E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

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Gaybutton
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E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Gaybutton »

The article says "non-immigrant O visa (visiting friends and family)" can be applied for using this system. I am confused about what it doesn't say - whether that is the same O visa, with the same rules, available in Thailand as the retirement visa or whether it is something different, such as the O-A visa or something else.

I think we're going to need reliable clarification about that before people can assume this is the same as the O retirement visa, especially since retirement is not even mentioned in the article. If anyone checks into this, please let us know what you find out and what your information source is.
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Thailand e-Visa online application service now available in 38 cities worldwide

By Tanakorn Panyadee

7 December, 2022

Thailand is now offering e-Visa online application service at Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General in 38 cities in 23 countries worldwide.

Designed to streamline the application process for a visa to Thailand, the e-Visa website is located at https://www.thaievisa.go.th/

The Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General that are offering the e-Visa service are in:

United Kingdom: London

Europe: Athens (Greece), Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich (Germany), Bern (Switzerland), Brussels (Belgium), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain), Oslo (Norway), Paris (France), Prague (Czech Republic), Rome (Italy), Stockholm (Sweden), The Hague (Netherlands), Vienna (Austria), and Warsaw (Poland)

USA: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Canada: Ottawa and Vancouver

China: Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kunming, Nanning, Qingdao, Xiamen, and Xian

South Korea: Seoul

The types of visas that can be applied for are a tourist visa, business and investor visa, non-immigrant ED visa (study), non-immigrant O visa (visiting friends and family), transit visa, long-stay visa, smart visa, non-immigrant F (government or diplomatic mission), diplomatic visa/official visa, and long term resident visa.

Applicants can apply and pay for their visa through the e-Visa website, and if approved, receive the visa by e-mail.

The website offers search functions for the user to find out if they require a tourist visa for Thailand, whether they are eligible to apply online for a visa, and which visa type to apply for.

There is a User Manual guide and videos in English and Chinese language providing details on the visa application process.

For more information, contact:
Department of Consular Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tel: +66 (0) 2572-8442

Story and graphics: https://tpnnational.com/2022/12/07/42981/
Jun

Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Jun »

I applied for and got a non immigrant O visa in 2021, via the e-visa route. 90 day.
This year I got a 60 day tourist e-visa, as I plan to visit a neighbouring country after 60 days.

Since there is nothing to post, the only thing that would stop me from applying from anywhere in the world would be a location check. Admittedly they ask for a flight number as well.
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Gaybutton »

Jun wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 6:58 pm I applied for and got a non immigrant O visa in 2021, via the e-visa route. 90 day.
In that case I wonder why they are calling a 90 day visa an O visa instead of calling it something else. Maybe they just enjoy creating unnecessary confusion.

I wonder if getting that 90 day O visa would make it any easier to get the true O retirement visa once in Thailand.

Ok, then now we know the only way to get the O retirement visa still is to get it at an immigration office within Thailand.
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by bkkguy »

Gaybutton wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:34 am The article says "non-immigrant O visa (visiting friends and family)" can be applied for using this system. I am confused about what it doesn't say - whether that is the same O visa, with the same rules, available in Thailand as the retirement visa or whether it is something different, such as the O-A visa or something else.
the "non-immigrant O visa" is available for a number of reasons not covered by other visa classes, hence the "O", and the rules for issuing in the past have sometimes differed between embassies and consulates (Foreigm Ministry) and the Immigration Police (Interior Ministry) - for example the consulate in Sydney aways used to claim that "retirement" was not a valid reason for them to issue a non-immigrant O visa, but "retirement extensions" were a valid reason for the Immigration Police in Thailand to issue such a visa, but the consulate did offer the "retirement" non-immigrant O-A visa instead, a completely different concept!

if you need to know the acceptable reasons for your local embassy or consulate to issue a non-immigrant O visa - e or otherwise - you need to consult them or get info from someone who has applied recently

once you arrive in Thailand on a non-immigrant O or other visa issued overseas, or visa exempt, and have a permission to stay, the rules governing the extension of that permission to stay, eg for reasons of retirement or just a short extension of a holiday or other reasons, are under the control of the Immigration Police, so you would need to consult them (or a someone who has recently done exactly what you are trying to do) as to whether your visa status will allow such extensions or whether you need to change your visa class or get a new visa issued by the Immigration Police in Thailand.

I know you think this distinction between visa class and extension of permission to stay is all petty pedantics GB. but when you understand the concepts you start to know what questions to ask, and who to ask them to, and how to interpret info provided by people who have different objectives to what you are trying to achieve!
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by bkkguy »

Gaybutton wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:03 pm
Jun wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 6:58 pm I applied for and got a non immigrant O visa in 2021, via the e-visa route. 90 day.
In that case I wonder why they are calling a 90 day visa an O visa instead of calling it something else. Maybe they just enjoy creating unnecessary confusion.
I don't see any confusion here - what was the reason Jun gave then for applying for this visa class? and did he try to do an extension of stay in Thailand?
Gaybutton wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:03 pm I wonder if getting that 90 day O visa would make it any easier to get the true O retirement visa once in Thailand.

Ok, then now we know the only way to get the O retirement visa still is to get it at an immigration office within Thailand.
nothing in jun's post has anything to do with the questions you raise here, again see my post above - get to grips with the concepts!
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Gaybutton »

bkkguy wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 8:34 pm I know you think this distinction between visa class and extension of permission to stay is all petty pedantics GB.
Yes, that is precisely what I think. If there is a point to all of this complexity, I fail to see it. In all my years in Thailand I have never heard of anyone ever -ever- being issued an O visa unless it was the retirement visa. Have you? Has anyone reading this ever heard of an O visa that was anything other then the retirement visa?

It seems very simple to me. Just give this 90 day visa a different name so there won't be any confusion. Now I won't be surprised if we hear about people who were issued this 90 day O visa thinking they were issued the same as the retirement visa and after several months in Thailand finding themselves arrested for overstay.

If that happens, don't expect any sympathy from immigration. I remember the story about the farang who was living perfectly legally in Thailand under the O retirement visa. He planned a trip to Laos. He went to immigration to buy the reentry permit. The officer he spoke with told him he doesn't need a reentry permit when going to Laos. WRONG!

When he returned to Thailand he had no idea that now because he had no reentry permit he had lost the retirement visa and now was only on the 30 day privilege. He found out the hard way when he went to immigration to submit his 90 day address report and was totally shocked when he was told he had now overstayed by about 60 days. He talked to whoever at the time was in charge at immigration and was told they were aware of the officer who had erroneously given that same information to others and he has been transferred to a different position.

But there was no exception given to the man, despite the fact it was no fault or intent of his own, but was the fault of immigration. He was still heavily fined for overstay and forced to go to Singapore to start the visa process all over again. By the time he was done with this horrible experience and had his life back to normal, it had cost him the better part of US $10000 to do it.

I hope nothing similar happens to anyone with this 90 day O visa. If it does, don't worry - bkkguy will be right there to explain what they should have known . . .
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by bkkguy »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 2:25 amIn all my years in Thailand I have never heard of anyone ever -ever- being issued an O visa unless it was the retirement visa. Have you?
yes - I personally know three people that have been issued non-immigrant O visas in their home country for "Visiting friends and family" (one of the specific cases mentioned in the news article you linked to) - they have a Thai spouse and were visiting their spouse's family and could produce all the supporting documents required to qualify for this type of visa for this reason!

and while I personally don't know anyone that has been issued a non-immigrant O visas in their home country for non-paid volunteer work or medical treatment or any of the other valid reasons for obtaining such a visa, I find it hard to believe that nobody in the whole world has even been issued such a visa just because you have never heard of it!
Gaybutton wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 2:25 am Now I won't be surprised if we hear about people who were issued this 90 day O visa thinking they were issued the same as the retirement visa and after several months in Thailand finding themselves arrested for overstay.
personally I would be surprised - the official evisa web site (again see the news article you linked to) has specific information about the length of permission to stay the holders of this type of visa will initially be granted, and links to the Immigration Bureau web site for details on extending that permission, and if not applying for an evisa the various embassy/consulate web sites usually have at least similar information on the initial permission to stay, so I don't really see how you think people will somehow unknowingly end up on overstay!
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Gaybutton »

bkkguy wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 8:43 pm I find it hard to believe that nobody in the whole world has even been issued such a visa just because you have never heard of it!
Wow! You're right in your element - engaging in your favorite board activity - adversarial posting. Ok, I'll let you play for a while.

Where did I say anything included in your quote above? What I said was I doubt anyone on this board or reading this board has ever heard of this. And I still doubt it. Amazing - It looks like the only one who has - or says he has - is you. What a surprise!

You don't see how anyone can get confused and unintentionally overstay? We'll see.

Aren't you going to give me a lecture about why it is better to keep calling this an O visa instead of simply changing what it's called?
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by bkkguy »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 8:59 pmWhat I said was I doubt anyone on this board or reading this board has ever heard of this. And I still doubt it. Amazing - It looks like the only one who has - or says he has - is you. What a surprise!
are you seriously saying that you doubt anyone in the whole world has ever been issued a non-immigrant O visa for "Visiting friends and family" - one of the specific cases mentioned in the news article you linked to, and specifically discussed on the official evisa web site mentioned in the article and just about every embassy/consulate web site - or are you just limiting this to your personal knowledge and the personal knowledge of the small handful of readers of this thread apart from me?
I can’t even be bothered to be apathetic these days!
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Re: E-Visa applications now available online in 38 cities worldwide

Post by Gaybutton »

bkkguy wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:43 pm are you seriously saying that you doubt anyone in the whole world has ever been issued a non-immigrant O visa for "Visiting friends and family"
Ahhhhh, the king of adversarial posts strikes again . . .

Since I've already answered that twice, and never said any such thing as the words you keep trying to put in my mouth, you'll just have to decide for yourself what I said and meant.

When you're through nitpicking about that, try addressing the real issue I am bringing up - confusion. Tell me all about why simply changing the name of the 90 day version of the visa to something else would be a bad idea.
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