Visa consulate interrogation

[galolo]

Hi all,

i'll be applying for a new Thai Tourist visa in the Royal Thai emabssy of Switzerland. Since i have 4 single thai tourist visa in my passport for the last 12 months, i'm expecting the consulate officer to ask me why do i travel so often to Thailand as he did with other applicants. What would you advise me to answer the officer? (i genuinely don't work in Thailand).

Edited November 7, 2015 by galolo

[darrendsd]

If you don't work here you have nothing to hide, just tell him the truth about what you do here whatever that may be

[alocacoc]

Do you speak about Royal Thai Embassy Bern? I heard Basel or Zurich would be friendlier.

[galolo]

Unfortunately, i won't be able to go to another consulate than Bern's. Due to personal reasons, I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here) and on top of that, i have many friends established in the country. But i don't wanna tell them that, i'm not they'll understand the meaning of it.

[luke000]

They may regard writing as working , if you plan to publish the writing

[Cloggie]

Just tell them visiting friends in <> and <> and <> - don't see any harm in that.

[galolo]

Thank you guys for your answers! I hope i'll get more.

[Too]

Hello,

You'd be alright as long as you meet the requirements for a TV such as

a return ticket and proof of finance (20,000B or approximately 560 CHF).

Good luck.

[Maestro]

I get my visas from the Thai consulate in Basel by mail and never had any problem.

[Maestro]

Removed off-topic posts and the replies to them.

This topic is about "interrogation" at the consulate where a tourist visa is applied for, not at immigration upon arrival in Thailand.

[Robert24]

well based on my experience I would not go to the Zurich consulate. But maybe it was just me. I tried to obtain a single entry tourist visa last July from the Zurich consulate and was refused. I had all papers prepared, including flight documents in/out country etc but the lady wouldn't even look at it. She looked at my passport and saw I had many exempt entry stamps (although never a tourist visa before) and she determined that I'm not a tourist. She explained to me that a tourist would be someone that works in Switzerland and maybe spends 1-2 weeks in Thailand on holiday and then returns. I tried to explain that for a 1-2 week holiday in Thailand you wouldn't need a tourist visa as a Swiss citizen but she wouldn't listen. She said I could try it with their embassy in Bern which I didn't do, simply didn't have the time to travel there to possibly be refused as well. I left it at that and got a tourist visa in Vientiane in Laos.

[alocacoc]

Next time try Basel. I had only good experiences with them.

[nightbirdbs]

I think Basel is the kind of all in Switzerland i make it there 10 years my Visa O Multiple was very easy and dont any Problems. But if u wanr have a 1 year Visa u should to go Austria.

Now i still live in here near 3 Years.

Good luck.

[Johnny396]

As with any embassy visit have your papers ready just tell as it is. As for fundings any swiss bank can easily issue that kind of statement

[alocacoc]

The part with the bank statement is the easiest one. For people who don't work, the request of the employee paper could be the issue.

Last time i tried to got a 3x Entry but they gave me only 2x Entry. They explained, for 3 x Entry i would need to show my Thai Bank Account Book with enough funds. I hadn't the book with me. Now it looks, the money can be on a account in the home country. It's even better since i don't want have too much cash in Thailand. They ask for 200 000 Baht? No problem, not at all. Will they give me a METV, even without a job? Nobody knows.

Edited November 9, 2015 by alocacoc

[sas_cars]

Unfortunately, i won't be able to go to another consulate than Bern's. Due to personal reasons, I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here) and on top of that, i have many friends established in the country. But i don't wanna tell them that, i'm not they'll understand the meaning of it.

Just asking out of curiosity, Switzerland is arguably the most beautiful country on earth, how come you will find your inspiration in Thailand, which apparantly no way near the same class as Switzerland in case of natural beauty ) and not there?

[nithisa78]

The truth always works very well.

[Maestro]

The part with the bank statement is the easiest one. For people who don't work, the request of the employee paper could be the issue.

Last time i tried to got a 3x Entry but they gave me only 2x Entry. They explained, for 3 x Entry i would need to show my Thai Bank Account Book with enough funds. I hadn't the book with me. Now it looks, the money can be on a account in the home country. It's even better since i don't want have too much cash in Thailand. They ask for 200 000 Baht? No problem, not at all. Will they give me a METV, even without a job? Nobody knows.

It is not customary for a tourist to have bank accounts in the countries to which he travels.

I have never had to show evidence of funds with an application for a tourist. For the currently available tourist visa, the most a consulate can ask for is evidence of the equivalent of 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family, regardless whether the visa is valid for one, two or three entries: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

[alocacoc]

The part with the bank statement is the easiest one. For people who don't work, the request of the employee paper could be the issue.

Last time i tried to got a 3x Entry but they gave me only 2x Entry. They explained, for 3 x Entry i would need to show my Thai Bank Account Book with enough funds. I hadn't the book with me. Now it looks, the money can be on a account in the home country. It's even better since i don't want have too much cash in Thailand. They ask for 200 000 Baht? No problem, not at all. Will they give me a METV, even without a job? Nobody knows.

It is not customary for a tourist to have bank accounts in the countries to which he travels.

I know. But it was that way.

[oncearugge]

The part with the bank statement is the easiest one. For people who don't work, the request of the employee paper could be the issue.

Last time i tried to got a 3x Entry but they gave me only 2x Entry. They explained, for 3 x Entry i would need to show my Thai Bank Account Book with enough funds. I hadn't the book with me. Now it looks, the money can be on a account in the home country. It's even better since i don't want have too much cash in Thailand. They ask for 200 000 Baht? No problem, not at all. Will they give me a METV, even without a job? Nobody knows.

It is not customary for a tourist to have bank accounts in the countries to which he travels.

I have never had to show evidence of funds with an application for a tourist. For the currently available tourist visa, the most a consulate can ask for is evidence of the equivalent of 20,000 Baht per person or 40,000 Baht per family, regardless whether the visa is valid for one, two or three entries: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

At least on nearby Consulate has asked for evidence of adequate funding being available beyond the 20K but only in respect of repeated applications for back to back tourist visas. Evidence of income derived from overseas helps remove any suspicion of the tourist visa being used as a means of indulging in illegal work.

[frimu]

Do you speak about Royal Thai Embassy Bern? I heard Basel or Zurich would be friendlier.

In Zurich they are NOT friendlier. I won't ever go there again!

[ALFREDO]

Unfortunately, i won't be able to go to another consulate than Bern's. Due to personal reasons, I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here) and on top of that, i have many friends established in the country. But i don't wanna tell them that, i'm not they'll understand the meaning of it.

Just asking out of curiosity, Switzerland is arguably the most beautiful country on earth, how come you will find your inspiration in Thailand, which apparantly no way near the same class as Switzerland in case of natural beauty ) and not there?

"I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here)"

""Switzerland is arguably the most beautiful country on earth, how come you will find your inspiration in Thailand, which apparantly no way near the same class as Switzerland in case of natural beauty ) and not there?""

Maybe -galolo- finds his inspirations in the night and the natural beauty of Switzerland in the night,

is no way near the same class as Thailands natural nights beauty in some special places!

[Si Thea01]

Thank you guys for your answers! I hope i'll get more.

Why do you hope for more answers, you can only give one? Or are you hoping to publish a book of excuses and venues to attend for your fellow country men?

[Swiss1960]

Unfortunately, i won't be able to go to another consulate than Bern's. Due to personal reasons, I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here) and on top of that, i have many friends established in the country. But i don't wanna tell them that, i'm not they'll understand the meaning of it.

For a 90d tourist Visa, Basel is definitely the choice to go, they are easy, friendly and highly efficient. I got my Non-imm O (90d validity) within 20 from arriving without having to have an appointment.

Not sure about "interrogation" aka interview, I was there with a guy applying for his 10th tourist Visa, he got it within minutes same as me. Might however depend on the number and frequency of your previous Visa

Bern would be your only choice for a non-imm-oa (1 year), as the consulates in Zurich and Basel are not allowed to hand them out, they would need approval from Bern anyway, as far as I know.

Why can you not make it to Basel? Once in Bern, take the 08:04 ICE to Basel, arrive 08;59, 5 min walk (or take any of 3 trams) down to the Embassy, out in 30 minutes, back to train station and you can make lunch in Bern without losing a single drop of sweat...

[BlindMagician]

Surely you have the right to take as many holidays wherever you like. Argue the case, stand up for your rights.

[Langsuan Man]

My question to the OP is who is going to be asking these questions ?

A Thai Foreign Service Officer or a local (Swiss) hire clerk

If the latter demand to speak to a Thai since one of the functions of consular services is to encourage foreign tourism, and certainly Swiss citizens must be the quality type that TAT say's they want

[kiwikeith]

Unfortunately, i won't be able to go to another consulate than Bern's. Due to personal reasons, I'm writing my memories in Thailand (because i find inspiration here) and on top of that, i have many friends established in the country. But i don't wanna tell them that, i'm not they'll understand the meaning of it.

I was asked in NZ what i do in Thailand , I said drink with friends.

They said what's their names , I said I can't remember.