates specifically ask for the applicant's itinerary, if not for a copy of flight reservations or tickets. Example: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/nearly-Denie...85#entry3098085

--

Maestro

Never had any issues in Los Angeles. Got at least 6 VISA there over the years, some of them are triple TR Visa.

Edited October 26, 200916 yr by asia_pilot

That is the normal policy at many consulates. 3 months for single and 6 months for 2 or more.

The consulate in Miami is an exception. Was only going to be given 3 months originally for a triple entry TV and was only given 6 months after much debate and pleading (and an extra $25 to get it that day).