Apply for new tourist visa while I still have one entry left

[ChristianPFC]

I am German, I did a visa run to Vientiane on 31.01.2014 and got a double entry tourist visa, one entry I am using now (Feb-Mar 2014). I will spend the entire April in Germany will return to Thailand on my second entry on 03.05.2014.

Can I apply for a triple entry tourist visa at the Thai embassy in Berlin, but use the second entry from Vientiane when I return (I probably will have to notify the immigration officer which visa to use)?

Or could I even ask the immigration officer not to use any of the tourist visa, but give me a 30 day visa waiver (but I don't have a ticket for flight out of Thailand)?

(My visa history: ten normal holidays in Thailand - 30 days visa waiver, one single entry tourist from Hull UK three years ago, one single entry tourist from Vientiane three years ago, one year work visa Feb 2013 to Jan 2014.)

I am genuinely travelling in Thailand (however have a room in Bangkok as base station), can transfer money from Germany to my Thai bank account if necessary.

Edited March 15, 2014 by ChristianPFC

[ubonjoe]

Your visa will of expired by the date you return. You will not be able to use the 2nd entry. Check the enter before date on your visa sticker to confirm.

[ChristianPFC]

My visa sticker: Date of issue 31 Jan 2014, Enter before 30 Apr 2014

First entry was 9 Feb 2014

Thaivisa says about tourist visa:

4. VALIDITY OF A VISA

The validity of a visa is three months or six months. That means that you must utilize your visa within 90 or 180 days (dependent on number of entries) .

For double entry, 180 days would make sense. If the second entry has to be made within 90 days (by 30 Apr) then indeed I cannot use it.

http://www.thailand-visa-service.com/thailand-tourist-visa says:

Validity of Visa:

The validity of a single-entry tourist visa is three months, while the double-entry tourist visa is six months.

http://www.thaiembassy.se/minmapp/filer/pdf-pages/Visa/Frequently_Asked_Questions_new.pdf says:

Tourist visa double and triple entries having visa validity 180 days so you will be permitted...

Does this mean they made a mistake by giving me 90 days validity for my double entry tourist visa in Vientiane?

[Mario2008]

In neighbouring countries a validity of only 90 days is the norm.

[thepool]

No mistake made !

[GuyL]

If you already have a valid visa in your passport, you very likely won't be able to get a 30-day visa exemption at the airport when you come back from Germany (I tried something similar once with a non-immigrant visa, but I then had to use my new valid visa obtained in Europe: the immigration officer would not grant me any visa exemption because I already have a valid visa in my passport).

My understanding is that you can only have one valid visa at a given time and you can't have a visa exemption if you still have one valid visa in your passport. If you request a new visa in Germany, the Thai consular section will probably cancel your current visa, even if you haven't used all your entries.

Edited March 16, 2014 by GuyL

[thepool]

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If you already have a valid visa in your passport, you very likely won't be able to get a 30-day visa exemption at the airport when you come back from Germany (I tried something similar once with a non-immigrant visa, but I then had to use my new valid visa obtained in Europe: the immigration officer would not grant me any visa exemption because I already have a valid visa in my passport).

My understanding is that you can only have one valid visa at a given time and you can't have a visa exemption if you still have one valid visa in your passport. If you request a new visa in Germany, the Thai consular section will probably cancel your current visa, even if you haven't used all your entries.

It is extremely unlikely that the OP has a valid visa.

He needs a new visa !

[GuyL]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

If you already have a valid visa in your passport, you very likely won't be able to get a 30-day visa exemption at the airport when you come back from Germany (I tried something similar once with a non-immigrant visa, but I then had to use my new valid visa obtained in Europe: the immigration officer would not grant me any visa exemption because I already have a valid visa in my passport).

My understanding is that you can only have one valid visa at a given time and you can't have a visa exemption if you still have one valid visa in your passport. If you request a new visa in Germany, the Thai consular section will probably cancel your current visa, even if you haven't used all your entries.

It is extremely unlikely that the OP has a valid visa.

He needs a new visa !

His current visa is very likely valid only until the end of April this year or maybe till the very beginning of May 2014 (need to check the "Enter before" date on the visa sticker) as February lasts only 28 days this year. Anyway, my remarks are still valid, I guess.

Edited March 16, 2014 by GuyL

[wump]

Hi said:

"My visa sticker: Date of issue 31 Jan 2014, Enter before 30 Apr 2014"

My advice is, just mail the passport and 90 euros cash with DHL to Munich and request a triple entry tourist visa. Make sure you include a copy of your return flight (and obviously the visa application and 2 photos).

It took less than 48 hours from the time I went to the post office until I had my passport back in my hands. No need to go to any embassies. The triple entry gives you a stay of some 270 days from the date of issue if used correctly.

There is no point requesting a visa exemption first since the triple entry visa is only valid 180 days. So if you stayed here first 30 days, your next run after activating the visa would be 3 months later, but the one after that only 2 months later since your 180 days validity will expire at that point. So even if you were permitted to enter with an exemption, you would lose this time from you visa validity in any case. You get me? Might sound confusing

Edited March 17, 2014 by MaikB84

[ChristianPFC]

It's illogical to me to issue a double entry visa with 90 days validity, but that's how it is, I cannot use the second entry and wasted 1000 Baht (but at the time I applied for the visa my travel plans with return to Germany in April were not clear).

Will get new visa in Germany (I will go to Berlin anyway to visit friends, but will check the advice on Munich as well).

Thanks everyone for your contribution.

Edited March 17, 2014 by ChristianPFC

[ChristianPFC]

To round this up:

I applied for triple entry tourist visa at Thai embassy in Berlin in April 2014, while my double entry tourist visa from Thai embassy in Vientiane was still valid (one entry used). Berlin didn't take notice of it, nor did the immigration officer when I entered on the triple entry visa from Berlin in May (at that time the second entry from Vientiane had expired, but there is still an empty field: (1) 9 FEB 2014 (2) ........).

Apart from wasting 1000 Baht for an entry that I didn't use, they might tell me next time in Vientiane that I had already one double entry tourist visa, even if I used only one entry.