I'm an American citizen, but I live in Korea. My wife is korean and I have permanent residency in Korea. I wanted to spend a few months in Thailand, so I go to the Thai Embassy in Korea website and click on the link for tourist visa. First of all, there is no longer any information about single entry, double entry etc.. there is only a page for multiple entry and it costs 170,000 won, or about $150. I want a single entry so i can stay 2 months,maybe three months if i extend it. then i read on and find out that people like me, a foreigner living in korea who is married to a local now needs to provide an original copy of the official family registry, and a translated copy, have them notarized by a lawyer, and then certified by another government office. I also need to provide a copy of my bank book, in ENGLISH! and then have that notarized by a lawyer. where does one go to get a bank book translated? i would have thought the numbers were obvious.

All this for a tourist visa. What the heck is going on here? Are they trying to create so much paperwork that people just give up and make other plans?

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by kharmabum

There is no such thing as a double or triple entry tourist visa.

There is Single and Multi Entry only.

Things have changed a bit since you last looked.

Can you get a visa exempt entry for 30 days as a U.S citizen ?

If so, just use that and then extend it for another 30 days...

i can get vis free entry for 30 days, but i really wanted to stay longer. can i really extend a 30 day visa free entry for another 30 days? I've been out of the loop for the past 2 years so I'm not up to speed. didn't it used to be possible to extend for only 10 days?

i can get vis free entry for 30 days, but i really wanted to stay longer. can i really extend a 30 day visa free entry for another 30 days? I've been out of the loop for the past 2 years so I'm not up to speed. didn't it used to be possible to extend for only 10 days?

Yes you can.

i can get vis free entry for 30 days, but i really wanted to stay longer. can i really extend a 30 day visa free entry for another 30 days? I've been out of the loop for the past 2 years so I'm not up to speed. didn't it used to be possible to extend for only 10 days?

Actually, it was only 7 days. Have a look in the Pinned Topics Section to get back up to speed.

Yes you can extend visa exempt for another 30 days but in theory and nowdays it is not manytimes theory anymore you should have a ticket outside to Thailand within 30 days when you come in,, Not very convenient,,

thanks everybody. really good info. please let me pick yer brains some more...

so obviously, without a visa, i'll need to have a return ticket to get on the plane and then be allowed in thailand,

but what if I have an open ended return so it doesn't show the return date, which I will choose AFTER i have entered thailand, but BEFORE I go to immigration office to get it extended. does that work? or will they insist the return half of my ticket be prebooked?

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by kharmabum

thanks everybody. really good info. please let me pick yer brains some more...

so obviously, without a visa, i'll need a return ticket to be able to even get on the plane and then be allowed in thailand,

but what if I have an open ended return so it doesn't show the return date, which I will choose AFTER i have entered thailand, but BEFORE I go to immigration office to get it extended. does that work? or will they insist the return half of my ticket be prebooked?

The requirement for a ticket out of the country is only very rarely asked for by Thai Immigration Officers. It is the airlines that enforce the 'rule'. A cheap, throwaway Air Asia ticket out of Thailand is all that is required.

If you wish to stay longer than 60 days a tourist visa can be easily obtained from Vientiane or Penang

I bet these budget airlines are making a killing from people buying onward tickets they never use.

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by kharmabum

I bet these budget airlines are making a killing from people buying onward tickets they never use.

I liked thailand the way it was 15 years ago. alot less red tape. I know alot of people on this forum like all the new changes because they think it keeps the rif raf out, but it's getting to the point that legitimate tourists won't want to deal with all the red tape. family registry/translated/notarized by lawyer/certified by government office.

the whole world's gone insane.

Thailand is, despite what you say/think, an easy country to enter and enjoy.

There is often a "history" behind some of these seemingly ridged requirements imposed by Embassy's/Consulates.

I personally know of many "legitimate" tourists who return every year, my son is one and he visits twice a year !

Have you asked the Korean Thai Embassy about issuing a single entry tourist visa ?

i emailed them, hopefuly I get a response. I'm sure they have their reasons for all the rules. And I've had to jump through all these hoops before in korea. I actually had to gather many of the same documants when I got married and applied for permanent residency here. I just never thought I'd have to do it all over again just to get a Thai TOURIST visa!LOL

Edited May 18, 201610 yr by kharmabum

i can get vis free entry for 30 days, but i really wanted to stay longer. can i really extend a 30 day visa free entry for another 30 days? I've been out of the loop for the past 2 years so I'm not up to speed. didn't it used to be possible to extend for only 10 days?

Actually, it was only 7 days. Have a look in the Pinned Topics Section to get back up to speed.

You are the one that is out of date. Since August of 2014 a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry is allowed.

I had a look at the Seoul embassy website and it appears that added in the requirements for the multiple entry tourist visa the failed to include the requirements for a single entry visa. Perhaps you will get an answer to your email.

how do they know ur married? they do not ask that on the visa application form.

i recieved a response from the embassy, the extra documants(family registry and bank book/translated and notarized) is only for the multiple entry tourist visa. They still offer a single entry that costs about 35$(40,000 won) and all you need to apply is a passport, copy of passport, photo, confirmed air ticket. I was confused because their website doesn't have this information or even mention the single entry tourist visa, all their information is about the multiple entry.

I want to thank everybody who responded. Now I know I can extend a 30 day visa free entry for another 30 days,

RE:How do they know you are married?

They can know your residency status to the country in which the embassy is located because that country's visa stamp would appear in your passport.

Edited May 19, 201610 yr by kharmabum