Kenyan Citizen Refused Tourist Visa in Penang

[gumbi]

I am a citizen of Kenya (age 26) currently traveling around SE Asia. Today, I was not allowed to apply for a standard 60 day single entry tourist visa to Thailand at the Thai consulate in Penang, Malaysia. They said I need to apply from my home country in Nairobi. They had a list of all countries that were not allowed to apply for Thai visas outside their home country/ country of residence. The list is as follows:

Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, Congo DRC, Cote dIvoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Rwanda, Sao Tome Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somali, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Are there any other Thai embassies/ consulates in SE Asia that are 'looser' with their regulations and would possibly issue visas to Kenyan citizens? A flight back to Kenya would be far more expensive than a simple Air Asia hop from KL. Does anyone from this 'banned' country list have experience obtaining Thai visas in Asia? Any help would be much appreciated!

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

[Maestro]

All Thai consulates worldwide adhere to the rule of which the consulate in Penang informed you.

[ubonjoe]

I looked into this before. You will not be able to get a visa at any nearby location.

This from the embassy in Kuala Lumpur which Penang is under http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20141216-151507-411806.pdf

Vientiane has the same list on it's website: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/RestrictedCountries2013.pdf

Other locations enforce the same rules but not all have it posted on their website. Singapore included.

You could try to contact other embassies in the region to see if they are more flexible in the rule. See; http://www.thaiembassy.org/main/

[gumbi]

Thanks for the advice. Seems crazy I need to go home to get a Visa. Actually, I've been coming to Thailand for years now. I've recieved visas in America, China, and (just earlier this year) in Yangon. China and the US I was a resident there, but Myanmar I was just on a tourist visa. Strange. I guess it's a bit of luck of the draw. Unfortunately, getting a visa/ travelling to Myanmar from a country NOT Thailand is a bit tricky and expensive, but maybe I should return there? I've also read on this forum that Savannakhet, Laos, is a 'user-friendly' consulate, think I should give them a call first or just show up and hope they aren't familiar with the policy? I'm guessing this might have happened in Yangon, as my boyfriend and I were the only foreigners there...

[Mario2008]

The US and China you were a resident, allowing for you to apply for a visa there. Myanmar is relatively new with visas, as untill recently the country was verly closed and not easy to get to.

The restrictive list means that if you are on it your application is subject to extra structiny. I suspect it even needs approval from the ministry in Bangkok. It means that no other consulate than in your home country/ country of residence will issue, unless by mistake such as in Myanmar.

[ubonjoe]

Savannakhet is under the embassy in Vientiane and will impose the same restrictions.

This from the embassy website in Yangon. http://www.thaiembassy.org/yangon/en/services/1019/46282-Information-for-Non-Resident.html

"Important information for Non-resident: Applicants from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq , Kosovo, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Vietnam, Yemen, and all countries in Africa (except South Africa) who do not have Foreign Registration Certificate (FRC) and are therefore not currently residents of Myanmar cannot apply for any types of visa at this Embassy. Applicants are advised to apply for Thai visa at country of residence only."

[PoorSucker]

Where is your residency now?

You don't have to go to Kenya.

"Applicants are advised to apply for Thai visa at country of residence only."

[marcofunny]

they could save the ink on these notice if they mention all African countries except south Africa.

[inwardglee]

It is hard now to get visas to Thailand for any citizen of an African country, also ED visas. I have taken quite some time to check on this and found that the Elite visa is the only possible way, but that one works as smooth as silk.

[gumbi]

Unfortunately, I quite my job in China, so my current country of residence is techically Kenya, even though I am floating around Asia. Thanks for the help everyone! It seems like either I or my passport need to go home, but if any other bright ideas pop up let me know. I will look into the elite visa, but it seems prohibitively expensive. Plus, wouldn't I need to go home to have that issued anyway?

[ubonjoe]

You can apply and pay for elite membership before traveling and the visa will issued when you arrive in Bangkok. Not sure how that would work for you but you could asd them about it.

Or you can enter the country and apply for it and the visa will be issued at immigration in Bangkok.

I suggest you contact Thai Elite for more info. http://www.thailandelite.com/contact.php

[NovemberIceman]

I am citizen of Uganda and hence on the list of countries that are required to apply for a Thai visa in their home country. Would it be a possibilitiy to have a tourist visa processed (in Penang or Singapore) if I submitted an invitation letter from a private Thai citizen? What about application for a Non-B, would this be an option for the two locations mentioned?

[nowretired]

I am citizen of Uganda and hence on the list of countries that are required to apply for a Thai visa in their home country. Would it be a possibilitiy to have a tourist visa processed (in Penang or Singapore) if I submitted an invitation letter from a private Thai citizen? What about application for a Non-B, would this be an option for the two locations mentioned?

The simple answer is no.