JackThompson Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Retirees, eg, not employed, need not apply. And, check the bank balance requirement! 4. Flight confirmation/reservation (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it) 5. Hotel reservation confirmation (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it) 6. A copy of bank statement or evidence of adequate finance for the last 6 months with a minimum balance of $7,000 (every months) (The name of the applicant must clearly appear on it) 7. For non-US citizen, a copy of permanent resident alien card or a copy of valid US visa 8. An employment verification Mac USA options: Under-50 retiree - pay yourself through an business entity (S-Corp?) Maybe, a DBA account with money going in and out would do. In any case, loaning money to your business-account and reclaiming it to create account-activity. Other - enroll in an inexpensive distance-learning courses (community-college) and qualify as a "student". Drop courses after receiving the visa. Rinse and repeat. ~$30 per visa in overhead going that route, for initial registration. Maybe less for the next 'semester'. As for the $7000, that is to be expected, at this point. Consider a "line of credit" workaround to the min-balance hurdle (interest rates are low right now). Note that they request a consistent minimum-balance, but not a specified income. This is similar to how a retiree receiving a US-poverty-sum of $500/mo in Social Security, but who has 800K Baht in a Thai bank, can retire here. Frankly, I don't see how these restrictions keep out anyone who can afford the flight, if they have a modicum of business-sense and creativity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lampang2 Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Many consulates will issue METV to residents of the country where the consulate resides. Cambodia will not issue to aliens. Laos are unlikely to do otherwise. But we will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstbkk Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Also you will not require proof of funds. The earlier poster (Jack) that suggested opening a thai bank account, I think that's a good tip. I have bank account in Thailand already, contract for rented house, thai driving license, bills for phone and some fines from the police foe parking car in wrong place, The question is if I should admit to that I am a tourist, I would even say permanent tourist but bank accounts, etc are not usual for tourists. That's another unknown thing if it should help or make it worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) right, what TOURIST has a bank account, Driving license etc in the country he is traveling to as a tourist That to me is a sure sign to decline you. same as putting down a residential address on ur application rather thna a hotel name As of Nov 13th the US will NOT issue anymore double/triple entries to anyone, make of that what you wish I think it should be the same regulation in every Thai embassy no matter where.. so far; Norway, Italy, Finland, US, Singapore and Cambodia will not issue the visa to non residents Edited October 30, 2015 by phuketrichard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 You need to read the US requirements again. It says a valid visa is acceptable.not just residency. No change there that is what they have wanted before to get visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 right, what TOURIST has a bank account, Driving license etc in the country he is traveling to as a tourist That to me is a sure sign to decline you. same as putting down a residential address on ur application rather thna a hotel name As of Nov 13th the US will NOT issue anymore double/triple entries to anyone, make of that what you wish I think it should be the same regulation in every Thai embassy no matter where..so far; Norway, Italy, Finland, US, Singapore and Cambodia will not issue the visa to non residents You sure about USA. Didn't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstbkk Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 You need to read the US requirements again. It says a valid visa is acceptable.not just residency. No change there that is what they have wanted before to get visas. So if valid US visa is acceptable in US, what about valid Cambodian visa to apply in Cambodia for METV. I don't know why it is still unclear :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) *** officially launched to tourists of all nationalities and from Friday 13 November 2015*** *** replace the tourist visas previously issued for two and three entries which will be no longer available by 13 November 2015*** 7. For non-US citizen, a copy of permanent resident alien card or a copy of valid US visa I am sure they are NOT referring to a simple tourist visa=========or even if not, how many expats that are NON American are going to get a visa to the states and than travel to the states to get a tourist visa for Thailand :-) Now thats an expensive visa ever 6 months LOL http://thaiembdc.org/tourist-visa-category-tr-multiple-metv/ Cambodia; Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa will only be granted to Cambodian nationals or those with proof of permanent residence in Cambodia. http://www.thaiembassy.org/phnompenh/th/services/1435/21868-Tourist.html So here's what u do, go to Cambodia, get a a 1 year visa ( easy and less than $300) IF they accept that as Permanent residence than put $8,000 in a Cambodian bank for 6 months, get a job book ur air tickets and hotel just to get a visa to go to Thailand ????? Edited October 30, 2015 by phuketrichard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 *** officially launched to tourists of all nationalities and from Friday 13 November 2015*** *** replace the tourist visas previously issued for two and three entries which will be no longer available by 13 November 2015*** 7. For non-US citizen, a copy of permanent resident alien card or a copy of valid US visa I am sure they are NOT referring to a simple tourist visa=========or even if not, how many expats that are NON American are going to get a visa to the states and than travel to the states to get a tourist visa for Thailand :-) Now thats an expensive visa ever 6 months LOL http://thaiembdc.org/tourist-visa-category-tr-multiple-metv/ Please look past the obvious. The fact that USA will issue an METV to say me, an Australian if I was currently in the USA , indicates that some other countries will do the same. My guess is some loss consulates will have similar rules. Meaning, if so you go to say Vientiane with a loas visa. The rest is obvious. Go back to your post. You stated metv only available to USA residents. Incorrect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 wait an see but although thai's do some stupid things,my guess, they wont allow loop holes on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 wait an see but although thai's do some stupid things,my guess, they wont allow loop holes on this. Loop holes on what. They are doing away with double and tripple entry tv. Have you information that they will limit the number of tv back to back. Sorry but don't understand the phobia. Thai like most countries do not want people working illegally. Where is the move to restrict consecutive tv. Zero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 right, what TOURIST has a bank account, Driving license etc in the country he is traveling to as a tourist That to me is a sure sign to decline you. same as putting down a residential address on ur application rather thna a hotel name The Tourist so described, is a person whose freedom to live in a place other than the land of their birth is not limited to a "short vacation." The Thai visa categories have no other term for those who meet that condition, and are under 50, other than 'married'. But if one needs to put in a foreign address, DL, etc, so be it. Whatever they want to see. So here's what u do, go to Cambodia, get a a 1 year visa ( easy and less than $300) IF they accept that as Permanent residence... ... keep $8,000 minimum in some bank somewhere for 6 months (does not say Cambodian bank - though you could, their currency is dollarized), ... then show you are self employed or student or own a business, etc, ... then book ur air tickets and hotel (to be returned/refunded a few days later), and stay in Thailand for 9 months, then a few 3-mo visas (60+30ext days) from Laos and Penang, then repeat. Weakest point there is the "permanent residence" from the 1-year visa. Places that currently don't offer doubles are unlikely to be the best bet on METVs to non-residents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lampang2 Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 wait an see but although thai's do some stupid things,my guess, they wont allow loop holes on this. Loop holes on what. They are doing away with double and tripple entry tv. Have you information that they will limit the number of tv back to back. Sorry but don't understand the phobia. Thai like most countries do not want people working illegally. Where is the move to restrict consecutive tv. Zero. I have information about limit back to back. Thai official website. From 2014-July - 3 http://www.thaiembassy.se/minmapp/news%20from%20the%20consular/Announcement_visa%20runners.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobileContent Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 (edited) Some small enlightenment According to the company for which I am a consultant in 6 ASEAN countries, METV visas will not be available to our European clients and they must apply ME visas in their home countries, however in special circumstances an METV can be issued to our European clients from neighboring countries. More details on Monday or latest Tuesday. TAT had no details available last week at the ITB-Asia in Singapore but details will be released to the Thai inbound operators at the London Travel Mart next week in London. We also received infos that a family of four that is on a tour to Thailand with one of the qualified inbound operators DO NOT NEED TO PROVIDE the financial of 6000 Euros as they are on a package tour in Thailand and hotels, tours and flight has been already prepaid. The METV facilitates comfortable travel on multi-country tours such as 14/21 days tours in Indochina where as an example the tour starts in Bangkok, travel to other Indochinese countries from the North of Thailand and enter Thailand back either via Vientiane - Nongkai, Savannaket - Mukdahan and several other entry/exit points via Cambodia and Myanmar. I also asked my CEO if business will drop and he said not at all as our clients can just get a stamp at any Thai border if they don't want a multiply entry visa and they will never get refused as our tour guide has a good link with the immigration and even let them know in advance when the border is crowded. Even if the METV is not available to any neighboring country, a 60 days tourist visa can always been issued and a 30 days extension can be applied within Thailand so a tourist will always have a chance to stay in Thailand for 90 days and possible get another TV for another 60 days. Everything is fine so no need to worry. Genuine tourists will always be welcome to Thailand. PS: The Financial requirement seems to be only needed so that the potential tourist can proof they have the means to travel to Thailand for up to 6 months. Edited October 30, 2015 by MobileContent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksam Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 What is a genuine tourist?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackThompson Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 ...Have you information that they will limit the number of tv back to back. ... Thai like most countries do not want people working illegally. Where is the move to restrict consecutive tv. Zero.I have information about limit back to back. Thai official website. From 2014-July - 3http://www.thaiembassy.se/minmapp/news%20from%20the%20consular/Announcement_visa%20runners.pdf That document only referrs to "visa exempt entries" - not TV or "tourist visas". As of yet, the Thai authorities have not stated a limit to "back to back tourist visas" - the only limitations are by consulates/embassies, and vary widely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcrab Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Some small enlightenment According to the company for which I am a consultant in 6 ASEAN countries, METV visas will not be available to our European clients and they must apply ME visas in their home countries, however in special circumstances an METV can be issued to our European clients from neighboring countries. More details on Monday or latest Tuesday. TAT had no details available last week at the ITB-Asia in Singapore but details will be released to the Thai inbound operators at the London Travel Mart next week in London. We also received infos that a family of four that is on a tour to Thailand with one of the qualified inbound operators DO NOT NEED TO PROVIDE the financial of 6000 Euros as they are on a package tour in Thailand and hotels, tours and flight has been already prepaid. The METV facilitates comfortable travel on multi-country tours such as 14/21 days tours in Indochina where as an example the tour starts in Bangkok, travel to other Indochinese countries from the North of Thailand and enter Thailand back either via Vientiane - Nongkai, Savannaket - Mukdahan and several other entry/exit points via Cambodia and Myanmar. I also asked my CEO if business will drop and he said not at all as our clients can just get a stamp at any Thai border if they don't want a multiply entry visa and they will never get refused as our tour guide has a good link with the immigration and even let them know in advance when the border is crowded. Even if the METV is not available to any neighboring country, a 60 days tourist visa can always been issued and a 30 days extension can be applied within Thailand so a tourist will always have a chance to stay in Thailand for 90 days and possible get another TV for another 60 days. Everything is fine so no need to worry. Genuine tourists will always be welcome to Thailand. PS: The Financial requirement seems to be only needed so that the potential tourist can proof they have the means to travel to Thailand for up to 6 months. Which seems to be the concept many people fail to grasp. All the reasons/excuses in the world of what/what is not a genuine tourist put up by many posters will not change this underlying principle. A tourist tours...then goes elsewhere. They don't permanently tour in one country, at the same address, for ever. They cease to be a tourist at that point. The amount of airtime these sorts of thread generates seems to confirm that there are many, many non genuine tourists posting whose only intention is to try and bend the ever strengthening regulations for their own purposes - none of which is genuine tourism in the accepted sense as mentioned above. Seems the Thai authorities are acknowledging this, witness the threads on ED visas, border running etc. Good thing or bad thing? Depends on your particular point of view I guess. But it can't be ignored. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobileContent Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 What I have heard is: You will have to need residence or citizen either in Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and China, otherwise you will not get that METV. We all know that the current Thai government wants to get off the red list of the US government on Human Smuggling and I think all they try to do is getting on par with international standard. As an example a South Asian could never apply a visa to the US, Canada, Japan, UAE, Australia, New Zealand, the EU. South Korea etc and they will always have to return to their home country to apply the correct visa or if they have residency in any country they can apply in the country that residency has been approved. This is very normal and I think Thailand will just follow the international standard. The targets are not really farangs as we are a minority and this has to do more to do with Burmese, Cambodians, Vietnamese, Filipinos. Laotians, Indians, Pakistanis, Africans etc. They can't make one law for Asians and one law for Farangs. I wouldn't worry to much of it.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefSlapper Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 http://www.johnnyfd.com/2015/10/thailands-6-month-multiple-entry.html?m=1 Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sometimewoodworker Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 You need to read the US requirements again. It says a valid visa is acceptable.not just residency. No change there that is what they have wanted before to get visas.So if valid US visa is acceptable in US, what about valid Cambodian visa to apply in Cambodia for METV. I don't know why it is still unclear :/ It has been the case for a long time that some embassies have different restrictions regarding who may apply for a Thai visa. So it is not surprising that the embassies are now applying different rules for different visas categories. You may like all the rules for all the embassies to be the same, but they aren't and won't be. It seems quite likely that embassies that are a long way from Thailand are more likely to allow non residents to apply for more kinds of visa, but each embassy can set its own restrictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lampang2 Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 You need to read the US requirements again. It says a valid visa is acceptable.not just residency. No change there that is what they have wanted before to get visas.So if valid US visa is acceptable in US, what about valid Cambodian visa to apply in Cambodia for METV. I don't know why it is still unclear :/It has been the case for a long time that some embassies have different restrictions regarding who may apply for a Thai visa. So it is not surprising that the embassies are now applying different rules for different visas categories. You may like all the rules for all the embassies to be the same, but they aren't and won't be. It seems quite likely that embassies that are a long way from Thailand are more likely to allow non residents to apply for more kinds of visa, but each embassy can set its own restrictions. So the PP embassy that have been issuing visas to non residents for ages can be considered a long way from Thailand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobileContent Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 What is a genuine tourist?? A tourist that travels to Thailand and has a return ticket, stays in hotels or service apartments or with some friends and then travels on to another country or back home. It would be the same for a Thai that travels to Europe, Australia, Japan or South Korea. Those are called genuine tourists, don't you think? A foreigner that comes to Thailand is single, has no family roots to Thailand and stays for 2 to 3 years on a tourist visa, is called an immigrant but not a tourist. Many of those foreign tourists went from Tourist Visa, Edu visas, None B and then again to a tourist visa are playing with the lax visa regulations but then again the Thai government tolerates them because they do leave cash in Thailand. If a farang flies back to their home country shows them the cash in the bank account and applies for a METV will always get it. The tourist visa (Single entry will still be available) but my guess once someone applies twice the TR visa, on the third time they will still have to show that they have cash in the pocket to support them self and a bit more sorting will be done to get those long stayers out of the country that have no links to Thailand. For the loaded people, their will always been an option to apply the Elite Visa so they are even granted a 5 year visa but this comes with a price tag of 500,000 Baht, exactly those kinds of people Thailand wants to entertain and anyone can do their math, it is cheaper to take the PE visa for 5 years as compared to flying back every 9 months to their home country. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefSlapper Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 It just went from bad to worse. Just strickier requirements Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobileContent Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 You need to read the US requirements again. It says a valid visa is acceptable.not just residency. No change there that is what they have wanted before to get visas.So if valid US visa is acceptable in US, what about valid Cambodian visa to apply in Cambodia for METV. I don't know why it is still unclear :/ It has been the case for a long time that some embassies have different restrictions regarding who may apply for a Thai visa. So it is not surprising that the embassies are now applying different rules for different visas categories. You may like all the rules for all the embassies to be the same, but they aren't and won't be. It seems quite likely that embassies that are a long way from Thailand are more likely to allow non residents to apply for more kinds of visa, but each embassy can set its own restrictions. I think the embassies have been doing a good job for a long time and that's why the Thai consulates have been somehow the visa mills for the Kingdom of Thailand as this is the only way they generate more incomes. Those loopholes will be fixed in the very near future and the focus will be on the Thai consulate in Penang, Savannaket, etc. Guidelines will be set by the Royal Thai Embassy in each country and stricter regulations are already in place such as in Europe but it will take some time to implement in Southeast Asia. Give it another 3-6 months to get it correctly implemented. The new Immigration Commissioner does listen to Thailand's tourism industry (Tour Operators, Hotels and TAT) but he is under a lot of pressure to deliver results and we farangs are just a minority in this game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefSlapper Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 There is no turists here already. Businesses closing down in Pattaya. Good luck. Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MobileContent Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 I guess all of them knows if they gonna accept non-residents of the country where the embassy is, just two weeks left to Nov 13. So they have to know regulations. As they told me on the phone in Thai Embassy in Poland, they will not only issue METV starting on Nov 13th, but also accept any passport. No matter if from polish citizen/resident or foreigner. I think it should be the same regulation in every Thai embassy no matter where.. If you are a tourist in Thailand I would not show them a Thai bank account. Why on earth would a tourist have a bank account in Thailand? You are a tourist and have your job or whatever in your home country and your bank account should be in your home country. Having a bank account in Thailand but not a bank account in your home country makes you somehow an immigrant and could raise red flags. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oncearugge Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 There is no turists here already. Businesses closing down in Pattaya. Good luck. Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk Where do you get your information ? No tourists ? http://www.tradingeconomics.com/thailand/tourist-arrivals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketrichard Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 btw, i dont think thailand is worried about a few thousand or so "farangs" trying to game the system, so they can remain in Thailand there expecting 7 million Chinese next year :-) Thailand has always ONLY wanted "real" tourists and everyone knows who that is and i will bet $$ to donuts there not here on Thai Visa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lampang2 Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 btw, i dont think thailand is worried about a few thousand or so "farangs" trying to game the system, so they can remain in Thailand there expecting 7 million Chinese next year :-) Thailand has always ONLY wanted "real" tourists and everyone knows who that is and i will bet $$ to donuts there not here on Thai Visa They are not worried about falangs. METV are for Asians on tour in organised groups. Side effects concerning a subgroup of falangs is just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeefSlapper Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 btw, i dont think thailand is worried about a few thousand or so "farangs" trying to game the system, so they can remain in Thailand there expecting 7 million Chinese next year :-) Thailand has always ONLY wanted "real" tourists and everyone knows who that is and i will bet $$ to donuts there not here on Thai Visa I got money exchanges business I know ppls moneys. Chinese exchange very little. My fiend is in travel business. Chinese stays in cheapest hotels and eat in 7/11 Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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