Visas and border crossings forum

Visa Clarification Questions...Thailand and Vietnam

sundevil556

newbie
Posts: 1

I will be flying into Hanoi in March from the US with the intention of traveling through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. I have no return flight home booked yet and do not intend to do so until I am in Asia. I have done extensive visa research and feel pretty well versed but still have a few questions. I plan on applying for the visa on arrival for Vietnam and then Laos and Cambodia seem pretty simple to obtain at border crossings so not worried there. However, Thailand is my main concern. I will most likely be coming from a border, which I realize would only grant me a 15 day visa. Even if I flew in, I would only receive a 30 day visa. This has limited me to apply for the 60 day tourist visa in advance. Has anyone ever done this? Would my application be immediately rejected since I have no return flight or booked and documented plan of onward travel? Would just a simple cheap flight to somewhere else in Asia count? Also, does the 60 day visa allow for multiple entries?
My last question, which I have had great trouble researching, is there a Thai embassy in Vietnam (perhaps Hanoi or Saigon) where I could obtain the 60 day visa as a US citizen instead of applying through mail?
I know many travelers have done this journey and hope to get insight on the best way to handle the visa situation. Thank you kindly.

#1 Posted: 24/1/2012 - 12:39
travellings-
arah

adventurer
Posts: 473
Located in:
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Posted from within Vietnam.

We got 60 day Thai visas in Singapore a couple of years ago and didn't have to show any onward travel. I can't guarantee that's always the case but we had no problems at all. There is a Thai Embassy in Hanoi, it's at 63-65 Hoang Dieu Street, roughly between the HCM Mausoleum and the Military History Museum. I've not been but next time I'm passing I'll try to check it out (it'll probably be closed all this week due to the Tet holidays).

#2 Posted: 25/1/2012 - 03:05

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Captain_Bob

under-employed
Posts: 950
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"Would my application be immediately rejected since I have no return flight"

That depends entirely on which embassy or consulate you apply to - most will issue a visa with no onward air ticket while others require it. Within the region the easiest place is the consulate in Vientiane, they never ask for proof of travel and they issue single or double-entry visas.

"Would just a simple cheap flight to somewhere else in Asia count?"
As proof of onward travel, yes that would suffice. Check out AirAsia.com.

"does the 60 day visa allow for multiple entries?"
Thai tourist visas are single, double, or triple entry. There is no "multiple entry" tourist visa.

#3 Posted: 27/1/2012 - 09:28
Minisuitcase

newbie
Posts: 1

Hello, thanks for the help in advance! I have been researching this for some time now and I feel like my head may explode...

We are two UK passport holders currently in India on a 6 month visa. We want to travel to Thailand next and stay at least the 60 days. My understanding so far is that 60 days will be no problem if we get the tourist visa in advance and that we will be able to extend for a further 30 days if necessary once there. So far, so good. My question is, how easy will it be for us to get this visa in India??

My research shows that there is an embassy in Dehli and consulates in Kolkata and Mumbai. Are we able to obtain the visa from any of these? Or, just the embassy in Dehli? Also, will the visa be issued in one day? Once the visa has been issued does the 60 day countdown start, or do we have 3 months from date of issue to start it?

Honestly, I have done my research but I find everything is clouded by information for Indian nationals here... (Also, we could not get it in London before we left as there is the 3 month validity thing)

Any help much appreciated. Thank you, Jen

#4 Posted: 28/1/2012 - 01:12