Perth Non Imm O "Visiting Friends"

[Strange]

I decided to fly to Perth from Thailand after reading about this for a while. Just bought the tickets at 27,000 baht. Then read something here that they will be closing soon??? Im about to panic if thats the case.

Anybody know about this?

[Lite Beer]

Closing sometime this month but cannot remember when.

EDIT.

According to This closing on 18th October.

Sorry.

[Bagwain]

If you have the time and loot you can pop over to Brisbane.

Visa's are a peace of cake there!

Flights are a tad expensive.

Try online Jetstar or Virgin Blue

[Lite Beer]

I have not seen any reports of Brisbane issuing a Non Imm O Multi Entry Visa to visit friends.

Anyone?

[Strange]

Closing sometime this month but cannot remember when.

EDIT.

According to This closing on 18th October.

Sorry.

Fuk man that should DEFINITELY be there under 'LATEST REPORTS OF GETTING A VISA IN THE REGION" sticky.

[MikeandDow]

Perth Office closed

[garyh]

I have not seen any reports of Brisbane issuing a Non Imm O Multi Entry Visa to visit friends.

Anyone?

If it is any help I just got a non immigrant O based on marriage 10 days ago, took 10 minutes and $200 and something AUD. Did not have to show anything other than marriage certificate.

[Strange]

Im not married gentlemen. This visa was for visiting friends. Ive just got a girlfriend here.

Outstanding....

So is there anywhere else to get the visa for visiting Friends?

[lopburi3]

Hull in the UK.

[ozzieovaseas]

I have not seen any reports of Brisbane issuing a Non Imm O Multi Entry Visa to visit friends.

Anyone?

No, im pretty sure you will not be able to get a non-imm on the basis of "visiting friends". I enquired about this last year at Bris and they were quite adamant about it no longer being good enough grounds for non O.

After talking with a very nice lady on the phone she advised me i could possibly go with the "girlfiend" thing, which of course meant a little more hassle, having to get a letter from GF (in thai) and copy of her ID card sent over. Thats a pretty tough ask when you are in Aus and havent much time before you travel.

Maybe alls not lost for the OP though. I ended up getting a double entry tourist visa by mail from the Brisbane consulate,no worries.

So, if the Op is stranded in Perth it may be viable to send the passport and application by express priority post. It will probably take 3 or 4 working days for the consulate to process it and then send back so of course the OP will have to weigh up the costs of staying in Perth a little longer against doing it some other way.

For what its worth, Good luck OP, hope it works out ok

[Strange]

I'm not in Perth I'm in Thailand and I need to be out of here on the 23rd. I can get 15 days in Chong Chom, but then I have to figure out what to do after that. I just contacted Thai airways and they said that they can refund the money but there will be a 2000 baht fee. Sounds ok, but then they told me that it would take 45 freakin days for the refund to hit my account. What a bunch of crap that is.

So what about hull? I didn't see it under the latest reports sticky. They issue a Non Imm O visa on the basis of visiting friends? And by post? Im American, 27, does that matter?

[Strange]

Perth Office closed

I just checked there website, and I can not see ANYTHING stating that they are closed or will be closing.

Am I missing something here???

Perth Thai consul Announcements Link

[garyh]

Is getting married an option?

[ozzieovaseas]

I'm not in Perth I'm in Thailand and I need to be out of here on the 23rd. I can get 15 days in Chong Chom, but then I have to figure out what to do after that. I just contacted Thai airways and they said that they can refund the money but there will be a 2000 baht fee. Sounds ok, but then they told me that it would take 45 freakin days for the refund to hit my account. What a bunch of crap that is.

So what about hull? I didn't see it under the latest reports sticky. They issue a Non Imm O visa on the basis of visiting friends? And by post? Im American, 27, does that matter?

I dont think age comes into it,IMO the best thing you could do now is to get the GF to write a letter stating your case and get a copy of the ID card, in advance..no matter where you eventually go, this may be your only shot at a NON-O, should the "friends" thing not p out, which i think is a longshot at best.

You did well getting a flight from Thai airlines at that price, i thought they were the dearest in the market..maybe best to cop the 2,000 bht loss, IF the Perth consulate is really closed..

If you are still not sure and dont take the word of the earlier posters, why not ring them and find out first hand..id also be interested to know if they are closed

[CMExpat79]

How about contacting the Canberra office, apparently they are taking over all services that were handled in Perth...might be a longshot but if you explain your situation, milk it about that there was no notification on their site, they may accept a postal application?

I dunno if this would work or not, simply a suggestion.

If all else fails, take a look at airasia as they often have deals for flights to london from KL and get your non o from Hull - they accept applications by post also if you are in the UK (or Europe) or you could go down the tourist visa route from Laos - gives you 6 months in total in you get the double TV, its free at the moment too.

Or....for around 25k ish go for a 1 year ED visa but you need to study thai, and I think you still need to leave thailand to get the visa once an accredited school gives you the paperwork needed to apply but you can go to places in asia like Laos or KL

Good luck

[lopburi3]

It has been confirmed per the above/below report from ThaiVisa Admin thaiphoon.

Having personally met the Honorary Consul last Thursday, it is confirmed that the honorary consulate in Perth will be closing on Monday 18th October 2010 following the retirement of Brigadier W.D. (Bill) Jamieson, Honorary Consular-General.

Visa and consular services will be provided up to and including that date. Note normal office opening times are Tuesday and Thursday, unless by prior appointment. After 18th October all consular services provided by Perth will be handled from Canberra.

[Strange]

Yeah I got that too.

Once again, You guys should really headline that in red in the "latest reports of getting a visa in the region" sticky. Mods and admin should know this already.

Anyway, end of the day, I should have not depended on thaivisa and gone with the facts from contacting the embassy/consulate directly.

And I called Hull. They said that you CAN get the Non Imm O for visiting friends, but you have to either physically go there and apply, or, you can do it by post. However, if by post, I have to be out of Thailand (knew that already) and have to send the passport & application to someone in the UK so that they drop the Thai Postage and resend it with UK postage so it arrives with UK Postage.

That and tickets are ridiculously expensive.

I will call Perth myself tomorrow and ask what is going on. I already canceled my ticket, so its too late for that but I will update regardless.

[MikeandDow]

perth office closed

From: Royal Thai Consulate Perth [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: Tuesday, 5 October 2010 4:01 PM

To: xxxxxxxxx

Subject: Re: Royal Thai Consulate-General Western Australia Contact Form

Hello xxxxxxxxx

This is correct, our office is closing as of 14th October 2010. I would suggest that perhaps you contact the Brisbane Consulate as see if they will be able to assist you after this date.

Yours sincerely,

Yvonne Powell

Visa Officer

www.thaiconsulatewa.org.au

[beano2274]

Yeah I got that too.

Once again, You guys should really headline that in red in the "latest reports of getting a visa in the region" sticky. Mods and admin should know this already.

Anyway, end of the day, I should have not depended on thaivisa and gone with the facts from contacting the embassy/consulate directly.

And I called Hull. They said that you CAN get the Non Imm O for visiting friends, but you have to either physically go there and apply, or, you can do it by post. However, if by post, I have to be out of Thailand (knew that already) and have to send the passport & application to someone in the UK so that they drop the Thai Postage and resend it with UK postage so it arrives with UK Postage.

That and tickets are ridiculously expensive.

I will call Perth myself tomorrow and ask what is going on. I already canceled my ticket, so its too late for that but I will update regardless.

Sorry to say it, but first you get a visa, then book tickets!!!!!!!!!!

[ignis]

That and tickets are ridiculously expensive.

Going to the UK is not ridiculously expensive if you want to go on the cheap....

I am NOT going but was checking different airlines

BKK > KL return was 3.160 baht with all tax

KL > London Return was 20,300 baht with all tax.. with Air Asia > No Food or Luggage

So cheaper than what you paid to go to Perth Australia..

Etihad Airway was 41,620 baht with tax + food + luggage, BKK to Manchester.. From here to Hull is not far by National Express + if you make an appointment the Visa takes 30 mins or less.. + 1 night hotel

Perth you would have needed at least 2 nights + if you had not made an appointment it would have been 3 night... So at the end of the day going to Hull is not ridiculously expensive..

I had sheets and sheets of paper with all the airlines and prices,

There are many other airline 3x,xxx baht from BKK to LHR or LGW... Trains in UK are very expensive and by Coach it is a long way to Hull..

If you want to go within the next few days, then would suggest going to a Travel Agent, you can get really good price on late deals..

I went to Perth in Feb this year > Travel Agent > Thai Air direct flight 20,300 baht everything included > booked 5 days before flight.

Edited October 15, 2010 by ignis

[whatchamacallit]

I have not seen any reports of Brisbane issuing a Non Imm O Multi Entry Visa to visit friends.

Anyone?

Got my Non-O based on visiting friends from Perth last November - but since the Perth Hon. Consulate closed on the 15th of October, I called Brisbane last month and talked to both the consulate and his Thai Wife and here's what they told me:

If under the age of 50 years old - They will grant me a Non-O with Multi entries valid for 12 months (can be stretched to 15) with the proof of Title of ownership to a condo in Thailand. She also added that I should bring along my Thai Bank Account book. So I'll be heading to Brisbane next month :-).

No Non-O based on visiting friends/relatives will be granted at Brisbase Thai Consulate.

[steve187]

Hull will send by return post if in UK, send Monday get back Wednesday, special delivery will cost about £6.00 each way. personnel visit by appointment will cost an additional £10.00 making the multi entry £110.00. the nearest airport to hull would be Humberside, but flights to from bkk are normally expensive, with a stop over.

[beechguy]

Yeah I got that too.

Once again, You guys should really headline that in red in the "latest reports of getting a visa in the region" sticky. Mods and admin should know this already.

Anyway, end of the day, I should have not depended on thaivisa and gone with the facts from contacting the embassy/consulate directly.

And I called Hull. They said that you CAN get the Non Imm O for visiting friends, but you have to either physically go there and apply, or, you can do it by post. However, if by post, I have to be out of Thailand (knew that already) and have to send the passport & application to someone in the UK so that they drop the Thai Postage and resend it with UK postage so it arrives with UK Postage.

That and tickets are ridiculously expensive.

I will call Perth myself tomorrow and ask what is going on. I already canceled my ticket, so its too late for that but I will update regardless.

Sorry to say it, but first you get a visa, then book tickets!!!!!!!!!!

He's already in Thailand, how would he get a visa before buying tickets?

[whatchamacallit]

He's already in Thailand, how would he get a visa before buying tickets?

I think what he meant is: First find out (or call the consulate) to make sure the Consulate in Perth will be open on such and such date, and that the OP will difinitely get the Non-O visa, then you buy the ticket :-)

[beechguy]

He's already in Thailand, how would he get a visa before buying tickets?

I think what he meant is: First find out (or call the consulate) to make sure the Consulate in Perth will be open on such and such date, and that the OP will difinitely get the Non-O visa, then you buy the ticket :-)

I agree it's best to contact a consulate before making any plans. But that's not what Beano2274 wrote, I took it that he wasn't aware the OP was already in Thailand. Not unusual for people to only read part of a post and not understand the situation. And, his advice doesn't always work because some consulates won't issue a visa if you don't already have a ticket.

Anyway, good luck to the Op for whatever plan "B" is.

Edited October 15, 2010 by beechguy

[ignis]

Depends on how you are in Thailand now ? [maybe already have 2 back to back tourist Visas]

If not.. You can go to KL or Valentine and get a 2x 60 day FREE tourist Visa..., many post about this with extensions at local Immigration this is good for near 6 months, give you time to think arrange something at a later date.