Vientiane Denying Tourist Visas Now?

[direx12]

Hi, I read a recent thread about someone getting denied a new double entry tourist visa in Vientiane because he already had a couple in his passport. Are there any other reports of this? Does anyone know the full deal?

Thanks

[lopburi3]

There have been a number of such reports - but the exact details do not seem to be the same in each case and others seem to get with even more. But the trend is closer checking and refusal without prior warning if they feel justified in so doing.

[Henry14th]

I have had 4 double entries in a row from Vientiane without any problems.

I need to go again in January but something tells me that this will be my first refusal. It's only a matter of time I guess.

Will report back in January.

[ChristopherWilliamsBKK]

are the double entry tourist visas still free at the moment?

if you're refused what do you get? - 14 days?

[Mario2008]

are the double entry tourist visas still free at the moment?

if you're refused what do you get? - 14 days?

Tourist visas are free till march 2011.

If you are refused you get nothing, but could return to Thailand on visa exempt entry (if your nationality qualifies). That would mean 15 days if entering by land border, 30 days if arriving by air.

[ChristopherWilliamsBKK]

thanks Mario

[TheGuy]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

[elliss]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

NO WAY , O,SHEU.

THREE MAX , THEN YOU MUST LEAVE THAILAND FOR 90 DAYS .

they are tightening up the reins . at a pace .

[lopburi3]

There is, and was, no limit on number of visa exempt entry and the 90 day provision was abandoned several years ago. After 3 or 4 you may start to be asked why and if you are working.

[klauswernst198]

If you had already 3 or 4 tourist visas from Vientiane apply for a new passport.* Just before you go to get you new passport make a border run and come back with the visa exemption stamp than pick up your passport. They will cancel the old one and give you a letter. Go to Immigration and transfer your permission to stay and you are ready for the next visa run to Vientiane.

For what do you have to go to Poipet ?

Because when they transfer your permission to stay the immigration officer will write down in your new passport your old visa type and number. And visa numbers are allocated in batches to the embassies so There is a real possibility that in Vientiane when they quick check your passport they realize that your last visa was from them. With that it is very possible that you are investigated further and they discover that this would be your 5th back to back tourist visa.

With a visa exemption stamp transfered to your new passport you just look like a real tourist and with around 400 - 500 Visa applications a day in Vientiane I don't think they have the time to check the history of travel to Thailand for each person so they will probably only check those person who at the first sight look suspicions (many visas to Thailand all extended the 30 days and with one border run in the middle of each 6 month period and no other trips outside of Thailand)

* To apply for a new passport if you still have a lot of free pages which I really doubt if you have so many double entry visas just go swimming with it. After that new embassy will refuse to issue you a new one and there a plenty of cases where this happens to normal tourists

*I did exactly this and it went fine with not even one question asked.

[CNXnamjai]

I'm back from Vientiane. VISA application was denied. they just looked through my passport, counted the number of Tourist-Visas (4, from different embassies in the region) & rejected any discussion.

i was not the only one. lots of people had their application denied.

there was a guy who had been a monk once (he showed them his monkhood-book), who spoke fluently Thai & who tried to convince them he was in Thailand for meditation (which was a lie) - didn't matter.

_this time_, initially i arrived in 2008 with a one-year non-imm-B, issued in an European country. when that expired in 2009 i had been doing the Tourist-Visa-routine; it was just convenient, chai mai?

*

in case anyone is interested, here's my personal thoughts on Vientiane: they had been the only ones that offered double-entry tourist-visas. that attracts customers :-) they even built this new house for VISA-application procedures. but, right now, tourist visas are free - so they still have lots of applicants but it doesn't generate any revenue. why do the work if it doesn't generate any money? why serve people on their 3rd, 4th, 5th tourist visa when Thai legal ruling states it's illegal, assuming you're "working" illegally. who cares at embassy if you're working illegally - but that you show up & apply for a visa generates stress, no-one is paid for.

so, it's my wild guess... the moment the "free" tourist visa, meant to attract _real_ tourists, will expire in march 2011 - things will change again. as embassies will be entitled to make money for their services.

-

otoh, i live in Thailand since 7 years (i'm a newbie). since then i've experienced a tightening of rules & regulations. i'm not complaining. in this case... i just would have appreciated if i would have known of changed policy at Vientiane embassy.

well, seems i'll have some very busy weeks ahead to arrange for a different, lasting "solution" - until... things... change again :-)

[TheGuy]

So what did you do? Go back on Visa Exempt Stamp?

[CNXnamjai]

So what did you do? Go back on Visa Exempt Stamp?

yes. what else to do? ask an "agent"? - i'm not into that kind of stuff.

it'll be busy weeks to arrange for... a more lasting relationship... between LOS & me :-)

[NADTATIDA1]

For 2000 bt to an agent outside you would of got your TV and been happily on your way.

[CNXnamjai]

For 2000 bt to an agent outside you would of got your TV and been happily on your way.

as i've said: i'm _not_ into that kind of stuff. a lot of people complain about corruption of Thai culture - & _you_ publicly endorse it? thanks man ;-) btw: great avatar ;-)

ymmv

[visarunner]

For 2000 bt to an agent outside you would of got your TV and been happily on your way.

Not in Vientiane/Laos anymore.

[NADTATIDA1]

Not endorsing anything that is just the way it is,visarunner i have just come back on thursday

[tombkk]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

You cannot be in Thailand as a tourist for more that 180 days in a 360-day period, if I am not mistaken. Those times are over.

[visarunner]

Not endorsing anything that is just the way it is,visarunner i have just come back on thursday

These outside agents have no influence on the outcome of a visaapplication.

If one is rejected from the consular staff , these agents can not fix it anymore.

They scam a lot of naive people.

[visarunner]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

You cannot be in Thailand as a tourist for more that 180 days in a 360-day period, if I am not mistaken. Those times are over.

You can enter Thailand unlimited times and stay indefinately on visaexempt stamps from airport, landborder and/or Tourist Visas.

However the authorities crack down on the number of Tourist Visas and it it wise to apply for a Non Immigrant Visa and get the extension of stay.

[appropriate]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

Yes, it can also be extended for 60 days based on visiting wife or child, at an immigration office.

This cycle can also be done indefinitely. VE entry stamp, 60 day extention, and repeat the process again.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic T.

Edited November 27, 2010 by appropriate

[Mario2008]

You cannot be in Thailand as a tourist for more that 180 days in a 360-day period, if I am not mistaken. Those times are over.

You are mistaken. That rule was abolished 2 years ago and didn't apply to tourist visas in the first place, only visa exempt entries. Instead peopel no only get 30 days on a vise exempt entry at an airport, landborders are now only 15 days.

[swat]

Was in Vientiane this month and know of 2 People aplying for a double tourist and get only 1 entry,because to many visa,s.

[SanukJoeII]

Not endorsing anything that is just the way it is,visarunner i have just come back on thursday

These outside agents have no influence on the outcome of a visaapplication.

If one is rejected from the consular staff , these agents can not fix it anymore.

They scam a lot of naive people.

You're wrong here visarunner, the agents have a good relationship with the consular staff as they reinstall the "money for application" system. They not scam, they help and earn money with that.

Of course it's not very clever to use an agent after you have been denied, but using an agent from the beginning is 100% successfull. I use one agent quite some times now and always correct. I have not been refused visa, the reason I use the agent is that I don't want to sit there for hours due to 250-300 people applying. So I give my passport and documents to the agent, pay 2000 THB for a double entry visa and next day at 1 pm he gets me back the passport with the visa. No waiting, no hassle, just 2000 THB.

I feel problems have started since thousands of people coming from Pattaya, BKK etc. are coming to Vientiane (Penang trouble), before it was a quiet consulate with 50-75 people applying per day, now it's a loud mass gathering event that not only annoys the consular staff....

Joe

[grahamhc]

are the double entry tourist visas still free at the moment?

if you're refused what do you get? - 14 days?

Tourist visas are free till march 2011.

If you are refused you get nothing, but could return to Thailand on visa exempt entry (if your nationality qualifies). That would mean 15 days if entering by land border, 30 days if arriving by air.

A friend went there a couple of months ago to get a SINGLE entry tourist visa, which was issued. (He works on a ship and has 4 months on and 4 months off)

BUT.... the staff said they do not issue FREE Tourist visas at that embassy.

(I suspect their thoughts were that Free Visas are issued to encourage GENUINE / new tourists from abroad, and not service Border Runners who live for a long time in the Kingdom, who should apply for a non-imm)

When my friend was there, he said there was a queue of what seemed 150 lined up at opening time.

NOT SAME LOCATION, BUT SAME SITUATION:

Had an email from an American that lives in Bangkok, who had to cancel swimming in the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim, as the Embassy in Manila were refusing to issue a new visa without lots of paperwork which he did not have with him and he had to obtain first before they would reconsider.

[appropriate]

NOT SAME LOCATION, BUT SAME SITUATION:

Had an email from an American that lives in Bangkok, who had to cancel swimming in the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim, as the Embassy in Manila were refusing to issue a new visa without lots of paperwork which he did not have with him and he had to obtain first before they would reconsider.

That's odd... flying in he would have recieved 30 days. If he needed more a one day border run would have given him another 15.

How long does the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim take???

[Mario2008]

Tourist visas are free at all Thai consulates. (a very few honorary consulate will charge an administrative fee). But only single entries are free, although some Thai cosnulates also issue free double entries.

How much is a few months? There was a period in which you had to normally pay for the tourist visas again after it being waived for a few months.

[cormalon]

NOT SAME LOCATION, BUT SAME SITUATION:

Had an email from an American that lives in Bangkok, who had to cancel swimming in the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim, as the Embassy in Manila were refusing to issue a new visa without lots of paperwork which he did not have with him and he had to obtain first before they would reconsider.

That's odd... flying in he would have recieved 30 days. If he needed more a one day border run would have given him another 15.

How long does the Pattaya Cross Bay Swim take???

Pattaya Cross Bay Swim is a charity event of a Rotary Club in that region. All details you will find here

http://www.rotary-jomtien-pattaya.org/default.asp?Folder=5010

[jdinasia]

Can the Visa Exempt entry stamp be renewed indefinitely by leaving and entering the country?

Yes, it can also be extended for 60 days based on visiting wife or child, at an immigration office.

This cycle can also be done indefinitely. VE entry stamp, 60 day extention, and repeat the process again.

Cheers chaps.

Dominic T.

To the best of my knowledge this is absolutely incorrect.

The 60 day extension based on visiting wife/child is available ONCE only.

[oMega69]

Why do all the hassle when they are giving out 2x Tourist VIsa from Cambodia so easy now ! .,

Poipet 2h from BKK then let the agent take the passport then w8 2 night at the casino Hotel then done ! . ,