METV Visa - Vientiane, Laos. It's official.

[rkidlad]

http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/en/news/announce/detail.php?ID=313

They've finally posted the rules for the new METV visa in Laos.

And it's not good reading if you wanna stay long term on a tourist visa.

[Jonathan Fairfield]

[BritTim]

So, visa exempt entries or single entry tourist visas will be the only practical visitor visas. Digital nomads and oil workers not catered for.

It is their country, but I feel this is a mistake.

[rkidlad]

200k in your bank account for 6 months? Marriage extension only requires 400k for 2 months.

Will we see a spike in people getting married?

Could be a good time to open a wedding business catering to foreigners.

[pinkpanther99]

A huge mistake and will impact lots and lots of people.

First visa runners, then ED, the Out/In and now this.

Get your stuff in order or get out is certainly the stance of immigration now.

Some may say it is about time but will leave a lot of people in a mess imo

[ubonjoe]

I have been checking everyday for them. Just had not done it today.

Here they are to save opening the page.

[DLang]

Can't imagine them shifting many of them.

Still though, number of genuine tourists affected, close to zero.

Number of hanger ons that cannot get a long-term visa but refuse to leave voluntarily, lots and lots.

Aliens have no birth-right to stay here.

If you are married to a local, have a child with a local, study here, work here, are retired here, are volunterring here, there are easy ways to get the appropriate visas and extensions no bother at all.

95%+ of tourists here don't even need a visa and simply enjoy the great V.E. that Thailand offers.

As the Gen has said "Good foreigners in, bad foreigners out"

[oncearugge]

I am not surprised by this.

Continued use of Tourist visas as a means of living(and working?) in Thailand was bound to result , eventually, in preventive action by the Authorities.

[brewsterbudgen]

Not many Laotians have that sort of money in the bank!

[rkidlad]

Not many Laotians have that sort of money in the bank!

And I can't imagine many Lations being allowed 6 months off work to go on a jolly around Thailand.

[DLang]

Not many Laotians have that sort of money in the bank!

Different for Lao

[rkidlad]

Not many Laotians have that sort of money in the bank!

They don't need Tourist Visas.

They do for a prolonged period of time.

[danstarr]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

[oncearugge]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

Yes................

[alocacoc]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

No...........

[jspill]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

Yes................

That isn't on the MFA website yet, try to contain your excitement until it's confirmed.

[luke000]

Anyone know how to get Laotian Nationality ?

[brewsterbudgen]

Not many Laotians have that sort of money in the bank!

Different for Lao

Most Laotians I know are indignant that they need any form of visa to stay in Thailand - "Laos / Thai same same".

[Kitsune]

One last hope for Vietnam & Indonesia, but not holding breath...

[KhunBENQ]

Surprise, surprise

I never expected anything else.

What a nonsense it would be to issue the METV in Europe, UK, USA to residents only with significant requirements but to everyone in Laos or neighboring countries.

Even Thai bureaucrats can have some logic in their regulations.

[DLang]

Anyone know how to get Laotian Nationality ?

[BritTim]

So, the only loophole available for 3-week-on/3-week-off oil workers is now entry visa exempt through airports. This is tough for Thailand to prevent as the requirements for air tickets and money is satisfied. Having a limit of 90 days per year (as at land borders) is not really practicable. All they could do, perhaps, is have a red stamp on exit like "no visa exempt entry allowed until ...." that airlines had to look for. Otherwise, the xenophobes are winning.

[oncearugge]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

No...........

Please inform members where , other than their home countries, an METV can be obtained.

[yellowboat]

So, visa exempt entries or single entry tourist visas will be the only practical visitor visas. Digital nomads and oil workers not catered for.

It is their country, but I feel this is a mistake.

Agreed, they are making Cambodia, Malaysia and even China better alternatives for some.

[DLang]

The METV is only available to Laos nationals in Vientiane, right? So, can you only apply for it in your home country?

No...........

Please inform members where , other than their home countries, an METV can be obtained.

Nowhere, obviously.

It's still only Nov. 6th.

[Kitsune]

If you read the previous requirements they were supposed to ask for 20k but never did, so who know what they are going to actually ask...

Like everything in LOS, there is the rule and there is its application, which most often is completely different.

[kanook]

Would anyone have have expected the METV to look like this when they first announced they were considering a 6 month multi entry tourist visa? I fear the rest of us are next on the Thai hit list.

[Khun Robert]

Now also changed on the website of the Thai Consulate in Amsterdam, the Netherlands:

From 13 November 2015, the sixty (60) days Tourist Visa with “Double (2)” and “Triple (3)” Entries will no longer be available.

Applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom of Thailand for tourism purpose can apply for:

1. Single Entry Tourist Visa: The application fee is 30 EUR, with a visa validity of six (6) months and the duration of stay of up to sixty (60) days per visit, or

2. Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) : The application fee is 150 EUR, with a visa validity of six (6) months and the duration of stay of up to sixty (60) days per visit.

From 13 November 2015, the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is available to tourists of all nationalities. The following documents must be submitted with a completed visa application form for consideration.

1. Passport with validity of not less than six (6) months;

2. Bank Statement with a minimum balance equivalent of Two Hundred Thousand (200,000) Baht (approximately Five Thousand (5,000) Euro);

3. Employment Letter;

4. Roundtrip flight reservation or ticket (at least for the first entry);

5. Hotel reservation confirmation (at least for the first entry); and

6. Residence permit or proof of residency (for applicants who are not Dutch nationals)

[ubonjoe]

Some off topic and inflammatory posts and replies to them have been removed.

Such posts will be removed without notice from now on.

[mfred009]

Thai Consulate in HCMC already posted up their requirements on their website.

''Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa will only be granted to Vietnamese passport holders or Vietnamese Temporary/ Permanent Resident Card holders.''

Same requirements like the rest.