Thread: FREE single entry tourist visas until Feb 28th

A week or so ago a press release went out about how the visa on arrival fee for 19 countries was being reduced from 2000baht down to 1000baht.
At that time they also stated single entry tourist visas would be free. However the way the article was written it wasn't clear if they were free for everyone or what.
I couldn't call the thai consulates in Vientiane or Savannakhet because it's a Lao Holiday, BUT I did call the thai consulate in Penang and the officer said tourist visas are free for everyone..

While I am loathe to quote a T/V forum post, here's the low down.
Single Entry Tourist Visas for thailand are free the world over from Dec 1st until Feb 28th next year.
Thailand waives Tourist Visa fee for ALL nationalities - Thailand News - Thailand Forum

Free at Savan.

When I was leaving Mukdahan the immigration counted how many days
I had been in Thailand for the last 12 months. Not yet 180 days. Just because you have a visa doesn't always mean you will be allowed back in to Thailand.

Originally Posted by mikem

Free at Savan.

When I was leaving Mukdahan the immigration counted how many days
I had been in Thailand for the last 12 months. Not yet 180 days. Just because you have a visa doesn't always mean you will be allowed back in to Thailand.

You've been living in thailand for the last 12 months on what? Back-2-back tourist visas and/or visa exempt stamps?

There actually is NO official rule about how many days you can be in thailand on either visa exempt entries OR tourist visas.

It's totally made up at the border crossing you're using. The southern borders are hella hard on it.

You're about the first case I've heard of where the Mukdahan border did that.

^
Sorry, but I only see 19.

Yeah, 19.

And even if there were 20 there wouldn't be any irony.

^ ^^ Yep, I'm wrong.

19 it is then.

May I blame it on the beer?

Originally Posted by mikem

I had been in Thailand for the last 12 months. Not yet 180 days.

How does that work, then?

The thing is that article doesn't explain the whole thing clearly.

They did reduce "visa-on-arrival" fees for those 19 countries from 2000baht back down to 1000baht.
BUT
what wasn't clear in ANY of the engrish press blurbs was that anyone can go to a thai consulate from Dec 1st until Feb 28th and get a 60 day tourist visa for free rather than paying the normal fee of 1000baht.

But I still have to pay the same rip-off price for a damn re-entry visa. And be subject to this antediluvian 90 day reporting system.

Originally Posted by sabang

But I still have to pay the same rip-off price for a damn re-entry visa. And be subject to this antediluvian 90 day reporting system.

That's to give you something to whine about. Oh the humanity...

Originally Posted by sabang

But I still have to pay the same rip-off price for a damn re-entry visa. And be subject to this antediluvian 90 day reporting system.

Sabang, you really can be such a bitch EH.

You spend more money on piss in one night than the cost of the Re-entry permit so your whine is pathetic.

Further more, the 90 day report is so piss easy these day's a retard can do it with his or her eyes closed.

Foking do it on the Net innit.

Further more, it's quite pathetic that tourists or locals bitch about the price of a Visa or Re-entry permit or any other cost associated with visiting and living in this shit house.

Jesus, most of Em after paying the small price of meeting the entry price into Thailand are straight down Nana, hovering up shit loads of Chang and then spending the rest of their change smashing one up Lek the whore.

The Farang Dross Up North spend it on Leo, Lao- kao and servicing slappers up there.

Farang trash bitching about Visa Fees and other small shit like that really are foked innit .

Jesus, It's no wonder Toddly treat you lot like tools.

Back by popular demand...

Tell it as it is Tell !

Originally Posted by toddaniels

Originally Posted by mikem

Free at Savan.

When I was leaving Mukdahan the immigration counted how many days
I had been in Thailand for the last 12 months. Not yet 180 days. Just because you have a visa doesn't always mean you will be allowed back in to Thailand.

You've been living in thailand for the last 12 months on what? Back-2-back tourist visas and/or visa exempt stamps? Yes

There actually is NO official rule about how many days you can be in thailand on either visa exempt entries OR tourist visas.

It's totally made up at the border crossing you're using. The southern borders are hella hard on it.

You're about the first case I've heard of where the Mukdahan border did that.

I have stayed in Laos or Cambodia or Malaysia when I have gone for a visa. Never just go back the same day

Just a heads up;

Savannakhet has long been known as a very "user-friendly" consulate
BUT
there are now reports that they are asking for a hotel booking and proof of finances for people applying for a single entry tourist visa. They are NOT requiring 'proof of onward travel', like the thai consulates in Saigon & Hanoi do.

This appears to have come about because SETV's are free until Feb 28th.

AFAIK; Vientiane is NOT requiring this additional information.

Just to update you: I called the thai consulate in Savannakhet and starting from the 1st of the year (really the 4th when they opened this year) foreigners need to provide proof of financials to the tune of 20K baht AND you need proof of a hotel booking too. The financial requirement can be met in cash, by printing the balance of your thai bank account or the balance of your bank account from your country. Showing a credit card will not work..

As I stated in the previous post the thai consulate in Vientiane is NOT requiring this additional documentation.

There were over 20 people at Savannakhet who were denied single-entry, 60-day tourist visas the other day because they could not meet this new criteria.

Needless to say they were NOT happy campers.

Whilst you're online Tod. What the chances of online reporting being scrapped? It's getting regular being offline.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

What the chances of online reporting being scrapped? It's getting regular being offline.

Just after that new Computer Crimes Bill passed the thai gov't in their finite wisdom decided to take ALL their "extranet" sites offline.

They did this to prevent hackers from doing denial of service attacks and crashing the websites. <- Call it thai logic..

I was able to get a 90 day report to a pending status on Dec 17th, but after that every extranet site that I can find; 90 day reporting, appointment booking for a re-entry permit, online TM.30 reporting for hotels, etc has been offline.

I don't believe they'll scrap the programs, but I think it's gonna be a while before they comes back online..

I'm goin' to Chaengwattana on Tuesday of next week and will wander upstairs to the IT dept, ask about it and report back.

Originally Posted by toddaniels

I'm goin' to Chaengwattana on Tuesday of next week and will wander upstairs to the IT dept, ask about it and report back.

Thanks.

....he financial requirement can be met in cash, by printing the balance of your thai bank account

how many TOURIST'S have thai bank accounts?
PLUS than again;

or the balance of your bank account from your country

how many Backpackers have bank accounts with ( Apx $570)in them

Cash i guess they have....

FWIW: here are the requirements to get a 60 day single entry tourist visa in Savannakhet;

confused..thought visa on arrival was actually visa exempt ?for 30 days so after feb it will cost?and if i wanted to stay in thai for 4 months could i just arrive from uk,get 30 days.then extend 30 days and then do a 30 day border run twice to cambo? i want to visit pp for a week anyway

Originally Posted by farang roach

confused..

You are indeed...

A "visa on arrival" is something SOLD to citizens from 21 countries when the arrive in thailand.

A couple months ago they raised the visa on arrival fees from 1000baht to 2000baht, BUT when the came out with the "free tourist visa promotion" they also reduced visa on arrival fees from 2000baht back down to 1000baht. FWIW: a visa on arrival is good for 15 days and as a rule cannot be extended.

A "visa exempt entry" is something that people from 58 countries (which I will NOT list) get when showing up to thailand without having bought a visa at a thai consulate before hand.. The permission to stay ranges from 90 days down to 14 days, & with 45 countries getting a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp.

The misuse of terminology is what causes so much confusion concerning visa-on-arrival, visa exempt entries & entries on a valid tourist visa.

I already gave you a suggestion to your proposed travel plans in another thread.

Not that anyone asked but this is the list of countries that BUY a visa on arrival when they show up in thailand; Andorra, Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine & Uzbekistan