Confirmed: New multiple entry tourist visa for Thailand available from November

[srchino]

The arbitrary age of 50 makes little sense to me. Age 50 for a retiree is still very early in my home country (where the official retirement age is 65), and I'd venture to guess that it's earlier than usual in LoS as well.

So if you're going to let people who for whatever reason reached retirement early and have the time and resources to spend in Thailand without needing to work, then why make some arbitrary cutoff at age 50?

Add me to the list of people who meet every qualification other than the age one. I ended up leaving and the visa status issue was a major factor. Just got tired of playing the cat and mouse game.

The difference in terms of the overall effect to the Thai economy and such between me being there and a 50+ year old retiree? Likely zero. Maybe I'm a little less likely to need medical services but that's about it.

[Retired2013]

I just received a new METV in the USA. I applied through the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles. I do qualify for an "A-O" Visa but I am planning on staying only 4 or 5 months and this seemed like an easier way to go. It was interesting this last month as the Thai Consulates in the US started to update their websites. Each consulate seemed to have slightly different requirements. The LA Consulate website says it requires a copy of airline tickets and the tickets should show multiple entries. I provided a copy of my round trip ticket from the USA and that seemed to suffice. I also stated that I was retired and provided a copy of my retirement income.

Edited December 6, 2015 by Retired2013

[BigOm19]

Has anyone with an ASEAN passport managed to obtain the multiple-entry ASEAN tourist visa in another ASEAN country other than their own?

[hawker9000]

I just received a new METV in the USA. I applied through the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles. I do qualify for an "A-O" Visa but I am planning on staying only 4 or 5 months and this seemed like an easier way to go. It was interesting this last month as the Thai Consulates in the US started to update their websites. Each consulate seemed to have slightly different requirements. The LA Consulate website says it requires a copy of airline tickets and the tickets should show multiple entries. I provided a copy of my round trip ticket from the USA and that seemed to suffice. I also stated that I was retired and provided a copy of my retirement income.

That's useful firsthand info. Thanks. A number of European expats I've talked to (who rely on tourist visas for their annual - or in some cases more frequent - visits) seem to be ruling out the new METVs as just too hassle-prone. The METV was initially "presented" as simply a new flavor of tourist visa. Subsequently, we learned that it would replace (& eliminate) DETVs & TETVs. Now we're discovering that it's actually got some of the non-imm visa document reqt strings attached, depending on the embassy used to obtain it, with the addl reqt that you can only obtain it from a "home" embassy. I can understand the desire to make life hard for would-be illegal workers and defacto residents trying to leverage tourist visas, but as always Thailand throws the baby out with the bathwater. Many won't like having to navigate and bet non-refundable & costly application fees on inconsistent and subjectively imposed application requirements for a simple TV.

[srchino]

This is exactly right, and that's why I just stuck with the usual 30 day; they made the new METV enough of a hassle that I'll just bounce out to Laos or Vietnam once in awhile like I have over the years. They need the USD more than the Thais do anyways.

[Dandy Who]

Hello! Can I buy the six month visa in Cambodia?

Thanks in advance.

[srchino]

Hello! Can I buy the six month visa in Cambodia?

Thanks in advance.

Not unless you're Cambodian in which case you probably wouldn't need a visa.

[Dandy Who]

Thanks Srchino!

Can I only obtain the six monts visa in my own country then? I am from one of the EU countries.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Dandy Who

[srchino]

The new METV has to be applied from from your home country. Hopefully they change this requirement in the future.

[Maestro]

Apply in your country of permanent residence.

[mettech]

Good news I just finish my 7 months stay on a METV and worked good so  end of April is my return to the cold weather and back this year with same deal.

All it cost was 200.dollars CDN at consulate   in Vancouver and of course border run plus one extension was worth it.