Tourist double entry visa, the truth

[fabinou]

Hi there,

I'm a french guy currently living in Asia and I plan to go to Thailand in next february. I lived in Thailand during 12 months in 2013 (1 single entry + extension ; 1 single entry + extension ; 1 double entry + extension)

My plan is to stay for long term because I am a digital nomad and I really love Thailand. I'm currently wondering if I still can get the double entry visa with the recent "crackdown", and above all where can I get it ?

- Paris embassy seems to be a pain in the ass, what about Bruxelles ? Vientiane and Savanaketh still deliver double entry visa ?

- If I can get this double entry visa (from february to august), can I make another double entry visa back to back ? That would mean 1 year in a row and I read we cannot stay more than 180 days consecutively now... What is the truth ?

Thanks folks !

[ubonjoe]

You should get whatever you can get in France before traveling. You might want to check with one of the honorary consulates there or a neighboring country.

Not sure about Bruxelles (Brussels) but you could try.

Even a single entry would be good to start with.

Both locations in Laos still issue two entry visas. At the moment reports are that it is not a problem the to get 3 of them back to back.

There is no180 day rule just rumors an misunderstandings.

[oldthaihand99]

"My plan is to stay for long term because I am a digital nomad and I really love Thailand. I'm currently wondering if I still can get the double entry visa with the recent "crackdown", and above all where can I get it ?"

I expect that you can still get it in a number of places near Thailand:

Double entry: Manila, Laos, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, see below

Triple entry: Bali & Hanoi

Digital nomad? If that is work related, employment is prohibited under tourist visas. Those staying in the country more than half the year are considered tax residents.

"If I can get this double entry visa (from february to august), can I make another double entry visa back to back ? That would mean 1 year in a row"

You can try. If they suspect you are working in Thailand it will be up to you to prove otherwise or convince them you are not. If they believe you should not be living in the country on tourist visas or they are the wrong visa for that purpose, then you will have to seek other options.

[ubonjoe]

Double entry: Manila, Laos, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, see below

Triple entry: Bali & Hanoi

KL is a maybe for single entry tourist visa. Hong Kong is a single entry only.

As I said Laos is good for a 2 entry tourist visa will do a up to 3 back to back at the moment without a problem.

Hanoi and Manila is a 2 entry with tickets out of the country.

Bali dose 3 entries with tickets out of the country.

[fabinou]

Thank you for your replies !

Digital nomad? If that is work related, employment is prohibited under tourist visas. Those staying in the country more than half the year are considered tax residents.

It means I have some business on Internet which enables me to work anywhere in the world. I read this article : http://asiancorrespondent.com/125980/thai-immigration-officials-say-digital-nomads-ok-to-work-on-tourist-visas/ several months ago which says digital nomads are now allowed to work on a tourist visa.

You should get whatever you can get in France before traveling. You might want to check with one of the honorary consulates there or a neighboring country.

Not sure about Bruxelles (Brussels) but you could try.

Well I have to forget about Brussels, they only accept requests from Belgian citizens... Not sure about London though...
About Paris it seems they only issue single entry visa, and they ask for many documents like bank certificate, round trip flights etc...

If I can only get a single entry visa before leaving I will be a bit disappointed.

Anyway will I be allowed to ask for a double entry visa (let's say in Laos or Bali) right after this single entry visa ? The fact I already got 3 visas in a row in 2013 doesn't matter ?

[ubonjoe]

Your old visa history will not matter, No problem to get another visa if you get the single entry.

You could check some of the honorary consulates listed here: http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/honcon-europe.php

The embassy in London might do one in person but you would need an address in the UK to get it. They don's show any residency requirements on the their website.

[fabinou]

Yes London can be an option, just need to know if they issued double entry visas easily recently...

Hanoi and Manila are really reliable for double entry visas ? I heard terrible things about Manila's embassy ! What about Phnom Penh and Myanmar ?

[paz]

Reports about all destinations are in the pinned thread at the top of the forum.

[ubonjoe]

London does 3 entry visas.

Manila seems to of gotten friendlier and has been reported as doing a 2 entry. Hanoi does them.

If I have not mentioned it yet as doing a 2 entry they don't do them. There may be some location further from here though.

[fabinou]

Reports about all destinations are in the pinned thread at the top of the forum.

Yes I saw it already but some reports are not from 2014, and things may have changed since August 2014

So to sum it up here is what I'm gonna do :

- France : until February to get a single entry visa

- Thailand : from February to May (3 months)

- Bali : in May to get double entry or triple entry (still possible 100% ?)

- Thailand : from mid-May to mid-November (with visa run in Myanmar or Vietnam to visit in August)

Seems good ? Then I'll see if I can make another double entry visa in a row, or ask for ED Visa...

[paz]

Reports about all destinations are in the pinned thread at the top of the forum.

Yes I saw it already but some reports are not from 2014, and things may have changed since August 2014

Nothing has changed. The admin continuously update the reports when it's necessary.

[PoorSucker]

It means I have some business on Internet which enables me to work anywhere in the world. I read this article : http://asiancorrespondent.com/125980/thai-immigration-officials-say-digital-nomads-ok-to-work-on-tourist-visas/ several months ago which says digital nomads are now allowed to work on a tourist visa.

That is only the opinion of a single immigrations office, not an official policy.

[siam2007]

as you seem to be willing to travel within Europe to ensure you get the Visa you desire, I have another one for you: If you live in the Eastern part of your home country, you could try STUTTGART honorary consulat. they are very easy to deal with usually, if you appear in appropriate attire and do not lack manners.

Call them first and if they are unwilling to give you a tourist Visa as a non-German national, tell them you are actually staying in Germany with your girlfriend blablabla and don't wanna go all the way back to Paris.

but I actually think they will give you a tourist Visa as a non-German national, they only seem to be reluctant when it comes to non-immigrant Visas issued to non-residents. try your luck - they have a website (outdated, but phone numbers seem to be correct) : thaikonsulat.de

[Tomtomtom69]

Your old visa history will not matter, No problem to get another visa if you get the single entry.

You could check some of the honorary consulates listed here: http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/honcon-europe.php

The embassy in London might do one in person but you would need an address in the UK to get it. They don's show any residency requirements on the their website.

I think writing down any local address on the visa form is enough to qualify as a "resident" provided that the embassy/consulate in question will accept applications from non-citizens (non-UK citizens in this case), but in Europe I don't suspect that to be a problem if you're a citizen of another EU country. In such cases it would be best to pickup your visa in person because if you don't have a local address to send it to, the consulate may be reluctant to send it to another country even if you offer your own prepaid envelope and are willing to take the risk of loss.

[fabinou]

Thanks for the update about Stuttgart and London, but I think I will focus on France. I wouldn't take the risk to travel there and be refused or issued a single entry !

Anyway I read many embassies ask for flight tickets for each entry. Do they ask for flights INTO Thailand or flights OUT OF Thailand or both ? Isn't it ok if we just provide hotel booking outside of Thailand ?

[off road pat]

Thanks for the update about Stuttgart and London, but I think I will focus on France. I wouldn't take the risk to travel there and be refused or issued a single entry !

Anyway I read many embassies ask for flight tickets for each entry. Do they ask for flights INTO Thailand or flights OUT OF Thailand or both ? Isn't it ok if we just provide hotel booking outside of Thailand ?

You can get a double entry in Brussels easy, but not the same day. you have to come back the next day to pick up your passport......

Don' forget pictures....

[TheSpade]

Digital nomad? If that is work related, employment is prohibited under tourist visas. Those staying in the country more than half the year are considered tax residents.

Just as well most digital nomads are required to leave the country regularly for visa runs and trips to neighboring countries to get new TOURIST visas then really, isn't it?

[oldthaihand99]

KL is a maybe for single entry tourist visa. Hong Kong is a single entry only.

The latest report on Hong Kong is from September 2014 & states:

"I first requested a triple-entry visa but was politely told they only issue double-entry visas."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/760108-double-tourist-visa-in-honk-kong/

The same report is found here on the "Latest reports of getting a visa in the region" page

under tourist visa and 2 entries:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/189375-latest-reports-of-getting-a-visa-in-the-region/

Re Kuala Lumpur the most recent report i've seen re 2 entries is from October 2012:

"I just picked up my passport and successfully obtained a Single entry tourist visa. When

picking up the passport I mentioned to the lady my intention to come back next year to apply for a double entry visa."

"She said that its not a problem as long as I show proof of 2 airline tickets into Thailand

within the first 3 months. Im not sure why this is the requirement but it is exactly what one

of her work colleagues told me when I issued my passport late last week."

"She also said the cost was 200 ringit. Both of the people at the consulate were friendly and

said that it would not be a problem as long as I had the 2 tickets into the LOS."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/594334-double-entry-visa-in-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/

So as regards obtainng a double entry tourist visa in KL, the "Latest Reports Of Getting A Visa In The Region" page is a bit out of date.

Edited October 17, 2014 by oldthaihand99

[siam2007]

Thanks for the update about Stuttgart and London, but I think I will focus on France. I wouldn't take the risk to travel there and be refused or issued a single entry !

Anyway I read many embassies ask for flight tickets for each entry. Do they ask for flights INTO Thailand or flights OUT OF Thailand or both ? Isn't it ok if we just provide hotel booking outside of Thailand ?

that's why I said check their website first and CALL THEM during their very limited business hours to confirm. Tell them you are in town or nearby.

[fabinou]

Thanks for the update about Stuttgart and London, but I think I will focus on France. I wouldn't take the risk to travel there and be refused or issued a single entry !

Anyway I read many embassies ask for flight tickets for each entry. Do they ask for flights INTO Thailand or flights OUT OF Thailand or both ? Isn't it ok if we just provide hotel booking outside of Thailand ?

You can get a double entry in Brussels easy, but not the same day. you have to come back the next day to pick up your passport......

Don' forget pictures....

Brussels embassy told me they only delivered to belgian citizens or people who work in Belgium, so let's just forget it.

So it seems it's now possible to get double entry in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Manilla ? That's great news. If people want to testify that would be great...

About what I asked :

Anyway I read many embassies ask for flight tickets for each entry. Do they ask for flights INTO Thailand or flights OUT OF Thailand or both ? Isn't it ok if we just provide hotel booking outside of Thailand ?

Is it ok if we provide hotel bookings or bus tickets ?

[paz]

Is it ok if we provide hotel bookings or bus tickets ?

There is no set rule. Each embassy or consulate do as they please and they can do different for different applications on different days. So if you want not to use locations that are known and reliable, you will have to take the risk on your own.

[ubonjoe]

Absolutely no 2 entry tourist visa in KL. I have never seen a report of one ever being issued there. A single entry is a maybe dependent upon their mood on the day you apply. KL is on my do not go there for any visa list.

Hong Kong is a big maybe for the 2 entry.

[bigt116]

I thought these forums had rules against anything illegal ? Yet here is everyone advising the OP about tourist visas, knowing that he will be working here ie. ILLEGAL

Can an Admin clarify the policy ?

[paz]

I thought these forums had rules against anything illegal ? Yet here is everyone advising the OP about tourist visas, knowing that he will be working here ie. ILLEGAL

Can an Admin clarify the policy ?

I think you should spare your anger and unfounded accusations for a better occasion

[jspill]

I thought these forums had rules against anything illegal ? Yet here is everyone advising the OP about tourist visas, knowing that he will be working here ie. ILLEGAL

Can an Admin clarify the policy ?

Despite what some very vocal prolific posters on this forum like to think, it isn't explicitly illegal to do some remote online work with no presence in Thailand, no Thai customers, be paid offshore, etc. Digital nomad isn't on the list of restricted occupations and doesn't take jobs from Thais.

Because it's not explicitly legal or mentioned in the alien labour act either, the admins here don't really comment on it, I'm guessing. That or they don't see anything wrong with it. Digital nomads don't hurt the economy and what one does on their PC is unenforcable. Seems common sense to me.

Edited October 18, 2014 by jspill

[TheSpade]

I thought these forums had rules against anything illegal ? Yet here is everyone advising the OP about tourist visas, knowing that he will be working here ie. ILLEGAL

Can an Admin clarify the policy ?

Why are you so angry about digital nomads working online whilst in Thailand?

In what way does it affect you or Thailand in anyway let alone negatively?

I'm genuinely interested as I don't understand the bitterness of so many people on here towards them.

[oldthaihand99]

Absolutely no 2 entry tourist visa in KL. I have never seen a report of one ever being issued there.

Here's one. Double entry obtained in KL:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/433674-tourist-visa-double-entry-kuala-lumpur/

Double entry available & offered 2 times by 2 Thai embassy employees:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/594334-double-entry-visa-in-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/

"I just received my single entry visa today at the KL Thai embassy. No problems and I have way more than 3 or 4 (30 day) entry stamps in my passport. I did not try to get double or multiple, but the option is there on the forms." [2014-05-14]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/726046-getting-a-tourist-visa-in-kuala-lumpur/

Requirements for18 nationalities in KL for a tourist visa to Thailand:

http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/962/18989-LISTED-COUNTRY.html

The list of those 18 nations:

http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/962/18987-LIST-OF-COUNTRIES-THAT-MUST-HAVE-RESIDENT-IN-MALAY.html

The different & only requirements in KL for a tourist visa to Thailand for the rest of the world (not holding Malaysian pass):

1. Original passport valid not less than 6 months with a copy of information page(s)

2. Visa application form duly filled out with one 4x6 cm. sized photograph (white / blue background taken within the past 6 months)

http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/962/18988-NON-LISTED-COUNTRY.html

Edited October 18, 2014 by oldthaihand99

[ubonjoe]

That was almost 4 years ago that the 2 entry was done. I can assure you it will not happen now.

There was a recent report of a person from a western country with no previous visas that was denied a tourist visa because he could not produce financial proof.

If you like getting visas in KL that is fine. But I can only make recommendations based upon what has been recently reported.

I don't want to suggest going somewhere that is not reliable for getting visas and KL at this time is not reliable.

[oldthaihand99]

That was almost 4 years ago that the 2 entry was done. I can assure you it will not happen now.

There was a recent report of a person from a western country with no previous visas that was denied a tourist visa because he could not produce financial proof.

If you like getting visas in KL that is fine. But I can only make recommendations based upon what has been recently reported.

I don't want to suggest going somewhere that is not reliable for getting visas and KL at this time is not reliable.

The offer of double entry by 2 KL embassy officials was two years ago, in 2012. This is the most recent intel on the subject that i've seen, so on what basis is your opinion to the contrary? Or that Hong Kong is not to be relied upon for a double entry, inspite of the recent September 2014 report saying it was obtained?

Western country? Perhaps you refer to the Eastern European (Romanian} with 10 posts who alleged he was going for his 2nd visa and who had overstayed his welcome in Thailand . Of course at any embassy it is within the rights for them to ask for more documents if they are suspicious of someone. In that sense none of them are 100% reliable & they all experience people being rejected for various reasons.

IMO the overall body of recent reports on KL indicates obtaining a tourist visa there is a simply easy process, if one is not using the embassy there repeatedly for that purpose or for "visa runs".

"Consular officers reserve the right to request additional documents from applicant as deemed necessary or refuse to receive the application."

http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/962/18988-NON-LISTED-COUNTRY.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/699766-kuala-lumpur-tourist-visa-headache/

Edited October 19, 2014 by oldthaihand99

[paz]

The offer of double entry by 2 KL embassy officials was two years ago, in 2012. This is the most recent intel on the subject that i've seen, so on what basis is your opinion to the contrary? Or that Hong Kong is not to be relied upon for a double entry, inspite of the recent September 2014 report saying it was obtained?

Recommend that you go and check yourself rather, let us know.