Visa Report: Taiwan - DENIED

[pjthefey]

No one had posted an update here about getting a visa in Taiwan in years, so I decided to try it.  Unfortunately a lot has changed since the most recent update.

 

We arrived about 9:10 and there was a line wrapped around the outside of the building.  In the end we ended up waiting three hours in queue just to get up to the window, only to be told that we couldn't be issued visas because we left Thailand recently.   I asked what was the window of time that we had to be out of Thailand to get a visa, and she said she didn't know, but her supervisor wouldn't issue a visa if we just left Thailand the day before. 

 

Now we are in a sticky situation.   We've never been given an official warning at airport immigration in BKK, however  we are worried that this could be a first or worse yet could be denied entry all together since we've been getting back to back visas or visa exempt entries for about a year (my passport), and 2 years (my GF's passport).  Right now I'm thinking about booking an extra stop in Hong Kong to get a visa there.  It's just tricky because my GF is from LAos, and I don't know if we can get her a transit visa for HK from Taiwan in the next two days.  What a mess. 

[pjthefey]

More information:

 

If you do get a visa, the turn around time is one day, unlike the three day waiting time on the web site. 

 

Documents required:  Round trip ticket in and out of Thailand (or two one way tickets).  2 inch photo.  They are really picky about head size in the photo.   They  almost refused our photos which were the same ones we used to get our visas in HK. As it turns out, they refused us for leaving Thailand the day before.

 

They asked if I worked in Thailand.   I said no and offered to provide 6 months of bank statements from an American bank to prove it.  They didn't want to see them.

 

Cost is 1200 NTD

 

Overall conclusion, don't bother with Taiwan if your only purpose is to get a visa.   That said I am enjoying the country away from the visa office so far, so it's worth it for that.

 

Hong Kong is a better option IMO due to super short queues, fast turn, and no hassle about documents.   You can pick up your passport the following morning rather than waiting for afternoon.

 

Edited December 21, 2016 by pjthefey

[freedomnow]

Nightmare.

Best to always try the easiest known ones nearby. I just hope this is not rolling out across SE Asia....

[impulse]

Just out of curiosity, how do you prove you don't work in Thailand with bank statements from the USA?

[trigpoint]

Go Phnom Penh Cambodia, your GF will get 2 weeks visa free stay, very easy to get the 60 day tourist visa which is free until end of Feb.

Sent from my B3-A30 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[Gweiloman]

The problem is that you are exactly one of those individuals the government is trying to target, rightly or wrongly.

 

You are obviously not a tourist in the regular sense of the word. Your intention is to stay a lengthy amount of time in Thailand and using the "touristic" option. 

 

You said you are not working in Thailand but you must be doing some kind of work to generate income, unless you are one of the lucky few who lives off trust or investment income. 

 

I am not an American and I'm fairly certain that America would not allow me to live in the US for a signficant period of time on merely a tourist visa, even if I can show proof of funds to finance my stay without having to work.

[pjthefey]

20 minutes ago, impulse said:

Just out of curiosity, how do you prove you don't work in Thailand with bank statements from the USA?

 

 

It's just to show that I have money from the USA and that I have no need to work in Thailand.  If I were working in Thailand, I assume that I would be paid in Baht and need to open a Thai bank account.

[FritsSikkink]

37 minutes ago, pjthefey said:

 

 

It's just to show that I have money from the USA and that I have no need to work in Thailand.  If I were working in Thailand, I assume that I would be paid in Baht and need to open a Thai bank account.

No, you could be working in Thailand for a USA company and getting paid in the USA.

[Asiantravel]

 why do you think you would have been refused a 30 day visa exemption if you had flown in from Taiwan?

[buick]

that is a tough break.  can i ask how old you are ?  the reports of people being denied visas or entry seem to be growing but many reports are from people under 40 yrs of age.  it is more difficult to convince immigration you are not working when you are 'young'.  my hair turned gray when i was 30 and fell out by age 33.  so i didn't have alot of trouble convincing immigration i was retired - i looked it.  and i think they focus on appearance over the age stated in the passport (just an assumption).  if you stay in taiwan a week or more, you would improve your chances on getting a visa exempt at suvarnabhumi (but dmk has not been kind per reports here on TV).  i've been doing a combo of tourist visas and visa exempts and i always stay out of the country at least a week before returning.

[flyingdoc]

Buick is right !  There does seem to be much more hassle at DMK now than Suvarnabhumi, which is a pain, as that is usually the exit and entry point for genuine visits to neighbouring countries  !

[pjthefey]

1 hour ago, buick said:

that is a tough break.  can i ask how old you are ?  the reports of people being denied visas or entry seem to be growing but many reports are from people under 40 yrs of age.  it is more difficult to convince immigration you are not working when you are 'young'.  my hair turned gray when i was 30 and fell out by age 33.  so i didn't have alot of trouble convincing immigration i was retired - i looked it.  and i think they focus on appearance over the age stated in the passport (just an assumption).  if you stay in taiwan a week or more, you would improve your chances on getting a visa exempt at suvarnabhumi (but dmk has not been kind per reports here on TV).  i've been doing a combo of tourist visas and visa exempts and i always stay out of the country at least a week before returning.

 

I'm 36 next month.   Our current travel plan is to stay December 20-25  in Taiwan and then return to BKK,  but I plan to stay longer if an award flight opens up on the 26th or 27th.  No luck so far in flights opening up though.    

 

I'm not so worried about myself not getting in as I am her.    I only have 2 Thai visas and two exempt entries from early this year.   My GF however used to make in and out border runs frequently, and has 6-7 Thai visas.    She hasn't had a visa exempt entry in a while because we've been going to VTE,  and HK for visas still... her passport is nearly full at this point.   NExt time she goes back to Laos she's planning to get a new passport. 

Edited December 21, 2016 by pjthefey

[impulse]

2 hours ago, pjthefey said:

It's just to show that I have money from the USA and that I have no need to work in Thailand.  If I were working in Thailand, I assume that I would be paid in Baht and need to open a Thai bank account.

 

Lots of us work in Thailand (some legally, some not) and have assets (including bank accounts) back home and in other countries.  We can also prove substantial incomes from non Thai sources- enough so we don't have to work in Thailand.  Yet, work we do.  

 

At the end of the day, it's pretty much impossible to prove you're not working in Thailand.  And I'm sure they've seen every trick in the book, so they realize that even legitimate bank documents don't prove the negative.  I suspect that's why they weren't interested in seeing them.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, pjthefey said:

It's just to show that I have money from the USA and that I have no need to work in Thailand.  If I were working in Thailand, I assume that I would be paid in Baht and need to open a Thai bank account.

 

I use a Thai bank-book showing all money transferred-in from overseas.  Unlikely I'd get paid in Thailand, send the money home, then send it back - loosing a huge chunk in fees.  It sounds like this would not have helped in Taiwan, though.  Thanks for the update - I will cross Taiwan off my "potential visa-run" list.

[BuckBee]

Shame as Taiwan genuinely worth a weeks visit and can be a proper travel experience rather than just a visa issue trip .

 

[impulse]

53 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

I use a Thai bank-book showing all money transferred-in from overseas.  Unlikely I'd get paid in Thailand, send the money home, then send it back - loosing a huge chunk in fees. 

 

It doesn't work for Americans, but I know quite a few people who work in Thailand, have their income sent someplace else, then bring it back into Thailand without paying any income tax on it at all- Thailand or back home.  The savings on taxes far exceeds the cost of moving the money.

[seancbk]

3 hours ago, impulse said:

Just out of curiosity, how do you prove you don't work in Thailand with bank statements from the USA?

You show you have sufficient money being paid into your account in the US which means you can afford to live easily in Thailand without working.

You only need to work if you don't have money somewhere else.

 

[impulse]

55 minutes ago, seancbk said:

You show you have sufficient money being paid into your account in the US which means you can afford to live easily in Thailand without working.

You only need to work if you don't have money somewhere else.

 

Proving you don't need to work is far different than proving you don't work.  I could easily prove I don't need to work.  Every expat I work with could prove they have enough to live quite comfortably for the rest of our lives.  Yet we work.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Proving you don't need to work is far different than proving you don't work.  I could easily prove I don't need to work.  Every expat I work with could prove they have enough to live quite comfortably for the rest of our lives.  Yet we work.

 

This is a good point - all we can do is prove it isn't necessary - impossible to "prove a negative" on this question.  And given most folks who are over 50 can also work, this is exactly why the place to enforce labor-laws is at workplaces - not immigration entry-points and consulates.

 

Stiff enforced penalties for working-illegally, mandatory jail-time of 6-months for the first offense, and the perpetrator's sad tales of prison-woe at the top of the news, would put a stop to illegal working very quickly.

[chado]

12 hours ago, trigpoint said:

Go Phnom Penh Cambodia, your GF will get 2 weeks visa free stay, very easy to get the 60 day tourist visa which is free until end of Feb.

 

what 60 days tourist visa? Taiwanese?

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, chado said:

 

what 60 days tourist visa? Taiwanese?

 

Thai. Single entry 60 days, extendable at immigration for a further 30.

[LongTimeLurker]

18 hours ago, trigpoint said:

Go Phnom Penh Cambodia, your GF will get 2 weeks visa free stay, very easy to get the 60 day tourist visa which is free until end of Feb.

Sent from my B3-A30 using Thaivisa Connect mobile app
 

 

Wouldn't she get 60 days being from an ASEAN nation???

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Wouldn't she get 60 days being from an ASEAN nation???

What do you think she would get for being from a a ASEAN nation? There is nothing.

She gets a 30 day visa exempt entry for Thailand due to a bilateral agreement between the 2 countries.

[LongTimeLurker]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

What do you think she would get for being from a a ASEAN nation? There is nothing.

She gets a 30 day visa exempt entry for Thailand due to a bilateral agreement between the 2 countries.

 

You're right of course, I was thinking 30 days but typed 60!!

 

But the post I was replying to said she would only get 2 weeks Visa free entry into Cambodia

Edited December 22, 2016 by LongTimeLurker

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

You're right of course, I was thinking 30 days but typed 60!!

 

But the post I was replying to said she would only get 2 weeks entry into Cambodia

Actually she can get a 30 day visa exempt entry for Cambodia.

See: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/Visa_Exemption_Popup.aspx

[chado]

I've gotten one in HK, this year in July, quite easy. But I've heard there was a crackdown on getting the Taiwanese visa in HK starting this autumn. Any information?

Edited December 22, 2016 by chado

[LongTimeLurker]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Actually she can get a 30 day visa exempt entry for Cambodia.

See: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/Visa_Exemption_Popup.aspx

 

That's what I was trying to say

[pjthefey]

1 hour ago, chado said:

I've gotten one in HK, this year in July, quite easy. But I've heard there was a crackdown on getting the Taiwanese visa in HK starting this autumn. Any information?

 

You mean Thai visa?   Last time I went to HK for a visa was 3 months ago in September and it was super easy.    Where did you hear that there was a crackdown, assuming you meant Thai visa?

[muzmurray]

23 hours ago, pjthefey said:

They asked if I worked in Thailand.   I said no and offered to provide 6 months of bank statements from an American bank to prove it.  They didn't want to see them.

 

Yet this IS work - 

 

pjthefey

Advanced Member

Members

 28

99 posts

ID: 1  Posted May 13, 2015 · Report post

Does anyone know if there is a service to print postage from home with a tracking number like in the USA and some other countries?

I've started selling stuff on eBay with an unexpected level success. I'm worried that daily trips to the post center with 8-15 outgoing items may get me in trouble with immigration. People are already starting to notice and comment when I walk up to the desk "Everyday... So many items..."

It seems like printing postage from home would make everything a bit more discreet.

 Like this

[pjthefey]

Just now, muzmurray said:

 

Yet this IS work - 

 

pjthefey

Advanced Member

Members

 28

99 posts

ID: 1  Posted May 13, 2015 · Report post

Does anyone know if there is a service to print postage from home with a tracking number like in the USA and some other countries?

I've started selling stuff on eBay with an unexpected level success. I'm worried that daily trips to the post center with 8-15 outgoing items may get me in trouble with immigration. People are already starting to notice and comment when I walk up to the desk "Everyday... So many items..."

It seems like printing postage from home would make everything a bit more discreet.

 Like this

 

I haven't done the ebay thing  in almost  a year and a half.   It was something I tried when I arrived, it worked well for a few months then got too competitive so I gave it up.