thais getting 5-10 years visa to the US

[wwest5829]

10 year visa can be used anytime for the ten year period just once.

My wife's U.S.Tourist Visa is issued for use any time within the granted 10 year period for mutilple entries(no limitations on the number of entries), length of stays would regulate that.

[Honkeydog]

While I was back in the US working my legal Thai wife got a 10 year multi-entry visa fairly easily. I was told this was pretty much unheard of at the time. She had a job, house, kids and we were legally married. She was coming to visit me. On entry to USA she got a 6 month Visa 2X. I am now back in Thailand.

[islandguy]

Each time we have entered the US my wife has been given 6 months stay despite telling them that she would be staying a shorter time, with a return on a round trip ticket already booked for a date less than 5 weeks after entry. She originally obtained a 10 year visa for a work trip that never materialized. When she applied for the visa she had already gone to multiple countries for work and owned a home, so not too surprising they gave her a visa. On the most recent trip the original visa was in one passport with her maiden name, she had a second passport with her name changed to her married name, and since that one had expired after 5 years, she was actually traveling on a third passport. She had all three passports and supporting documents. Entered without any problems or confusion, to my surprise. Don't be put off by the many bad stories shared by some posters.

[Smurkster]

my wife has US tourist visa, 10 years. We are in the states right now we arrived March 21st and she is stamped in until September 6th. It really is great, so for tens years now we don't have to worry about her coming here and if we want to move her someday permanently we can just transfer her status and application for green card while here..

[BudRight]

I dont blame the Thai's, I blame our countries for giving these length of visa's. Of course it isnt fair but since when have countries been fair to people?

You may be trying to look enlightened but actually this view is very petty. Thailand should have such a visa instead of selling those useless six month visas for the same price.

[gyrosman]

Maybe? Obama has Thailand on the terrorist list. How many years ago was this rumor?

[Liquorice]

10 years multi entry, now that is something thailand could learn from .. naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

they like to show who is boss of every square meter overhere

my 'thai' parents in law have a nice xx million baht house in the US .... and in the US, they are not afraid they will steal the land and bring it to thailand in their suitcase

Thailand does offer a 5 year multi entry Visa. The Elite Visa.

[BudRight]

10 years multi entry, now that is something thailand could learn from .. naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

they like to show who is boss of every square meter overhere

my 'thai' parents in law have a nice xx million baht house in the US .... and in the US, they are not afraid they will steal the land and bring it to thailand in their suitcase

Thailand does offer a 5 year multi entry Visa. The Elite Visa.

...and it costs 150 times what the 10 year US visa costs.

[bkk_mike]

10 years multi entry, now that is something thailand could learn from .. naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

they like to show who is boss of every square meter overhere

my 'thai' parents in law have a nice xx million baht house in the US .... and in the US, they are not afraid they will steal the land and bring it to thailand in their suitcase

The US government should revoke this stupid law that allows them to hand out 10 year visas to Thais when American citizens get nothing like it in return.

Even more ridiculous is the fact that Thai passports are only valid for 5 years! How the hell can you issue a visa that is valid for years beyond a passport's entire validity?

China and the US, as well as China and Canada recently concluded bilateral deals on 10-year tourist and business visas. Citizens of all three countries have 10-year validity passports and as part of the agreement, an American gets a 10-year Chinese visa, while a Chinese person gets the same if going to America. Similarly for Canadians and Chinese as part of their agreement. The period of stay is 90-180 days at a time though.

Now that's what I call a fair agreement.

But the American-Thai one - ridiculous. No other country does it. The most Thais going to Australia can hope for is a 1-year multi entry with a 3-month stay limitation; Australians coming to Thailand can also get a 12-month multi entry visa, but not one that is based on tourism but rather, business (type or family reasons (type O). In the case of Thais going to Australia, up until recently Thais could generally easily secure the 1-year multi entry particularly if they have been to Australia before and complied with the conditions of stay. But of course they can't expect to use it for de-facto residence, doing one day or even one week visa runs between entries like Aussies on multi 1-year Thai visas can.

Do you really want to have to travel to the embassy, wait for an appointment for your interview, and hand over an identity thief's wet dream of paperwork, get fingerprinted and still risk being rejected on the visa you've paid for simply because the person interviewing you thinks you might like it so much that you'll stay...

U.S. system is SO much better...

[gk10002000]

I thought the Visa system is reciprocal between countries. In the case of the United States vs Thailand there does not seem to be any

Thailand does not play on a level playing field

Well, it depends on what you want to compare. Thais can't just fly to the USA and get a 30 day visa exempt stamp. So considering just that feature, one could argue Thailand's visa policies are better than the USA's. Thai retirement visas are a lot easier to get than a USA retirement visa/extension. In fact the USA doesn't even have such a thing that is so easily equivalent to Thailand's.

[Zzon]

My wife was given a 10 year multiple entry tourist visa after 2 failed attempts to attain. We have visited the states for only 2 weeks a short time ago and was stamped for a 6 month stay.

[thailand49]

A REMINDER!

Many of you have missed the point of the BM post! This isn't about your wife or wife sister etc....

The board member posted GIRLFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND FRIEND WHO APPLY TO STUDY ABROAD. As I noted, go to the Embassy to find out what you need and get the information directly as to what is needed in your particular case.

Naturally, by the time the original topic is posted with hearsay comments it goes from girlfriend to the topic not even being recognizable.

[dragonfly94]

we know a bg from the pent club who got a ten year one first try, told a pack of lies about working for a US firm with fraudulent documentation, expensive outfit and big smile- no problem

[vegasphl]

that is new trend. I (USA) got a visa for brazil good for 10 years.

[jiean]

It's a b1 or b2 or b1/2 visitor visas plus business purposes ...

it's valid for 10 yrs and it's a multiple entry visa which means once the the visa is issued, u can enter states at any time in 10 yrs and stay there up to 6 months ...Sometimes the immigration officers stamp 3 -months- stay on the passport which is based on the visitors ' situation and varies from person to person...

10 yrs validity +multiple entry visas + 6 months -stay

My husband ( filipino) , my daughter and I (Chinese) all got that visas and applied for the visa at USA embassy ( Bangkok)

[Shot]

we know a bg from the pent club who got a ten year one first try, told a pack of lies about working for a US firm with fraudulent documentation, expensive outfit and big smile- no problem

Hmmmm

[Berkshire]

I thought the Visa system is reciprocal between countries. In the case of the United States vs Thailand there does not seem to be any

Thailand does not play on a level playing field

Well, it depends on what you want to compare. Thais can't just fly to the USA and get a 30 day visa exempt stamp. So considering just that feature, one could argue Thailand's visa policies are better than the USA's. Thai retirement visas are a lot easier to get than a USA retirement visa/extension. In fact the USA doesn't even have such a thing that is so easily equivalent to Thailand's.

Exactly. If Thailand had the same visa rules as the US, most farangs in Thailand wouldn't even be allowed to longstay here in the first place, including Mr. realenglish.

[Tomtomtom69]

I thought the Visa system is reciprocal between countries. In the case of the United States vs Thailand there does not seem to be any

Thailand does not play on a level playing field

+1

But that's not Thailand's fault. It's the fault of the US for offering this type of visa to Thais, i.e. offer this type of visa on a non-bilateral basis. The Americans should stop offering it altogether - their citizens are getting hosed by comparison to the Thais.

The 12-month visa I've mentioned that Thais can get for going to Australia is also somewhat easier to get than the closest equivalent Aussies can get coming to Thailand, provided Thais can prove they have been to Australia before and complied with their visa conditions. It's also possible to use it for tourism purposes and costs the same as a single entry visa, unlike the Thai equivalent which is more expensive. The closest Thai equivalent for Aussies is the non-B multi and non-O multi. However, since Aussies can use these visas for de-facto residence in Thailand (even if not originally intended that way) and can get them more quickly than their Thai counterparts applying for Aussie visas, I suppose it's an OK compromise.

[Tomtomtom69]

that is new trend. I (USA) got a visa for brazil good for 10 years.

Yes, Brazil and the USA, USA and China and also CHina and Canada have bilateral 10-year visa deals.

But Thais shouldn't be getting them since there's no equivalent of a 10-year Thai visas for Americans.

I propose that Thais no longer be allowed to get them. It's unfair to Americans.

[BudRight]

I thought the Visa system is reciprocal between countries. In the case of the United States vs Thailand there does not seem to be any

Thailand does not play on a level playing field

Well, it depends on what you want to compare. Thais can't just fly to the USA and get a 30 day visa exempt stamp. So considering just that feature, one could argue Thailand's visa policies are better than the USA's. Thai retirement visas are a lot easier to get than a USA retirement visa/extension. In fact the USA doesn't even have such a thing that is so easily equivalent to Thailand's.

Exactly. If Thailand had the same visa rules as the US, most farangs in Thailand wouldn't even be allowed to longstay here in the first place, including Mr. realenglish.

If Thailand had the same visa rules as the US, most people on this forum would be permanent residents within a year of marriage to their TGF, would suddenly have 800,000 baht available to spend, their kids would automatically be Thai citizens if they were born in Thailand (even if neither parent was Thai), would be able to own property in their own names, could live anywhere in the Kingdom without reporting to the Police and could work in any job in which they were capable.

The only thing that makes Thailand easier to visit for US citizens than Thai is that Thais are not on the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). That's it. If they wanted it the government could negotiate for it like these countries did;

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brunei

Chile

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Portugal

San Marino

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Taiwan

United Kingdom

...with Malaysia soon to join. Also note that this list is longer than the list of countries that can visit Thailand without a visa, and these countries get three months in the US to 30 days in Thailand!

Edited May 3, 2015 by BudRight