Turned down for a tourist visa in Kolkata

[ubonjoe]

It is the local people who sit in Thai consulates who create problems for visa applicants. I went to the Thai embassy in Colombo, sri lanka, and they were mostly sri lankans who had no idea that a European passport holder like me could get a Thai visa on arrival in Bangkok.

You cannot get a 15 day visa on arrival those are only for those from certain countries and it costs 1000 baht.

You do get a 30 day visa exempt entry.

[joeyg]

Thanks for the ongoing discussion. Fortunately finances are not a major issue. As I'm seeing "the system" breakdown around the world I'm just wondering if it might not be better to be on home soil after all when the shit hits the fan. Three months in India has given me some religion, pun intended.

First trip to Thailand was 1971 courtesy of the US military. Life was never quite the same since. Arrive in Bangkok tomorrow. I'm ready for an attitude adjustment...

[Tomtomtom69]

Wow, a North Korea visa would have been easier. Some Consuls really try their best to fight the tourism industry.

Anyway, you can have your visa exempt entry converted to non-imm 'O' with a single visit to Bangkok immigration. And the extension anywhere you want.

To be on the safe side check the following about boarding your flight.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/754481-boarding-to-thailand-without-return-ticket/

Good advice but I wouldn't worry about the check-in agents in Kolkata checking onward tickets of westerners, because they don't, at least not if you're flying THAI. That's at least one piece of good news meaning you can get on the plane without worries. Still, I find the refusal of the visa without evidence of complete hotel bookings for every day of stay a bit of a joke.

[paz]

Still, I find the refusal of the visa without evidence of complete hotel bookings for every day of stay a bit of a joke.

I think the consulate is trying to prevent Indians from going backpacking in Thailand, then apply the same "rules" to everyone.

Still better than others like Paris that sets mandatory intervals for you, Singapore with their lectures, or the various ones that serves only citizens or legal residents of the local country,

[Konini]

You might of had better luck applying for a single entry non-o visa Kolkata for being 50 or over. They might not of applied the same rules they have to get a tourist visa there.

You only need 15 days remaining on an entry to to do conversion to a non immigrant visa. The 21 day rule went away several years ago.

Even 15 days to get things done when entering on a visa exempt entry is hard to do. You could go out to get a single entry non-o visa at a nearby embassy or consulate but you would need to have financial proof.

Thanks for the clarification about so called 21 day rule.

Sometimes its hard to juggle conflicting information.

I was probably thinking about the 21 day thing based on this recent news article in Chiang Mai:

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=4557

Changing visa status

Under the new rules, changing one's visa status – for example, from a tourist visa to a retirement visa – can no longer be done in one day. The process will now take up to 21 days.

Immigration officers encourage people who wish to change their visas to apply as soon as possible. If someone enters the country on a 30-day tourist visa, for example, they should apply for a new visa within nine days to ensure they can remain in the country legally.

I don't put much weight in offhand comments like that What about the 30 day tourist visa comment (wrong).

At Bangkok immigration it is 15 days. There have been reports of CM immigration doing them with only a few days remaining on an entry.

He is quoted as saying it will take 21 days to get the visa stamp done which I have seen no reports of being done in CM.

Bangkok tells you to come back in 2 weeks.

Mr K went to immigration to do his tourist visa conversion on 14th October, and left his passport in the safekeeping of the agent. He got a phone call on 29th and got his passport back with the Non-O visa the following day - he didn't have to go to the office the 2nd time, the agent took his passport in and got the visa and re-entry stamps. I think that meeting was about half way through his application process, so that may have changed now, particularly if Nancy is saying they were stressing it (read; I believe her, she is not given to exaggeration). We would have been in trouble if they had decided to keep it 21 days as we go to Vietnam on Tuesday for a week.

[paz]

Mr K went to immigration to do his tourist visa conversion on 14th October, and left his passport in the safekeeping of the agent. He got a phone call on 29th and got his passport back with the Non-O visa the following day - he didn't have to go to the office the 2nd time, the agent took his passport in and got the visa and re-entry stamps.

Note that in Thailand foreigners are required to have their passport in possession all the time, that is easily achieved going to immigration one self where it is returned with an "under consideration" stamp immediately.

[petercool]

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