obtaining and using the METV

[DanceAllNight]

I had read reports that the visa could only be applied for in your country of residence. However, the MORE i read, it seems that you can actually apply for the visa at all Thai consulates worldwide - regardless if you're a resident of that country.

For example, an Aussie can still apply in Laos and Malaysia etc...

Once you have the visa, which will cost 5000b, you can stay in Thailand 6 months. Does this mean every 60 days, I can just go to Mae Sae and activate the next 60 days, or must I leave for a longer period of time. If I can leave and return the same day, that basically gives me 3 60 day entries. Not bad, really. And you could probably extend the last entry for 30 days (right? not sure). All in all, if you can apply for the visa worldwide, it's not so bad. Assuming you can do border runs in/out same day and extend the last entry.

Will there be a limit on how many you get in a row? Will my previous tourists visas count against me if I apply for this visa.

[elviajero]

• The more I read the more I believe it will only be available from home countries.

If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)

No one can know if there will be a limit, but IMO there will because they appear to be targeting people with jobs/businesses to go home to.

[oncearugge]

• The more I read the more I believe it will only be available from home countries.
• If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)
• No one can know if there will be a limit, but IMO there will because they appear to be targeting people with jobs/businesses to go home to.

Agreed.

The Canberra statement is no more than a press release and includes no detail about how the visa will be managed/administrated or issued.

The OP should consider the implications of this

http://thaiembassy.dk/multiple-entry-tourist-visa/

Which clearly states METV's will only be issued to citizens or those with permanent residency.

[silverado]

what i understand :

you can stay 6 months but obligation to go for out/in every 2 months (that makes 2 out/in if you stay 6 months and no more extention after the 2 months stay...)
don't forget you'll have to pay the fees for crossing the border : laos or cambodia will charge you at least for the stamps...

tell me if i am wrong

[silverado]

• The more I read the more I believe it will only be available from home countries.
• If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)
• No one can know if there will be a limit, but IMO there will because they appear to be targeting people with jobs/businesses to go home to.

Agreed.

The Canberra statement is no more than a press release and includes no detail about how the visa will be managed/administrated or issued.

The OP should consider the implications of this

http://thaiembassy.dk/multiple-entry-tourist-visa/

Which clearly states METV's will only be issued to citizens or those with permanent residency.

" If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)..."

sorry but i don't believe ! i understand the new visa will give you the possibility to stay MAXIMUM 6 months

[steve187]

Silverado - whats all the shouting, can we not read and understand English,

its a multi entry 60 day stamp each visit visa, valid for 6 months from issue date so if used the day of or on the day before expiry a fresh 60 day permission to stay stamp will be given, so if the metv is obtained just prior to entry to Thailand its possible to get almost 8 months out of it and if a 30 day extension is obtained that is stretched to almost 9 months, but i think its designed for travellers / offshore workers to come and go, not a continuous 9 month stay, so like all other long stay options it will get abused by the 'sail close to the wind' crowd. fuller details of its issue and terms of use will follow in due time, no mention of this metv on any Uk Thai consulate/embassy sites at the moment

[oncearugge]

• The more I read the more I believe it will only be available from home countries.
• If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)
• No one can know if there will be a limit, but IMO there will because they appear to be targeting people with jobs/businesses to go home to.

Agreed.

The Canberra statement is no more than a press release and includes no detail about how the visa will be managed/administrated or issued.

The OP should consider the implications of this

http://thaiembassy.dk/multiple-entry-tourist-visa/

Which clearly states METV's will only be issued to citizens or those with permanent residency.

" If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)..."

sorry but i don't believe ! i understand the new visa will give you the possibility to stay MAXIMUM 6 months

Why the SHOUTING? Is it necessary ?

The new METV is valid for six months which does not guarantee a six month stay in country.

[silverado]

i am not shouting... next time , i won't use big size for few words anymore...

anyway i 'll (try to) take confirmation in the thai embassy of my country as nobody here seems to be sure

[steve187]

i am not shouting... next time , i won't use big size for few words anymore...

anyway i 'll (try to) take confirmation in the thai embassy of my country as nobody here seems to be sure

how can anyone be sure, they have only just been announced and some countries Thai embassies/consulates are not even mentioning them on their websites

[silverado]

i am not shouting... next time , i won't use big size for few words anymore...

anyway i 'll (try to) take confirmation in the thai embassy of my country as nobody here seems to be sure

how can anyone be sure, they have only just been announced and some countries Thai embassies/consulates are not even mentioning them on their websites

as you write...

[elviajero]

i am not shouting... next time , i won't use big size for few words anymore...

anyway i 'll (try to) take confirmation in the thai embassy of my country as nobody here seems to be sure

We can be sure that it is a visa valid for 6 months from it's date of issue, and that someone can enter on the last day and be given a 60 day stay making it possible to stay in Thailand for nearly 8 months. All you have to do is go out/in every 60 days or less.

[steve187]

When you know everything come back and let us know

[paz]

I had read reports that the visa could only be applied for in your country of residence. However, the MORE i read, it seems that you can actually apply for the visa at all Thai consulates worldwide - regardless if you're a resident of that country.

That will depend by the individual consulate. Most likely each consulate will continue doing what they are doing for triple entry visa:

USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Indonesia (Bali), there can be others: No residence required.

Italy, France, Finland, China, Japan, and many others: Residence needed.

I believe that if there will be any change from the current situation will be in the more restrictive direction.

[stoneyboy]

I had read reports that the visa could only be applied for in your country of residence. However, the MORE i read, it seems that you can actually apply for the visa at all Thai consulates worldwide - regardless if you're a resident of that country.

That will depend by the individual consulate. Most likely each consulate will continue doing what they are doing for triple entry visa:

USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Indonesia (Bali), there can be others: No residence required.

Italy, France, Finland, China, Japan, and many others: Residence needed.

I believe that if there will be any change from the current situation will be in the more restrictive direction.

So how will one go about satisfying the proposed requirements such as a certain amount of cash in the bank etc.

I can't imagine that will be easy to do in Savanakhet for example if you have say a UK account.

[paz]

So how will one go about satisfying the proposed requirements such as a certain amount of cash in the bank etc.

I can't imagine that will be easy to do in Savanakhet for example if you have say a UK account.

The money requirements, like all other additional requirements, are not in the MoE annoucement or in what was published in the Royal gazette.

What the Thai consulate in Laos wants to see is that one brings money into Thailand, to prove is not working. So an UK account activity showing ATM withdrawals in Thailand will be fine, as well a Thai account with transfers from the UK. This is the requirement they have already for repeating applicants.

[ubonjoe]

All we have is the original press release and what a few embassies have posted on their websites. Anything more than that is pure supposition unless you are applying at one of the embassies that have posted the requirements on their website. There is also no consistency with what they have posted on their websites for what the requirements will be.

We will know nothing with any certainty until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes an announcement and/or makes a change on the webpage of their site for tourist visas.

[JackThompson]

So how will one go about satisfying the proposed requirements such as a certain amount of cash in the bank etc.

I can't imagine that will be easy to do in Savanakhet for example if you have say a UK account.

The money requirements, like all other additional requirements, are not in the MoE annoucement or in what was published in the Royal gazette.

What the Thai consulate in Laos wants to see is that one brings money into Thailand, to prove is not working. So an UK account activity showing ATM withdrawals in Thailand will be fine, as well a Thai account with transfers from the UK. This is the requirement they have already for repeating applicants.

I have a condo lease and Bangkok Bank account. I could show transfers coming in from overseas in my bank-book, and/or statements printed at the bank (with no locally-made desposits), avoiding any language-barrier / verification issues. But the Laos consulate policy has no specifications, of which I am aware. How much is enough? Over what length of time should an unknown minimum-limit total and/or unknown monthly-transfer amount be shown?

After getting a blue-stamp, I would not want to get stuck outside of Thailand, so I do not see how this is a viable option. I have been lurking on this board for years, and do not recall a thread where individuals reported successfully meeting the blue-stamp requirements, and receiving subsequent TVs (complete with the amounts which were sufficient). Please point me to any information of this nature, if I have missed it.

I suppose, as I have only 1 visa-exempt entry in the past 12-months, I would have good "odds" coming back on one of those, to then apply for a new passport. Otoh, my full history is shown in Immigration computers (not available to the consulate-staff), and would show I spend a substantial length of time in Thailand. They have mixed record of examining documents/evidence of "not working here," based on other reports. I do not like "odds" when it comes to being able to return to my residence.

The one positive development with the METV is the inclusion of the exact qualifications to receive it - let us hope these are available in Laos to non-Laotians (fingers crossed), and with similar solid-numbers.

[jspill]

How much is enough? Over what length of time should an unknown minimum-limit total and/or unknown monthly-transfer amount be shown?

After getting a blue-stamp, I would not want to get stuck outside of Thailand, so I do not see how this is a viable option. I have been lurking on this board for years, and do not recall a thread where individuals reported successfully meeting the blue-stamp requirements, and receiving subsequent TVs (complete with the amounts which were sufficient). Please point me to any information of this nature, if I have missed it.

It's not a report after the fact, but here a moderator says it's 20k Baht http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/715011-red-stamp-in-vientiane-advice-needed/page-2#entry9074342

I've read it can be cash too, not necessarily bank transfers. But like you I haven't seen many reports. People tend to just switch it up and go to another consulate at that point, e.g. Savannakhet.

[IMA_FARANG]

• The more I read the more I believe it will only be available from home countries.
• If you go out/in just before the end of 6 months you will get another 60 days so the visa should be good for nearly 8 months. (9 with a 30 day extension)
• No one can know if there will be a limit, but IMO there will because they appear to be targeting people with jobs/businesses to go home to.

----------------------------------------

Right now we just don't know.

As has been said by other posters, not enough detailed factual information has been released to

give us a clear answer.

Until then we just have to wait until someone with authority to decide makes a decision.

As always, This Is Thailand.

Edited October 23, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[phuketrichard]

Cambodia and Singapore have already stated they will ONLY issue the new visa to residents,

I expect ( no, not sure)

Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia will follow suit

but talk is cheap,

wait till NOv 13th and we will see

[Kitsune]

In India the METV is none consecutive.

You have to stay out of the country for at least 2 months before applying again

[JackThompson]

How much is enough? Over what length of time should an unknown minimum-limit total and/or unknown monthly-transfer amount be shown? After getting a blue-stamp, ...

It's not a report after the fact, but here a moderator says it's 20k Baht http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/715011-red-stamp-in-vientiane-advice-needed/page-2#entry9074342

I've read it can be cash too, not necessarily bank transfers. But like you I haven't seen many reports. People tend to just switch it up and go to another consulate at that point, e.g. Savannakhet.

The mod also said in that post:

"In the case of them wanting financial proof after after having visas in the past from them it should be proof that you have a regular income from abroad before applying for another visa."

This makes sense, and is reasonable. But I need a non-subjective figure and success stories, before I will take a chance. A new passport is ready for the next visit.

I would rather pay Thai Immigration directly, instead of buying passport-renewals, flights to Hawaii, Laos visas, and whatever else comes next - provided it was a reasonable, annual or semi-annual sum. I know, "keep dreaming," and all that. You are either "Elite", 50+, or run the gauntlet.