US tourist visa confusion -can you help?

**king of uranus** · 25-09-2006, 05:58 AM

My buddy explained his experience, and I searched the forum -but I still have a question;

Info from Royal Thai Consulate General , Los Angeles
Period of stay;
Travelers with this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for a
period not exceeding 60 days at any time.The period begins on the date you arrive in Thailand.

The visa fee is $ 25 per entry. (No multiple entry)

.........................................
My buddy informed me that you can have multiple re-entries, which is contradicted by the info in parenthesis.
I downloaded the form and it has a blank for how many re-entries you want to pay/apply for. Is that an old form? Is it true, no multiple entries -60 days and out?

**Marmite the Dog** · 25-09-2006, 10:28 AM

If they issue you a double, triple or quadruple entry, then you can use them. If you leave Thailand, your current visa is used up and the next one will start on your return. Towards the end of any 60day period you can go to your local, friendly immigration office and extend it for a further 30 days for 1,900Baht.

**king of uranus** · 26-09-2006, 10:05 AM

Thanks Marmite the Dog, I should just try for 4 entries and hope for the best before booking our flights I guess. It sounds like if the consulate doesn't grant all entries requested you can still try/gamble in Thailand.

It'll all change before I get a chance do that anyway
Oh hell, It'll probably change again before I even get used to all the damn terms!!!

watterinja · 26-09-2006, 10:08 AM

Has anything changed after the coup - for visas, at least?

**king of uranus** · 26-09-2006, 10:17 AM

Royal Thai Consulate website seems the same. Some borders were closed for visa runners. The stranded ones in Mayanmar are being let back in.

The question is good, in the near to mid term. I bet the new government will do "something" even if to just undo something Thaksinner did.

**aging one** · 26-09-2006, 01:58 PM

My local 7/11 has uncovered the smokes, now lets see if they will let me buy a beer at 4pm.

**Marmite the Dog** · 26-09-2006, 08:26 PM

^ And?

**DrAndy** · 27-09-2006, 02:11 PM

I actually applied for a visa the day of the coup, so that evening the news was all about Thailand

The visa takes two days to process, but it seemed everywhere in Thailand was closed on the next day

The consulate here did not close and gave me my passport back when promised

**friscofrankie** · 27-09-2006, 04:03 PM

Everything I have "heard" abut the LA consulate indicates this is not the best place to apply for a mulitple entry Tourist or Non-Immigrant Visa. I have no no experience and can only relate heresay and rumor. Maybe one of the other 'merikans can confirm or deny these allegations?

**buadhai** · 27-09-2006, 04:24 PM

I had heard the same thing when I was applying for a multi O-A at the beginning of 2005. I ended up doing it by mail with the Huston, Texas consulate. It went very smoothly except for a FedEx mess up.

I suspect that the "honorary" consulates make some coin based on how much business they do, so they are more likely be less vigilant about crossed T's and dotted I's than would one of the official consulates.

**man with no head** · 29-09-2006, 03:40 PM

Interesting, I should be able to add to this in a few months.

**king of uranus** · 30-09-2006, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by surasak

Interesting, I should be able to add to this in a few months.

Well are you going to the Tahuya consulate? LOL

The changes coming after Sunday may be interesting. But I would still send the app somewhere besides LA unless I get info that LA is just peachy.
I hear you can get multiple rear entries at the San Fransico consulate.

I'm just sayin'...

**man with no head** · 30-09-2006, 01:53 PM

If LA is being pissy about visas and such then yes the HOWS-TON

consulate might be better. I need to get a Thai passport and birth certificate for my son.

**friscofrankie** · 30-09-2006, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by surasak

Interesting, I should be able to add to this in a few months.

isn't there an "Honorary" Consulate in Portland?

**man with no head** · 30-09-2006, 02:17 PM

There is and I haven't been able to get the wife to call them to find out if they handle such here.

**buadhai** · 30-09-2006, 02:18 PM

ROYAL THAI CONSULATE-GENERAL
121 S.W. SALMON STREET, SUITE 1430
PORTLAND, OR 97204-2924
Tel : (503) 221-0440
Fax : (503) 221-0550
E-mail : [email protected]
Honorary Consul, Mr. Nicholas J. Stanley

**man with no head** · 30-09-2006, 02:29 PM

Gracias. I know they handle visas but I don't think they handle passports and other Thai legal matters.

**man with no head** · 10-10-2006, 11:31 PM

Yep, confirmed, if you want to deal with Thai national legal matters in the U.S. the honorary consulates can't help.

**DFCarlson** · 26-11-2006, 01:24 AM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

If they issue you a double, triple or quadruple entry, then you can use them. If you leave Thailand, your current visa is used up and the next one will start on your return. Towards the end of any 60day period you can go to your local, friendly immigration office and extend it for a further 30 days for 1,900Baht.

I think that there may be a confusion regarding the visa "use by" date and the permission to stay date stamped in your passport when you arrive. My understanding of this situation is:

When the Embassy or Consulate issues you a visa it will have a visa "use by" date on it. You must arrive in Thailand before this date or your visa will expire. When you arrive in Thailand you will be stamped in with a permission to stay date which is 60 days after the date you arrive at the BKK airport.

If you have a single entry visa and you need to leave Thailand and return before your permission to stay date has passed, you can go to immigration and get a single (or multiple) permission to re-enter and you will be OK as long as you return to Thailand before your permission to stay date has passed.

If you have a multiple entry visa you can leave and return as many times as you need without a permission to re-enter up to the number of entries allowed, but you have to be sure to return to Thailand before your visa "use by" date has passed. If you plan to return after your visa "use by" date but before the permission to stay date has passed, you will still need a permission to re-enter.

When you go to immigration to "extend your visa" you are reallly extending your permission to stay date and the above rules still apply.

It may be the case (I am not sure) that each time you return to LOS on a multiple entry visa before the "use by" date has expired you will be stamped in for a new 60 day period. Can someone offer help with this point? (The reason for this question is that I know that if you have a multiple entry one year non-immigrant O-A visa and you leave and return before the "use by" date you will be stamped in for a new one year period each time.)

I think that nothing in the realm of immigration and visa rules is really simple in Thailand!

**dirtydog** · 26-11-2006, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by DFCarlson

If you have a multiple entry visa you can leave and return as many times as you need without a permission to re-enter up to the number of entries allowed,

On a multi Non Immigrant "O" visa there is no limit on the entries allowed, apart from the visa is only valid for 12 months, so you can come and go as many times as you want during that 12 months validity, obviously if you come on the 11 month and 30 day of your visa you will be allowed to stay another 90 days, this you can then extend for another 30 days or apply for a yearly extension if you fit the criteria.

**RDN** · 26-11-2006, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by DFCarlson

I think that there may be a confusion ...

Excellent summary DFC.

Can't help with your question though, I'm afraid. I had a single entry O-A visa valid for only 3 months, but the re-entry permits and annual extensions keep my "stay" here permitted.

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