How Hard To Get A SETV In Penang?

[finy]

I currently have 4 TVs from Phnom Pehn in passport.

 

I was going to get next one in Laos, but I feel like going down to Samui for a few months and Penang would be a lot easier.

 

I've used an agent there in the past, but now you need extra documents.

 

Is it consulate or actual border you need to show money and address? Also, can the money be Thai bankbook or Foreign print out?

 

I've heard they red stamp you even if you've not used them before but have more than 2 TVs. Would this affect visa runs to Laos in future?

 

Cheers

[Essecola]

If you use an agent in Penang they ask for copy of onward ticket and a hotel booking (email copy is fine). I heard people say if u go to the consulate urself then only onward flight copy is needed.

 

It should be easy to get a tourist visa in Penang but with 4 TR stamps already it could be very likely the consulate puts the warning remark on the stamp they give you.

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, finy said:

I currently have 4 TVs from Phnom Pehn in passport.

As this is generally impossible if they are "back-to-back" - perhaps you have spent considerable time out of Thailand between those TR Visas? 

If so, the warning-stamp is less likely, depending on whether the person making the decision is paying attention, and examines the dates.

[finy]

Thanks, doesn't sound as difficult as I've heard. I'll just book one of those flights you can cancel.

 

I guess the money is when you're walking through the actual border. Does it have to be cash, or does bankbook/print out work too?

 

Cheers

[Cletus]

21 minutes ago, finy said:

Thanks, doesn't sound as difficult as I've heard. I'll just book one of those flights you can cancel.

 

I guess the money is when you're walking through the actual border. Does it have to be cash, or does bankbook/print out work too?

 

Cheers

It has to be cash or travel cheque.

[Cletus]

I'm going to Penang next week for a TV, and didn't know about this red stamp issue (would have chosen a different place if I had know, but now ticket is already booked).

All I've got in my passport is a double entry from my country (G7), double entry from Vientiane, single entry from Vientiane, and a METV.

Total 4 TVs in 20 months. Never entered Thailand on visa exempt.

How likely are they going to give me a red stamp?

Because if there's a risk I will not apply for a TV and instead enter from Padang Besar on visa exempt (my passport still has many blank pages I really don't want to get a new one now because of the red stamp).

Please advise about the red stamp issue.

Thanks in advance.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, Cletus said:

I'm going to Penang next week for a TV, and didn't know about this red stamp issue (would have chosen a different place if I had know, but now ticket is already booked).

All I've got in my passport is a double entry from my country (G7), double entry from Vientiane, single entry from Vientiane, and a METV.

Total 4 TVs in 20 months. Never entered Thailand on visa exempt.

How likely are they going to give me a red stamp?

Because if there's a risk I will not apply for a TV and instead enter from Padang Besar on visa exempt (my passport still has many blank pages I really don't want to get a new one now because of the red stamp).

Please advise about the red stamp issue.

Thanks in advance.

 

Start with the assumption you will return with the necessary cash in-hand and proof of your next flight-out, if coming in exempt. 

From there, two questions here:

• Will Penang red-stamp on the first visa from them, based on the presence of visas from other consulates?

I got a red-stamp from Cambodia on my 2nd TR Visa from them in a row, with prior history before the previous PP-TR-Visa showing a transferred-single (from previous passport - but xfer-stamp showed it was a TR-entry), a double-entry TR, and a single-entry TR - none of those from PP. 

Maybe others can report if they ever got a red-stamp on their first visa from a particular consulate, due to the presence of other consulate's visas and/or exempt-entries.

 

• Will Pedang Besar require some time out-of-Thailand before allowing a Visa-Exempt return, these days?  Overnight, or longer?

Some reports they were requiring at least a one-night stay in Malaysia, but not sure what the current situation is.

 

Other thing to consider - do you think there is any consulate which doesn't do the red-stamp, these days?   You are getting close to the end of "passport-life" in visa-get-ability, regardless of remaining pages.

Edited July 31, 2017 by JackThompson

[Cletus]

6 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

 

Start with the assumption you will return with the necessary cash in-hand and proof of your next flight-out, if coming in exempt. 

From there, two questions here:

• Will Penang red-stamp on the first visa from them, based on the presence of visas from other consulates?

I got a red-stamp from Cambodia on my 2nd TR Visa from them in a row, with prior history before the previous PP-TR-Visa showing a transferred-single (from previous passport - but xfer-stamp showed it was a TR-entry), a double-entry TR, and a single-entry TR - none of those from PP. 

Maybe others can report if they ever got a red-stamp on their first visa from a particular consulate, due to the presence of other consulate's visas and/or exempt-entries.

 

• Will Pedang Besar require some time out-of-Thailand before allowing a Visa-Exempt return, these days?  Overnight, or longer?

Some reports they were requiring at least a one-night stay in Malaysia, but not sure what the current situation is.

Thank you Jack for your quick response.

I will have the required cash and the flight out with me, and will spend one week in Penang.

My problem is I was not aware that Penang can red-stamp me on the first visa from them, based on the presence of TVs from other consulates. 

I would find this very weird, especially if I think that 2 of my 4 TVs were obtained in my own country.

 

Cheers

[JackThompson]

11 hours ago, finy said:

I've heard they red stamp you even if you've not used them before but have more than 2 TVs.

 

12 minutes ago, Cletus said:

My problem is I was not aware that Penang can red-stamp me on the first visa from them, based on the presence of TVs from other consulates

 

I think this was first reported in this post:

On 7/15/2017 at 11:30 PM, ashnad836 said:

currently has 2 used tourist visas (1 from penang and one from hcmc) both with extensions and 1 exemption with extension for a total of 224 days in country in the last 365. this passport also has an unused tourist visa issued in penang valid for entry until August 24th 2017. 

 

at the time I got this visa in penang it came back with the red stamp (this person travels frequently etc). for this reason and having just exited after 2 months here a few days earlier I decided not to use the T visa and came back on an exemption on passport B so currently the last exit stamp from Thailand is 2 months ago .

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/992664-safest-visa-option-question-this-one-maybe-a-bit-complicated/
 

No way to say if they will do this in your case - but you have a longer TR-Visa history in your passport than that poster did.  I got one in Vientiane after a visa-exempt with 7-mo out of Thailand just before that exempt.  Sometimes, they just count 'em up.  The question is who will give you one without the red-stamp, given that TR-history, these days?    Maybe HCMC?

If going to Penang for a week, anyway - I would ask the agents, since they see more passports and would have the best idea of current policy.  Then decide if you think you can get more life out of the passport with some other trips - Hong Kong, HCMC, etc - by skipping a Penang TR Visa, this time.

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Cletus said:

Please advise about the red stamp issue.

With your history of tourist visas (some of them from home country, and gaps) I think it very unlikely that you will be saddled with a red stamp from Penang. That is not one of the most "red stamp happy" locations.

[Cletus]

On 7/31/2017 at 0:19 PM, Cletus said:

I'm going to Penang next week for a TV, and didn't know about this red stamp issue (would have chosen a different place if I had know, but now ticket is already booked).

All I've got in my passport is a double entry from my country (G7), double entry from Vientiane, single entry from Vientiane, and a METV.

Total 4 TVs in 20 months. Never entered Thailand on visa exempt.

How likely are they going to give me a red stamp?

Because if there's a risk I will not apply for a TV and instead enter from Padang Besar on visa exempt (my passport still has many blank pages I really don't want to get a new one now because of the red stamp).

Please advise about the red stamp issue.

Thanks in advance.

 

UPDATE

 

Got my first TV in Penang, used Jim's services, for just 40 ringgit you avoid the hassle of taxi and cue at the Consulate, and he can advise on your visa situation. I recommend it.

A ticket out and a hotel booking are required (I had already with me).

Entered Thailand in Satun, by ferry from Langkawi, it's a nice place to spend few days.

At Immigration arriving in Thailand all I had to show was just my passport (arrival and departure cards of course).

Everything went smooth.

 

Cheers

[Matt199]

I figured I can piggy back on this topic, just one question

 

-> what are the official requirements for SETV from Penang? I checked their site at http://www.thaiembassy.org/penang but the link under services/visa directs me to http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/services/1287 which doesn't provide Penang specific requirements (as opposed to Phnom Penh and Vientiane sites which have them laid out nicely)

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

I figured I can piggy back on this topic, just one question

 

-> what are the official requirements for SETV from Penang? I checked their site at http://www.thaiembassy.org/penang but the link under services/visa directs me to http://www.consular.go.th/main/th/services/1287 which doesn't provide Penang specific requirements (as opposed to Phnom Penh and Vientiane sites which have them laid out nicely)

You will need to show a ticket out of the country and proof of accommodations here to to apply for it.

At one time Penang had a PDF file for their requirements but they took it down when the redid their website. I have a copy but it is out of date for tourist visa applications.

[Matt199]

Ah, ok. I sent them an e-mail asking but no reply yet... so:

1. no need for any financial proof?

2. shall 7-day accommodation suffice? (booking.com) atm I'm staying in a condo, but the rental agreement is under someone else

 

 

[BritTim]

54 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Ah, ok. I sent them an e-mail asking but no reply yet... so:

1. no need for any financial proof?

2. shall 7-day accommodation suffice? (booking.com) atm I'm staying in a condo, but the rental agreement is under someone else

 

 

1. No

2. Yes