18 replies to this topic

[mildcigar]

I have an opportunity to spend 4-5 months in Thailand (perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity), and need Visa advice. I'm traveling from the States and usually spend just a couple of weeks in Thailand, so I just get a 30 day visa at the airport. From reading the various forums, it looks like that travelers go on a "visa run" every 4 weeks or so. If I understand the visa run process you arrange a minibus in Pattaya and then briefly cross the border then come back. How much do these runs cost. How long do you have to be out of LOS? An hour, day???

Is there an easier way to get say a six month visa?

Any suggestions appreciated.

[luv u long time]

Hey bud. Sounds like you have got a sweet time ahead of you!
You need a multi entry visa and you need to apply for it from your home country.
The Thai Govt had frozen tourist visa fees and I think that is still the case. You just need to pay a small admin fee to your local embassy/consulate in your country for processing the application.
Have a look here for details.
http://www.thaivisa.com/422.0.html
Cheers
LULT

[stew]

i take it you do know if you do a LAND CROSSING you only get 15 day visa's,your better off doing what i do,take a flight to KL,you will get another 30 days again,i have a 1 year visa so i get 90 days even if i do a land crossing but i live 15 minutes from the airport,i drive there park the car 4 to 5 hour round trip and get my new visa stamp,im not paying to go to Pattaya in a taxi or on a bus and i am not spending 10 or so hours on a mini bus with people who may not be people i want to spend 10 hours with,if you get my point,ive heard horror stories of some drunks going there and f**king the whole day up for everyone else.

[stew]

luv.you.long.time, on 25 September 2010 - 10:25 AM, said:

Hey bud. Sounds like you have got a sweet time ahead of you!
You need a multi entry visa and you need to apply for it from your home country.
The Thai Govt had frozen tourist visa fees and I think that is still the case. You just need to pay a small admin fee to your local embassy/consulate in your country for processing the application.
Have a look here for details.
http://www.thaivisa.com/422.0.html
Cheers
LULT

if its the Thai consulate in the UK theres nothing to pay for the admin fees anymore,(90 DAYS MULTI ENTRY IS ALL TOTALLY FREE) but he said hes from the US so as you have said he must check the fees from there,maybe a few bucks but he will get a better deal.

[luv u long time]

stew, on 25 September 2010 - 10:36 AM, said:

if its the Thai consulate in the UK theres nothing to pay for the admin fees anymore,(90 DAYS MULTI ENTRY IS ALL TOTALLY FREE) but he said hes from the US so as you have said he must check the fees from there,maybe a few bucks but he will get a better deal.

Ahh ok that's good news. The reason I said about the admin fee was cos my friend went backpacking this year and applied at the Glasgow Thai consulate and was charged £15 admin fee. Either they have dropped the few or perhaps consulates have their own fee structure to the main embassy??

[stew]

luv.you.long.time, on 25 September 2010 - 10:51 AM, said:

Ahh ok that's good news. The reason I said about the admin fee was cos my friend went backpacking this year and applied at the Glasgow Thai consulate and was charged £15 admin fee. Either they have dropped the few or perhaps consulates have their own fee structure to the main embassy??

i got my brother and his girlfriend one for them to come out with me for a visit in January and they paid the £15 each,got my mate the same in may and it was all free.still charge the £100 for my 1 year visa thou.

they all came from Hull

Edited by stew, 25 September 2010 - 11:00 AM.

[luv u long time]

stew, on 25 September 2010 - 10:58 AM, said:

i got my brother and his girlfriend one for them to come out with me for a visit in January and they paid the £15 each,got my mate the same in may and it was all free.still charge the £100 for my 1 year visa thou.

they all came from Hull

They must be targeting the tourists/visitor market for short burst spending. Quite a smart move (as far as Thai logic goes !!)

[mildcigar]

The problem is I'm not sure I fit any of the categories for the mult. entry visa. Any suggestions. The education visa looked okay, but not sure what I'd study (I'm bad with languages and don't think I do good going to thai language school). Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

Also thanks to someone above, I did not realize that land entry only gave you 15 days.

Thanks all.

[snick]

Get a double entry tourist visa (its free right now)
Before 60 days are up, go to immigration get a 30 days extension 1900 baht
when that expires, leave the country and come back - doesn't matter if by land or air
start the 2nd 60 day cycle, extend that to 90
At the end of that period you will need a new tourist visa, you can go Vientiane, KL or anywhere else with Thai consulate.

[mildcigar]

Thanks, Snick. That seems like a good plan.

[stew]

mildcigar, on 26 September 2010 - 05:40 AM, said:

Thanks, Snick. That seems like a good plan.

it might be worth seeing if you can get the 1 year o visa where you are,google the Thai consulates and see whats near you,give them a call and see,if they are anything like they are in the UK they are very helpful.

at the current exchange rates a 1 year visa costs me 4700 baht in the UK,i dont pay any extra fees when i leave and come back,air or land crossing i get 90 days each time and you can make it last 15 months if you do the runs correctly.

you only need to say you are visiting friends or family dont need to provide proof,ive used this way for over 3 years now,plus you can get a Thai drivers licence and loads of other perks with it.

[mildcigar]

A follow up question. If I just come in on the 30 day visa, and say on Day 29 take a trip via air to vietnam or hong kong, etc. and spend a day or two. Can I come back to Thailand and get another 30 day visa? Is there a limit to the number of times that you can do this? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I just don't quite understand the system yet.

[Beerlao]

does anyone know if hull do a visa for other european countries - ie not UK citizen

It seems they are very good in Hull - also have excellent website

[Bangrock]

I need to fly out, where's the cheapest place to go for a flying visa run? KL?

Edited by Bangrock, 18 November 2010 - 05:03 PM.

[luv u long time]

mildcigar, on 01 October 2010 - 09:47 AM, said:

A follow up question. If I just come in on the 30 day visa, and say on Day 29 take a trip via air to vietnam or hong kong, etc. and spend a day or two. Can I come back to Thailand and get another 30 day visa? Is there a limit to the number of times that you can do this? Sorry if these are dumb questions, I just don't quite understand the system yet.

Perhaps get a multi-entry visa before you go? Its free.
But to answer your Q, from memory, if you walk/drive into Thailand, you'll get a 15 day extension. If you fly in, you'll get a month again.

Bangrock, on 18 November 2010 - 05:02 PM, said:

I need to fly out, where's the cheapest place to go for a flying visa run? KL?

Depends who you fly with and where you fly from. Nok Air seems to be the cheapest, but I reckon its worth going with Thai Air. Just my personal preference.
You can fly to PP Cambo quite cheaply. Similar costs to that of KL. Just depends on where you fancy going really.
If you are in the north and just need a short extension, think about heading over to Mae sai at the Burmese Border over at the Laos borders if you are near there?

[travis bickle]

coolroom, on 09 October 2010 - 09:43 PM, said:

does anyone know if hull do a visa for other european countries - ie not UK citizen

It seems they are very good in Hull - also have excellent website

Ive had an Irish passport done there at Hull-staff very efficient and friendly-got a 6 month multi-entry visa.

[Beerlao]

TB

can you tell us details of how you did your visa at hull ?

did you go there or post it to them.from Ireland or UK?

if you go there do they do it on the spot ??

[travis bickle]

coolroom, on 18 November 2010 - 11:08 PM, said:

TB

can you tell us details of how you did your visa at hull ?

did you go there or post it to them.from Ireland or UK?

if you go there do they do it on the spot ??

hi coolroom-i simply foned the consulate in Hull,told them I wanted an extended stay -approx 5-6 months,they suggested a multi -entry visa.They put the application forms in the post and they arrived next day(i live in uk)

The forms are so simple to fill in-just enclose your passport and 2 fotos (?) and I then sent it registered post(as it was my passport)
I think the consulate fee/everything came to £8.50p........they sent my passport back with visa attached in 3/4 days by registered mail.

If you go there,they do it while you wait,but you have to pay a fee for that as well.

Unless you live in Hull-Do it by mail-its so simple.

[Beerlao]

Many thanks for that, Nice to know they process other European passports there.

I have heard very good things about Hull mostly from Brit expats - excellent service and quick turnaround - also a superb website -

they are probably the best consulate oustide Thailand anywhere in the World

.