Getting Visa Without Going To Consulate In Person

[Papi]

My first post here. Sorry if this has been addressed before, but I read the title of the posts in the first two pages and couldn't find anything that made me think this was adressed in any thread.

Is there a way to get a (legal) visa stamped in the passport issued in a Thai consulate without having to go there (and staying in the meantime in Thailand)?

I mean like a third party taking your passport to a Thai consulate somewhere and bringing back your passport with the visa on it. This way one avoids having to spend a day or two in a city outside Thailand and one can just go and do a visa run next time. Of course all documentation submitted properly, etc. Just avoiding one having to go there.

Does anyone know of this?

Thanks

[taxexile]

Is there a way to get a (legal) visa stamped in the passport issued in a Thai consulate without having to go there (and staying in the meantime in Thailand)?

if you do not accompany your passport out of the country then the visa has,i believe,been obtained illegally. you wouldn't have one of the white tm entry cards either.

this question was addressed in detail last year when the immigration jails were full to bursting with foriegners who had obtained visas in the way you described.visa agents had obtained the visas for them, and then immigration had a crackdown.

there seems to be a lot more careful checking of passports and paperwork these days.

so the answer is.... yes it is possible, but it is not advisable.

[KevinN]

I have never did it,and I would advise you not to even think to hard about it,all it takes is one false chop in your passport and you are screwed for the life of the document.

And I can see nothing so bad about going to Vientaine,Mai Sai,or some other place for a day or two,fine to get away every once in awhile,,kinda like to go myself as I haven't been out in 3 years. becides going for a day sure beats deportation and a fine. And I don't think I would like a Thai jail cell,Never did like any of the others I have tried.

[Papi]

I think I know about the cases that were reported last year. But if I am not wrong, in those cases the issue was mostly that the exit & entry chops were illegal. Right? Maybe I am wrong.

I am not talking about those. I am talking about getting a REAL visa stamped in your passport. Not the exit-entry stamps (actually none of this would be needed at this stage). And I am not talking about the white forms that get stapled to the passport either. Just the actual VISA that allows you to enter the country for 60 days.

This, so that when the passport comes back to you and do your next visa run, you get 60 days upon re-entry and not the usual 30 that you would get if you do not have a visa.

A guy in say Alabama, USA that wants a visa, mails his passport with the forms that he downloaded from the net to one of the Thai consulates in the USA. After review, consideration and (hopefully) approval the consulate mails the passport back to the fellow in Alabama. If I had a cousin in the USA, I am sure I could Fedex the passport and the forms signed to him and he would mail it, het it back and then send it to me.

I am sure that next time I go to Singapore and come back with a proper Thai visa issued at the Thai consulate in New York the guy at immigration will be happy with the visa. Or maybe as taxexile says it is illegal?

But as I do not have a cousin in the USA, my question was if there is anybody that takes care of such type of dealing with a consulate abroad.

Again, I was not talking about exit or entry stamps in the passports to avoid visa runs. But of getting actual visas in order to avoid both visa runs each 30 days while also saving having to spend extra time in a city outside Thailand in order to apply for the visa.

[Papi]

Searching further back found the thread that you guys probably had in mind. I am going to read it now. I am sure I will find interesting info there. Sorry I didn't spend more time searching in the forum earlier and resorted to starting this thread.

Thanks.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Searching further back found the thread that you guys probably had in mind. I am going to read it now. I am sure I will find interesting info there. Sorry I didn't spend more time searching in the forum earlier and resorted to starting this thread.

Thanks.

You'd be missing exit stamps and even a dummy can see that you were in Thailand while your passport was abroad. Too risky to try it, and the IDC is an awful place to be.

[lopburi3]

Consulates are instructed not to issue visas until the person is in that country so any visa so issued could well be considered illegal. Don't do it.

Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder

Quote from: http://www.imm3.police.go.th/eng/

[astral]

I am talking about getting a REAL visa stamped in your passport. Not the exit-entry stamps (actually none of this would be needed at this stage).

A guy in say Alabama, USA that wants a visa, mails his passport with the forms that he downloaded from the net to one of the Thai consulates in the USA. After review, consideration and (hopefully) approval the consulate mails the passport back to the fellow in Alabama.

The immigration and Consulates are wise to this one now.

If you passport shows that you are still in Thailand (no exit stamp)

Then you will not get the visa and you will be trouble here as well.

It can be done if you have two passports.

The first covers you current stay in Thailand.

The second is sent overseas, as you indicate, to apply for a visa.

To activate the new visa you will have to take a flight out of Thailand,

then come back. The same day is fine.

Crossing a land border will not do, as both sides require and exit stamp

from the other country, before stamping you in, so you cannot change

passports as you cross.

[Papi]

Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder

Quote from: http://www.imm3.police.go.th/eng/

I read this and ..... one thought comes to mind .... what does 'personally' mean in this case? I think that it means that nobody else does it for me. If I am the one filling the application and mailing this directly to the consulate, it is me who personally is doing it. I am personally applying for the visa by mail.

In the case of guys living far away from consulates, they mail their passports and the consulates send them back.

Anyway, in my case the question may be academic as I do have two valid passports -from two different countries. Thus I will do as astral suggests above. Send the one that doesn't show I am in Thailand.

Question then remains: does anyone know of anyone handling this from here? Or will I have to deal myself directly with the consulate abroad?

Thanks

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Go and do it yourself. The use of an agent is highly illegal and often results in imprisonment and deportation. You'll rest a lot easier. That you were in Thailand when the visa issues is readily identifiable by Immigration from your passport and their computers.

[Zmegma]

I found this in the FAQ section of the website of the Thai consulate general in Los Angeles (USA)

* I will be visiting Thailand with my family. Can I send all of our passports and visa applications together in one envelope?

Yes. You can include all passports and all necessary documentation in one envelope and return envelope. You may also include one cashier's check or money order for the visa fees for all applicants. In addition, please write the name of the applicant on the back of their photograph.

* Can I apply for a Visa for someone other than myself?

Yes. When applying for a visa in person, the visa applicant is not required to apply by them self as long as all required documentation is submitted at the time of the visa application. However, all visa application must be signed by the applicant.

It would thus seem that there is nothing wrong with someone else applying at a consulate on your behalf or with sending the passports by courier.

This is the link: http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-faq.htm

[lopburi3]

I found this in the FAQ section of the website of the Thai consulate general in Los Angeles (USA)

If the people are all located in the country/service area of the Consulate concerned at the time of application that would be fine. But that is not what the thread was about. Thai Immigration makes the decision to allow or disallow entry and they have the policy very clearly stated on the web site I previously posted.

[taxexile]

Zmegma Posted on Thu 2004-05-20, 11:17:53

I found this in the FAQ section of the website of the Thai consulate general in Los Angeles (USA)

* I will be visiting Thailand with my family. Can I send all of our passports and visa applications together in one envelope?

Yes. You can include all passports and all necessary documentation in one envelope and return envelope. You may also include one cashier's check or money order for the visa fees for all applicants. In addition, please write the name of the applicant on the back of their photograph.

* Can I apply for a Visa for someone other than myself?

Yes. When applying for a visa in person, the visa applicant is not required to apply by them self as long as all required documentation is submitted at the time of the visa application. However, all visa application must be signed by the applicant.

It would thus seem that there is nothing wrong with someone else applying at a consulate on your behalf or with sending the passports by courier.

zmegma, that seems to be aimed at those who are already residing in the us and dont want to make a long journey to the consulate. its the same in all countries, you mail your passport etc. to the consulate and they send it back to you with a visa stamped in so you can enter thailand, at which time you will be given another stamp,with the date of entry.

if your passport ,stamped with a visa is sent to you in thailand via your friend in dumbnuts,delaware (pop.37), or even arsebrain,alabama, it will have no entry stamp in it and when you try to exit the country that will be noticed for sure and you will be arrested.

its not rocket science, its not even kindergarten, so why is so fckukin hard for everybody to understand.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

This becomes an item regarding ILLEGAL VISA'S. Not supported here. The witless can do whatever they like. But not on Thaivisa. CLOSED