Kap Choeng Immigration Update.

[Nobby]

I think they were not happy doing tourist visa extensions, as they suggested I go over the boarder for such extension. Anyway. All my anger soon turned to amusement at the insanity of it all.

Best way. The minute you think you have everything covered and all copies/original docs req'd, it feels like someone changes the goalposts.

As you say, live with it and be happy you are not in a cold miserable country.

[smoooth2]

Well just got back home after a trip to KCI. All I wanted was to extend my tourist visa from 30 days to 60. Seemed fairly easy and straight forward, only to be told I required my marriage certificate and blue home book. WTF. I said I wasn't after a married retirement visa only to extend my tourist visa...anyway these are now the rules apparently.....what if I wasn't married??

All worked out in the end after the wife went to the amphor next door and requested copies of both marriage cert and proof of blue home book. So back to the KCI where I was told if I had 400,000 in a bank account I could apply and likely receive a retirement visa, which by the way I will be ready to do in about a year or 2 as I and the wife work 9 months a year in Australia.

And tea money was also demanded. What should have been a 2 hour round trip finished up 6 hours... So beware

Thomas ... I'm a bit curious why your Tourist Visa was only 30 days in the first place ?

All of my Tourist Visas have been 60 days ... which can be extended to 90 days.

The VOA is a 30 day visa ... which supposedly cannot be extended unless on medical grounds

[nookiebear]

Well just got back home after a trip to KCI. All I wanted was to extend my tourist visa from 30 days to 60. Seemed fairly easy and straight forward, only to be told I required my marriage certificate and blue home book. WTF. I said I wasn't after a married retirement visa only to extend my tourist visa...anyway these are now the rules apparently.....what if I wasn't married??

All worked out in the end after the wife went to the amphor next door and requested copies of both marriage cert and proof of blue home book. So back to the KCI where I was told if I had 400,000 in a bank account I could apply and likely receive a retirement visa, which by the way I will be ready to do in about a year or 2 as I and the wife work 9 months a year in Australia.

And tea money was also demanded. What should have been a 2 hour round trip finished up 6 hours... So beware

You can normally get up to a 14 day extension on your VOA by showing proof of your flight home & paying 1,900baht

[Thomas]

Well just got back home after a trip to KCI. All I wanted was to extend my tourist visa from 30 days to 60. Seemed fairly easy and straight forward, only to be told I required my marriage certificate and blue home book. WTF. I said I wasn't after a married retirement visa only to extend my tourist visa...anyway these are now the rules apparently.....what if I wasn't married??

All worked out in the end after the wife went to the amphor next door and requested copies of both marriage cert and proof of blue home book. So back to the KCI where I was told if I had 400,000 in a bank account I could apply and likely receive a retirement visa, which by the way I will be ready to do in about a year or 2 as I and the wife work 9 months a year in Australia.

And tea money was also demanded. What should have been a 2 hour round trip finished up 6 hours... So beware

Thomas ... I'm a bit curious why your Tourist Visa was only 30 days in the first place ?

All of my Tourist Visas have been 60 days ... which can be extended to 90 days.

The VOA is a 30 day visa ... which supposedly cannot be extended unless on medical grounds

Smooth.
Yes it was a 30 day visa on arrival, I wasn't aware it couldn't be extended unless on medical grounds. Maybe KCI were correct after all. Next year it will be the married retirement visa for me...

[Starman]

VOA can be extended for 7 days without any supporting documents. The cost is 1900 baht.

If you are married you can apply for a 60 day extension, and the cost is also 1900 baht.

KCI helped you out, by the look of things.

As you are married, and looks like you stay in Thailand for about 3 months, then why not apply for an O visa, based on marriage, at a consulate in Australia. That would give you a 90 day stay.

[Thomas]

VOA can be extended for 7 days without any supporting documents. The cost is 1900 baht.

If you are married you can apply for a 60 day extension, and the cost is also 1900 baht.

KCI helped you out, by the look of things.

As you are married, and looks like you stay in Thailand for about 3 months, then why not apply for an O visa, based on marriage, at a consulate in Australia. That would give you a 90 day stay.
Thanks Starman...KCI good...I'm wrong

[Thomas]

And this from Thaivisa....looks like I have learnt a valuable lesson.

It doesn't look like you had a tourist visa. Sounds like you had a visa on arrival stamp from the airport. If that is the case then you cannot just extend by 30 days for no reason. You can however get a 60 day extension for reasons of marriage. For that you need the documents that KCI asked for. That has been a rule for a long time. You could have got 7 days with no documents. The price for either would be 1900 baht.
 
If you have a tourist visa then you would have received 60 days on entry. That can then be extended, without documents, by 30 days. Price 1900 baht.
 
Seems like you went unprepared and KCI pointed you in the right direction.

[smoooth2]

And this from Thaivisa....looks like I have learnt a valuable lesson.

It doesn't look like you had a tourist visa. Sounds like you had a visa on arrival stamp from the airport. If that is the case then you cannot just extend by 30 days for no reason. You can however get a 60 day extension for reasons of marriage. For that you need the documents that KCI asked for. That has been a rule for a long time. You could have got 7 days with no documents. The price for either would be 1900 baht.
 
If you have a tourist visa then you would have received 60 days on entry. That can then be extended, without documents, by 30 days. Price 1900 baht.
 
Seems like you went unprepared and KCI pointed you in the right direction.

'

A very sensible response from Thai Visa ... and verifys the replies from BE guys. It's a minefield, and takes a long time for relative newbies like myself, to figure out how to best work the system. It's still a work in progress, but I'm getting the hang of it now.

The guys that have been here for years are hugely valuable sources of info for us newcomers.

I have to say, the VOA in Thailand is fantastic. All credit to Thailand for this simple, no fuss free entry into the country for 30 days. Little wonder they get 22 million visitors, spending invaluable $$$ whilst here.

In April I'm going back to Oz for a bit. Thought it would be nice to take my TGF ... introduce her to my family, show her the sights, give her a holiday that she could never afford on her own, she's never been beyond BKK. You know what I mean.

I've never seen a girl so genuinely excited. Anyway ... let's get a Visa first.

VOA in Australia ?? haha ... the simplest Australian Visitor Visa for her to come with me for a 4-5 week holiday is 5400 baht and 14 pages of application forms !!    Are you shitting me ??  It's embarrassing. They wanted bank books, birth certificates (even though they have her Passport), letter of employment, letter of invitation from an Aussie, copies of her house book. They may ask her to prove that she has Travel Health Insurance and return flights organised, even though her Visa application is no certain gimme. She may also need a full medical exam in Thailand, at Immigration's discretion !!

I acknowledge that Oz Immigration is trying to sort the wheat from the chaff, but a free VOA would be wonderful. Would certainly encourage more inbound visitors, and with the Oz $$ being so strong at the moment, an Aust holiday is expensive for overseas people.

So ... next time we have a little whinge at Thai visa requirements, think about the ridiculous hoops that Thai's must jump through to get a simple Visitor Visa to Aust, UK, USA etc etc. 

I'm sure some of you have been through this already, and know exactly what I'm on about here.

[DeputyDavid]

Tourist Visa to USA is nearly non existant.  However, if you are from mexico, just swim!

[CO-CO]

And this from Thaivisa....looks like I have learnt a valuable lesson.

It doesn't look like you had a tourist visa. Sounds like you had a visa on arrival stamp from the airport. If that is the case then you cannot just extend by 30 days for no reason. You can however get a 60 day extension for reasons of marriage. For that you need the documents that KCI asked for. That has been a rule for a long time. You could have got 7 days with no documents. The price for either would be 1900 baht.
 
If you have a tourist visa then you would have received 60 days on entry. That can then be extended, without documents, by 30 days. Price 1900 baht.
 
Seems like you went unprepared and KCI pointed you in the right direction.

Part of the challenge is understanding the terminology.

In this case it was not a Visa on Arrival (see below) it was a visa exempt entry of 30 days (15 days over land).

Have just gone through the exercise of getting the missus a UK visa, for a one month holiday, you appreciate how good the 30 day visa exemption for Thailand is. As Steve pointed out, a 12 month Non-Immigrant 'O' visa will give you permission  to stay in the kingdom for 90 days. You can squeeze a 15 month stay by careful border run planning.

The next level is to apply for an extension of that permission to stay by virtue of marriage or retirement.

Personally, it suits me to have a 12 month Non-O visa  because I regularly visit neighbouring countries. It also means that I do not have to kow tow to immigration with the extension application or 90 day address reporting. It works for me because, at the moment, I go back to the UK once a year and get a new Non-Immigrant 'O' each time I go back.


VISA ON ARRIVAL    
     
     - According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements, passport holders from 28 countries and territories may apply for visas at the immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days.
     - The applicant must possess means of living expenses at the amount of 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family accordingly.
     - The applicant must possess a passport with at least six-month validity and must present full paid ticket which is usable within 15 days since the date of entry
     - Visa on arrival is provided at 24 designated international checkpoints and applicants should submit the application form duly filled out and to which his/her recent photograph (4 x 6 cm) is attached. The application fee is 1,000 Baht.
     

- Visitors who enter the Kingdom with Visa on Arrival generally cannot file an application for extension of stay except in special cases such as illness which prevents them from travelling, etc. They can submit an application at the Office of Immigration Bureau , Immigration Division 1, Government Center B, Chaengwattana Soi 7, Laksi, Bangkok 10210. Tel 0-2141-9889 or at website http://www.immigration.go.th
     

List of countries and territories is as follows :

1. Bhutan : Kingdom of Bhutan
2. China : People’s Republic of China
3. Cyprus : Republic of Cyprus
4. Czech : Czech Republic
5. Estonia : Republic of Estonia
6. Hungary : Republic of Hungary
7. India : Republic of India
8. Kazakhstan : Republic of Kazakhstan
9. Latvia : Republic of Latvia
10. Liechtenstein : Principality of Liechtenstein
11. Lithuania : Republic of Lithuania
12. Maldives : Republic of Maldives
13. Mauritius : Republic of Mauritius
14. Oman : Sultanate of Oman
15. Poland : Republic of Poland
16. Russian Federation
17. Saudi Arabia : Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
18. Slovakia : Slovak Republic
19. Slovenia : Republic of Slovenia 
20. Uzbekistan
21. Ukraine
22. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 
23. Taiwan
24. Bulgaria
25. Andorra
26. Malta
27. Romania
28. San Marino

[mike]

Have just gone through the exercise of getting the missus a UK visa, for a one month holiday, you appreciate how good the 30 day visa exemption for Thailand is. Marino

Just to clarify did you mean an EAA family permit rather than a UK Visa ? - This is what my wife gets when we go to the UK. It's free (albeit you have to pay the agency and still complete what seems like a monster document) and valid for 6 months and logically cannot be refused.

Mike

[CO-CO]

Have just gone through the exercise of getting the missus a UK visa, for a one month holiday, you appreciate how good the 30 day visa exemption for Thailand is. Marino

Just to clarify did you mean an EAA family permit rather than a UK Visa ? - This is what my wife gets when we go to the UK. It's free (albeit you have to pay the agency and still complete what seems like a monster document) and valid for 6 months and logically cannot be refused.

Mike

Sorry Mike - terminology again !!  The missus is my GF - we are not married - and she needed to get a general visitor visa.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

 About time you made an honest woman of the GF Co-Co! Mrs Co-Co sounds better than Mrs MV!     

[Thomas]

And this from Thaivisa....looks like I have learnt a valuable lesson.

It doesn't look like you had a tourist visa. Sounds like you had a visa on arrival stamp from the airport. If that is the case then you cannot just extend by 30 days for no reason. You can however get a 60 day extension for reasons of marriage. For that you need the documents that KCI asked for. That has been a rule for a long time. You could have got 7 days with no documents. The price for either would be 1900 baht.
 
If you have a tourist visa then you would have received 60 days on entry. That can then be extended, without documents, by 30 days. Price 1900 baht.
 
Seems like you went unprepared and KCI pointed you in the right direction.

'

A very sensible response from Thai Visa ... and verifys the replies from BE guys. It's a minefield, and takes a long time for relative newbies like myself, to figure out how to best work the system. It's still a work in progress, but I'm getting the hang of it now.

The guys that have been here for years are hugely valuable sources of info for us newcomers.

I have to say, the VOA in Thailand is fantastic. All credit to Thailand for this simple, no fuss free entry into the country for 30 days. Little wonder they get 22 million visitors, spending invaluable $$$ whilst here.

In April I'm going back to Oz for a bit. Thought it would be nice to take my TGF ... introduce her to my family, show her the sights, give her a holiday that she could never afford on her own, she's never been beyond BKK. You know what I mean.

I've never seen a girl so genuinely excited. Anyway ... let's get a Visa first.

VOA in Australia ?? haha ... the simplest Australian Visitor Visa for her to come with me for a 4-5 week holiday is 5400 baht and 14 pages of application forms !!    Are you shitting me ??  It's embarrassing. They wanted bank books, birth certificates (even though they have her Passport), letter of employment, letter of invitation from an Aussie, copies of her house book. They may ask her to prove that she has Travel Health Insurance and return flights organised, even though her Visa application is no certain gimme. She may also need a full medical exam in Thailand, at Immigration's discretion !!

I acknowledge that Oz Immigration is trying to sort the wheat from the chaff, but a free VOA would be wonderful. Would certainly encourage more inbound visitors, and with the Oz $$ being so strong at the moment, an Aust holiday is expensive for overseas people.

So ... next time we have a little whinge at Thai visa requirements, think about the ridiculous hoops that Thai's must jump through to get a simple Visitor Visa to Aust, UK, USA etc etc. 

I'm sure some of you have been through this already, and know exactly what I'm on about here.

Cheers Smooth,
Good luck with the TGFs holiday visa app. Should be fairly straight forward for a 3 month stay.
Went through it all back in 2005, then the visa was approved in less than 4 days from memory, didn't even need a return ticket. Things have changed a bit since, and the tgf was the Thai wife in my case....This is the year she will sit the exam for citizenship.

[urleft]

Tourist Visa to USA is nearly non existant.  However, if you are from mexico, just swim!

You have that right.  I am 2 years into working to get my TG a fiance' visa, and still no joy.   So I don't complain about Thailand immigration, wish the US would take some lessons from them.