The Multiple Entry Tourist Visa Topic (METV)

[BritTim]

The first time I took the casino bus, I had less information than I have given you. As I said, look for the place on the frontage road at Central where traffic can enter from the main highway. Visualize the place buses doing this will stop. You will typically see a few people waiting there, and could ask them if they are waiting for the casino bus (most of the Thais and Thai/Chinese who take the casino bus have a smattering of English). Also, check out the nearby side road. If there is a big bus parked there with some passengers, it is likely a casino bus.

There are plenty of English speakers at the border, but many of them are involved in one scam or another. You need "jai yen yen", skepticism, and the patience to ask multiple people until you are satisfied you have an accurate answer. Asking in the 7-11 may be a good option. From early afternoon, there are many return casino buses. Pretty much all the Bangkok ones stop at Central Bang Na. There are a few Pattaya ones, but they are easy to identify.

If you pay a return fare on a casino bus, they give you a ticket with a time marked on it (they do not bother with a ticket for one-way passengers). Usually, the ticket has the bus license plate number and a phone number you can call if it gets close to departure time and you have not found the bus. Finding the return bus really is not too hard once you find their parking area. The long wait until its departure is the killer. Even if you like casinos, you need to cross the border back into Thailand long before the scheduled departure because the queue at Thai immigration is sometimes terrible. Then, a meal and a hot walk around the market are the only ways to fill in the time.

If dressed neatly, the passport, photo and US$30 cash should be all you need. The official visa office is on the right hand side of the road, just after leaving Thailand and just before the casinos. Expect to be asked for extra cash by Cambodia immigration for the visa. It is up to you whether to pay, but (important) if you want to refuse, do so quietly and confidently with an apologetic smile. Thai immigration are sometimes unfriendly here on entry. Stay calm and smile if they think there is a problem.

[elviajero]

......................How do you know this??? Do you mean London?

The main reason for the employment criteria is to demonstrate the applicant has a job to go home to and no need to work in Thailand.

London do not issue a non 'O' to over 50's anymore regardless of the income source. .........Do you think I dont know this?. Your rental income would have been accepted for a non 'O-A' visa if you had it certified correctly..........On what authority are you telling me that it would have been accepted?.......................I was told clearly over the phone by London that rental income was not acceptable for an O-A visa which is what I was applying for ....................In my post I was writing of applying for an 'O' visa generically, as Id forgotten that it was specifically an O-A.

Of course I think you don't know, because you said you applied for an 'O' visa. The non immigrant 'O' visa has no connection to the Long Stay non 'O-A' visa generically or otherwise. They will accept any income as long as it is certified properly.

If you're looking for a long term option and can't supply income confirmation for a non 'O-A' application, travel with a tourist visa and you can easily get a non 'O' from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a country neighbouring Thailand, or do a conversion to a non 'O' visa/entry within Thailand. With a non 'O' entry you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement.

If you are a landlord there is no reason to call yourself retired. Apply as a landlord (self employed) and submit your self assessment tax return/bill if applying for an METV. If you apply for a METV by post, and the application is not accepted, they will usually issue a SETV and refund the balance of the fee paid.

Don't believe everything you're told by consular staff over the phone as they often give wrong information.

Edited July 19, 2016 by elviajero

[SunsetT]

......................How do you know this??? Do you mean London?

The main reason for the employment criteria is to demonstrate the applicant has a job to go home to and no need to work in Thailand.

London do not issue a non 'O' to over 50's anymore regardless of the income source. .........Do you think I dont know this?. Your rental income would have been accepted for a non 'O-A' visa if you had it certified correctly..........On what authority are you telling me that it would have been accepted?.......................I was told clearly over the phone by London that rental income was not acceptable for an O-A visa which is what I was applying for ....................In my post I was writing of applying for an 'O' visa generically, as Id forgotten that it was specifically an O-A.

Of course I think you don't know, because you said you applied for an 'O' visa. The non immigrant 'O' visa has no connection to the Long Stay non 'O-A' visa generically or otherwise. They will accept any income as long as it is certified properly.

If you're looking for a long term option and can't supply income confirmation for a non 'O-A' application, travel with a tourist visa and you can easily get a non 'O' from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a country neighbouring Thailand, or do a conversion to a non 'O' visa/entry within Thailand. With a non 'O' entry you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement.

If you are a landlord there is no reason to call yourself retired. Apply as a landlord (self employed) and submit your self assessment tax return/bill if applying for an METV. If you apply for a METV by post, and the application is not accepted, they will usually issue a SETV and refund the balance of the fee paid.

Don't believe everything you're told by consular staff over the phone as they often give wrong information.

As I suspected most of what you are posting is pure speculation and not fact, including your speculation on my needs and situation! You write: "Apply as a landlord (self employed)....." This demonstrates your wrong assumptions and shows that you are not even reading and/or understanding the problem. I will repeat it: Landlord income is not classified as self-employed income in the UK !!!

I think your last sentence just about sums up your logic as the consular staff are the ones issuing the visas!

You should have written:

"Don't believe everything you're told by consular staff over the phone Thai visa posters as they often give wrong information."

[elviajero]

......................How do you know this??? Do you mean London?

The main reason for the employment criteria is to demonstrate the applicant has a job to go home to and no need to work in Thailand.

London do not issue a non 'O' to over 50's anymore regardless of the income source. .........Do you think I dont know this?. Your rental income would have been accepted for a non 'O-A' visa if you had it certified correctly..........On what authority are you telling me that it would have been accepted?.......................I was told clearly over the phone by London that rental income was not acceptable for an O-A visa which is what I was applying for ....................In my post I was writing of applying for an 'O' visa generically, as Id forgotten that it was specifically an O-A.

Of course I think you don't know, because you said you applied for an 'O' visa. The non immigrant 'O' visa has no connection to the Long Stay non 'O-A' visa generically or otherwise. They will accept any income as long as it is certified properly.

If you're looking for a long term option and can't supply income confirmation for a non 'O-A' application, travel with a tourist visa and you can easily get a non 'O' from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a country neighbouring Thailand, or do a conversion to a non 'O' visa/entry within Thailand. With a non 'O' entry you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement.

If you are a landlord there is no reason to call yourself retired. Apply as a landlord (self employed) and submit your self assessment tax return/bill if applying for an METV. If you apply for a METV by post, and the application is not accepted, they will usually issue a SETV and refund the balance of the fee paid.

Don't believe everything you're told by consular staff over the phone as they often give wrong information.

As I suspected most of what you are posting is pure speculation and not fact, including your speculation on my needs and situation! You write: "Apply as a landlord (self employed)....." This demonstrates your wrong assumptions and shows that you are not even reading and/or understanding the problem. I will repeat it: Landlord income is not classified as self-employed income in the UK !!!

I think your last sentence just about sums up your logic as the consular staff are the ones issuing the visas!

You should have written:

"Don't believe everything you're told by consular staff over the phone Thai visa posters as they often give wrong information."

I understand that unless you are evading tax you don't have a problem.

When you apply for the visa you just need to declare that you are self employed. I am fully aware of the tax situation regarding rental income (irrelevant to the visa application), but you still have to declare your income, and therefore, should be able to provide the self assessment documents. If you are evading tax, or not bright enough to work out how to put an application together with the advice you've been given, you're beyond help.

jay1980 has already confirmed that he successfully applied for an METV using rental income.

I'm not going to waste anymore time on you, but I could provide you with many posts confirming advice/information given by consular staff that is wrong/out of date. The point is that consular staff do get it wrong. If you don't want to accept that fact then I suggest you simply follow the their advice and don't waste TV posters time that are simply trying to help!

[donaldinho9]

The first time I took the casino bus, I had less information than I have given you. As I said, look for the place on the frontage road at Central where traffic can enter from the main highway. Visualize the place buses doing this will stop. You will typically see a few people waiting there, and could ask them if they are waiting for the casino bus (most of the Thais and Thai/Chinese who take the casino bus have a smattering of English). Also, check out the nearby side road. If there is a big bus parked there with some passengers, it is likely a casino bus.

There are plenty of English speakers at the border, but many of them are involved in one scam or another. You need "jai yen yen", skepticism, and the patience to ask multiple people until you are satisfied you have an accurate answer. Asking in the 7-11 may be a good option. From early afternoon, there are many return casino buses. Pretty much all the Bangkok ones stop at Central Bang Na. There are a few Pattaya ones, but they are easy to identify.

If you pay a return fare on a casino bus, they give you a ticket with a time marked on it (they do not bother with a ticket for one-way passengers). Usually, the ticket has the bus license plate number and a phone number you can call if it gets close to departure time and you have not found the bus. Finding the return bus really is not too hard once you find their parking area. The long wait until its departure is the killer. Even if you like casinos, you need to cross the border back into Thailand long before the scheduled departure because the queue at Thai immigration is sometimes terrible. Then, a meal and a hot walk around the market are the only ways to fill in the time.

If dressed neatly, the passport, photo and US$30 cash should be all you need. The official visa office is on the right hand side of the road, just after leaving Thailand and just before the casinos. Expect to be asked for extra cash by Cambodia immigration for the visa. It is up to you whether to pay, but (important) if you want to refuse, do so quietly and confidently with an apologetic smile. Thai immigration are sometimes unfriendly here on entry. Stay calm and smile if they think there is a problem.

Does it matter that it's a holiday tomorrow? Does that change anything?

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[ubonjoe]

The first time I took the casino bus, I had less information than I have given you. As I said, look for the place on the frontage road at Central where traffic can enter from the main highway. Visualize the place buses doing this will stop. You will typically see a few people waiting there, and could ask them if they are waiting for the casino bus (most of the Thais and Thai/Chinese who take the casino bus have a smattering of English). Also, check out the nearby side road. If there is a big bus parked there with some passengers, it is likely a casino bus.

There are plenty of English speakers at the border, but many of them are involved in one scam or another. You need "jai yen yen", skepticism, and the patience to ask multiple people until you are satisfied you have an accurate answer. Asking in the 7-11 may be a good option. From early afternoon, there are many return casino buses. Pretty much all the Bangkok ones stop at Central Bang Na. There are a few Pattaya ones, but they are easy to identify.

If you pay a return fare on a casino bus, they give you a ticket with a time marked on it (they do not bother with a ticket for one-way passengers). Usually, the ticket has the bus license plate number and a phone number you can call if it gets close to departure time and you have not found the bus. Finding the return bus really is not too hard once you find their parking area. The long wait until its departure is the killer. Even if you like casinos, you need to cross the border back into Thailand long before the scheduled departure because the queue at Thai immigration is sometimes terrible. Then, a meal and a hot walk around the market are the only ways to fill in the time.

If dressed neatly, the passport, photo and US$30 cash should be all you need. The official visa office is on the right hand side of the road, just after leaving Thailand and just before the casinos. Expect to be asked for extra cash by Cambodia immigration for the visa. It is up to you whether to pay, but (important) if you want to refuse, do so quietly and confidently with an apologetic smile. Thai immigration are sometimes unfriendly here on entry. Stay calm and smile if they think there is a problem.

Does it matter that it's a holiday tomorrow? Does that change anything?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tomorrow is not a holiday. Today is the last day of holidays this week. Holidays should make no difference anyway.

[donaldinho9]

Thanks!

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[jay1980]

Thants Jay1980. That makes sense. Hull was always the most 'user friendly' and helpful UK consulate of choice before all postal applications had to go to London.

That means there are still no first hand reports of successful METV POSTAL applications to London for those of 'independent' means' with adequate income but not employed, not self-employed, nor receiving a pension. So yes I would like to know if your mate made a successful postal application to London with the same financial circumstances..

Hi, back in Thailand now and spoke to my mate, he got an METV last month in London, he went there in person (not a postal application). He offered to show his onward ticket, tax return, bank statements with the required balance and copy of his condo chrarnote. He told me they actually gave him back the onward ticket and tax return copies and were only intrested in his condo charnote copy and bank statements to process the application. He is a UK passport holder.

Hope that helps.

[scubascuba3]

Booking accommodation is another strange requirement, are they checking you aren't going to sleep on the beach for months. Maybe some consulates realise that sufficient bank balance is the important check.

[SunsetT]

Thants Jay1980. That makes sense. Hull was always the most 'user friendly' and helpful UK consulate of choice before all postal applications had to go to London.

That means there are still no first hand reports of successful METV POSTAL applications to London for those of 'independent' means' with adequate income but not employed, not self-employed, nor receiving a pension. So yes I would like to know if your mate made a successful postal application to London with the same financial circumstances..

Hi, back in Thailand now and spoke to my mate, he got an METV last month in London, he went there in person (not a postal application). He offered to show his onward ticket, tax return, bank statements with the required balance and copy of his condo chrarnote. He told me they actually gave him back the onward ticket and tax return copies and were only intrested in his condo charnote copy and bank statements to process the application. He is a UK passport holder.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for asking him.

The rules could possibly be relaxed somewhat for condo. owners. Good luck to you and him if they are.

Edited July 21, 2016 by SunsetT

[donaldinho9]

Does anyone know if the casino bus from Central Bang Na to Poipet, Cambodia runs on the weekend?? Also if not, is immigration open today?? Thank you!!

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Edited July 23, 2016 by donaldinho9

[ubonjoe]

Does anyone know if the casino bus from Central Bang Na to Poipet, Cambodia runs on the weekend?? Also if not, is immigration open today?? Thank you!!

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I am certain the casino buses go everyday.

Immigration offices are not open on weekends or holidays.

[donaldinho9]

Does anyone know if the casino bus from Central Bang Na to Poipet, Cambodia runs on the weekend?? Also if not, is immigration open today?? Thank you!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am certain the casino buses go everyday.

Immigration offices are not open on weekends or holidays.

Thanks Joe! On it now! Got to Central just after 8, bus arrived around 8:45 on the main road, just passed Central. Cheers

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[donaldinho9]

Just a heads up for anyone taking this. It's 300 baht there, 200 back, $30 USD @ the border for the Cambodian visa. Bus price is higher than I thought, it's more than what Thais pay, because I'm a foreigner...

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[BritTim]

I have always paid Thai price for the casino bus. I note you were charged the correct price for the return. I guess the bus going decided they could push you into paying a little extra, so they did.

[DUS]

@Ubonjoe

Just a quick question: wouldn´t it be better to move all the discussion about Casino busses to another thread? This is completely unrelated to the METV topic, I think.

[scubascuba3]

@Ubonjoe

Just a quick question: wouldn´t it be better to move all the discussion about Casino busses to another thread? This is completely unrelated to the METV topic, I think.

Or go with the flow and not move threads obsessively. I prefer going with the flow.

[DUS]

@Ubonjoe

Just a quick question: wouldn´t it be better to move all the discussion about Casino busses to another thread? This is completely unrelated to the METV topic, I think.

Or go with the flow and not move threads obsessively. I prefer going with the flow.

Happy to hear that....

[riclag]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

[riclag]

How many US pages would a METV and a SETV take up? Consider this, 1 METV,3 60's 1 ext. 1 SETV, 1 60 and 1 ext.

Thanks

[elviajero]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

A minimum of 4.

[Maestro]

Each visa fills one whole page. Each extension of stay uses one-quarter to one-third of a page.

[riclag]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

A minimum of 4.

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

[chevdur]

OK, guys, help out a friend here. I have read over and over and keep getting conflicting opinions. Lets say, I, a 60 yr old person, wants to spend 3-4 months (at one time) in thailand. How would I now go about it. last year, I applied for a 60 day dual entry visa. i was able to make a boder run after the first 60 days, then received an additional 60 days, of which I stayed for 45 of them. With the new law effective November 13, 2105...what can I do now to achieve a total of 100-120 days in thailand.

[BritTim]

OK, guys, help out a friend here. I have read over and over and keep getting conflicting opinions. Lets say, I, a 60 yr old person, wants to spend 3-4 months (at one time) in thailand. How would I now go about it. last year, I applied for a 60 day dual entry visa. i was able to make a boder run after the first 60 days, then received an additional 60 days, of which I stayed for 45 of them. With the new law effective November 13, 2105...what can I do now to achieve a total of 100-120 days in thailand.

One option:

• Get a single entry tourist visa (good for 60 days).
• Extend your entry for 30 additional days at an immigration office inside Thailand on payment of 1,900 baht.
• Make a border run for a visa exempt entry. This will give you 15 days (or 30 days if from a G7 country).
• Extend your entry, if desired, for an additional 30 days.

This will give you up to at least 130+ days if you need them.

[riclag]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

A minimum of 4.

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Is this correct ?

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

[ubonjoe]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

A minimum of 4.

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Is this correct ?

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Two pages for the METV and SETV. A Lao visa for the 3 border hops using the METV entries and 1 for the SETV application. That is 6 by my count plus one for the two 30 day extensions stamps and etc or more.

[elviajero]

How many pages on my US passport will the Metv and a SETV take up ?Considering, 1 Metv,3- 60's,1- ext,1- SETV,1 -60 and 1- ext.

A minimum of 4.

Total of 8 pages with the Lao stamps

Is this correct ?

Yes, if going to Laos each time, 8 should cover it.

METV (1 page)

SETV (1 page)

3 x Laos visas (3 pages)

8 x Thai exit/entry stamps (1 page)

6 x Laos exit/entry stamps (0.75 page)

2 x Extension of stay stamps (1 page)

That totals 7.75 pages assuming they maximise page space.

[john1000]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 2:38 AM, BritTim said:

One option:

• Get a single entry tourist visa (good for 60 days).
• Extend your entry for 30 additional days at an immigration office inside Thailand on payment of 1,900 baht.
• Make a border run for a visa exempt entry. This will give you 15 days (or 30 days if from a G7 country).
• Extend your entry, if desired, for an additional 30 days.

This will give you up to at least 130+ days if you need them.

I have never heard of this? I am over 60 and want to stay 4 months without putting 5k in my current account for 6 months.

Can I achieve this using the above option?

 

Thanks.

[drh1010]

10 minutes ago, john1000 said:

I have never heard of this? I am over 60 and want to stay 4 months without putting 5k in my current account for 6 months.

Can I achieve this using the above option?

 

Thanks.

The 5k doesn't have to be in your current account. Savings account worked for me.