I am British, staying in Bangkok.

I have made the last of 3 permitted entries on the tourist visa I got from Hull in the UK.

I plan to extend for 30 days at Bangkok immigration at the beginning of March.

I then need a single-entry tourist visa from somewhere to get me to the Summer, when I will return to the UK.

My passport has 3 previous multiple-entry non-B visas in it, from when I was working. I know from a difficult experience at Phuket immigration that these tend to complicate things.

1. Does anyone have experience getting tourist visas from Ho Chi Minh? How long did it take? Was it straightforward? Are they likely to decline or give me warning stamps because of my previous visas?

2. How about Kuala Lumpur?

Thanks!

There are no recent reports for HCM. But I think I recall one saying that they want to see a departure ticket.

Your B visas will not affect your tourist visa application.

I don't think you will have any problem getting the single entry visa there.

You could get a 2 entry in Laos.

Thanks ubonjoe. Quite strange that more people aren't attempting to get Thailand visas in Vietnam. This post makes Ho Chi Minh sound straightforward, but it's over 2 years old. Laos definitely sounds like the most straightforward local place at the moment, but I'm trying to coincide with friends visiting HCM, or visit a friend in KL as 2nd choice.

I just checked pinned topic at top of page one of this forum and found no HCM reports.

Laos is popular because of 2 entry visas plus it is low cost overland trip to both locations.

Edited January 25, 201313 yr by ubonjoe

Vietnam has always required air tickets and does not have a land border and requires a visa for entry (unlike Malaysia or Singapore) so expect they combine to lower the number of applicants.

Don;t know anyone whose tried.,

First of all. be aware you will need a visa just to enter Ho Chi Minh (or anywhere in Vietnam) and it is a rather expensive visa to get.

They just raised their entry visa rate on 1 January 2013 ... supposedly by 80%, but I don't know the curent cost,

I got a single entry tourist visa to Vietnam on 21 December 2912 and then the rate for that visa in Bamgkok at the Vietnamese embessy was 1800 Baht then for a 3 or 4 day service , and a two day service was available at 2300 Baht.

But as I say the Vietnamese have raised those fees since 1 January 2013.

At a rate of 30 Baht to one U,S, dollar when I got a Vietnamese Visa it was $60 to get a Vietnamese visa.

Edited January 25, 201313 yr by IMA_FARANG

Thanks. That makes sense.

Another question...

If I have a 30 day extension of stay from Bkk immigration on my tourist visa, does that extension of stay have to have expired before I apply for the next tourist visa? This controls whether I would apply for the next visa on Thurs28/Friday29 March, or the next week on Monday1st/Tuesday2nd April.

Thanks. That makes sense.

Another question...

If I have a 30 day extension of stay from Bkk immigration on my tourist visa, does that extension of stay have to have expired before I apply for the next tourist visa? This controls whether I would apply for the next visa on Thurs28/Friday29 March, or the next week on Monday1st/Tuesday2nd April.

No, it doesn't need to expire, it will be finished when you exit Thailand. I just went to Saigon for a short trip, you can get the VN Visa in Bangkok, I dropped of one morning and picked up the next afternoon, 2500 Baht! The Thai Consulate will take application one day and will return the next afternoon, pay in U.S. dollars, and yes, show a ticket departing Thailand, it appeared they would accept a bus ticket.

Edited January 25, 201313 yr by beechguy

I got a single entry there about 2 months ago. There is a sign on the wall that scared me, it said if you have a previous tourist visa that had been extended, they wont issue you another. I asked them about it and they said it was an old sign and I would be fine. On both trips to the consulate I was the only visitor, so zero waiting times and friendly staff. The scooter drivers didn't know where it was, so it pays to show them on a map, but its not far from the backpackers area in disctrict one.

I was issued a single entry, picked up the afternoon after I applied. In my passport I allready had 3 other tourist visas and two visas on arrival, all from the previous ~18 months. They did require proof of flights into thailand, as well as out of thailand though.

Edited January 26, 201313 yr by mjwhit

Also, regards the vietnamese visa. I done mine online, cost $20USD for the pre approval letter(which takes 2-3 days if I recall), and then you get your passport stamped at the Vietn airport when you arrive, for a similar fee, although I cant remember it specifically I think it was $25USD.

It was a fairly painless process and no need to go to Vietnamese Embassy.

Edited January 26, 201313 yr by mjwhit

thx for all these Informations, going to VN at the end of the month and hopefully come back with a new touri visa. I´ll report