Applying for visa Phuket only, which country to visit?

[ThaiWai]

GF turned down today at US embassy for usual reason that being "no reason at all thanks for the 5000 baht now get out".

Would still like to take her on a trip to preferably Europe as I would like to go there as well. I am aware of destinations for Thais not requiring visas and there are a few on the list below but from this list only, where would you go keeping in mind ease of getting a visa for a Thai and destination popularity, value etc? I chose this list because it is a list of consulates in Phuket and I am not sending her to Bangkok just to get denied again. If details about us matter: I am a USC working here. She is in her thirties, has children and extended family here, has a business, has money in the bank, has traveled to European and Asian nations before.

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 9, 2016 by ThaiWai

[sunnyjim5]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/500903-where-can-thai-people-go-without-visa/

If you wish to visit Europe she will need a Schengan visa which must be applied for at the Embassy of the country where entry to Europe is planned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

[ThaiWai]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/500903-where-can-thai-people-go-without-visa/

If you wish to visit Europe she will need a Schengan visa which must be applied for at the Embassy of the country where entry to Europe is planned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area

So consulates not acceptable? And the Schengan is very difficult to get is it not?

Edited March 9, 2016 by ThaiWai

[sunnyjim5]

Some consulates may accept Schengens application but you would have to ask.

Some detail about the visa in the link

http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/how-to-apply-schengen-visa/

[Donutz]

Also check out the Schengen sticky topic near the top of the forum. I don't know if any consulate allows visa applications, commonly you need to apply at the embassy (or sometimes can chose to go to a VFS visa application centre but also in BKK).

If the application is well prepared chanches of getting the visa are very good. Some memberstates decline 1% or less (NL, italy, ...) and the more difficult seem to be the Belgians and swedes with around 10-12% refusals. Most memberstates (including Fr, Ger) decline 2-3%. So if you make a genuine travel plan, prepare well etc you (she) should be fine.

annual Schengen Visa stats:

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/index_en.htm#stats

If you wish to visit Europe she will need a Schengan visa which must be applied for at the Embassy of the country where entry to Europe is planned.

one needs to apply at the country that is the main destination, you can enter and leave via an other Schengen memberstate. Edited March 9, 2016 by Donutz

[theoldgit]

First of all the list you have attached isn't accurate, many of those countries do require visas, in fact most do.

Most of those on your list will require an application to made at the Visa Application Centre, which would require a visit to Bangkok, as biometric details would need to be captured. I don't know of any Honorary Consuls, which would be the ones in Phuket, that accept visa applications, they are not professional diplomats.

Regarding the advice regarding Schengen Visas, the advice given isn't completely accurate. If is intending to visit one country in the Schengen Area then she should apply at the Consulate with jurisdiction for that member state, if however she intends to tour the Schengen Area, and there is no main destination, then she should apply at the Consulate with jurisdiction for the country where she plans to enter the Schengen Area. The UK and Ireland, whilst in Europe are not part of Schengen so require separate entry clearance. Some consulates interpret this rule at odds with the Schengen Handbook.

You might wish to read the pinned topic at the top of the forum that has been put together by member Donutz.

Your girlfriend will need to declare that she has been refused a visa by the American Embassy.

EDIT: when I say the advice given about Schengen isn't fully accurate, I wasn't referring to the preceding post from Donutz.

[ThaiWai]

First of all the list you have attached isn't accurate, many of those countries do require visas, in fact most do.

Most of those on your list will require an application to made at the Visa Application Centre, which would require a visit to Bangkok, as biometric details would need to be captured. I don't know of any Honorary Consuls, which would be the ones in Phuket, that accept visa applications, they are not professional diplomats.

Regarding the advice regarding Schengen Visas, the advice given isn't completely accurate. If is intending to visit one country in the Schengen Area then she should apply at the Consulate with jurisdiction for that member state, if however she intends to tour the Schengen Area, and there is no main destination, then she should apply at the Consulate with jurisdiction for the country where she plans to enter the Schengen Area. The UK and Ireland, whilst in Europe are not part of Schengen so require separate entry clearance. Some consulates interpret this rule at odds with the Schengen Handbook.

You might wish to read the pinned topic at the top of the forum that has been put together by member Donutz.

Your girlfriend will need to declare that she has been refused a visa by the American Embassy.

EDIT: when I say the advice given about Schengen isn't fully accurate, I wasn't referring to the preceding post from Donutz.

First of all, I said exactly that "I am aware of destinations for Thais not requiring visas and there are a few on the list below" meaning most on the list require visas. Not sure how you missed that. I never said I was interested in a non visa country. I can easily pull up the visa requirements for Thais for every country from wikipedia. The entire point of this tread is what is the BEST DESTINATION and easiest country from the posted list that DOES REQUIRE a visa. I also specifically said I am not interested in a BKK run which is the exact reason I posted a list of countries that have Phuket consuls. I will take the other information under advisement and I will not comment on her prior refusal unless it is specifically requested. Thanks for your reply.

[Donutz]

As for where to go, that would depend entirely upon your (you and her) interests. France is always popular because of Paris and the Eifel tower. If your girlfriend or you like architecture and history Italy would be nice to visit. If you go in spring (match-may) and like flowers then NL is a good place to see tullips in the Keukenhof. Or visit multiple countries, traveling by plane, bus or rental car between Schengen states. If you would like to visit the UK and mainland Europa your GF would need seperate visas applied for in advance, though judging from your starting post this probably will be too much hassle in your opinion. Ofcourse also take seasonal climate and temperature in mind.

I don't know how much preparation you did for the US visa, ofcourse you can help her (read the embassy website regarding the visa you are interested in carefully) but she is the applicant and in general an embassy does not allow a non-applicant to join the applicant at the desk where the application is made. So she would have to know the travelplan and evidence/arguments on reasons to return (one of the most common grounds to refuse a visa is uncertainty of a timely return back to TH). Once again the sticky should be a good start, check out the website of the embassy concerned, preparation takes you halfway there already. Good luck, it isn't as hard as you may think it is.

Edit: consider applying for 1 month or less, afterall how many Thai can get more then a month off from work? Make sure that her application makes sense.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Donutz

[theoldgit]

First of all, I said exactly that "I am aware of destinations for Thais not requiring visas and there are a few on the list below" meaning most on the list require visas. Not sure how you missed that. I never said I was interested in a non visa country. I can easily pull up the visa requirements for Thais for every country from wikipedia. The entire point of this tread is what is the BEST DESTINATION and easiest country from the posted list that DOES REQUIRE a visa. I also specifically said I am not interested in a BKK run which is the exact reason I posted a list of countries that have Phuket consuls. I will take the other information under advisement and I will not comment on her prior refusal unless it is specifically requested. Thanks for your reply.

I didn't miss anything but I will admit to finding the opening post confusing, I'll put that down to my tardiness in not being able to understand what you were actually asking, as you had Consulates on your list representing countries which don't require Thai Nationals to apply for a visa along with those who do, but as I say that's my fault.

I did note that you were not interested in a run to Bangkok, or rather your girlfriend isn't, and that's why I pointed out that those consulates in Phuket were Honorary Consuls and as such are not involved in the visa application, hence the trip to Bangkok. I do understand that Australia may allow postal applications.

The advice about declaring previous visa refusals is real, most countries will ban applicants who fail to notify them of material facts, such as previous visa refusals or removals, from making further applications for a number of years, the UK ban for ten years.

[ThaiWai]

Thanx donutz.

Since you asked we did the prep all the paperwork itenerary, photos, docs originals and copies, bank proof yada yada. Everyone was friendly till she got to the last window where he scanned her passport and then literally tossed it at her and spun his back to her while saying "Mai dai na krap". It's a money scam at the US embassy, that's all it is. All in a 10000B investment to be treated like an animal. I have not been to Europe in more than ten years before Shengen I guess so did not realize the lump all of Europe together now. Thanks for the advice.

[7by7]

I can easily pull up the visa requirements for Thais for every country from wikipedia.

Sure, if you want her to be refused again. Wikipedia articles on matters such as this are often out of date and notoriously inaccurate.

Better to check with the Embassy or immigration department, such as UKVI for the UK, of the country concerned.

I will not comment on her prior refusal unless it is specifically requested

It will be; most, if not all, of the countries on your list ask about previous applications and travel to other countries on the application form.

From the UK application form: 6.3 Have you ever been refused a visa for any country, including the UK?

(Note, although that link is to a paper form, applications for UK visas in Thailand have to be made online.)

As theoldgit says

The advice about declaring previous visa refusals is real, most countries will ban applicants who fail to notify them of material facts, such as previous visa refusals or removals, from making further applications for a number of years, the UK ban for ten years.

As it says in the introduction to the form:

Your application will be automatically refused and you may be banned from coming to the UK for 10 years if you use a false document, lie or withhold relevant information.

(7by7 emphasis)

[beano2274]

From the list you posted only two allow Thais to enter without a valid visa, Russia and Korea.

As others have said a consulate will not supply a Visa.

You also must state that she was refused a visa, or your risk being refused again, and banned.

[Donutz]

Thanx donutz.

Since you asked we did the prep all the paperwork itenerary, photos, docs originals and copies, bank proof yada yada. Everyone was friendly till she got to the last window where he scanned her passport and then literally tossed it at her and spun his back to her while saying "Mai dai na krap". It's a money scam at the US embassy, that's all it is. All in a 10000B investment to be treated like an animal. I have not been to Europe in more than ten years before Shengen I guess so did not realize the lump all of Europe together now. Thanks for the advice.

Sounds rather odd to me, now I know nothing about US visas but it sounds very wrong that a desk clerk (usually local staff with no official position to decide on visas) could refuse an application. Now if you turned up without any papers then a " mai dai" would make sense but if you did all the paperwork and payment I'd assume they'd take in the passport for processing. An official in the back office would then actually look at the paperwork and decide over it.

If this is how it happend I'd contact the embassy and inquire with them. If only to understand what you did wrong (if anything?) or if indeed the staff was wrong or even corrupt (take your money, not enter the application, pocket the bahts without the embassy ever knowing).

As for the orginal post, it had me somewhat confused aswell but I answered as best I understood and figured you'd comment if we got your plans/questions all wrong.

[steve187]

surely with a us visit visa, you make the application on line, then pay, then with payment receipt you make an apointment for an interview. where do all the windows come from, turkey would be the best bet, no visa's and ok ish

[sometimewoodworker]

From the list you posted only two allow Thais to enter without a valid visa, Russia and Korea.

As others have said a consulate will not supply a Visa.

You also must state that she was refused a visa, or your risk being refused again, and banned.

A point, probably of no interest to the OP, is that although Korea technically does not require Thais to have a visa it has a record of refusing entry to about 8% Thais arriving there.