Advice Needed On Visum Application

[eXplosief]

I had requested a visum (by mail) from the consulate in amsterdam as that seems to be considered as an easy consulate. It was however turned down.

My situation:

- 45 years old (too young for retirement visum)

- Aiming to stay as long as possible, i leave nothing behind.

- Sufficient funds: around 1M Bht in dutch bank account and approximatly 150.000/month. But financial situation is not asked for.

- Leaving end of april, so 2 months to sort this out.

I applied for a visum and gave the following details:

- Purpose of visit: Visit friends / See country

- Duration of proposed stay: ~9 months

(I hoped that stating more then 6 months as this is the max tourist visum, but not asking for the max of 12 month, which would still result in a 12 month visum, would raise less suspision then stating 1 year)

Now it was turned down for the following reasons:

- I forgot to add a document, this can easily be corrected.

- "What kind of visum are you requesting anyways as this is not really clear to me. I think a ni"o" visum for 1 year?"

Well to say it bluntly i don't really care what kind of visum, as long as i can stay as long as possible. They are the experts on all those types.

- "Considering your age you are not eligible for a multiple entries visum. Can you please return the papers in which you clarify the reason of your application to us."

Now this last sentence is a real problem.

No multi entry???

So my question is what the best approach is:

- What type of visum should i ask for that has a high chance of being granted, but still give me maximum time on LOS and preferably the option of multi entries.

- What reason for the application has the highest chance of being accepted?

[jacknorman]

Read here For NON O you have to be 50 http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493 or here http://www.thaiconsulate-amsterdam.org/visa_uk.asp

You can easily apply for double entry tourist visa with a return ticket

jack

[eXplosief]

But that would give me a maximum stay of 6 months correct?

And i currently have my return flight scheduled for half december, so a stay of around 8 months. The return date can be changed (for a fee) as i expected that i would change it to a later date. Should i go change it to be within the 6 months limit (costs for me now) or doesn't that make a difference.

PS I did read the website of the consulate but nothing seems to match my situation, probably because i am not intended to get a visum for more then 6 months, but i wanted to try. But there are many reasons for a Non-O listed and not all require you to be 50 years IIRC.

So your advice would be to ask for a 6 months multie-entry tourist visum?

[thaiphoon]

Amsterdam issued 12 month Non-O visa on basis of visiting friends previously, but maybe they have tightened up visa issue with the recent clampdown on 'long term' tourists. You have a couple of options as you say you do not travel until April:

1) Contact the Thai consulates in Stuttgart (Germany) and Hull (UK) to see if they will issue you multiple entry Non-O visa on basis of visiting friends by post. 90 day permission to stay on each entry; do a border run just before visa expires and can stretch visa to 15 months.

2) Apply for triple entry tourist visa at Amsterdam. With extensions and 2 border runs in the middle that would give you nearly 9 months stay. Note time starts from date of visa issue, so do not apply to early.

Hull consulate: www.thaiconsul-uk.com

Stuttgart consulate:

Royal Thai Honorary Consulate-General, Pforzheimer Strasse 38170499 Stuttgart

Tel. 0711 - 226 4844

Fax. 0711 - 226 4856

[eXplosief]

Thanks for that answer.

I think i will first try again to get a Non-O from Hull i think. Any tips of the reason for visit that gives me the best chance of being accepted, or is Visiting Friends enough?

If i would have to go the 6 months tourist route, would i need to change my return date (to be within the 6 months) before applying?

[Maestro]

"Visit friends" in the space for "purpose of visit" will be fine.

--

Maestro

[thaiphoon]

I had a look at the Hull website earlier and nothing seems to have changed. Application form, passport, recent passport sized photo and fee (or form for fee if paying by card) still stated as required. Apply on basis of "visiting friends".

[eXplosief]

Looks like a sponsor letter is also required according to their website (which has a load more usefull information then the dutch consulate i must say) or wouldn't they make a point out of that? On the dutch website there is no mention of a Non-O for the purtpose of visit friends.

PS I just emailed them for the costs in euro's for both the visum and the postage back to NL. Wonder how they will react on that.

[thaiphoon]

A sponsor letter is not required for Non-O visa application for "visiting friends". The Hull website is not very clear in places, but a sponsor letter is required for a Non-O visa issued on the basis of volunteer work (which is the line I suspect you are reading). Not all visas are issued by all consulates. There are only a handful of consulates worldwide that will issue the visa you will be applying for.

One member e-mailed Hull recently about applying for this same visa from Europe. The consulate response was 'no problem'. Have a read here.

[eXplosief]

A sponsor letter is not required for Non-O visa application for "visiting friends". The Hull website is not very clear in places, but a sponsor letter is required for a Non-O visa issued on the basis of volunteer work (which is the line I suspect you are reading). Not all visas are issued by all consulates. There are only a handful of consulates worldwide that will issue the visa you will be applying for.

It was something in their visum pack pdf-file:

Evidence substantiating purpose of visit:

Extra evidence, as detailed below, is required only for Non-Immigrant Visas Categories "B" and "ED":-

Category "B" = Letter from sponsor or copy of company documents or valid work permit

Category "ED" = Sponsor letter from educational establishment

Category "O" = Copy of Marriage Cert (if married to Thai national) or Pension Book or Sponsor Letter

Now they contradict themself. In the first line they state that only "B" and "ED" need extra evidence, but in the lines below they also add requirements for type "O". As i am not married to a thai, am not retired so no pension book (whatever that is), so that would leave me with a sponsor letter if i read it correctly.

One member e-mailed Hull recently about applying for this same visa from Europe. The consulate response was 'no problem'. Have a read here.

Yes i have read that thread but there was no mention of the amounts in euro.

[thaiphoon]

You need to look at the text you state in conjunction with 'Purpose of Visit' section of the consulate website. As I said in my earlier post, the wording on the website is not very clear and mixes different visas/different purposes for issue:

Purpose of visit:

NON-IMMIGRANT:

'O' = Friends/family, Extended Stay, UK Pensioner, Volunteer Worker, Seek Work

Evidence substantiating purpose of visit:

Category 'O' = Copy of Marriage Cert (if married to Thai national) or Pension Book or Sponsor Letter

Now read the website text together this way:

Friends/Family: - Nothing required

Extended Stay: - Copy of marriage certificate (if married to Thai), otherwise nothing required

UK Pensioner: - Pension Book

Working: - Sponsor Letter

As said before, a sponsor letter is not required. My reference to member thread link was in conjunction with the consulate's ability to mail your passport back to you in Europe. I suspect you will probably have to pay the consulate visa processing fee/postage in sterling.

[eXplosief]

Update: It took ~ 9 (calendar) days, but i received my Non-O multi-entry visum with reason "visit friends" without any problems from Hull.

[thaiphoon]

Thanks for the update and glad to hear it all worked out for you.