Birmingham Consulate

[one leg bill]

I have one of those visa from Birmingham I got it from the visa shop in pattaya did the in and out stamps myself have been to lao and the PHLIPPINE and came back in with no problem has something changed?

BILL

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Be careful Bill. The getting of visa's while not in that country is illegal. Look at your passport, it'll show that you were in Thailand when you were supposedly in Birmingham. There'll be no exit stamp showing that you left Thailand.

[wilson steer]

I don't think there is a problem with this, I know lots of people from the U.K. who get visa (tourist and 90 multiple). They use Hull and Birmingham Thai consulates.

They get them couriered back for £30 GBP. Then activate them by leaving for Cambodia.

Surely if it were illegal the Thai consulates are wrong to issue them and send them to Thailand. So if ever Thai immigration checked when a visa was issued (which they are unlikely to do), you have good grounds for defence.

The more dangerous aspect of this practise is not having a passport for a week or so. Multiple photocopies of all relevent pages is a must, and you would have to blag your way out of it.

I find it hard to believe that this practise could land you in serious trouble.

The only reason I don't do it is because I always return to the U.K. at least once a year.

Good luck.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I don't think there is a problem with this, I know lots of people from the U.K. who get visa (tourist and 90 multiple). They use Hull and Birmingham Thai consulates.

They get them couriered back for £30 GBP. Then activate them by leaving for Cambodia.

Surely if it were illegal the Thai consulates are wrong to issue them and send them to Thailand. So if ever Thai immigration checked when a visa was issued (which they are unlikely to do), you have good grounds for defence.

The more dangerous aspect of this practise is not having a passport for a week or so. Multiple photocopies of all relevent pages is a must, and you would have to blag your way out of it.

I find it hard to believe that this practise could land you in serious trouble.

The only reason I don't do it is because I always return to the U.K. at least once a year.

Good luck.

Trust me here...it is highly illegal, and could get you banged up and deported. Check it out with an immigration office, or run the idea past your own embassy.

[george]

Illegal. You will only be given 30 days on arrival, if any entry at all, with a postal order visa!

Source:

http://www.imm3.police.go.th/aran/eng/index.php

QUOTE:

Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

END QUOTE

[wilson steer]

O.K. I accept the fact that is illegal, but....

1. Immigration at Poipet don't seem to check that the dates of visa aquired and dates when actually within the kingdom, thus they stamp you in with the visa.

2. Why do Thai consulates abroad allow this and courier lots of visas to falangs living here?

3. Perhaps, if you were unlucky at the border, immigration might grant you 30 days only.

4. Perhaps it is discression? Perhaps if questioned and you convinced the immigration your were a bona fide long stay falang with Thai wife/etc.

I would be interested to hear of anyone who has had first hand experience, of this and had problems.

This is not like giving your passport to someone else for a visa run, you are still on your existing visa stay while you get another from the U.K.

Still puzzled.

[astral]

Once again the left hand does not know what the right is doing.

It is the consulates who are at fault.

They are supposed to check previous entries in the passport before

issuing a new visa, but they do not.

Secondly the Immigration Dept in Aranyapratet is also wrong.

Personal application for a visa, outside Thailand is NOT a requirement.

Check the web site for the Thai Embassy in London. They will not handle postal

applications, they tell you to send the passport to one of the regional consulates.

If they are telling us to do it, how can it be wrong.

What are you supposed to do if you are living in a city where there is no consulate,

or in a country where there is no embassy or do not have time to do it in person? You use the post!!

Even in Thailand all the forms have a section to be filled in by the person presenting the application. Why is this needed if all applications must be in person??

For reference.

If you can convince the British Embassy that you need to apply for visas, for any country, whilst you are travelling on your current passport, you are entitled to a second passport. A friend who works for a major UK newspaper has 6 passports on this basis. Some visa applications can take weeks or even months.

This opens the opportunity for being in Thailand on one passport, whilst the other is in the UK getting a visa stamp. To swap from one to the other you must fly in and out - say to Singapore. Land borders are no good as an exit stamp from the other country is always required. Flying it is not.

[taxexile]

these illegally obtained visas are fine until the authorities decide to have a crackdown on those using them,which could be today, tomorrow or never.

those caught during a crackdown will undoubtedly have all sorts of problems which will cost a lot of money,hassle and time to rectify. some of that time might be spent behind bars in the immigration jail before being deported or blacklisted...i.e.told never to come back, or at least not in the next 99 years which is how long the blacklisted period lasts.

the thai authorities do not take kindly to those who abuse the visa system so think on.

[one leg bill]

I have been here over 15years and been in an out of the country so many times that I am getting dizzy. I did not set out to do something illegal just trying to take care of my wife and kids also have been bringing in over 2000$ a month for all that time

[taxexile]

dont get use visas bill,if you grt caught with one then you wont have a leg to stand on and may not be able to look after your wife and kids.

[george]

Do not use agents.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Or use the post from outside the country of application. Except in cirumstances such as from countries that have no Thai representation. The proponents of doing it wrong would be well advised to go back in history on the forum and see what happened to people who did it that way. ( but they won't look ...coz they know it is illegal, and do not want formal confirmation )

[one leg bill]

I just got back from a trip out of country there was no problem what so ever with my Birmingham visa

[cutethaigirl]

One Legged Bill

Take it from me, and the others your $2000 will just cover the fine if they catch you.

We, as in my wife did it once and that was a good few years ago . Seemed easy and cheaper than a flight so Passport went. She did not, and 5 year old sons too.

Now she is a teacher and has had many work permnits and the visas.

Last week they checked a lot and now she has NO VISA NO WORKPERMIT and a pile of %%%%% to sort out.

If you think you are special then good luck my friend.

The authorities are cracking down and IT IS ILLEGAL

Others DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BREAK THE LAW.

It may have been a good idea once but from our 'lesson' and others here DO NOT DO IT.

The guys at the borders do not worry but their bosses doing spot checks do:-)

If you have a 'dodgy' visa consider losing your passport:-)

Happy

[dereklev]

I obtained a visa by post from the Thai Consulate Hull UK whilst in the UK. When I arrived at Don Muang they where confused as my lat years visa had not expired. A senior immigration official advised me to enter on my old extension of stay which is valid until the 14th March 2003. When I went to the immigration department last week I was lucky enough to be with someone who knew a very high official who could speed things up. He said I did not need the Hull visa at all and they would give another year based on my previous visa and wrote a lovely note for me saying that everything should be done quickly and courteously for me.. HOWEVER the clerks who actually do the work said that I did need the Hull visa and were so pleased to see one that was actually issued in Hull that they photocopied it for reference purposes!!! I asked about the 3 continuous years of visa for residence and they said that this 2nd extension counted as my 2nd year and that next year I must follow the same procedure and at the end of that period I may appy for residence. The clerk also said that for next year I must have 400,000 Baht in the bank.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I just got back from a trip out of country there was no problem what so ever with my Birmingham visa

as someone else said Bill, when they do spring you, you won't have a leg to stand on. You'll get banged up, and deported ( never to return to Thailand again )