Stricter Requirements For Tourist Visa Applicants

[Atmos]

this thread has

• 479 Replies
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is there one of the 478 responses to the OP that will inform a reader precisely what the current situation is with Tourist Visas?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In all fairness, I would say the best advice is to check directly with the consulate where you intend to apply, and/or check that consulate's web site for visa info, and/or check recent posts here from members who have applied at that same exact consulate.

Different consulates have always had some differences in what they require. And often, less documentation is required if you're a citizen of the country where the consulate is located, such as an American applying at a Thai consulate in the U.S. And conversely, more documentation often is required if you're applying in a country other than your own.

That said, from what I have read here, there is little to no evidence, at least thus far, to support the broad, sweeping supposed changes that were claimed in the OP of this thread. Rather, it comes down to what individual consulates are or aren't doing.

Did you have a particular consulate or consulates in mind?

Edited September 8, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tropo]

There's nothing particular ambiguous about it...

Yes... Pattaya seems to be enforcing a different 90 days report process... But Bangkok and most other places haven't made any change and there's no sign they're planning to.

Can you please explain what has changed in the 90 day report process. I have to report next week.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Report at what office, Tropo? If it's Bangkok, absolutely nothing has changed... On the other hand, the folks at Chonburi seem to be off in their own different world.

[tropo]

Report at what office, Tropo? If it's Bangkok, absolutely nothing has changed... On the other hand, the folks at Chonburi seem to be off in their own different world.

I have to report at Chonburi. I just found the thread and read about the new requirements. Cheers.

[Jingthing]

this thread has

• 479 Replies
• 49,185 Views

is there one of the 478 responses to the OP that will inform a reader precisely what the current situation is with Tourist Visas?

No! That's my point. It will depend on a lot of factors, most importantly where you go.

[sjefrie]

this thread has

• 479 Replies
• 49,185 Views

is there one of the 478 responses to the OP that will inform a reader precisely what the current situation is with Tourist Visas?

No! That's my point. It will depend on a lot of factors, most importantly where you go.

So you say flights and hotel reservations are not mandatory ???

[poanoi]

Sometimes not, according to this last post

[electau]

Have a look and read carefully the original advice posted from the MFA in post number 1.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2501.php?&id=2815

The only countries mentioned are listed, These are the ones affected by the changes.

[lopburi3]

Have a look and read carefully the original advice posted from the MFA in post number 1.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2501.php?&id=2815

The only countries mentioned are listed, These are the ones affected by the changes.

Those countries are required to provide five photos/applications rather than just one that all other countries would be required to provide - the application procedure applies to all countries.

Citizens of following countries are required to provide 5 photos and 5 copies of application form

[electau]

Have a look and read carefully the original advice posted from the MFA in post number 1.

http://www.mfa.go.th...01.php?&id=2815

The only countries mentioned are listed, These are the ones affected by the changes.

Those countries are required to provide five photos/applications rather than just one that all other countries would be required to provide - the application procedure applies to all countries.

Citizens of following countries are required to provide 5 photos and 5 copies of application form

If you are a national of countries that can obtain a visa free entry (30day) the requirements for a 60 day tourist visa will not have changed for you if you apply in your home country.

If you intend to apply in a third country for a 60 day tourist visa find out the requirements if possible of that particular embassy or consulate first, before applying.

That seems to be the basic interpretation of the requirement.

And there are about 39 countries that have visa free entry for 30days.

　

[lopburi3]

Actually there are 48 countries with visa exempt entry (three of which receive 90 day stay) plus Hong Kong.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Have a look and read carefully the original advice posted from the MFA in post number 1.

http://www.mfa.go.th...01.php?&id=2815

The only countries mentioned are listed, These are the ones affected by the changes.

Those countries are required to provide five photos/applications rather than just one that all other countries would be required to provide - the application procedure applies to all countries.

Citizens of following countries are required to provide 5 photos and 5 copies of application form

Lopburi is correct... The link Electau posted, the same one used in this thread's OP, although it has the address of the MFA, is actually a page for the Thai consulate in Phnom Penh and its tourist visa requirements.... The same requirements do not necessarily apply at other consulates in other places. Note at the top of the page, the banner says "Royal Thai Embassy," not Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The requirements listed there for Phnom Penh -- which do include items about airline ticket, hotel reservation and bank statement -- would seem to apply to any applicant at that consulate. The only difference for the "listed" countries there -- China, North Korea and various Middle East countries -- is that they want citizens of those countries to provide FIVE copies of their photo and tourist visa application form.

Here is the link for the main MFA site on visa requirements, including tourist visas... It lists an airline ticket and proof of finances as requirements... and has listed both there since at least 2009... (Though clearly many consulates have not and are not even now enforcing those two items.)

The only change to those listed requirements since at least 2009 -- based on looking at the web history for that page -- was that they increased the required $ amount along the way.

http://www.mfa.go.th...482.php?id=2489

It makes no mention of hotel or accommodation documentation. But obviously, individual consulates can add that if they wish, just as others apparently can ignore various items.

Edited September 9, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If you are a national of countries that can obtain a visa free entry (30day) the requirements for a 60 day tourist visa will not have changed for you if you apply in your home country.

That seems to be the basic interpretation of the requirement.

Electau, the interpretation you offer above is an interesting one, but there's absolutely nothing in the OP of this thread that seems to support it... And the reference you made about "listed countries" pertained to how many copies are going to be required at Phnom Penh, not to the basic requirements for a tourist visa..

However, one thing is true.... Earlier in this thread, we've had direct reports by members and/or individual consulates in Portland Oregon USA, Liverpool UK, Toronto Canada and Australia (which all happen to be visa exempt countries)...

And all of those indicated the consulates in those locations are issuing tourist visas to citizens of those countries WITHOUT any of the supposed changes referenced here in the OP...

Two of those consulates directly responded to member inquiries, specifically saying, as far as they were aware, there were no changes in the rules for tourist visas....period.

[JimGant]

Requirements:

-- Hotel reservation in Thailand with name and dates of checking in/out.

-- Airline ticket or confirmation slip with flight number and date of entry/exit

However:

-- In the absence of a required document, a letter indicating the unavailability of such document must be provided.

Dear Mr. Consulate person:

I'm taking the bus, and crashing at Noy's place. Thanks much.

Tony Tourist

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Again, Jim is quoting above from the tourist visa info on the Phnom Penh consulate's web site...

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2501.php?&id=2815

It's somewhat confusing because it has an MFA web address... But if you click the "Home" button at the top of that page, you'll see it takes you to the home page for the Phnom Penh Consulate.

Also, I've noticed that a lot of the smaller, more out of the way Thai consulates tend to use MFA web addresses, perhaps because they don't have local staff to maintain their own web site, whereas the larger ones have their own address.

The actual MFA web page re tourist visa info is posted above...in my prior posting.

But Jim's advice is entertaining... Wonder what would happen if someone showed up in PP and presented such a letter to the officers there??? You never know!!!

[electau]

With reference to post #494.

The interpretation was based on the following.

1. That I am an Australian citizen.

2. Australia is one of the countries that is permitted 30 day visa free entry into Thailand.

3. The requirements for a 60 day tourist visa have not changed.

4. That one lodges the application at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in Australia.

Applications at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in a country outside of Australia where the applicant is not a citizen or has permanent residence the new requirements may well apply.

So in Cambodia, at Phnom Penh, an Australian applicant would have to comply with local requirements for a 60 day tourist visa for Thailand.

The same would apply to applicants from the US,UK, Canada, NZ etc.

　

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

UPDATE:

I just talked to our contact at MFA again, and I will be granted an phone interview with one of the seniors there at the visa section on Monday and Tuesday next week.

.......

And it looks to me, based on this new info, that this new requirements of flight tickets and hotel booking confirmations for "TR" at this time is targeted to the Embassies and consulates in SE-Asia, but it will be world wide policy shortly. I have not been able to get this confirmed today though.

Hope I can get this sorted and explained to you guys so we can go out with new info in the beginning of next week.

Cheers

George

These were the last words from our fearless leader ...

But... we're now at two weeks since that post and no update forthcoming...

Edited September 9, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

With reference to post #494.

The interpretation was based on the following.

1. That I am an Australian citizen.

2. Australia is one of the countries that is permitted 30 day visa free entry into Thailand.

3. The requirements for a 60 day tourist visa have not changed.

4. That one lodges the application at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in Australia.

Applications at a Thai Embassy or Consulate in a country outside of Australia where the applicant is not a citizen or has permanent residence the new requirements may well apply.

So in Cambodia, at Phnom Penh, an Australian applicant would have to comply with local requirements for a 60 day tourist visa for Thailand.

The same would apply to applicants from the US,UK, Canada, NZ etc.

Yes Electau... I believe you're right about that.... And as I pointed out, there's similar evidence for the some of the other western countries mentioned above...

My only quibbles are... there was nothing in the OP "news" report of this thread to support that notion.... We're making those connections based on member reports such as yours and what a couple of the western consulates have told us directly...

And, as best as I recall, even in the U.S. there are variations... As Jim Gant has posted here previously, the tourist visa requirements listed for the Thai Embassy in Wash DC vs. some of the official Thai consulates in the U.S. vs. some of the honorary consulates in the U.S. are not all the same and do vary from place to place.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just checked these two local Thai Embassy websites... no changes from a week or so ago....

Here's the Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos... No mention of airline tickets or hotel reservations re tourist visa....

http://vientiane.tha...consular_check/

The Thai Embassy in Malaysia, meanwhile, shows two different sets of requirements for tourist visas:

--listed countries: airline ticket and accommodation reservation required.

--non-listed countries: airline ticket required, no mention of accommodation proof.

[but the airline ticket they want to see is one going OUT of Malaysia TO Thailand... not out of Thailand]

http://www.mfa.go.th...87.php?&id=3923

Edited September 9, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Since it was now buried under a few hundred other posts in this thread, here's Jim's good recap of what the different U.S. Thai consulates (and Embassy) are saying...

There are no changes to the Thai Consulate Los Angeles, or Thai Embassy DC websites. Possibly because, as has been suggested, there hasn't been enough time yet to do this.

So, yesterday I sent an email to the honorary consulate in Portland:

My question:

The Thaivisa forum, from which many of us learn quite a bit about visa requirements, has recently been abuzz with new requirements for a tourist visa. To wit, the reported new requirements are: copy of airline ticket into Thailand; copy of airline ticket out of Thailand; and copy of hotel reservation ( or similar accommodation). Have any of these changed your website-reported requirements, namely, as a US citizen, no proof of airline tickets/reservations or hotel reservation are needed?

Their answer:

There is no such requirement for tourist visas – please be careful when checking the Thaivisa.com website regarding requirements for Thai visas. You will find all information you need on the Royal Thai Embassy website or any consulate website.

Sincerely,

Mary Wheeler

Mary Wheeler

Consular Assistant

Royal Thai Consulate General

1136 NW Hoyt Street, Suite 210

Portland, Oregon 97209

Hmmm. I guess it is possible, especially as an honorary consulate, the word hasn't filtered down yet. More likely, however, is this "new policy" is meant to apply just to the border consulates, to thwart the ersatz tourists from doing border runs for consecutive tourist visas. To make it harder for legitimate tourists to get visas just doesn't make sense.

So, for Yanks, I once again recommend Portland for getting a tourist visa. They have a website (unlike most honorary consulates), with all the requirements. Plus, as shown above, they will answer your email. And they're easy to deal with via mail.

[Portland Honorary Consulate] And, no requirement to show airline ticket (for US citizens), and no hotel or financial requirements. Also, you can get a three-entry tourist visa valid for 6-months, while LA and DC advertise validity of only 3-months, even while offering the multi entry option.

DC also requires "round trip ticket" and evidence of $500 per person. LA, on the other hand, doesn't require proof of airline ticket or finances. (They, however, no longer accept FEDEX or UPS -- only USPS.)

You'd think everyone would be on the same sheet of music. But, apparently, the music is rap.

Oh, come Oct 1, 2011, tourist visa fees per entry become $40. Single entry Non Imm, $80; multi-entry Non Imm, $200.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just to be clear....

The Portland Oregon USA Honorary Consulate's web site is here...

http://www.thai-or.com/

For U.S. citizens applying for a Thai tourist visa, they DO NOT require airline ticket, hotel reservation or bank statement.

However, for NON-U.S. citizens, they DO require, in addition to the normal things:

--total of four (4) passport photos

--a copy of your airline tickets or itinerary,

--a copy of your Permanent Residence Card or US Visa, and

--a copy of current bank statement.

And, as Jim previously reported, the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles' web site still shows no changes for U.S. citizens seeking a tourist visa... no airline tickets, no hotel reservations, no bank statements.

http://www.thai-la.n...-tourist-us.htm

But for non U.S. citizens, they DO require airline tickets and bank statements:

http://www.thai-la.n...isa-tourist.htm

1 copy of airline ticket

(confirmed onward ticket – showing flights into and out of Thailand.

Either paper ticket or confirmed e-ticket is acceptable. Itinerary is NOT accepted.

If applying for 2 entries, ticket must show 2 entries into Thailand.

1 copy of applicant's recent bank statement

(reflect at least $500 per person, $1,000 per family)

If the applicant does not have his/her own bank statement, please submit the Affidavit of Support with the bank statement of the person who supports the applicant.

If using Online Bank Statement, it must show applicant's name and balance.

Edited September 9, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There's a certain delicious irony here....

The Tourism Authority of Thailand yesterday unveiled its latest marketing campaign, dubbed "The Miracle Years of Amazing Thailand", tasked with doubling both arrivals and income by 2014

...........

The government wants to see 30 million arrivals per year by 2014 while income from domestic and international markets would reach Bt2 trillion per year.

The Tourism Ministry has said it would maintain tourism stimulus measures such as waiving visa fees for certain countries to lure foreign tourists and the tax deduction to encourage local travel.

They could, of course, nearly meet their stated goal just by handing out no questions asked tourist visas at Phnom Penh.... Problem solved!!!

[JimGant]

It's always interesting to see the different interpretations of MFA "guidance" made by the consulates and embassies. It's really hard to believe any of this guidance is formalized -- based on all the different interpretations. More like "I think this is what I heard at the last social function...."

Portland's a pussy cat, even for non-US citizens.

"... a copy of your airline tickets or itinerary..."

Just providing your itinerary is easy enough to do. So easy, in fact, that good ole' user-friendly LA emphasizes the following (again, for non-US citizens):

"Itinerary is NOT accepted."

[emphasis is theirs]

And, of course, the need to see that you're actually planning on traveling to Thailand, and not just wasting their time:

"If applying for 2 entries, ticket must show 2 entries into Thailand."

But the official MFA website seems to understand that what's of interest is that the tourist has the means and intent to leave.. Never mind his arrival strategy and schedule.

"Evidence of travel from Thailand (air ticket paid in full)."

Must of been a lot of booze at that "guiding" social function....

Oh, and don't even think of wasting LA's time with frivolous Non Imm O applications, as they so helpfully point-out with the following non-acceptable criteria:

"Non-immigrant visas will not be issued for such purposes as tourism, visiting friends, visiting fiancé/fiancée, seeking employment opportunities, looking for a school for teaching or studying purposes, etc."

[my emphasis]

....lest they be mistaken, sniff sniff, for something associated with the British Empire. (Well, at least historically, as Hull and Perth aren't in the 'visiting friends' mode anymore. Perth is closed, and Hull apparently got a dressing-down at the last "guiding" social function.)

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As I've said before, the OP in this thread just isn't supported by the facts out there among the different consulates...at least at present...

At present, there continues to be so much variation from consulate to consulate (and depending on one's nationality), that the best and only true advice that can be offered is to check directly with the consulate where one plans to apply.... Along with checking their individual website and recent posts here regarding that specific consulate.

The broad "one size fits all" pronouncement of the OP just isn't real... at least for the time being.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting...

A very recent tourist visa app at Kuala Lumpur, via a Sept. 7 post... No airline ticket or hotel reservation required...

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4679964

And a Sept 6 post re getting a tourist visa from Phnom Penh using docs of a flight OUT of that country...but no flight docs showing flight out of Thailand...

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4678829

And various posts of using an agent in Phnom Penh to get tourist visa, including double entry, with pretty much no new requirements at all.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4666569

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4666589

And here's the latest thread from Vientiane...

The OP says no back to back tourist visas, and documents being required at the Nong Khai border...

A subsequent poster on the same day, Sept. 1, says tourist visa issued at Vientiane with nothing new for requirements and back to back OK.

Edited September 9, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[visarunner]

Friend of mine just got back from Phnom Penh.

He got a double-entry tourist visa. Did not go through an agent. He went to the embassy himself.

And his passport is north African.

I don't know if they're trying to generate traffic or what, but I'm really thinking this Thaivisa report was a bit of dubious scaremongering.

Before you start condemning the information found on Thaivisa you had better find out what your North African friend had to submit in order to obtain his double entry tourist visa. North African countries already had to supply proof of return tickets and confirmed accommodation before this most recent announcement.

from what I understand from people in Phnom Penh is that no visas are issued to North Africans , unless they have residence of Cambodia.

[Julestar]

Here is my recent dealings with Thai Embassy in KL - Submitted yesterday, collected today...

No hotel booking required and also obtained a double entry

Edited September 9, 2011 by Julestar

[Jingthing]

The OP clearly said the embassies and consulates have been INSTRUCTED. Do you really know if they have been instructed or not instructed (or if the intention is to instruct, what the timing process will be)? The OP did not say in any way whether the instructions will be followed at all, followed consistently, or followed WHEN, if ever. Again, nobody has proven any falsehood in the OP.

[apteraplayer]

In Athens too ... checked today .... No hotel booking required

photos,30 euro,passport,copy of air ticket