The Multiple Entry Tourist Visa Topic (METV)

[luke000]

^ Although it is quite clear from all the documents deemed necessary to obtain an METV , that they require you to be a resident, working , living in your own country .

They have made provision for people whom are self employed or on a pension .

People are using these provisions to obtain an METV whilst living abroad .

Best of luck to them, if they can get away with it .

But once the Thai immigration realise what is going on, they will probably clamp down on it .

If it is indeed completely legitimate and all above board, then people can post their passport FROM Thailand to the Embassy and give the return address as being in Thailand .

If the application is successful, they will then have the issue of having two live Thai visas in your passport

[uptheos]

A guy in an earlier thread said he was refused because he didn't have a return ticket.

The London stipulations state that you require a ticket into Thailand, the reasons discussed previously at great length.

How on earth can any embassy anywhere demand a return ticket, surely just a ticket out of Thailand is enough?

[JLCrab]

If you wanted to purchase a one-way ticket to Thailand with only a regional ticket out of Thailand such that you were never going to use the back end of a return ticket to your original destination, then why would you need a multi-entry visa?

These regulations are designed to be primarily administered by back-office clerks who are given a check list -- not with 27 if-then type decisions to be made.

Edited December 11, 2015 by JLCrab

[uptheos]

The way a person uses the METV for the duration of validity is up to them, in out in to wherever, as often as they like.

The final ticket shows you are leaving Thailand at the visas expiry, I'm not sure why they care where you're going to.

But I understand your points.

[elviajero]

A guy in an earlier thread said he was refused because he didn't have a return ticket.

The London stipulations state that you require a ticket into Thailand, the reasons discussed previously at great length.

How on earth can any embassy anywhere demand a return ticket, surely just a ticket out of Thailand is enough?

I think it's generally assumed that the METV target market is frequently visiting Asians. Not Farangs that want to stay in Thailand for 6 months. And if you add the speculation that it's to make it harder for long term tourists, then the return ticket makes sense.

Edited December 11, 2015 by elviajero

[MobileContent]

I did not peruse the entire thread, so sorry if I am repeating anyone's question: I am planning to apply for the METV in Phnom Penh, but my money is in a Thai bank account. Will that pose a problem? Does the money need to be in a foreign account?

Do you have legal residence in Cambodia? If not no chance to get the METV in Cambodia

[stament]

 

Posting a passport while not in the country your posting it to amounts to fraud imho

 

On what basis would it be fraudulent? My cousin lives in Australia but travels on a New Zealand passport. There are occasions when he posts it to New Zealand - I have no idea why but as he's an ultra respectable person I don't believe it would be for a fraudulent purpose

Although we are talking about a different situation .

If you post your passport to an Embassy with the sole intention of pretending you are in that Country, when infact, you are not, is being deceptive

If you sent your passport from Thailand to another country, I would think if the consulate noticed you didn't have an exit stamp alarm bells would ring. I would hope so at any rate. Not sure what they would do if they noticed it, but sounds a risky thing to do,

[JackThompson]

^ Although it is quite clear from all the documents deemed necessary to obtain an METV , that they require you to be a resident, working , living in your own country . ... They have made provision for people whom are self employed or on a pension .

...

If the application is successful, they will then have the issue of having two live Thai visas in your passport

I do not see any requirement one must in in ones' own country to apply, but completely agree that one would need to be outside Thailand to do so. I have heard many theories on "why the rules say...," but no insider information as to the authorities genuine motivations. Therefore, if it isn't prohibited, I consider it permitted.

5. To apply for a visa, a foreigner ... In addition, the visa applicant must be outside of Thailand at the time of application.

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15405-General-information.html

So if you DO mail your passport to your home country or any other country, and given the processing times required by the Thai Embassy/Consulate to process by mail, you may have several weeks where you must reside ex-Thailand which would also be for an otherwise unnecessary purpose and could maybe take longer than a trip to where you might be sending your passport.

Cambodia isn't that bad, and there are other places it might be nice to spend a couple weeks. Agreed it would take longer, but it would be my passport on that plane and in airports and trucks for 70+ hours, while I relax on a beach.

If you sent your passport from Thailand to another country, I would think if the consulate noticed you didn't have an exit stamp alarm bells would ring. I would hope so at any rate. Not sure what they would do if they noticed it, but sounds a risky thing to do,

People mail passports all the time to obtain visas. Second passports are even issued by some countries to faciltate mailing one in cases when the turnaround-time for obtaining a visa by post would interfere with one's travel plans. The odds of FedEx et-al loosing your passport are slim.

My hypothetical is based on truthfully stating one's current address (not going to Hong Kong, where entry stamps are not given). But this is not a tested option - maybe they would throw it back at you and keep your money to boot. I do hold out a smidgeon of hope that this method turns out to be possible, and I cannot imagine a sane reason why it would not be permitted, given the opportunity to vet ones qualifying information has been provided as requested.

Edited December 11, 2015 by JackThompson

[uptheos]

A guy in an earlier thread said he was refused because he didn't have a return ticket.

The London stipulations state that you require a ticket into Thailand, the reasons discussed previously at great length.

How on earth can any embassy anywhere demand a return ticket, surely just a ticket out of Thailand is enough?

I think it's generally assumed that the METV target market is frequently visiting Asians. Not Farangs that want to stay in Thailand for 6 months. And if you add the speculation that it's to make it harder for long term tourists, then the return ticket makes sense.

Yeah I know what you're saying, so it's not an 'across the board' requirement, just picking off certain nationalities?

[JLCrab]

As I noted above from the MFA website, the only hardcore rule as far as Thailand is concerned is that you must be ex-Thailand when applying for a visa. I'm sure a few weeks in Cambodia -- without your passport unless you have more than one -- is fine, but I go back to the USA regularly anyway.

The only place I have seen where it is specifically stated that you MUST be in-country when applying for a METV is on the Portland OR Honorary Thai Consulate website -- how a Thai embassy/consulate in US, UK, or other 'home' country might react to seeing a mail-in via FedEx from Cambodia is for persons to find out more adventuresome than I am.

Edited December 11, 2015 by JLCrab

[elviajero]

As I noted above from the MFA website, the only hardcore rule as far as Thailand is concerned is that you must be ex-Thailand when applying for a visa. I'm sure a few weeks in Cambodia -- without your passport unless you have more than one -- is fine, but I go back to the USA regularly anyway.

The only place I have seen where it is specifically stated that you MUST be in-country when applying for a METV is on the Portland OR Honorary Thai Consulate website -- how a Thai embassy/consulate in US, UK, or other 'home' country might react to seeing a mail-in via FedEx from Cambodia is for persons to find out more adventuresome than I am.

The Thai embassy in the UK now deal with all postal applications and took that privilege away from all the consulates. Three guesses why! The embassy website states that postal applicants must reside permanently in the UK. So as far as the UK is concerned it seems pretty clear that it is a requirement that one must be in the country to apply.

[JLCrab]

As I noted above from the MFA website, the only hardcore rule as far as Thailand is concerned is that you must be ex-Thailand when applying for a visa. I'm sure a few weeks in Cambodia -- without your passport unless you have more than one -- is fine, but I go back to the USA regularly anyway.

The only place I have seen where it is specifically stated that you MUST be in-country when applying for a METV is on the Portland OR Honorary Thai Consulate website -- how a Thai embassy/consulate in US, UK, or other 'home' country might react to seeing a mail-in via FedEx from Cambodia is for persons to find out more adventuresome than I am.

The Thai embassy in the UK now deal with all postal applications and took that privilege away from all the consulates. Three guesses why! The embassy website states that postal applicants must reside permanently in the UK. So as far as the UK is concerned it seems pretty clear that it is a requirement that one must be in the country to apply.

I don't know that you really want to open that can of worms as, in purchasing an

insurance policy from World Nomads it states:

To qualify as a UK or Irish resident, your country of permanent residence is where you are a:

1. UK or Irish citizen with a passport, a residential home address in the UK or Ireland and unrestricted right of entry back into this country once you depart. You may be currently at home, travelling or residing in another country at the time the policy is purchased;

[elviajero]

As I noted above from the MFA website, the only hardcore rule as far as Thailand is concerned is that you must be ex-Thailand when applying for a visa. I'm sure a few weeks in Cambodia -- without your passport unless you have more than one -- is fine, but I go back to the USA regularly anyway.

The only place I have seen where it is specifically stated that you MUST be in-country when applying for a METV is on the Portland OR Honorary Thai Consulate website -- how a Thai embassy/consulate in US, UK, or other 'home' country might react to seeing a mail-in via FedEx from Cambodia is for persons to find out more adventuresome than I am.

The Thai embassy in the UK now deal with all postal applications and took that privilege away from all the consulates. Three guesses why! The embassy website states that postal applicants must reside permanently in the UK. So as far as the UK is concerned it seems pretty clear that it is a requirement that one must be in the country to apply.

I don't know that you really want to open that can of worms as, in purchasing an insurance policy from World Nomads it states:

To qualify as a UK or Irish resident, your country of permanent residence is where you are a:

1. UK or Irish citizen with a passport, a residential home address in the UK or Ireland and unrestricted right of entry back into this country once you depart. You may be currently at home, travelling or residing in another country at the time the policy is purchased;

Not sure that is relevant. They say you must reside (live) permanently in the UK. So someone residing in another country, regardless of their residence status, can't apply by post.

[JLCrab]

I'm a Yank -- I'll let the UK folks worry about that one.

[stament]

Guess we will find out in time! ;-)

[jacksam]

As usual thaivisa discussion is about ways to get around the rules. Clearly the metv was meant to be obtained in ones own country at a time you are physically there. Otherwise they would have made it possible for farang to obtain it in places like vientiane. They did not. Stupid imo. So go home to get an metv. End of story.

[JLCrab]

Once again, the folks at the Portland, OR Thai Honorary Consulate seem to be way ahead of the curve wherein they state on their METV page:

You must be physically in the United States at the time of application.

I am most certainly a Permanent Resident of the US but that does not indicate where I might be at any point in time.

Edited December 12, 2015 by JLCrab

[jacksam]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

[phuketrichard]

I did not peruse the entire thread, so sorry if I am repeating anyone's question: I am planning to apply for the METV in Phnom Penh, but my money is in a Thai bank account. Will that pose a problem? Does the money need to be in a foreign account?

Unless you are a Cambodian National you will be refused a METV which can only be obtained from an Thai Embassy/Consulate in your own home country.

One unexplored possibility is getting a long-term "E" visa and work-permit in Cambodia, and using those to establish residency, in order to qualify for applying for an METV there. Every process in Cambodia is "tea-money" based to the extreme, but you'd need to give them enough paperwork to allow them to cover their backsides.

The total for that the Cambodian visa and work permit ($300 + $100) might cost less than a round-trip flight home. No "proof" of anything is needed to obtain those Cambodian docs. Beware, though - no reports of anyone using those to get an METV for Thailand successfully, yet.

As to "where your money is" - A non-Lao citizen who had residency, a work-permit, etc in Lao, reported being refused a METV because his funds-proof were not in a Lao bank acccount. No reports yet on foreign-nationals using Thai bank accounts to show funds in their home countries, upon application.

Having a 1 year extension for cambodia does Not make you cambodian or a permanent resident,

Plus u need show employment,

$8,000 in a Local khmer bank over 6 months

End of the day, no matter how you think u can get it, u wont Except in ur own country and showing funds, airline tickets employment

[JLCrab]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

[fireplay]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

I had that happen...sort of. I was in the bay area, cali and i sent my passport to my bro as I usually do who then runs down to the wonderful Miss M.W. who I have been getting my stamps from for years. My bro then mails it back to me in S.F. 2 years ago My brother had to call me...and put me on the phone with her...and i talked to her about the weather, front page news and had her confirm the phone number, a cali #, so she could feel at ease popping off the visa. She was actually really cool about it, in fact just making the phone call settled it; I went over the top with details and she was quite apologetic about it. SHE actually explained it was something passed down by the F.B.I. as of recent.

So last year i made sure to make my way to ptown and get stamped in person...It really is the best consulate to work with in the states...even though i have only dealt with LA and Portland.

I hope all this jabber on here doesn't screw up the portland consulate vibe.

Edited December 12, 2015 by fireplay

[luke000]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

" And by the way, how come you don't have an exit Visa from Cambodia in your PP"

[JLCrab]

Well the guy above who started at least part of this said he was to make no pretense that he was mailing his application to wherever from Cambodia with a Cambodia postmark and with Cambodia return address.

As for the Cali #, I have a SKYPE number with a Florida area code that displays a Florida caller ID to those who call yet rings through to my computer in the wilds of Isaan.

[fireplay]

Edit

Edited December 12, 2015 by fireplay

[jacksam]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

" And by the way, how come you don't have an exit Visa from Cambodia in your PP"

because crab is drinkin booze on beach in cambodia. Bottom line is your passport indicates which country you are in at any point in time. The earlier post about the yank posting his pp to his brother has nothing to do with obtaining metv while not physically in the country while applying

[fireplay]

Well the guy above who started at least part of this said he was to make no pretense that he was mailing his application to wherever from Cambodia with a Cambodia postmark and with Cambodia return address.

As for the Cali #, I have a SKYPE number with a Florida area code that displays a Florida caller ID to those who call yet rings through to my computer in the wilds of Isaan.

Ok right so the number displayed on someones phone device is obviously easily manipulated.

So the point of my post which I am hesitant in reiterating is that ya There was a check up on a passport hand delivered by a relative....said check up was easily parlayed into a stamp granted...verifying 2 things....portland consulate is an AWESOME if not BEST consulate to work with in the states (see you soon M.W!) And ya mailed in passports or passports mailed to relatives et al to in my humble opinion the BEST consulate in the States will meet scrutiny.

I same as JL Crab go home every year so its not a problem for me.

[fireplay]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

" And by the way, how come you don't have an exit Visa from Cambodia in your PP"

because crab is drinkin booze on beach in cambodia. Bottom line is your passport indicates which country you are in at any point in time. The earlier post about the yank posting his pp to his brother has nothing to do with obtaining metv while not physically in the country while applying

It should be noted the states doesn't stamp in yanks...and apparently H.K. doesn't stamp you in or out...whoever...so it is quite feasable to have a thai bkk exit stamp and be somewhere else....or the airport lounge....without the states knowing exactly where you are at. My passport had a thai exit stamp only...this was the problem and now i make sure to get stamped into my country...which of course is mandatory line b and full luggage search.

[JackThompson]

I did not peruse the entire thread, so sorry if I am repeating anyone's question: I am planning to apply for the METV in Phnom Penh, but my money is in a Thai bank account. Will that pose a problem? Does the money need to be in a foreign account?

Unless you are a Cambodian National you will be refused a METV which can only be obtained from an Thai Embassy/Consulate in your own home country.

One unexplored possibility is getting a long-term "E" visa and work-permit in Cambodia, and using those to establish residency, in order to qualify for applying for an METV there. Every process in Cambodia is "tea-money" based to the extreme, but you'd need to give them enough paperwork to allow them to cover their backsides.

The total for that the Cambodian visa and work permit ($300 + $100) might cost less than a round-trip flight home. No "proof" of anything is needed to obtain those Cambodian docs. Beware, though - no reports of anyone using those to get an METV for Thailand successfully, yet.

As to "where your money is" - A non-Lao citizen who had residency, a work-permit, etc in Lao, reported being refused a METV because his funds-proof were not in a Lao bank acccount. No reports yet on foreign-nationals using Thai bank accounts to show funds in their home countries, upon application.

Having a 1 year extension for cambodia does Not make you cambodian or a permanent resident,

Plus u need show employment,

$8,000 in a Local khmer bank over 6 months

End of the day, no matter how you think u can get it, u wont Except in ur own country and showing funds, airline tickets employment

Self employed is acceptable. Airline tickets are easy enough. The Khmer currency is dollarized, and you can get accounts in Dollars (or Thai-Baht), so no problem keeping some money there so they can verify the validity of the bank-document, locally.

I did state that I am not sure that a 1-year business visa plus work-permit would qualify - that is the only question at issue I see, and they might refuse it. But why declare all possible avenues hopeless, based on some guessed-reason of the motivation behind METV rules? Why would they care if I go on a travelling-nighmare to spend 2 days in the USA every year or so? What good would that serve to Thailand?

[JLCrab]

So if I wanted to mail an METV application to Portland and prove that I was physically in the USA when the application was mailed I would

Buy a copy of the Orlando Sentinel daily newspaper in the morning and sign the from page and put it in with my application and then go to the Post Office for an EMS mailing such that the postmark date and the newspaper front page date were the same.

(Unless you want to say someone could forge my signature.)

Edited December 12, 2015 by JLCrab

[JackThompson]

The posting of ones passport to say usa while you are in somewhere like cambodia etc will not have an entry stamp into usa.

Bottom line is generally not a good idea to try and fool immigration. Do we really think that consulates have not considered the ways people may try and circumvent the requirements. Even they aint that stupid.

... and for 200 bucks, they can afford to make a phone call or 2: "So how's the weather there in Cleveland?" while you are sitting in your cabin on the beach in Sihanoukville with your roaming number or SKYPE.

They'd have to do better than that (any weather site) - but I never suggested lying to them. I don't have any entry-stamps into the USA yet, though I understand a few entry-points do give them to US citizens. I agree no reason to "fool" anyone. Further up I specifically state using one's correct "current address" - so if they cared I was in Cambodia, they could look no further.

The point is not lying, but following the stated-rules for the consulate where you apply, and avoiding a pointless trip. They could always say there is some "unwritten other rule" because that is their perogative - but their "new made up rule" would be the basis for denial, in that case.

If they called and asked why I am not in the USA, I would answer, "Because I have no residence there - just bank accounts and a business operated by others, as shown in the accompanying documents. Would you like me to email you a copy of my company tax forms?"

As frequent readers here are aware, each Consulate follows its own rules, to a great extent. In France, you have to stay out of Thailand 3 months to apply for a new visa. Note the difference between Syndey and Canberry in Austrailia, specific to the METV requirement-list. Also, income verification for a METV varies from "welfare" (Ireland) to "show your tax forms" (UK / self-employed). There is no consistency in evidence, so no reason to rule out possibilites which appear to be permitted based on the specified rules.