4th Back to Back Tourist Visa Penang (NO SAME DAY SERVICE)

[Gallstone]

I have 3 back to back tourist visas from Vientiene in my UK passport with the last one was stamped asking for proof of income and residence which I believe is usual practice. With limited space left in my passport, Vientiene wasnt an option this time as you need more than 2 empty pages in your passport for that visa run.

So this time I went to Penang (less than 2 pages needed for uk passports as no visa is needed to enter Malaysia for a short period) to and got my 4th back to back tourist visa with no questions asked and no such stamp on the visa.

Also if anyone is planning going to Penang then take note that since 1st November 2014 they no longer do same day visa service. You get your passport back the next day after 2pm.

If you stay at Mingood hotel the manager will go to the consulate for you which is far easier as the embassy is a fair walk and the roads are not so good for walking due to lack of footpaths on the way there and fast high volume traffic on the way to the consulate. I walked there to submit it but it was very unpleasant and so got the manager at MIngood to get the passport back for me, far easier...

[lemonjelly]

Many, if not most of the hotels in Georgetown provide a visa service.

[globalmedia8]

how much was the total tripp?

[globalmedia8]

plus will the hotel take passport to embassy for the visa as well and what is cost of this?

[devaram]

Please explain if all 4 visas were within the past 365 days? I was just told by banana guest house after three visa you havve to go back to your home country after the third one or they dont give. Seems the rules change allot down there...

Edited November 21, 2014 by devaram

[steven100]

In accordance with Thailand Immigration regulations and requirements.

As per immigration rules and regulations, if you propose to stay in thailand for any extended period outside being that of a tourist you are required under thai law to have the appropriate visa in place which is indicative of your situation.

The Thai immigration department has confirmed that back to back tourist visas will be eliminated and that persons wishing to stay in thailand for extended periods must have the correct visa.

Edited November 21, 2014 by steven100

[ubonjoe]

Please explain if all 4 visas were within the past 365 days? I was just told by banana guest house after three visa you havve to go back to your home country after the third one or they dont give. Seems the rules change allot down there...

He had 3 from Vientiane Laos.

The embassies and consulate normally only consider them to be back to back if they are all form them they don't count the ones from another place.

I suspect Penang is the same. You can get 3 in a row from them and that is it.

[seancbk]

Please explain if all 4 visas were within the past 365 days? I was just told by banana guest house after three visa you havve to go back to your home country after the third one or they dont give. Seems the rules change allot down there...

I realise you probably won't know the answer to this but what do these consulates mean by "Go back to your home country"?

I hold a British passport because my parents are British. I've never lived there myself and would never consider the UK home.

How would a consulate even know you'd been to "your home country" anyway? Home countries don't stamp passports....

Or do they mean you need to just go to a different consulate after 2 or 3 consecutive visas from the same place?

(edit - Answered in the post before mine by UbonJoe. Cheers!)

Edited November 21, 2014 by seancbk

[PREM-R]

In accordance with Thailand Immigration regulations and requirements.

As per immigration rules and regulations, if you propose to stay in thailand for any extended period outside being that of a tourist you are required under thai law to have the appropriate visa in place which is indicative of your situation.

The Thai immigration department has confirmed that back to back tourist visas will be eliminated and that persons wishing to stay in thailand for extended periods must have the correct visa.

"The Thai immigration department has confirmed that back to back tourist visas will be eliminated and that persons wishing to stay in thailand for extended periods must have the correct visa."

Is the above true? I thought it was the Visa Waiver that were the problem, but that TR visas were O.K.

Edited November 21, 2014 by PREM-R

[ubonjoe]

In accordance with Thailand Immigration regulations and requirements.

As per immigration rules and regulations, if you propose to stay in thailand for any extended period outside being that of a tourist you are required under thai law to have the appropriate visa in place which is indicative of your situation.

The Thai immigration department has confirmed that back to back tourist visas will be eliminated and that persons wishing to stay in thailand for extended periods must have the correct visa.

"The Thai immigration department has confirmed that back to back tourist visas will be eliminated and that persons wishing to stay in thailand for extended periods must have the correct visa."

Is the above true? I thought it was the Visa Waiver that were the problem, but that TR visas were O.K.

It is exempt entries not tourist visas. Just somebody calling exempt entries tourist visas.

[jonaz]

Please explain if all 4 visas were within the past 365 days? I was just told by banana guest house after three visa you havve to go back to your home country after the third one or they dont give. Seems the rules change allot down there...

She told me the same thing at the banana guesthouse when I went with the Phuket visa run company 5 weeks ago. I don't think she knows what she is talking about and I am gonna risk going for another in January when my currently one expires.

She said I'd be lucky if I got this one and I definitely won't get another and would have to return to the my own country and get one there next time. I got it though no problem and will hopefully get another

[paz]

She told me the same thing at the banana guesthouse when I went with the Phuket visa run company 5 weeks ago. I don't think she knows what she is talking about and I am gonna risk going for another in January when my currently one expires.

She said I'd be lucky if I got this one and I definitely won't get another and would have to return to the my own country and get one there next time. I got it though no problem and will hopefully get another

Just get a new passport or obtain the next in Laos to be on the safe side.

[jonaz]

She told me the same thing at the banana guesthouse when I went with the Phuket visa run company 5 weeks ago. I don't think she knows what she is talking about and I am gonna risk going for another in January when my currently one expires.

She said I'd be lucky if I got this one and I definitely won't get another and would have to return to the my own country and get one there next time. I got it though no problem and will hopefully get another

Just get a new passport or obtain the next in Laos to be on the safe side.

My passport has a triple entry from Hull from Jan 2013, then a double from Vientiane when that ran out in October 2013. I only used one entry though and returned to UK for 2 months.

This year I had another triple entry from Hull but only used 2 entries because I missed the expiry date for the last entry. Then I got my current single from Penang.

The lady at Banana hotel said you're only allowed to have 3 entries per year on tourist visas. I think this may be true but that's not to say that it's getting enforced, as the OP shows.

I think going by all that, the chances of me getting another are just the same in Vientiane or Penang.

I did get asked to show 20k at border control which I had brought but left in the visa run van by mistake. They let me through anyway.

[paz]

The lady at Banana hotel said you're only allowed to have 3 entries per year on tourist visas. I think this may be true but that's not to say that it's getting enforced, as the OP shows.

It is not true. People goes to Laos because of the double entry visa, from the South it can be done economically with Air Asia.

[jonaz]

The lady at Banana hotel said you're only allowed to have 3 entries per year on tourist visas. I think this may be true but that's not to say that it's getting enforced, as the OP shows.

It is not true. People goes to Laos because of the double entry visa, from the South it can be done economically with Air Asia.

Well that's good to know. I'm living in Phuket now so Penang is closer for me. I'll try flying this time and doing it myself rather than using the visa run company I think.

[jasonsamui55]

So just to clarify, three (3) 60-day tourist visas per year is now the limit? If obtained from home country, then no problems?

[ace]

As far as I know it's not clear. The "crackdown" was to prevent people working here on a tourist visa, not paying tax, which some (mostly Russians I guess) do. If the immigration officer sees numerous back to back tourist visas, and is in a bad mood, it can be a problem.

3 back to back visa exempt entries (30days) is clearly limited now.

[ubonjoe]

So just to clarify, three (3) 60-day tourist visas per year is now the limit? If obtained from home country, then no problems?

That is for Penang. You could get 3 there and the go to Vientiane and get three 2 entry tourist visas.

[ubonjoe]

As far as I know it's not clear. The "crackdown" was to prevent people working here on a tourist visa, not paying tax, which some (mostly Russians I guess) do. If the immigration officer sees numerous back to back tourist visas, and is in a bad mood, it can be a problem.

3 back to back visa exempt entries (30days) is clearly limited now.

It is not entirely about paying taxes it is for working without a work permit.

There is no limit on visa exempt entries other than doing in/out visa runs to get them.

[jasonsamui55]

So someone who flies in and out same day or next day is classified as a runner but how much space is needed to not be considered a runner? 3 days? A week? 2? Etc? And does it matter if they pushed right up to their 29th/30th day or maybe stayed only 2 weeks, etc. Like this guy seems to be 10 days out and 20 in and repeat. Is that considered a runner?

[ubonjoe]

So someone who flies in and out same day or next day is classified as a runner but how much space is needed to not be considered a runner? 3 days? A week? 2? Etc? And does it matter if they pushed right up to their 29th/30th day or maybe stayed only 2 weeks, etc. Like this guy seems to be 10 days out and 20 in and repeat. Is that considered a runner?

This what immigration's guidlines for visa exempt entries states.

"The alien must not enter the Kingdom by exploiting 30-day visa exemptions undertaking method “in-out” or called by foreigners as “Visa run”. Aliens use the advantage of Tourist Visa Exemption by leaving Thailand and returning immediately for the purpose of extending their stay, which is considered from the tourism point of view to be longer than necessary and not in line with the purpose permitted while entering country."

The 20 here and 10 out should be acceptable.

It is staying here for the full 30 days and then going out and returning for another 30 day entry that can create problems. But now there is no reason to do that because you can get a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry.

[jasonsamui55]

Thanks. That's good info. Can every nationality get that 30 day extension now?

[ubonjoe]

Those on the visa exempt list can get the 30 day extension. Those that get a visa exemption by way of bilateral agreement cannot get the extension.

[notmyself]

No same day service makes it a bit awkward for those on Samui using the reasonably cheap (for Samui) Firefly flights to Penang. There is only one flight e/w on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and people will not have time to collect their visa (after 2pm) and make it to the airport for the return flight. I go every three months for a couple of days in order to activate entries on a triple obtained in the UK so it doesn't affect me directly but most people I see on the outbound flight I also see on the inward flight two days later. People are now going to have to stay 4 or 5 days now.

Edited November 24, 2014 by notmyself

[jasonsamui55]

No same day service makes it a bit awkward for those on Samui using the reasonably cheap (for Samui) Firefly flights to Penang. There is only one flight e/w on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and people will not have time to collect their visa (after 2pm) and make it to the airport for the return flight. I go every three months for a couple of days in order to activate entries on a triple obtained in the UK so it doesn't affect me directly but most people I see on the outbound flight I also see on the inward flight two days later. People are now going to have to stay 4 or 5 days now.

There's no problem with this, assuming you spend a few days in penang, even after clamping down on visa runners began this past 4-5 months?

[notmyself]

No same day service makes it a bit awkward for those on Samui using the reasonably cheap (for Samui) Firefly flights to Penang. There is only one flight e/w on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and people will not have time to collect their visa (after 2pm) and make it to the airport for the return flight. I go every three months for a couple of days in order to activate entries on a triple obtained in the UK so it doesn't affect me directly but most people I see on the outbound flight I also see on the inward flight two days later. People are now going to have to stay 4 or 5 days now.

There's no problem with this, assuming you spend a few days in penang, even after clamping down on visa runners began this past 4-5 months?

I didn't say there was a problem getting a visa but rather how long someone would have to stay to do it. Previously you flew out Tuesday (for example)... Applied Wednesday morning and collected it in the afternoon before flying back early the following afternoon (Thursday). Because you now have to wait until the next afternoon you will not be able to catch the flight so will have to wait until Saturday for a return flight.

[phuketrichard]

Arthur at Mingood is a great guy, 50 MYR saves u the taxi there an back an if ur flying in an out of phuket he wil get it back for u before noon so u can make the flight

the hotel is nothing special for 100 myr ( includes small breakfast Buffet) but much better deal than 150 for the new Banana Boutique gh- they stick a bathroom into the room and call it a Boutique hotel LOL

can do tourist an i year non B and O visas as long as u have a wp (valid for 8 months) for B an all ur paperwork

PLUS Penang has got plenty to see and do for a day and half

[Kaalle]

Wasn't there a thread about a bunch of people being denied tourist visas in Penang like a week ago? Penang is the best alternative for me and I only have one tourist visa in my passport and that's from Penang. If I can get a second one I will go there when my extension expires in 10 days for sure.

[paz]

Wasn't there a thread about a bunch of people being denied tourist visas in Penang like a week ago? Penang is the best alternative for me and I only have one tourist visa in my passport and that's from Penang. If I can get a second one I will go there when my extension expires in 10 days for sure.

No, I think you are referring to a thread about raised requirement for ED visa.

[Kaalle]

Wasn't there a thread about a bunch of people being denied tourist visas in Penang like a week ago? Penang is the best alternative for me and I only have one tourist visa in my passport and that's from Penang. If I can get a second one I will go there when my extension expires in 10 days for sure.

No, I think you are referring to a thread about raised requirement for ED visa.

Yes I think your right, but if I remember correctly people who where denied ED visas then applied for tourist visas which were also denied. But in any case, if Penang is ok for second and third tourist visas, thats just great.