Tourist Visa in Thai Embassy - Kuala Lumpur

[jonnyramone]

Hi everybody,

Anyone had experience with Thai Embassy in KL ?

Right now I'm in Thailand with a Tourist Visa (double entry 6 months) wich will expire next month. To get another tourist visa (single entry) , an agency in Bangkok offered me a trip to Laos with minivan (12 hours run and 3 days there) wich I'd like to avoid... I was thinking to buy a ticket to Kuala Lumpur and try to get my new tourist visa there but the one milion dollar question is : Will KL Thai Embassy give it to me ? I had some bad experience in Singapore where I found the Thai embassy staff very unfriendly with foreigners .

I tried to call the KL Thai Embassy but in vain....Only voice mail. I don't want to risk to go there for nothing.

If not KL where else I could go ?

Any suggestion will be very appreciate it.

Jonny.

[theoldgit]

As you're seeking a visa for Thailand, I'll move your question to the correct forum.

[ubonjoe]

Forget about KL they are the worst.

Penang is good choice.

You can fly to Udon Thani and then take a van to the bridge in Nong Khai. Then crossover to Vientiane.

[BritTim]

As stated, Penang Malaysia or Vientiane/Savannakhet Laos are the most reliable options.

[jonnyramone]

Thank you guys, very appreciate it...

The agency offered me the flight option. If minivan 7,000 baht all included, with flight (laos air) 14,000 baht.

Too bad thai embassy in KL is worst than Singapore...Good to know .

So , what about Penang...any direct flight from BKK to Penang ? Is the thai embassy staff there more kind ?

How long it gonna takes to have a tourist visa in Penang ?

Thanx again...

[ubonjoe]

There are flights to Penang from both airports in Bangkok. Check Air Asia for flights.

The consulate in Penang is good. You can use an agent there and will not need to go to the consulate.

[BritTim]

For Penang, I suggest using Expedia to book a combined flight+hotel deal. You will end up using Air Asia (from Don Muang) for the flights. A good hotel option is Chulia Mansion. The flight arrives too late to do the application on the day of arrival. You can ask the hotel to have an agent stop by. The Thai tourist visa costs 150 MYR plus 30 MYR agent fee. The application is made by the agent in the morning. Normally, you receive your passport back with the visa around 2:30 pm the following day. To clarify, plan on two nights in Penang and ensure the two days following your arrival are not consular holidays. Then, all should go smoothly.

[jonnyramone]

Thank you guys, I think I will definetely go to Penang.

Brit Tim, wich is the best way to contact an agent ? Just calling Chulia Mansion Hotel ?

Thanx again...

[BritTim]

Thank you guys, I think I will definetely go to Penang.

Brit Tim, wich is the best way to contact an agent ? Just calling Chulia Mansion Hotel ?

Thanx again...

When you arrive at the Chulia Mansion Hotel, ask them to have the agent come by. If you prefer to walk to the agent they use, that is also possible. Ask me for directions if you prefer to do that.

Note that, on arrival in Penang, it is possible to get a bus direct from the airport to near the hotel. If counting the pennies, you might choose to do this, though a taxi does not cost a fortune. No change is available for bus fares. When you change Thai baht into Malaysian ringgit, ask them to give you plenty of 1 ringgit notes. That way, any lost change is less than 5 baht or so.

[jonnyramone]

When you arrive at the Chulia Mansion Hotel, ask them to have the agent come by. If you prefer to walk to the agent they use, that is also possible. Ask me for directions if you prefer to do that.

Note that, on arrival in Penang, it is possible to get a bus direct from the airport to near the hotel. If counting the pennies, you might choose to do this, though a taxi does not cost a fortune. No change is available for bus fares. When you change Thai baht into Malaysian ringgit, ask them to give you plenty of 1 ringgit notes. That way, any lost change is less than 5 baht or so.

Thanx Tim your help is very appreciate .

So, from what I've understand, Chulia Mansion hotel got kind of visa agency in the lobby so no need to call them from here. I'd like to do the stamp procedure as soon as possible in order to go back to Thailand the next day. Let's say I arrive on friday , can I get the passport on Saturday and flight back to Bangkok the same day ? Do you think is possible call Chula Hotel telling them to pick me up to the airport with the agent and go straight to the embassy ?

Last question, is Chulia a decent hotel ? I'm not Rockefeller but I can afford decent places...One of the reason why I don't want to travel with agency to Laos is because minivan and midden hotel.

Is this the Hotel you are talking about :

http://chuliamansion.com/gallery/

Cheers.

Edited May 9, 2016 by jonnyramone

[johnatong]

When you arrive at the Chulia Mansion Hotel, ask them to have the agent come by. If you prefer to walk to the agent they use, that is also possible. Ask me for directions if you prefer to do that.

Note that, on arrival in Penang, it is possible to get a bus direct from the airport to near the hotel. If counting the pennies, you might choose to do this, though a taxi does not cost a fortune. No change is available for bus fares. When you change Thai baht into Malaysian ringgit, ask them to give you plenty of 1 ringgit notes. That way, any lost change is less than 5 baht or so.

Thanx Tim your help is very appreciate .

So, from what I've understand, Chulia Mansion hotel got kind of visa agency in the lobby so no need to call them from here. I'd like to do the stamp procedure as soon as possible in order to go back to Thailand the next day. Let's say I arrive on friday , can I get the passport on Saturday and flight back to Bangkok the same day ? Do you think is possible call Chula Hotel telling them to pick me up to the airport with the agent and go straight to the embassy ?

Last question, is Chulia a decent hotel ? I'm not Rockefeller but I can afford decent places...One of the reason why I don't want to travel with agency to Laos is because minivan and midden hotel.

Is this the Hotel you are talking about :

http://chuliamansion.com/gallery/

Cheers.

If you arrive on Friday before the Consulate closes for applications you will not get your passport back until Monday PM.

The service in Penang is apply on AM day one, collect the passport PM on day 2.

The consulate is closed on Sat/Sun

[BritTim]

When you arrive at the Chulia Mansion Hotel, ask them to have the agent come by. If you prefer to walk to the agent they use, that is also possible. Ask me for directions if you prefer to do that.

Note that, on arrival in Penang, it is possible to get a bus direct from the airport to near the hotel. If counting the pennies, you might choose to do this, though a taxi does not cost a fortune. No change is available for bus fares. When you change Thai baht into Malaysian ringgit, ask them to give you plenty of 1 ringgit notes. That way, any lost change is less than 5 baht or so.

Thanx Tim your help is very appreciate .

So, from what I've understand, Chula Mansion hotel got kind of visa agency in the lobby so no need to call them from here. I'd like to do the stamp procedure as soon as possible in order to go back to Thailand the next day. Let's say I arrive on friday , can I get the passport on Saturday and flight back to Bangkok the same day ? Do you think is possible call Chula Hotel telling them to pick me up to the airport with the agent and go straight to the embassy ?

Last question, is Chula a decent hotel ? I'm not Rockefeller but I can afford decent places...One of the reason why I don't want to travel with agency to Laos is because minivan and midden hotel.

Cheers.

You cannot get visas at the weekend, and (as I mentioned before) flights from Bangkok arrive in the afternoon so applications must be made the following morning.

The Chulia Mansion hotel does not have a resident visa agent. In fact, although many places advertise doing Thai visas, most are really sub agents who pass on the applications to the real agents (and charge a little more). The Chulia Mansion asks one of the real agents to come by the hotel on request. Since there is plenty of time between your arrival and the following morning, there is no rush.

If you absolutely must be back in Bangkok by Monday night, there is a complicated option that might work. The rarely used Thai consulate in Kota Bharu (a strict Muslim province) closes Friday and is open Sunday. Thus, if you travel there on a Saturday, you can apply on the Sunday and get the passport back with visa Monday early afternoon. Travel to and from Kota Bharu is via Kuala Lumpur. Doing it in Penang (travel Sunday, apply Monday, return to Bangkok Tuesday) is preferable in most cases.

EDIT: The Chulia Mansion is excellent for the money. Unless you are used to 5-star hotels, you should be satisfied. Check out the reviews on Agoda and Booking.com to decide if it is up to your required standards.

Edited May 9, 2016 by BritTim

[jonnyramone]

Thanx a lot to Tim and Johnatong...I guess the best option is travelling during the week despite my visa expires on saturday.

cheers.

[BritTim]

If your visa expires on a Saturday, you might consider traveling on the Sunday. There is no financial penalty for this when leaving from Don Muang, but you are likely to get an overstay stamp that looks a little off.

[jonnyramone]

If your visa expires on a Saturday, you might consider traveling on the Sunday. There is no financial penalty for this when leaving from Don Muang, but you are likely to get an overstay stamp that looks a little off.

Hi Tim, my visa trip to Penang was a disaster.As soon as thet saw I was in the Kingdom for 6 months already with a tourist visa they asked so many questions that make feel I was in a Gestapo office. They wanted to know why I was in Thailand so long and for what reason. I told 'em I had money to afford a long holiday, I also showed 'em my "chanot" (appartment paper) attesting I bought a condo in Bangkok ... anything in vain. Despite I had brought all the documents , I had no overstay stamp or suspicious thing on my passport they refuse to give me a simple tourist visa . Can't believe it. Motivation was : farang cannot stay more than 6 months in a row in Thailand with tourist visa. So before I left the embassy I asked 'em why in Laos the thai embassy allows farangs to get tourist visa 2 more times after 6 months stay....They didn't answer...Different rules for different embassy...Amazing Thailand.

They prefer we do illegal way, contacting some connected-with police agency , and have a visa trip to Laos with them , minivan way.

Anyway Tim, I'm here to ask you about the Laos trip, wich at the moment gonna be in a month.

I'm trying to avoid the minivan trip, so I was thinking to get Laos by myself with a flight ticket.

Would you suggest me to flight straight to Vientaine or go to Udon Thani and pass the border then ?

Could you please tell me how long getting a tourist visa gonna take ? Let's say for example, if I stay at the Embassy on Monday morning, can I get my passport the day after ?

Thanx a lot mate, your answer will be very appreciate .

Jonny.

[theoldgit]

Air Asia will be flying directly to Vientiane from Don Mueang commencing on 1st July.

[visarunner]

If your visa expires on a Saturday, you might consider traveling on the Sunday. There is no financial penalty for this when leaving from Don Muang, but you are likely to get an overstay stamp that looks a little off.

Hi Tim, my visa trip to Penang was a disaster.As soon as thet saw I was in the Kingdom for 6 months already with a tourist visa they asked so many questions that make feel I was in a Gestapo office. They wanted to know why I was in Thailand so long and for what reason. I told 'em I had money to afford a long holiday, I also showed 'em my "chanot" (appartment paper) attesting I bought a condo in Bangkok ... anything in vain. Despite I had brought all the documents , I had no overstay stamp or suspicious thing on my passport they refuse to give me a simple tourist visa . Can't believe it. Motivation was : farang cannot stay more than 6 months in a row in Thailand with tourist visa. So before I left the embassy I asked 'em why in Laos the thai embassy allows farangs to get tourist visa 2 more times after 6 months stay....They didn't answer...Different rules for different embassy...Amazing Thailand.

They prefer we do illegal way, contacting some connected-with police agency , and have a visa trip to Laos with them , minivan way.

Anyway Tim, I'm here to ask you about the Laos trip, wich at the moment gonna be in a month.

I'm trying to avoid the minivan trip, so I was thinking to get Laos by myself with a flight ticket.

Would you suggest me to flight straight to Vientaine or go to Udon Thani and pass the border then ?

Could you please tell me how long getting a tourist visa gonna take ? Let's say for example, if I stay at the Embassy on Monday morning, can I get my passport the day after ?

Thanx a lot mate, your answer will be very appreciate .

Jonny.

What do you mean by illegal way? The agencies from Bangkok are real companies with TAT Licences.

I also read that you did not follow other people advise to use agent in Penang.

I have some doubt about your story.

[JackThompson]

Any "6 month" restriction would be a consulate-created rule - not to be confused with "Thai Immigration Laws," where there exists no restriction on the time a person can stay in Thailand on Tourist Visas. Consulates can add any rules they choose, within the limits of the actual Laws.

I've been in Thailand on Tourist Visas longer than 6 months in my current passport, and had no problem using Banana (agent) in Penang a few weeks ago. Others have reported ok service going to the consulate in Penang directly, but if it is anything like Phnom Penh, not using an agent and showing up in person is, shall we say, not preferred.

In Laos, you will (and must) show up and submit your application, yourself. Yes, you can have some service book the trip for you, arrange a hotel, and provide transport (at a 50%+ mark-up over DIY) - but you must apply in person, so nothing to gain by not making your own travel/transport arrangements.

Edited June 4, 2016 by JackThompson

[jonnyramone]

Any "6 month" restriction would be a consulate-created rule - not to be confused with "Thai Immigration Laws," where there exists no restriction on the time a person can stay in Thailand on Tourist Visas. Consulates can add any rules they choose, within the limits of the actual Laws.

I've been in Thailand on Tourist Visas longer than 6 months in my current passport, and had no problem using Banana (agent) in Penang a few weeks ago. Others have reported ok service going to the consulate in Penang directly, but if it is anything like Phnom Penh, not using an agent and showing up in person is, shall we say, not preferred.

In Laos, you will (and must) show up and submit your application, yourself. Yes, you can have some service book the trip for you, arrange a hotel, and provide transport (at a 50%+ mark-up over DIY) - but you must apply in person, so nothing to gain by not making your own travel/transport arrangements.

Yes, I guess my mistake was not arranging any agent but going by myself. I thought consulate-rules were the same averywhere in Thailand, now I know they're not.

[JustFreeYourself]

You guys are super knowledgable on this and have helped me out lookin forward. What is my best option at this point?

I came into Thailand 29 days ago by air so 30 day exempt. I just got 30 day extension in Phuket today. From what I understand I now have to leave the country in 30 days and the best I can do at that point is get a 60 day tourist visa w a 30 day extension.

Is that right or is there a longer visa I can get from Malaysia, Laos, or Singapore?

I'm 39yrs old, just chillin here, no business, no thai wife etc.

Thanks!!!

[ubonjoe]

You guys are super knowledgable on this and have helped me out lookin forward. What is my best option at this point?

I came into Thailand 29 days ago by air so 30 day exempt. I just got 30 day extension in Phuket today. From what I understand I now have to leave the country in 30 days and the best I can do at that point is get a 60 day tourist visa w a 30 day extension.

Is that right or is there a longer visa I can get from Malaysia, Laos, or Singapore?

I'm 39yrs old, just chillin here, no business, no thai wife etc.

Thanks!!!

It appears a tourist visa is the only one you qualify for.

I don't suggest you try Singapore or Kuala Lumpur for a visa. Penang Malaysia or Vientiane and Savannakhet in Laos are the best choices.