First time tourist visa run.

[Robiuha]

Good morning guys sorry if topic like this already exist but i couldn't find it so made my own.

Im planing to do my first tourist visa run but i heard that land runs are not possible any more (correct me if i am wrong) 

Currently i am living in Phuket still got 27 days on my visa but need some advice for my first run. Where should i go Malaysia or there is better options? 

Buy the way i need Royal thai embassy because only they can issue me 60 days tourist visa. Consulate can issue me visa to but 30 days max.

Apologies for my broken English :) 

[ubonjoe]

What do you have now? If on a tourist or visa exempt entry you can extend your entry for 30 days at an immigration office for a fee of 1900 baht.

You can still do visa runs by land.

If you want tourist visa that will allow a 60 day entry you could go to the consulate in Penang Malaysia and get one.

It would help to know your nationality to give better answers.

[Robiuha]

I am Lithuanian. Thats why i said i need Royal Thai embassy to get 90 days tourist visa :) For me visa exempt is 15 days only.

[ubonjoe]

17 minutes ago, Robiuha said:

I am Lithuanian. Thats why i said i need Royal Thai embassy to get 90 days tourist visa :) For me visa exempt is 15 days only.

You get a 15 day visa on arrival after applying for it not a visa exempt entry.

You can get a tourist visa at a Thai embassy or consulate.

A single entry tourist visa is valid for 3 months from the date of issue and allows one 60 day entry during those 3 months

If you are on a 60 day entry from a tourist visa you can get a 30 day extension at immigration.

[Robiuha]

I know that i can get extension and i will. But after that im planing to do visa run. So looking for some ideas where is the best place to go.

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, Robiuha said:

I know that i can get extension and i will. But after that im planing to do visa run. So looking for some ideas where is the best place to go.

From Phuket the consulate in Penang Malaysia it best place to go for the visa.

[Robiuha]

Penang is not an option for me because consulate will issue me 30 days visa + 30 days extension.

I need to go to Royal Thai embassy to get 60 days + 30 days extension

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, Robiuha said:

Penang is not an option for me because consulate will issue me 30 days visa + 30 days extension.

I need to go to Royal Thai embassy to get 60 days + 30 days extension

 

Who told you a official Thai consulate will only issue you a transit visa that allows a 30 day entry that cannot be extended. Official Thai consulates can issue the same visas as an embassy.

Perhaps you are confusing honorary Thai consulates with official consulates.

[Robiuha]

Sorry bud, yes it was honorary Thai consulate. So ill be fine in Penang.

[Robiuha]

One more question. I checked Thai consulate in Penang website and there is no info about free tourist visa. I thought tourist visas are free until August.

[ubonjoe]

36 minutes ago, Robiuha said:

One more question. I checked Thai consulate in Penang website and there is no info about free tourist visa. I thought tourist visas are free until August.

There is was an announcement on their website but the link is broken now.

You will get a free tourist visa due to you being from Lithuania.

This the announcement  on a embassy website and it is the same for all embassies and consulates. http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/en/news/announce/detail.php?ID=424 

[csabo]

OP, line up an agent in Penang.  You seem like you could use their assistance although it is not required.  Google search will provide several.

[Saradoc1972]

There is no such thing as a 30 days tourist visa, they are all good for 60 days upon entry. The 15 or 30 days are for visa-exempt entries (i.e. *NO* visa, just a stamp, not extendable apart from special cases as in leaving the country within 7 days [so to speak a formality to play nice with immigration and avoid an overstay stamp; and hospitals probably have their own routines dealing with that]) over land-borders or international airports, different lengths of stay depending on nationality. The over land entries presently seem limited to 2 a calendar year and passport for everybody apart from Malaysia. Or at least that is the last thing I read, might come to see the impracticality of this regime.

 

On top, a list of 9 nationalities, Russians for example, can enter on a visa on arrival (that is a proper visa costing a fee, not just a stamp, just a simpler way of getting a visa), after that. While Lithuania is not on that list because Lithuanians don't get visa-exempt entries as of yet, but can get visa on arrival for 15 days. That can be extended as far as I am aware only in Bangkok, but it's not the kind of visa we are talking about here.

 

So, for starters, visa-exempt entries, visa on arrival, and proper visa are three very different categories to keep apart.

 

Tourist visa come in two flavours recently: Single Entry ("S") for one entry within 90 days for a max of 60 days plus possible extension at the discretion of local immigration, or Multiple Entry, where you can come or go as often as you like for 6 months for 60 days+extension per entry. There will, as things stand, be additional costs for visa for the surrounding countries that see the whole visa business as an income source; apart from Malaysia. If you play your cards (and travels) right, you could stay close to 9 months in Thailand on an "M" tourist visa, i.e. you enter on the last day of the validity the visa states (6 months for "M") for a last glorious 60+30 days.

 

Regrettably, the "M" tourist visa are only issued for nationals of the country the embassy or consulate called upon resides in, they apparently ask for additional paperwork to state you address if your passport is not the right one. A somewhat strange concept for EU-nationals, not being able to do what they do at home in another EU-country, but to my understanding I as a German could not get an "M" visa in, say, Hull, UK.

 

Anyway, I have never been to Malaysia for the purpose of getting a Thai visa, I get my Non-O from either Germany, or hitherto from Phnom Penh or Savannakhet. Process seems to be always the same at the local "fast-track" embassies and consulates, i.e. you cross up in person one fine morning to submit passport, fee, and documents, maybe get asked for one more copy, then return on the next day in the afternoon to collect your hopefully awarded visa. That is still fast-track because at most embassies or consulates you have to make an appointment and they work on the thing for up to 5 weeks or so.  So, usually, you will always have to spend at least two nights in any of those towns to get that visa. Essen, Germany, is brilliant, no appointments and you only wait for half an hour having lunch to get your passport back with the visa.

 

For Cambodia I know there are visa-services anywhere in the towns, i.e. Koh Kong just after the border, Sihanoukville and Kampot, who will charge you some 40$ on top of the visa fee (half of it is for the taxi taking your passport here, or so), if any, so your passport and documents travel to Phnom Penh, where the embassy is, not you. Which is fully legal, providing you left Thailand and got your exit-stamp. If you are in Phnom Penh, you might still use a visa-service to spare you the taxi, hassle, and everything. I suppose the same thing exists in Savannakhet or Vientiane(Laos), or Penang, but those cities are exceptions as they are sitting right on the border or have the consulate/embassy plus airport in town, so the services you might buy here are sort of limited in scope.

 

It's really a calculation of prices for hotels+transportation, and where you want to go; if you want to actually visit a city doing a little tourism. or just want the formalities be over with. E.g. from Koh Kong I would have to travel 6 hours for 8$ on a bus to Phnom Penh and back, get some hotel for at least 2 nights for 25$ or so each, not even a nice one, and some taxis in the city. I have been to Phnom Penh once, not overly interesting after you've done the tourist trail, in Koh Kong I get a decent hotel for 13-15$, so I rather pay the 40$ service fee, stay for 3 nights there, have a shorter way back, no hour-long bus trips, and I don't have to be anywhere in the morning. Or I submit my passport in Koh Kong and do a little travelling with a copy of it. Laos would be 13 hours of a bus-ride from my local Pattaya, which is OK if I split it up and go tourist somewhere in the middle, hotel rates both in Thai and Lao cities round the border are cheap (some 17$), Lao/Cambodia issue visa on arrival for me (think about e-visas: saves a full page of your passport every time, and they won't try to coax some extra money out of you at the border), local expenses are a trifle.

 

Works for me, might work for you in Penang, which appears to be a bit of a treat because is has an airport with cheap fares from BKK or Phuket, no visa-fees for Malaysia, and the consulate is in town. Take up a little courage here, have your paperwork together, you'll be fine. It's not like you are the only one who needs to do this visa-run business.

 

Last tip I read here on this forum: have a copy of your proof of finances, i.e. your Lithuanian or Thai bank-account. They apparently don't care for the 20.000 Baht in cash or traveler cheques. So maybe download your bank statement and have this printed out by some local office. It's what I do, though for me things are much different with my steady income from abroad for retirement-purposes sub-50. And you might need proof of a journey out of Thailand at the end of the stay you are applying for, can be a hotel booked somewhere else, do print out proof of payment for it. Have your paperwork together, it's what fills civil servants with feelings of joy-joy.

[sanemax]

UK PP holders can extend the VES by 30 days at IO , not sure whether that applies to Lithuanians though 

[Saradoc1972]

Just now, sanemax said:

UK PP holders can extend the VES by 30 days at IO , not sure whether that applies to Lithuanians though 

What's a VES? Visa-exempt entry? OP can't get that being Lithuanian, only get's a 15-day visa on arrival unless applying for a proper visa.

[sanemax]

11 minutes ago, Saradoc1972 said:

What's a VES? Visa-exempt entry? OP can't get that being Lithuanian, only get's a 15-day visa on arrival unless applying for a proper visa.

Visa exempt stamp

[ubonjoe]

3 hours ago, Saradoc1972 said:

On top, a list of 9 nationalities, Russians for example, can enter on a visa on arrival (that is a proper visa costing a fee, not just a stamp, just a simpler way of getting a visa), after that. While Lithuania is not on that list because Lithuanians don't get visa-exempt entries as of yet, but can get visa on arrival for 15 days. That can be extended as far as I am aware only in Bangkok, but it's not the kind of visa we are talking about here.

 

Incorrect

Russians get a 30 day visa exempt entry under a bilateral agreement not a visa on arrival. The 15 day visa on arrival is available to those from 19 countries which includes Lithuania. See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/customize/62281-Summary-of-Countries-and-Territories-entitled-for.html

 

[IMA_FARANG]

Not to be picky, but I received a fee free SETV in Hong Kong which I used to enter Thailand on 31 December 2016. That was a 60 day visa which I extended for another 30 days in CW later.

The difference may be that I am a U.S. citizen with a U.S. passport.

The fee for that 30 day extension was 1900 Baht at CW.

Not sure if this would be possible for a Lituhanan National or not.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, IMA_FARANG said:

Not to be picky, but I received a free

That was before March 1st. Only people from the countries that can get a 15 day visa on arrival get free visas until August.

[Saradoc1972]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Incorrect

Russians get a 30 day visa exempt entry under a bilateral agreement not a visa on arrival. The 15 day visa on arrival is available to those from 19 countries which includes Lithuania. See: http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/customize/62281-Summary-of-Countries-and-Territories-entitled-for.html

 

Yes, fully true. Just our two separate statements do not contradict each other.

 

Russians could enter 2 times a year over land borders for visa exempt entry worth 30 days each *plus* then get entry to Thailand, as things stand this week, on any number of visa-on-arrival on top, as I stated. Which is more than I could do as a German. For Russians, that would be 30 days of visa-on-arrival each time then, agreed.

As our OP is Lithuanian, the whole visa exempt plus visa-on-arrival business does not concern him, including the possibility of entering Thailand after two land-border crossings lacking a proper visa. Which he appears to be aware of.

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, Saradoc1972 said:

Russians could enter 2 times a year over land borders for visa exempt entry worth 30 days each *plus* then get entry to Thailand, as things stand this week, on any number of visa-on-arrival on top, as I stated. Which is more than I could do as a German. For Russians, that would be 30 days of visa-on-arrival each time then, agreed.

As our OP is Lithuanian, the whole visa exempt plus visa-on-arrival business does not concern him, including the possibility of entering Thailand after two land-border crossings lacking a proper visa. Which he appears to be aware of.

They get a 30 day visa exempt entry. But they cannot get a 30 day extension of it since it is under a bilateral agreement not the standard visa exempt entry. They are not limited to 2 entries at land borders like those on the standard visa exempt entry scheme are. They do not qualify to apply for a 15 day visa on arrival and pay a 2000 baht fee for it.

 

The OP does qualify for the visa on arrival but wants to stay longer than 15 days so he is getting a tourist visa. He does not qualify for a visa exempt entry.

[Saradoc1972]

On 4/1/2017 at 0:32 PM, ubonjoe said:

Who told you a official Thai consulate will only issue you a transit visa that allows a 30 day entry that cannot be extended. Official Thai consulates can issue the same visas as an embassy.

Perhaps you are confusing honorary Thai consulates with official consulates.

Little difference, still. Does not concern this topic.

 

As of mid-August last year, Honorary Consulates world-wide are not allowed to give you Multiple-Entry Non-Immigrant-O visas, (does NOT concern "retirement-visa", Non-O-A) but General Consulates or Embassies still can. The Honorary Consulates have to ask the true embassies for permission to do that, takes up to 4 weeks upon proper application. My little Honorary Consulate in Essen now, upon phoning them just two weeks ago, has threatened to issue me that nice "M" Non-O visa if I supply them with proper documentation some 4 weeks in advance over email, I just will have to announce myself before popping up there mid-June, no appointment, no nothing. Just my usual spaghetti-alle-vongole in that nice pedestrian precinct over the wait, as always.

[Saradoc1972]

11 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They get a 30 day visa exempt entry. But they cannot get a 30 day extension of it since it under a bilateral agreement not the standard visa exempt entry. They are not limited to 2 at land borders like those on the standard visa exempt entry scheme are. They do not qualify to apply for a 15 day visa on arrival and pay a 2000 baht fee for it.

Yes. Just what I am saying. Russians can enter visa-exempt 30 days a time, just with land borders it is limited to two times a year. Can enter after that on visa on arrival on top, for them it would then be 30 days, each. Seen the queues for that at Koh Kong/Hat Yai for myself. I do not know about extensions on visa-exempt entries, but I trust your expertise on that.

(Link [German], from the Thai Embassy, just what I found researching on this yesterday. Very succinct on the topic, look for "Russland", German for Russia)

 

Clearly states: visa-exempt entries over land or sea borders are limited to two times a years, apart from Malaysians. Full stop. After that, the nine nationalities from Estonia, Liechtenstein, Oman, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Hungary can furthermore enter on a visa on arrival over land borders after that. For which different conditions might apply, and which does not directly concern the topic of the OP trying to get a proper tourist visa.