Advice Please

[bkkbound04]

hi all

i'd appreciate some advice regarding obtaining a tourist visa for thailand from a neighbouring country...malay/cambodia/laos etc

can i apply/purchase a tourist visa in cambodia? where?

I've seen that companies offer a package for a tourist visa from penang...flights/accom/person to collect your passport and apply for single entry tourist visa on your behalf...the whole trip/package would cost close to 20k baht

i've just had a baby and am trying to keep costs down...nearly 20k seems expensive and i'd like to get a tourist visa for less if possible. The package actually costs 15k but with departure tax, airport money and funds for a night would be close to 20k

Is this service(some1 applying for visa on my behalf) legal? and is it available at the embassy? or only through the company that sells the package? i.e could i find a company in cambodia/laos/malay that would take care of all the paperwork/waiting at embassy for me?

what's the cheapest i could get a tourist visa in one of these countries?(return transport, accom, tourist visa, spending cash etc)

i hope this makes sense(i haven't been sleeping much with new born and am currently in an internet cafe with thai kids trying to deafen each other with online computer games )

i'd really appreciate some advice/info, i'm not in the position to apply for 1 yr/marriage visa for a few months yet and my current 30 day stamp expires mid next month(i lost 60 days on my original multi entry tourist visa... that and the new legislation is what has caused me grief)

again appologies if this post is hard to read but would appreciate if members could take time to respond with any relevant and helpful advice

thanks in advance

[lopburi3]

Are you currently legally married to a Thai? If you are you can obtain either a single entry or multi entry non immigrant visa which provides 90 day permitted to stay stamps. You use your marriage certificate, wife id card copy, wife home register copy, child birth certificate (have wife sign the copies) and Penang will issue a single entry and KL or Singapore will probably issue a multi entry visa. From that you can extend at immigration if you can later meet the 400k or 40k income requirements.

[bkkbound04]

thanks for the reply lopburi

we're not married at the moment...she wanted to get married at 7mths pregnant which i thought was unusual...when 7 mths came she didn't want to get photographed/married due to her size...

we're just going to get a registered marriage first and have the traditional ceremony at a later date...so we can marry anytime

what's the cost of the non immigrant visa? could i get this inside thailand? and would i have to show bank details or anything like?

we have property that we are going to sell, once sold i'll have enough to show the 400k, at the moment we can't show this

i've just been looking at phnom pehn, the accomodation, cost of living seems cheap, if i could get a cheap flight that may be an option for the short term?...that is if i can't apply for the non imm visa?

any1 know or visited the embassy in phnom pehn? is it busy? easy to find? and easy to obtain a tourist visa? costs?

really appreciate the reply/suggestion lopburi

thanks in advance

[bkkbound04]

ps

does phnom pehn have any companies offering the same service? i.e apply on my behalf for the visa?

[lopburi3]

Register the marriage - no cost and then you have the paper you need. Although you could probably also obtain on the basis of the birth certificate if you name is on it. You will have to visit a Consulate to obtain and don't believe price is much more than a tourist visa.

I would not use Cambodia. Malaysia is a good choice and there is no visa fee involved so even an increase in transport can be offset by that. There is good train service, which can go all the way to Penang or bus connections. The new low cost airlines are also good bets for both Malaysia and Singapore travel.

There should not be any requirement for bank account money for visa. That comes when you apply for extension of stay at immigration and should be sourced from outside Thailand so not sure your plans are going to work. If you obtain employment with a work permit then you would be in a better position for extensions.

[astral]

The latest changes in the rules seem to have made it easier to convert your

existing visa to a Non Imm O based on marriage inside Thailand.

I am assuming you are a man?

You will need 400K or an income of 40K plus your marriage certificate.

The wife and baby should accompany you to the Immigration office

If you are a lady the whole procedure is very much easier as you do not

need to show any money. It is assume your husband will support you.

If you do need to go to Penang, you can fly these days from Bangkok with AirAsia for B5000, I believe.

Taxi to and from the airport 1000 baht.

2 nights in the Continental hotel is 2000 baht,

plus you visa application.

It will not be much over 10K total.

Patrick at the hotel can handle the visa.

[bkkbound04]

thanks for the time and information

really appreciated

i'm going to try and find out about flights etc

ps

i'm a guy

with regard to my original plans, if i'd utilised my original multi entry tourist visa then i'd have been fine to stay until my funds are cleared, then apply for the marriage visa with proof of funds

but c'est la vie

thanks again