60 Day Tourist Visa Still Free?

[Gjk7777]

I live in the Uk and i want to stay in Issan next year for 60 days, i looked at the Thai Embassy website in Liverpool and it says Tourist Visas are issued free until March 2010, so just to confirm this i called the embassy and they said "yes its free but with a £15 admin charge" it says nothing about this £15 admin charge on the website, i have decided to send my application to the embassy in Birmingham instead, has anyone heard of this £15 admin charge?

Edited October 27, 2009 by Gjk7777

[fj709]

I live in the Uk and i want to stay in Issan next year for 60 days, i looked at the Thai Embassy website in Liverpool and it says Tourist Visas are issued free until March 2010, so just to confirm this i called the embassy and they said "yes its free but with a £15 admin charge" it says nothing about this £15 admin charge on the website, i have decided to send my application to the embassy in Birmingham instead, has anyone heard of this £15 admin charge?

I am travelling to Thailand in three weks and will be getting a couple of visas from Liverpool, I will let you know How much it cost me.

[thaiphoon]

The standard fee for single entry tourist visas has been waived by Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 4th March 2010.

Honorary consulates, such as Liverpool, are reliant on 'commissions' from visas issued to cover their operational costs, whereas embassies and consulates have their operational costs funded directly by Thai government. The Thai government's decision to temporarily waive the standard fee on single entry tourist visas has hit the honorary consulates' revenue streams hard, and some honorary consulates in the UK have therefore introduced administrative charges as a way of covering their operating costs. £15 is also the figure charged by Hull.

But like everything in life you get what you pay for. With the honorary consulates you will get a fast and efficient application turnaround service, whereas with the embassy the issue of visas is regarded as a low priority and they will often put barriers in the way to prevent/delay issue.

Edited October 27, 2009 by thaiphoon

[typhoon]

Got one from Hull last week, and yes its 15 pounds and 8 pounds to send back the passport

[rak sa_ngop]

Got one from Hull last week, and yes its 15 pounds and 8 pounds to send back the passport

.....and if you pre-pay (and fill in address etc) for the special delivery return envellope at the post office and stick it in with your application you will save about 3 pounds.

[Gjk7777]

Nothing on the website about any admin charge though, i will send my passport with no money and see what happens i will post the outcome soon!

[Gjk7777]

Can confirm that the Liverpool office is issuing free tourist visas, it only cost me £10.50 for the special nextday delivery.

[Elhendawee]

i can't understand what i do in this site

[dr_Pat_Pong]

i can't understand what i do in this site

You'll pick it up with practice.

[andiwilson]

So the Thai government try to increase tourism with offers of free tourist visas. Not a bad move but when people try to get one they are faced with

"administration" fees.

My father, a friend and I all need 60 day visas for Christmas. My friend didn't realise it should be free and so emailed the consulate in Amsterdam as to

the cost and how to pay the money. They replied that the fee was €30 plus €10 for postage with the method of payment being "just put the cash in the

envelope". Instead of doing this we went to the Embassy in Den Haag and were issued 60 day visas free of charge. My father called the consulate in Hull,

and was informed the fee was £15 and the method of payment recommended? Please write your credit card number, issue and expiry dates and the cvv

number, given that they would already be in possession of his date of birth and address from the passport he sent a postal order.

[lopburi3]

Most Consulate do not ask any such fee. Hull (and now Amsterdam) are the only places I have seen reports of this happening. In the case of Amsterdam I would advise you to seek clarification from the MFA using this form and providing them full email information. I suspect it may be a case of a local worker 'policy' rather than a consulate policy.

[Musongman]

In Sydney, I got a 60 day tourist visa at no charge what-so-ever, seems the Thai Consulates operate on their own rules in different countries. Probably a "tea-money" thing?

[Mario2008]

In Sydney, I got a 60 day tourist visa at no charge what-so-ever, seems the Thai Consulates operate on their own rules in different countries. Probably a "tea-money" thing?

It has to do with being a honorary consulate. A honorary consul, as opposed to people working at an embassy or regular consulate, ar not civil servant and don't receive a salary for their work. Instead they rely on the income from the issuence of a visas. Which is also the reason that honorary consulates are normaly much more liberal in issuing a visa.

With tourist visas being free at the moment they miss a large part of their income. To compensate this loss, some have decided to apply an administrative fee.