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

[bigjohn72]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

[elviajero]

I said it before, I think a return ticket is a red herring if the METV can in fact be squeezed to longer than 6 months.

'A ticket out of Thailand' will do the trick, 600 Baht Air Asia ticket to somewhere, booked well in advance.

The METV is not meant for someone to stay here for 6 months. It's meant for someone to come and go during 6 months. That's why some embassies/consulates ask for an onward ticket after 60 days (1st stay). The clincher will be if they insist on return tickets or to any destination. Some websites are asking for "roundtrip" which I believe means return.

[luke000]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

Get a retirement Visa for 2000 Baht , valid for one year ?

[ukrules]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

They seem to have forgotten about them.

[jspill]

The METV is not meant for someone to stay here for 6 months. It's meant for someone to come and go during 6 months. That's why some embassies/consulates ask for an onward ticket after 60 days (1st stay). The clincher will be if they insist on return tickets or to any destination. Some websites are asking for "roundtrip" which I believe means return. Some websites are asking for "roundtrip" which I believe means return.

Canada gives the option of Roundtrip or any old itinerary for the first entry.

http://www.thaiembassy.ca/uploads/2015-11-04%20metv.pdf

Let's not state absolute facts about what the METV is intended for when no one knows yet.

Edited November 11, 2015 by jspill

[elviajero]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

Maybe. Time will tell. IMO if it's provable income I wouldn't be surprised if it was accepted.

But if over 50 you can get a 1 year non 'O-A' multi entry and only need the equivalent of 800k THB or 65k THB income (pension or other).

[elviajero]

The METV is not meant for someone to stay here for 6 months. It's meant for someone to come and go during 6 months. That's why some embassies/consulates ask for an onward ticket after 60 days (1st stay). The clincher will be if they insist on return tickets or to any destination. Some websites are asking for "roundtrip" which I believe means return.

Canada gives the option of Roundtrip or any old itinerary for the first entry.

http://www.thaiembassy.ca/uploads/2015-11-04%20metv.pdf

Let's not state absolute facts about what the METV is intended for when no one knows yet.

Point out the "absolute facts" in my post.

[bigjohn72]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

Maybe. Time will tell. IMO if it's provable income I wouldn't be surprised if it was accepted.

But if over 50 you can get a 1 year non 'O-A' multi entry and only need the equivalent of 800k THB or 65k THB income (pension or other).

Thanks for the clarification.

[oncearugge]

How about retired "snowbirds" ?

How can they prove employment?

I think you will find that some embassies/consulates will allow people on pensions to apply.

What about people between 50 to 60 something, who are self-funded retirees, and don't receiving government pension yet?

Get a retirement Visa for 2000 Baht , valid for one year ?

There is no "retirement visa"

There is, however, an O/A (long stay) visa which if correctly used gives a stay of almost 2 years

The visa costs £125 in London which is approx 6000 Bht!

[jspill]

Point out the "absolute facts" in my post.

That it's not intended for someone wanting to stay 6 months?

[kanook]

By the time people do all their visa hops and going back and forth, assuming you stay in a reasonable hotel and now more than likely have to fly there isn't a great difference in what you are paying.

I did spent three years on Visa exempt stamps .

There and back in a day , just needed to pay for a bus and 300 Baht for the Myanmar Visa

I quite often bought counterfeit goods back with me to fund the trip .

Three years staying for free or the Elite Visa would have cost 300 000 Baht for that duration

That is quite a big difference

Lol I hope this is just a joke. If not you a exactly the type of person they are trying to rid themselves of. Again this has to be a total wind up,

Nope. I got a new passport before I came here in 2010 and I have one tourist visa and the rest of my passport was full with VETs and VETs only , 64 VETs in total, including the VETs in my new passport .

I still have the old passport to prove it .

Lots of us used to do it , there were usually about ten mini buses at the border, all full of VET ers and plus others went on buses.................and cars .

There were about 500 of us doing it a day, everyday

I can confirm luke000's account because I was also exclusively using visa exempt stamps for 2 years up until Aug 2014. Lived in Chiang Rai at the time so it was even cheaper; 50฿ or 60฿ fuel for the motorbike plus $10 U.S to cross into Tachilek. I could be at the border from my door in 30 minutes and if I wanted to take a trip (at any time) somewhere in the region, which I often did, no need to worry about a re-entry permit which would have been necessary with a double entry TV. Suffice to say that even though I think the TE visa is a viable option and would give you peace of mind and less stress, it wouldn't be cheaper than using SETV's from most areas in the country.

[elviajero]

Point out the "absolute facts" in my post.

That it's not intended for someone wanting to stay 6 months?

I said that it's not meant for someone to stay here for 6 months. You have to leave every 60 days!

If it was meant for people to stay here for 6 months they'd be granted a 6 month stay on entry.

[elviajero]

I said it before, I think a return ticket is a red herring if the METV can in fact be squeezed to longer than 6 months.

'A ticket out of Thailand' will do the trick, 600 Baht Air Asia ticket to somewhere, booked well in advance.

Agreed, a few consulates are saying any outward ticket is enough.

http://www.thaiembassy.org/hanoi/th/services/5605

http://www.thaiembassy.org/colombo/en/services/4108/61876-Required-Document-for-Multiple-Entry-Tourist-Visa.html

There's a travel hack for digital nomads called 'fly onward' too.

WOW! The digital nomads think of everything. Now they can apply for a visa with a rented plane ticket.

[elviajero]

I did spent three years on Visa exempt stamps .

There and back in a day , just needed to pay for a bus and 300 Baht for the Myanmar Visa

I quite often bought counterfeit goods back with me to fund the trip .

Three years staying for free or the Elite Visa would have cost 300 000 Baht for that duration

That is quite a big difference

Lol I hope this is just a joke. If not you a exactly the type of person they are trying to rid themselves of. Again this has to be a total wind up,

Nope. I got a new passport before I came here in 2010 and I have one tourist visa and the rest of my passport was full with VETs and VETs only , 64 VETs in total, including the VETs in my new passport .

I still have the old passport to prove it .

Lots of us used to do it , there were usually about ten mini buses at the border, all full of VET ers and plus others went on buses.................and cars .

There were about 500 of us doing it a day, everyday

I can confirm luke000's account because I was also exclusively using visa exempt stamps for 2 years up until Aug 2014. Lived in Chiang Rai at the time so it was even cheaper; 50฿ or 60฿ fuel for the motorbike plus $10 U.S to cross into Tachilek. I could be at the border from my door in 30 minutes and if I wanted to take a trip (at any time) somewhere in the region, which I often did, no need to worry about a re-entry permit which would have been necessary with a double entry TV. Suffice to say that even though I think the TE visa is a viable option and would give you peace of mind and less stress, it wouldn't be cheaper than using SETV's from most areas in the country.

I think the problem is simply that the numbers of foreigners doing these border runs and staying full time has grown so much over the years that the bubble eventually had to burst. We are victims of Thailand's success!

[luke000]

I can confirm luke000's account because I was also exclusively using visa exempt stamps for 2 years up until Aug 2014. Lived in Chiang Rai at the time so it was even cheaper; 50฿ or 60฿ fuel for the motorbike plus $10 U.S to cross into Tachilek. I could be at the border from my door in 30 minutes and if I wanted to take a trip (at any time) somewhere in the region, which I often did, no need to worry about a re-entry permit which would have been necessary with a double entry TV. Suffice to say that even though I think the TE visa is a viable option and would give you peace of mind and less stress, it wouldn't be cheaper than using SETV's from most areas in the country.

You could get stamped out of Thailand , walk 50 meters across the bridge , get stamped into Myanmar and stamped again out by the same person at the same desk immediately . walk back across the bridge and stamped back into Thailand and see you again in 15 days.

Barring any queuing, it took five minutes from leaving Thailand and re entering again .

Or, you could take a leisurely walk around Tachileik

[tribalfusion001]

Nothing updated on Thai embassy UK website today about METV requirements, I suppose they will wait until Thursday (12th) or Friday (13th) as no more postal applications will be accepted on Friday for double and triple tourist visas.

[lovelaos]

Anyone know how to get Laotian Nationality ?

yep

[ParadiseLost]

anyone ignorant enough to invest their entire existence in a country on a temporary visa is hardly worth any sympathy.

If they are married, or a parent of a Thai national they can easily obtain non-immigrant visas.

Newsflash!

There is a reason they been called "Non-Immigrant"

They don't give you the rights to stay here forever.

You have to get a new visa/extension every year

You can only stay here forever, if you gained thai citizenship, or have permanent residency.

Newsflash: nobody said you can live forever (here or anywhere). It is - however much you resent it - a legal option, unlike living full time in a country but claiming to be a tourist...

[mpa]

Given the fact you got funds you can do whatever you like, literary. There are alternatives but not for everyone.

[JB300]

Agree with you luke. I have been saying that the metv is dumb and suits very few. Of course that wont be the case if the METV becomes available in nearby consulates without the requirement to be resident.

The other complaint is the concept that it could never be invisaged that people might choose to obtain these back to back ongoing. That would of been obvious at time of making rules re setv. If they limit how many you can have later on, then just shows lack of forsight in first place

Personally, I didnt ever decide or choose to live permanently in Thailand .

I came here five years ago, just for a two month holiday .

I wasnt looking, but met a woman and stayed in Thailand to be with her .

Five years later, and Im still with her and we have a two year old boy together .

Would I have left her five years ago if I knew they would tighten up Visa regulations ? No

Some things, you cannot plan for .

Luke, could you not alternate between getting a Visa to see your little boy (60 days I believe extendable to 90) & SETVs?

I think you might even be able to come in on a Visa Exempt & extend it on the basis of visiting your kid.

[Kitsune]

I can because of the reasons given. Just apply common sense!

So we don't believe what they say for Vientiane either then?

You cannot make the all tourist visa population shake over the Vientiane announcement for 30 pages, and then, when faced with another announcement (updated because they clearly it's about METV on both websites) say it cannot be trusted.

You want it to be true, and are simply clutching at straws and giving others false hope. I don't care one way or the other so I can look at it objectively. It is beyond doubt that the MFA want to the METV to be issued from home countries or countries the applicant is officially resident.

Well future will tell...

But now is a good time to remind you I was the only to smell a rat and not to rejoice at the announcement of METV months ago.

So it seems that I was the one to have "common sense" then. When everyone -including you,- were applauding with both hands at the soon to be METV, I was called a pessimist for predicting bad news.

Now I am called delusional, I don't really care anymore, but it does not need to be personal, I am just putting links from embassies, it's not like I'm making anything up.

What rat was it that you smelt? And why have you gone from smelling a rat to trying to interpret everything that remotely constitutes hope that the METV will be available locally to Thailand.

Posting information from the embassies and consulates is a good thing. The problem is that you include claims/interpretation that are not true/wrong or that need clarification.

Saying that KL and Colombo are accepting METV application from non-residents is not an interpretation, its just reading their requirements.

[MobileContent]

Amazing in all those threads are postings about how to enter another country on 50 Baht and come right back for maybe 100 Baht. Looking at this point I guess its a good idea to getting rid of all those cheap charlies that have been making Thailand their first home.

If it even needs to be discussed on how to enter another country for 50 Baht, I can only say well done Immigration and the MFA and lets start with Phase II. Mukhdahan immigration chief is pissed already that 50% of all foreigners crossing the border are Filipino's to get another stamp just to teach for another 2 months English at some schools. They are looking forward to January when no more Filipinos are crossing the borders. Sakon Nakhon is flooded with teachers from Black Africa that work for Baht 18000 Baht a month and a room (2500 Baht) for free.

Great news however, a lot of Thais have been send overseas in the past 5 years and the son of a former friend (Military attache /London) of mine graduated in English at a university and according to him thousands of Thais have been send over to Europe and they will start as teacher of both Mathematics, Science and English in the next term. In 5 years no one needs Farangs or Africans for teaching English.

[alocacoc]

50 Baht? 100 Baht? Are you drunk? Is quite stupid to think all via runners are cheap Charlies.

[Kitsune]

Amazing in all those threads are postings about how to enter another country on 50 Baht and come right back for maybe 100 Baht. Looking at this point I guess its a good idea to getting rid of all those cheap charlies that have been making Thailand their first home.

If it even needs to be discussed on how to enter another country for 50 Baht, I can only say well done Immigration and the MFA and lets start with Phase II. Mukhdahan immigration chief is pissed already that 50% of all foreigners crossing the border are Filipino's to get another stamp just to teach for another 2 months English at some schools. They are looking forward to January when no more Filipinos are crossing the borders. Sakon Nakhon is flooded with teachers from Black Africa that work for Baht 18000 Baht a month and a room (2500 Baht) for free.

Great news however, a lot of Thais have been send overseas in the past 5 years and the son of a former friend (Military attache /London) of mine graduated in English at a university and according to him thousands of Thais have been send over to Europe and they will start as teacher of both Mathematics, Science and English in the next term. In 5 years no one needs Farangs or Africans for teaching English.

Such contempt for poor people only scraping it on 18000 a month teaching and for Luke, father of a baby here trying his best to stay with his son is to say the least inappropriate.

[oncearugge]

Amazing in all those threads are postings about how to enter another country on 50 Baht and come right back for maybe 100 Baht. Looking at this point I guess its a good idea to getting rid of all those cheap charlies that have been making Thailand their first home.

If it even needs to be discussed on how to enter another country for 50 Baht, I can only say well done Immigration and the MFA and lets start with Phase II. Mukhdahan immigration chief is pissed already that 50% of all foreigners crossing the border are Filipino's to get another stamp just to teach for another 2 months English at some schools. They are looking forward to January when no more Filipinos are crossing the borders. Sakon Nakhon is flooded with teachers from Black Africa that work for Baht 18000 Baht a month and a room (2500 Baht) for free.

Great news however, a lot of Thais have been send overseas in the past 5 years and the son of a former friend (Military attache /London) of mine graduated in English at a university and according to him thousands of Thais have been send over to Europe and they will start as teacher of both Mathematics, Science and English in the next term. In 5 years no one needs Farangs or Africans for teaching English.

Such contempt for poor people only scraping it on 18000 a month teaching and for Luke, father of a baby here trying his best to stay with his son is to say the least inappropriate.

1. "Luke" could solve his problem easily by marrying the child's mother and obtaining a visa/ extension of stay based on marriage.

2. Those who "volunteer" to work with inappropriate visas and no work permit deserve no sympathy.

[tribalfusion001]

Amazing in all those threads are postings about how to enter another country on 50 Baht and come right back for maybe 100 Baht. Looking at this point I guess its a good idea to getting rid of all those cheap charlies that have been making Thailand their first home.

If it even needs to be discussed on how to enter another country for 50 Baht, I can only say well done Immigration and the MFA and lets start with Phase II. Mukhdahan immigration chief is pissed already that 50% of all foreigners crossing the border are Filipino's to get another stamp just to teach for another 2 months English at some schools. They are looking forward to January when no more Filipinos are crossing the borders. Sakon Nakhon is flooded with teachers from Black Africa that work for Baht 18000 Baht a month and a room (2500 Baht) for free.

Great news however, a lot of Thais have been send overseas in the past 5 years and the son of a former friend (Military attache /London) of mine graduated in English at a university and according to him thousands of Thais have been send over to Europe and they will start as teacher of both Mathematics, Science and English in the next term. In 5 years no one needs Farangs or Africans for teaching English.

Such contempt for poor people only scraping it on 18000 a month teaching and for Luke, father of a baby here trying his best to stay with his son is to say the least inappropriate.

1. "Luke" could solve his problem easily by marrying the child's mother and obtaining a visa/ extension of stay based on marriage.

2. Those who "volunteer" to work with inappropriate visas and no work permit deserve no sympathy.

1. Maybe Luke doesn't believe in the institution of marriage, not everyone does these days.

2. The average Thai teacher with a degree gets about 18000, are they volunteers? Non western native teachers get paid less than a farang, something to do with a white face in the classroom!

[Kitsune]

Such contempt for poor people only scraping it on 18000 a month teaching and for Luke, father of a baby here trying his best to stay with his son is to say the least inappropriate.

1. "Luke" could solve his problem easily by marrying the child's mother and obtaining a visa/ extension of stay based on marriage.

2. Those who "volunteer" to work with inappropriate visas and no work permit deserve no sympathy.

1. You just proved to the forum that you despise people without the faintest clue about what you are talking about (and there is a word for that). Luke situation is a very complicated one, and no, marrying the mother wont change a thing.

2. Newsflash : Africa is dead poor and ravaged by civil wars and newsflash no 2, no one comes here to work for 18k by choice but by necessity.

[elviajero]

I can because of the reasons given. Just apply common sense!

So we don't believe what they say for Vientiane either then?

You cannot make the all tourist visa population shake over the Vientiane announcement for 30 pages, and then, when faced with another announcement (updated because they clearly it's about METV on both websites) say it cannot be trusted.

You want it to be true, and are simply clutching at straws and giving others false hope. I don't care one way or the other so I can look at it objectively. It is beyond doubt that the MFA want to the METV to be issued from home countries or countries the applicant is officially resident.

Well future will tell...

But now is a good time to remind you I was the only to smell a rat and not to rejoice at the announcement of METV months ago.

So it seems that I was the one to have "common sense" then. When everyone -including you,- were applauding with both hands at the soon to be METV, I was called a pessimist for predicting bad news.

Now I am called delusional, I don't really care anymore, but it does not need to be personal, I am just putting links from embassies, it's not like I'm making anything up.

What rat was it that you smelt? And why have you gone from smelling a rat to trying to interpret everything that remotely constitutes hope that the METV will be available locally to Thailand.

Posting information from the embassies and consulates is a good thing. The problem is that you include claims/interpretation that are not true/wrong or that need clarification.

Saying that KL and Colombo are accepting METV application from non-residents is not an interpretation, its just reading their requirements.

How is someone going to provide the following requirements in Colombo:

• 4. 850,000 LKR per person with the last 6 months of financial statement
• 5. Letter of employment of the applicant

or the following in KL:

• 3. Original Letter from employer to certify the employment.
• 4. Original letter for bank account confirmation from the bank and Bank statement.

You must be "interpreting" these requirements to include foreign employers and banks when common sense would suggest otherwise.

Given these requirements and the fact that both these embassies go against all others that have published METV requirements, clarification is needed before you can make your claim that either will accept applications from non-nationals.

[johnsjourney]

Here we go for UK travelers. I've just got back from the Cardiff consulate and manged to ask them to print this out. More details on my site on how I think people can run with this especially on the finances. I travel so much for my non Thai business that single tourists between trips would do for me. I thought I'd post the pic here too.

Edited November 11, 2015 by johnsjourney

[tribalfusion001]

Here we go for UK travelers. I've just got back from the Cardiff consulate and manged to ask them to print this out. More details on my johnsjourney.com site on how I think people can run with this especially on the finances. I travel so much for my non Thai business that single tourists between trips would do for me. I thought I'd post the pic here too.

£5000, cheeky monkeys!

Edited November 11, 2015 by tribalfusion001