Mr. Chang @ VISA SERVICE IN PATTAYA
E-MAIL: changvisa@gmail.com
183/27 M.10 Soi 13/2 Nongpure, Banglamung Chonburi 20150
Mobile: 66 81 7549342
Tel: 66 38 711 145
Fax: 66 38 710 163
www.visacentergroup.com, www.visa2britain.com
Q: I have heard that you can now get a joint visa to cover both Thailand and Cambodia, but when I asked at the Immigration Bureau they did not know about it. Where can I find out the details as I am anxious to save the costs of separate visas?
A: There’s a lot of confusion around about this new visa. It is available at Thai or Cambodian embassies abroad (that is, not Thailand or Cambodia) and covers one single entry to Thailand for 60 days and to Cambodia 60 days. It is not a multiple entry visa and you have to pay extra at the airport or border of both countries as you enter. Its main advantage is for the nationals of those countries who need visas in advance to enter one or both countries. It doesn’t really have any advantages for nationals of other countries who enter Thailand without paying a fee and simply pay US$20 to enter Cambodia.
On-line visa Vietnam
Q: I am a British citizen in Thailand and I want to visit Vietnam for a week. I have heard I need a visa to go there but my Scandinavian friend says you do not. When I return from Vietnam I need to be in Thailand for a further fortnight. Do I need a re-entry permit?
A: The British do need a visa in advance to visit Vietnam, although some northern European nationals do not. The Vietnam visa can be arranged on-line but you need to pick up your actual visa once at the airport in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. It is easy to check out the detail by Googling “Vietnam visa on-line”. You do not need a re-entry permit as you will automatically receive a 30 days stamp on arrival at Bangkok airport when you return for your fortnight.
Airside and landside transit
Q: My Thai friends are visiting the United States and have their visas. But they have to be in UK for a short time because of travel plans, so the question arises whether they need a UK transit visa.
A: It depends. If they, on arrival in UK, will remain in the transit lounge awaiting their US flight, then there is no need for a visa. This is known as airside transit. But they do need transit visas if they wish to leave the airport for any reason. This is known as landside transit. With this visa the maximum time they can remain in the UK is 48 hours.
Q: Is it serious if I forget to renew my 90 days approval after I have been in Thailand for three months. I have heard there is some leeway on this regulation but nobody seems to know for sure.
A: Assuming you have a one year visa, you must report your address 90 days after you have been in Thailand for three months. 90 days for this purpose is described as two weeks before the due date or one week after it. In other words, the 90 days has some flexibility but remember it is neither a visa nor permission to say. It is a bureaucratic requirement for foreigners to report their address with a one year visa once they have been on Thai soil for about 90 days. Remember it does not extend your visa.
Q: Can I change a retirement visa to a non-immigrant “B” here in Thailand? I was a retiree but I have now been offered a job in Thailand with an international company.
A: No. You have to leave the country and go to a Thai embassy to obtain the non-immigrant “B” which is the first step in the work permit application. However the situation is different if you have a one year “O” marriage visa. Check with the company lawyer to ascertain which documents you need to take to the Thai embassy abroad.
Q: How many retirement visas are granted to foreigners in Thailand every year?
A: About 40,000. But remember that some retirees have other long stay visas, e.g. marriage or education, so the figures are not definitive. Also some Thai embassies abroad award “O-A” visas which can last up to two years if carefully used.