Tourist Visa refused in Paris

[carabaothai]

Since 11 years i go every year to THailand five times a year

- 2 weeks in October (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in December (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in February (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in April (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

and 7 weeks in July and August with a 60 days tourist visa.

Every year it is the same and i had no problem to get the visa at the embassy.

But this morning they didn't want to give me a tourist visa because i didn't stay out of thailand 3 months or more. (last time i come back in France on May 11th)

But i work in France, i live in France. I am just a tourist who comes here 5 times a year. But they don't want to give me a visa now ! Because i must stay in France more than 3 months between 2 holidays. Incredible !!

I already bought my flight. I never had problems before with visa.

What can i do ?

[cornishcarlos]

Go to Malaysia, pop across to Thailand for a month.

Sorted !!

[ukrules]

Are they making up these rules as they go along I wonder.

Aren't there any honourary consulates in France ?

Maybe give these guys a call and see what they say :

Royal Thai Honorary Consulate, 8 Rue Cargo Rhin Fidelity 13002 Marseille
Tel. (04) 9505-4700

They might be able to issue a tourist visa or help you out.

[carabaothai]

Are they making up these rules as they go along I wonder.

Aren't there any honourary consulates in France ?

Maybe give these guys a call and see what they say :

Royal Thai Honorary Consulate, 8 Rue Cargo Rhin Fidelity 13002 Marseille

Tel. (04) 9505-4700

They might be able to issue a tourist visa or help you out.

Thanks for the phone number. It's too late now to call. WIll call on Monday.

The consulate in Lyon has only answer machine.

And Marseille is around 1200 kms from me :( Very expensive visa :D

But all the past years i had no problems so i was not worry about my visa.

Maybe i can arrive for 30 days and go to Malaysia and come back again after some days in Malaysia.

WIll i have problems to re-enter ?

I am very angry !! I never had problems.

I have car, condominium in Thailand which are waiting for me ! And now i cannot have holidays in Thailand ...

[gk10002000]

France, being one of the G-7 countries, its citizens can do a simple land border visa run crossing and get another 30 day visa on arrival exemptions stamp. Last year they changed it from 15 back to 30 days. I am a US citizen and did a land crossing last Fall from Bangkok over to Cambodia and back. This is not quite as easy as getting the 60 day tourist visa, but it shoujld get you on your way.

[wayned]

You could come without a visa and get a 30 day visa exempt entry and do do a border run and get another by land, you shouldn't have a problem reentering, go out and come right back in.

The problem that you might have is that if you do not have a ticket exiting Thailand during the first 30 days, the Airline might not let you board your flight.

[pmarlin]

Are they making up these rules as they go along I wonder.

Aren't there any honourary consulates in France ?

Maybe give these guys a call and see what they say :

Royal Thai Honorary Consulate, 8 Rue Cargo Rhin Fidelity 13002 Marseille

Tel. (04) 9505-4700

They might be able to issue a tourist visa or help you out.

Thanks for the phone number. It's too late now to call. WIll call on Monday.

The consulate in Lyon has only answer machine.

And Marseille is around 1200 kms from me Very expensive visa

But all the past years i had no problems so i was not worry about my visa.

Maybe i can arrive for 30 days and go to Malaysia and come back again after some days in Malaysia.

WIll i have problems to re-enter ?

I am very angry !! I never had problems.

I have car, condominium in Thailand which are waiting for me ! And now i cannot have holidays in Thailand ...

Reads like you are not really a tourist.

[ubonjoe]

I have removed some posts that are abusive and verge on derogatory comments about about OP.

[ubonjoe]

This is not the first post about the embassy in Paris denying visas for not being out Thailand for a certain amount of time before they would issue a tourist visa,

Another one that I recall was that they required you be out of Thailand for 6 months after having a tourist before they would issue a 2nd tourist visa,

This is just a case of embassy staff overstepping the bounds of their authority it has nothing to do with the OP's travel history.

Op should try to get a tourist visa from one of the honorary consulates.

If not he could go out and back for another 30 day entry. But the problem with that is the need for a ticket out of the country within 30 days of arrival it asked for by the airline.

[carabaothai]

WEbpage thai embassy in PAris

http://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa/informations-generales/reglement-du-service-des-visas/#

1 - Le visa touristique pourra être délivré uniquement après l’expiration de délai de trois mois hors du territoire Thaïlandais.

Translate :

1 - The tourist visa can only be issued after the expiry of three months out of Thai territory.

[ubonjoe]

WEbpage thai embassy in PAris

http://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa/informations-generales/reglement-du-service-des-visas/#

1 - Le visa touristique pourra être délivré uniquement après l’expiration de délai de trois mois hors du territoire Thaïlandais.

Translate :

1 - The tourist visa can only be issued after the expiry of three months out of Thai territory.

That is a rule that the embassy made up on their own. It is certainly not a rule from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[carabaothai]

I have removed some posts that are abusive and verge on derogatory comments about about OP.

Sorry what is OP ?

[carabaothai]

You could come without a visa and get a 30 day visa exempt entry and do do a border run and get another by land, you shouldn't have a problem reentering, go out and come right back in.

The problem that you might have is that if you do not have a ticket exiting Thailand during the first 30 days, the Airline might not let you board your flight.

Yes i know the problem ! Had it one time with Qatar Airways and finally they accepted me on board when they have seen all my thailand stamps on my passport ... and whe i explained that i will go holidays in Malaysia also..

[Crossy]

I have removed some posts that are abusive and verge on derogatory comments about about OP.

Sorry what is OP ?

Original Post or Original Poster, the first post in the thread or the member who made it.

[carabaothai]

Reads like you are not really a tourist.

But i am a tourist ! I live in France, i work in France !!

BUt i am a teacher, have lot of holidays and married to a thai wife

[sotsira]

If your married to a Thai national then you could apply for a Non Immigrant O Visa.

[ubonjoe]

Reads like you are not really a tourist.

But i am a tourist ! I live in France, i work in France !!

BUt i am a teacher, have lot of holidays and married to a thai wife

If you are married to a Thai you could get a single entry non-o visa that would give you a 90 day entry.

The embassy website says you need 5,000 Euro in the bank but that should only be for multiple entry visa, You should check with them about it. http://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa/visa-non-immigrant-%C2%AB-o-%C2%BB/

[Tomtomtom69]

Why don't you book a flight to Thailand via Malaysia, get a tourist visa there and then enter Thailand? What's so difficult about that? There are many ways of staying in Thailand, even qualifying for a tourist visa in your case. Just because Paris is being difficult doesn't mean it's the be all end all. If you can afford a car, condominium in Thailand then surely you can afford to purchase your ticket on say Malaysia Airlines to fly via KL, or perhaps fly direct to Thailand, but then immediately head to Malaysia first for your visa, then return after you got it you can immediately enter Thailand and stay for 60 days, or even longer if you obtain a one month extension on top of that. You can also fly to Penang rather than KL if you prefer. Or go to Phnom Penh. Or Vientiane. Or Yangon etc.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[carabaothai]

Reads like you are not really a tourist.

But i am a tourist ! I live in France, i work in France !!

BUt i am a teacher, have lot of holidays and married to a thai wife

If you are married to a Thai you could get a single entry non-o visa that would give you a 90 day entry.

The embassy website says you need 5,000 Euro in the bank but that should only be for multiple entry visa, You should check with them about it. http://www.thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa/visa-non-immigrant-%C2%AB-o-%C2%BB/

Thanks. Yes i've already read this.

[Suradit69]

France, being one of the G-7 countries, its citizens can do a simple land border visa run crossing and get another 30 day visa on arrival exemptions stamp. Last year they changed it from 15 back to 30 days. I am a US citizen and did a land crossing last Fall from Bangkok over to Cambodia and back. This is not quite as easy as getting the 60 day tourist visa, but it shoujld get you on your way.

Doing a simple border run (not a visa run since the 30 day visa exempt entry is without a visa and it is not a visa on arrival) is not that simple if his passport shows:

Since 11 years i go every year to THailand five times a year

- 2 weeks in October (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in December (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in February (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in April (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

Like the embassy in Paris refusal to issue another tourist visa, the immigrations officer may or may not be willing to allow another visa exempt entry considering all those that are (maybe) in his passport depending on how old the passport is. It is not quite as automatic as it once was and immigrations officers (and embassy staff) are allowed some discretion to decide.

The fact that the O/P works and has a residence in France does not necessarily make him a tourist in the eyes of immigrations either. Typically tourists visit for a few weeks or months and then depart. Owning a condo etc in Thailand suggests one is more than a tourist. Some people who stay here on retirement or marriage extensions have homes outside Thailand and may even work part-time in their home country.

Once again, Thai Immigrations' rules & regulations and their enforcement are not intended to make sure every possible circumstance for every foreigner is catered for.

Edited June 22, 2014 by Suradit69

[ubonjoe]

France, being one of the G-7 countries, its citizens can do a simple land border visa run crossing and get another 30 day visa on arrival exemptions stamp. Last year they changed it from 15 back to 30 days. I am a US citizen and did a land crossing last Fall from Bangkok over to Cambodia and back. This is not quite as easy as getting the 60 day tourist visa, but it shoujld get you on your way.

Doing a simple border run (not a visa run since the 30 day visa exempt entry is without a visa and it is not a visa on arrival) is not that simple if his passport shows:

Since 11 years i go every year to THailand five times a year

- 2 weeks in October (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in December (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in February (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

- 2 weeks in April (without visa, just the 30 days visa at the airport arrival)

Like the embassy in Paris refusal to issue another tourist visa, the immigrations officer may or may not be willing to allow another visa exempt entry considering all those that are (maybe) in his passport depending on how old the passport is. It is not quite as automatic as it once was and immigrations officers (and embassy staff) are allowed some discretion to decide.

The fact that the O/P works and has a residence in France does not necessarily make him a tourist in the eyes of immigrations either. Typically tourists visit for a few weeks or months and then depart. Owning a condo etc in Thailand suggests one is more than a tourist. Some people who stay here on retirement or marriage extensions have homes outside Thailand and may even work part-time in their home country.

Once again, Thai Immigrations' rules & regulations and their enforcement are not intended to make sure every possible circumstance for every foreigner is catered for.

There is nothing wrong with the OP's history of entries. Coming for a 2 week visit 2 months apart appears to me what a tourist could do.

He was not refused a tourist visa because of his history. it is embassy policy not to do tourist visas unless you have been out of Thailand for 3 months.

[ukrules]

There is nothing wrong with the OP's history of entries. Coming for a 2 week visit 2 months apart appears to me what a tourist could do.

He was not refused a tourist visa because of his history. it is embassy policy not to do tourist visas unless you have been out of Thailand for 3 months.

There is clearly something wrong with the embassy policy in Paris. It discriminates against the very people the TAT are supposed to be attracting.

Perhaps the OP should contact to Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) and tell them about the rogue element in the Paris embassy who's making up rules as he goes and make a formal complaint to the NCPO.

[carabaothai]

SInce my last week problem with thai Embassy in Paris, i contacted by e-mail the Consulate in Lyon and explained all - all my precedent holidays in THailand, last one in May ... my next holidays in July..-

And there is absolutely no problems for the consulate to give me a tourist visa !!!

But now it is too late to get it with post office ! And Lyon is 850 kms from my home !!! Expensive and tiring trip !

So i will go some days holidays at the end of July. It is less expensive for me. ANd Malaysia has no problems for visa (3 months free at the arrival )

Thai embassy in Paris !!!

Edited June 24, 2014 by carabaothai

[Asiantravel]

Why don't you book a flight to Thailand via Malaysia, get a tourist visa there and then enter Thailand? What's so difficult about that? There are many ways of staying in Thailand, even qualifying for a tourist visa in your case. Just because Paris is being difficult doesn't mean it's the be all end all. If you can afford a car, condominium in Thailand then surely you can afford to purchase your ticket on say Malaysia Airlines to fly via KL, or perhaps fly direct to Thailand, but then immediately head to Malaysia first for your visa, then return after you got it you can immediately enter Thailand and stay for 60 days, or even longer if you obtain a one month extension on top of that. You can also fly to Penang rather than KL if you prefer. Or go to Phnom Penh. Or Vientiane. Or Yangon etc.

or Savannakhet