Stricter Requirements For Tourist Visa Applicants

[Richard4849]

Tourist come here to relax not to be hassled

where are you going? On what day? Why are you going? Who are you going to be with? What are you going to be doing?

Wow might as well go to North Korea for a holiday

And what information does your home country require of Thais seeking tourist visas? Hmm?

[ToffeEFCpower]

I believe Russians do not require a visa to enter Thailand

[thaikahuna]

Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad to be stricter with requirements when applicants are applying for Tourist visas for Thailand.

Does this apply to "Visa Exempt" entry also?

What happens if the tourists are staying with friends?

Or if you are married to a Thai citizen and will be staying at their/your residence.

Too me this sounds like another way to kill tourism.

Looks like Thaksin is running things already......

[Mario2008]

For visa on arrival and visa exempt entry proof of onward travel has always been required.

But the waiting is on how the different embassies and consulates will handle this requirement. Seems that the Thai embassy in Cambodia already has tightens its requirements.

[thaiedward]

How unwise to make it more cumbersome for people to apply for a tourist visa just as a global recession is about to take hold.

If you truly want families and quality tourists here, how about these long term measures:

- Police reform to battle corruption. Like in South Korea. If they could do it, so can you. It's 2011 now, time to get real.

- Clean up the prostitution from the major tourist spots. Most tourists in the family category tend not to be impressed by prostitution in their face, and the prostitution business is a magnet for undesirables, both Thais and foreigners.

- Educate Thai electricians properly so fewer tourists are electrocuted in the shower. Parents tend to be quite upset when their children die because of neglect and incompetence.

- Regulate and ENFORCE the use of pesticides and insecticides so you won't have to wring your hands after tourists "inexplicably" drop dead in hotels and from eating poisonous food. Research, educate and encourage organic growth practices, natural and least dangerous pest control measures. Make sure the knowledge gets all the way to the actual farmers by engaging the village networks.

- Arrest ALL beggars on sight, interrogate them about their conditions and mafia networks, gather enough evidence, appropriate the assets of the leaders of the trafficking rings, give harsh punishments (fines and jail time) to everyone else involved or benefitting, use the money/assets collected in fines to rehabilitate and educate the beggars where possible. Keep up these arrests until it simple becomes too much hassle to beg or to benefit from begging.

- Clean up the scamming in tourist areas. That includes jet ski scams, gem scams, card game scams, and all the others.

I DO AGREE!

[happysanook]

This only applies to people who apply for a tourist visa at the Thai embassy in their home country or any country for that matter.

This does not apply to tourists who arrive and get the normal 30 day stamp.

This is not too hurt tourism, it is just another way to make it harder for all the people working here illegally, without work permit and non-immigrant visa.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Many people come here as tourists and have no idea when they'll be returning.

Many move on from Thailand to other countries and don't yet have a return ticket.

It's nothing more than silly bureaucratic bull and one more reason to change your holiday destination.

[rahul786]

I am new to this website. I do apoligise if i am asking this in the wrong thread. I am a UK Citizen, arrived in Bangkok in Aug 2nd 2011, they've given me 30days standard, i didn't apply for any visas or anything. Now i want to extend it until September 15th. How do i go about doing that? Im currently in Bangkok right now. I am staying with a friend, so will i have to show any documents of any sorts?

[ignis]

Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad to be stricter with requirements when applicants are applying for Tourist visas for Thailand.

Cannot see what all the fuss is about, year ago I always had to supply a letter to Thai friends EVERY time when they came to the UK, so the UK Embassy Bangkok could then issue a Visa..

The biggest bug bear still appear to be the same...... The money....

In the next Village a old guy come to winter here, sure he is over 70 so could get a different type of Visa, but say's why must he prove he has 800k in a Thai bank or 65,000 income per month.. when a double entry 60 day Visa he needs if asked to show he has 20,000 baht. He owns his own house in his Thai GF name [she is 50 so not some young bar girl]

Myself going back on yearly extensions next month, it was great going to some many different places, for past 2 years been on a '0' on one boarder 90 day run talking to a guy, he is married and has lived here for 7 years on Tourist visas, he said sure could get easy a different Visa but like to travel and 2 or 3 days away from the wife to get another TR visa is great.

So main reason still appear to be money 60 day or double 60 day TR Visa you need to prove if single you have funds 20,000 baht. long term Visa you need to prove if single you have funds 65,000 baht each month or 800k for the year. many I have talked to are not happy to transfer this amount to a Thai Bank......... proof of 20k or proof of 130k is a Hugh difference for 60 day.... or make that with 2x 30 day extensions at Immigration = 180 days [6 month] prove you have 20k or prove you have 195k... of course if you live here TR Visa for the full year still need to PROVE for have 20k, or 1x Visa for the year you must PROVE you have 800k....

Just common seance why some people stay on a Tourist Visa

[ianrodders]

It already has

[devaram]

How does this apply to someone who applies for a TV in malaysia,cambodia or laos for example and plans to enter the country overland?

[SabaiBKK]

What about if your property is in a company name?

if its your company name i have no clue .... my answers would be pure speculation so I prefer pass.....

[happysanook]

How does this apply to someone who applies for a TV in malaysia,cambodia or laos for example and plans to enter the country overland?

Same. The notice applies to all Thai embassies and consulates. Whether coming over land or not is neither here nor there.

Whether each embassy actually adheres to the order...That's another story

[SabaiBKK]

I am new to this website. I do apoligise if i am asking this in the wrong thread. I am a UK Citizen, arrived in Bangkok in Aug 2nd 2011, they've given me 30days standard, i didn't apply for any visas or anything. Now i want to extend it until September 15th. How do i go about doing that? Im currently in Bangkok right now. I am staying with a friend, so will i have to show any documents of any sorts?

make sure to take your return ticket with you as they may want to see it

[BigSkip]

Let me shoot myself in the foot again. Tourism is at its all time low, how else can we $%^& it up ?

[MJCM]

I am new to this website. I do apoligise if i am asking this in the wrong thread. I am a UK Citizen, arrived in Bangkok in Aug 2nd 2011, they've given me 30days standard, i didn't apply for any visas or anything. Now i want to extend it until September 15th. How do i go about doing that? Im currently in Bangkok right now. I am staying with a friend, so will i have to show any documents of any sorts?

You can get an extension at any Immigration Office, but a 30 Day Visa on Arrival you can only extend for 7 days max. You could do a visa run to a land border which will give you 15 days. More info on this forum, just do a search

[Mario2008]

I am new to this website. I do apoligise if i am asking this in the wrong thread. I am a UK Citizen, arrived in Bangkok in Aug 2nd 2011, they've given me 30days standard, i didn't apply for any visas or anything. Now i want to extend it until September 15th. How do i go about doing that? Im currently in Bangkok right now. I am staying with a friend, so will i have to show any documents of any sorts?

The short answer is that you are here on a visa exempt entry, which can't be extended. Although you can get an extra 7 days for 1,900 baht, which doesn't seem enough for you. In your case you can just leave Thailand, enter another country and return to Thailand. If you do this by land, you get 15 days, if you do this by air you get 30 days.

[Lizard2010]

Its just to tightens its requirements for certain people who get in on the 60 day visas and then they have problems.

[moe666]

Well I predicted this several months back with all of the tourist having 7 or 8 back to back entries. Several years ago applying for a tourist visa in the states I was advised that she would issue me a double if I gave her a written sch. of travel. Also address in Thailand was necessary plus bank account statement to ensure enough money to live on. These may not be new rules just enforceing old rules.

If you are coming to Thailand and Southeast Asia for a long term trip it looks like a bit more research will need to go into your travel arrangements. It does look like they want to eliminate people working in Thailand on tourist visas.

The majority of tourist only come to Thailand for short periods of time probably no more than 3 weeks and then they are back home as they have real jobs and bills to pay especially their vacation to Thailand. The 30 day permission to stay is more than enough for these people.

So get over it boys and stop the carping as this has happened after every change to visa rules and permission to enter, one more nail in the Thai tourism coffin, more people every year, they donot want us here, more people come and live legally here every year. If you where living on tourist visas I am sure you will figure out a way to continue to live here some how some way.

[lopburi3]

I am new to this website. I do apoligise if i am asking this in the wrong thread. I am a UK Citizen, arrived in Bangkok in Aug 2nd 2011, they've given me 30days standard, i didn't apply for any visas or anything. Now i want to extend it until September 15th. How do i go about doing that? Im currently in Bangkok right now. I am staying with a friend, so will i have to show any documents of any sorts?

You can not extend for that amount of time - you will need to exit country and return for a 15 day visa exempt entry. There is no mention of any special requirements for that.

[LTGTR]

LOL-those of us that fly free because we are airline employees or airline retirees do not have confirmed flights .I guess a simple letter explaining that fact will work.Kind of sounds like what Russia required back in the mid-90s.

[catweazle]

Just amazing how Thai people - mosty officials - always manage to cut off the tree branch they are sitting on. They create more and more obstacles for foreign Thailand lovers until they boil it up to the point when the majority of foreigners will simply stay away from this country for good due to a feeling of being "not welcome" here.

As I wrote earlier: Let's create a new niche market - flights to Thailand where tourists arrive at the airport, are allowed to make one photo of a beach and a palm tree (on the airport premises), then empty all cash, credit cards and valuables into a conveniently placed collection container (proceedings to be distributed among Thai people in need, such as government officials, taxi and tuk tuk drivers, water scooter vendors, Thai land and hotel owners, policemen, wannabe mafiosis and poor bar girls) before they are herded back into the airplane to get the hell out of here. It would save both sides a lot of time and trouble.

While in the western world more and more books with titles like "awaken the shaman/healer/psychic/artist/etc. in you", Thais nowadays perhaps are tending more towards books titled "Awaken the Hardcore Rightwing Nationalist in you" or "This Country is ours, give us your cash and then get the f$#* out of here!" ... Land of smiles my a$$...

Edited August 26, 2011 by catweazle

[Mario2008]

1 troll post deleted.

[clip]

How unwise to make it more cumbersome for people to apply for a tourist visa just as a global recession is about to take hold.

If you truly want families and quality tourists here, how about these long term measures:

- Police reform to battle corruption. Like in South Korea. If they could do it, so can you. It's 2011 now, time to get real.

- Clean up the prostitution from the major tourist spots. Most tourists in the family category tend not to be impressed by prostitution in their face, and the prostitution business is a magnet for undesirables, both Thais and foreigners.

- Educate Thai electricians properly so fewer tourists are electrocuted in the shower. Parents tend to be quite upset when their children die because of neglect and incompetence.

- Regulate and ENFORCE the use of pesticides and insecticides so you won't have to wring your hands after tourists "inexplicably" drop dead in hotels and from eating poisonous food. Research, educate and encourage organic growth practices, natural and least dangerous pest control measures. Make sure the knowledge gets all the way to the actual farmers by engaging the village networks.

- Arrest ALL beggars on sight, interrogate them about their conditions and mafia networks, gather enough evidence, appropriate the assets of the leaders of the trafficking rings, give harsh punishments (fines and jail time) to everyone else involved or benefitting, use the money/assets collected in fines to rehabilitate and educate the beggars where possible. Keep up these arrests until it simple becomes too much hassle to beg or to benefit from begging.

- Clean up the scamming in tourist areas. That includes jet ski scams, gem scams, card game scams, and all the others.

:cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy:

[genobkk]

Just amazing how Thai people - mosty officials - always manage to cut off the tree branch they are sitting on. They create more and more obstacles for foreign Thailand lovers until they boil it up to the point when the majority of foreigners will simply stay away from this country for good due to a feeling of being "not welcome" here.

As I wrote earlier: Let's create a new niche market - flights to Thailand where tourists arrive at the airport, are allowed to make one photo of a beach and a palm tree (on the airport premises), then empty all cash, credit cards and valuables into a conveniently placed collection container (proceedings to be distributed among Thai people in need, such as government officials, taxi and tuk tuk drivers, water scooter vendors, Thai land and hotel owners, policemen, wannabe mafiosis and poor bar girls) before they are herded back into the airplane to get the hell out of here. It would save both sides a lot of time and trouble.

While in the western world more and more books with titles like "awaken the shaman/healer/psychic/artist/etc. in you", Thais nowadays perhaps are tending more towards books titled "Awaken the Hardcore Rightwing Nationalist in you" or "This Country is ours, give us your cash and then get the f$#* out of here!" ... Land of smiles my a$$...

agree

[Sydebolle]

<deleted> are we doing here. I for one am on the way out if the bureaucracy increases like this. Unbelieveable. Hotels and Restaurants are EMPTY, tour companies are closing all over Thailand (i.e. Diethelm Travel closed Chiang Rai and will do the same with Phuket and Samui) and the clowns wonder, why nobody is coming anymore. Are these people completely out of their mind?

[Awohalitsiktoli]

Thai Embassies and Consulates abroad to be stricter with requirements when applicants are applying for Tourist visas for Thailand.

Does this apply to "Visa Exempt" entry also?

What happens if the tourists are staying with friends?

Or if you are married to a Thai citizen and will be staying at their/your residence.

Too me this sounds like another way to kill tourism.

Another nail in the tourism coffin.

[moe666]

<deleted> are we doing here. I for one am on the way out if the bureaucracy increases like this. Unbelieveable. Hotels and Restaurants are EMPTY, tour companies are closing all over Thailand (i.e. Diethelm Travel closed Chiang Rai and will do the same with Phuket and Samui) and the clowns wonder, why nobody is coming anymore. Are these people completely out of their mind?

Its low season, and blame the guys who have been living on tourist visas and now it is crack down time.

[CWMcMurray]

In practice this only apply for certain people which the government rather do not like to see. The explanation letter is the key here. No hotel reservation, okay, so you state in one line, I stay with frineds or I want to discover the country and do not know where I will stay. No ticket can easily be explained too. We all know new government new rules, and rules are meant to be broken. Within a few weeks no embassy employee gives a shit about the rules anymore.I bet they apply though for those people getting a visa in one of the countries around Thailand where you get a funny sticker instead of a stamp. It is a way to keep the fake teachers out.

I think that this hits the nail on the head...

It will depend upon the enforcement, but it looks like any tourist can write a letter explaining about why tickets or hotel reservations are not available, but will make it more difficult for the "eternal tourists".

I am not saying whether that is a good or a bad thing, but looks like they want to have a bit more oversight on issuing tourist visas.

To be honest, I don't believe that it will have much of an effect on actual tourist numbers. I have had many friends and family come to Thailand for vacations and none have ever applied for a tourist visa...

The main reason why is that all of them have jobs... so no way they can get more than a couple weeks vacations. There may be some that are genuine longer terms tourists, but the vast majority are here for less than 30 days...

[samjaidee]

When I went to live in Vietnam I went to the embassy and got my visa without a problem. When I arrived at the Cathay Pacific check-in desk at Heathrow they wouldn't allow me to check as I didn't have a return or an onward flight. They told me this often happens. I had to go to and buy an onward ticket from the Cathay Pacific sales counter. The deal was that I could go to the Cathay office in HCMC and get a 100% refund. Within 12 hours of arriving in Vietnam I had my 100% refund in my hand without a hitch.

There are always ways around these rules.

[trevorw]

Tourist come here to relax not to be hassled

where are you going? On what day? Why are you going? Who are you going to be with? What are you going to be doing?

Wow might as well go to North Korea for a holiday

Normal questions asked of Canadian citizens when they re-enter the True North Strong and Free