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What are the best tips for applying for a Tourist Visa to Thailand from France?
Thailand visaTourist visaSETVMETVVisa application processExpat adviceThai Embassy FranceVisa extensionsVisa exempt travel
Oct 15, 2023
3 years ago
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERHi, I have just read an unsettling post about getting a tourist visa from the Thai Embassy in France. Apparently it takes well over a month to get the visa and many times, it arrives late so, any advice on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Here’s my info: I reside in France but I have US and Italian passports. I have booked a flight to Thailand on December 16 from Milan, Italy. I plan(ned) on requesting a 6 month multi entry visa on my US passport through the online website. Does that still go through the Embassy in France or through Italy because that’s where I will depart from? I was planning on waiting until the beginning of November to fill out the forms but after reading the post about the horrors of the embassy in France, perhaps I should do it now, 2 months ahead of my departure date. Or, maybe it would be easier to go visa exempt and then get a 60 day extension and then travel to another country, come back and do the process again? Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
You guys are great! Thanks for the assistance!
You guys are great! Thanks for the assistance!
TLDR : Answer Summary
A user is seeking advice about obtaining a tourist visa from Thailand while living in France, expressing concerns over lengthy processing times at the embassy. Comments provide insights, indicating that applying for a single-entry tourist visa (SETV) may be more efficient, especially given reports of delays for multi-entry visas (METV). It's noted that the user can apply from France due to residency, but should prepare documentation early. Recommendations include considering an agency for assistance and exploring visa exemption options with extensions for additional flexibility.
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Thomas *******
Sorry, that's a fail 😔
Terary **********
You can apply for a METV from the Thai Embassy in the United States. I just pulled a Non-O from the US Embassy while I was in Indonesia. They can deny you and you will be out your money or they may provide you the Visa, as they did with me.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Terary *********
Hi, I don’t live in the US, I live in France but I also have an Italian passport. I have decided to get the SETV and then do the extension. Thanks.Terary **********
@Kay *****
Yeah - I live in Thailand but have a US Passport. I also have a legal residence in the US. My legal residence is a mail box which seems to be good enough. Therefore, while living in Thailand and visiting Indonesia i applied for a Thai visa, from the US embassy. Maybe you can do the same.Reply to
Terary **********
Reply
Henrik *****
There is nothing to be unsettled about that post, it was just a person that didn’t understand how the visa process is.
And there was a unusual travelpattern involded, so on base of that 1 persons troubles, the 99,9 % others who apply without problems of that kind.
Apply 3 months before, and you may have to wait 2 ½ month to get the visa, apply 4 weeks before and you may wait 2 weeks, since the applications is processed by departuredate, not date of applying
But read the Embassy webpages about visa
thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa-rdv/infos-generales/
The pages are quite good and informative.
And there was a unusual travelpattern involded, so on base of that 1 persons troubles, the 99,9 % others who apply without problems of that kind.
Apply 3 months before, and you may have to wait 2 ½ month to get the visa, apply 4 weeks before and you may wait 2 weeks, since the applications is processed by departuredate, not date of applying
But read the Embassy webpages about visa
thaiembassy.fr/fr/visa-rdv/infos-generales/
The pages are quite good and informative.
Will ************
If you don’t have a French passport then you will not get a METV in France.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERMateus Lucio Hi, I have to apply in the country I currently reside in, which is France.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERThank you. I agree. Also, I have an Italian passport so I'm a EU citizen. And I think I will opt for the SETV and then get extensions.
Nongnuch ********
@Will ***********
That's a bit wrong . . . . . if she has proof of a permanent residence in France, she DEFINITELY can apply for the 6-months multi entry Tourist Visa using the online E-visa system with the Thai Embassy Paris. She does NOT need to be a French citizen. However due to the reports that it takes almost 4 weeks to get approved, a single entry TR visa seems more fitting to her travel plansKay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Nongnuch *******
I have lived in the EU for most of my life and I have both Italian and US passports. My legal residency in in France. I have requested a SETV from the Thai embassy in Paris instead of the METV. I think it will be faster and easier to get.Nongnuch ********
@Kay *****
you should be fine. However latest reports indicate that the embassy in Paris need up to 4 (four!) weeks to process an applicationReply to
Nongnuch ********
Reply
Steve *******
You can apply up to 90 days in advance for your SE tourist visa as it's valid to use for 90 days. The multi-entry tourist visa is valid to use for 6 months from it's issue date.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Steve ******
Thanks. I think my best bet will be to request a SETV, then get a 30 day extension. After that, I'll leave the country for a few days and then return on a Visa exempt, which I believe I can extend for another 30 days.Reply to
Kay ******
Reply
Mu *************
Hello,just applied for Tourist visa thru Thaï embassy,just go to their website,do not apply more than 3 months of départure,it takes ~1 month
***
,then when you receive your visa,it is good to go during the next 3 months.Just send ALL the paperworks they are asking🙄Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Mu ************
Hello, thanks for the information. It took them a month and a half to do the visa? That's quite a long time. I think I will ask an agency to help me. Someone mentioned rapidevisa so I might try them. I worry it might take longer for me because I have an EU passport and not a French one.Mu *************
@Kay *****
it may be an issue, I don’t know .The only difference between applying by yourself instead with an agency is…money 35€ vs 140 /145€ .Otherwise Iguess you will need same documents,proof of residency in France,money on the bank, airline ticket, hotel or house booked for the 1st week,passeportetc…I know…French’s and paperwork’s🙄😂Reply to
Mu *************
Reply
Duncanc **********
Any trip that can be completed without visiting an embassy (or immigration office) is a sensible plan.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Duncanc *********
I agree although I think I will try to apply for the single entry visa instead of multi entry and then get an extension. It seems to be less complicated.Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERHi, I am planning on staying in Thailand until the end of April with a trip to Nepal in March.
Duncanc **********
@Kay *****
Sure - unless the 30 days on arrival doesn’t work for youNongnuch ********
@Duncanc *********
she is U.S. and Italian citizen, she can enter visa-exempt and receive 30 days stay permitReply to
Nongnuch ********
Reply
Av **********
you can apply from france if you have residency, or go back to usa and do it there.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERBut I’m a legal resident in France. 😊
Av **********
@Kay *****
yah I also am a EU resident and american, and basically that is the only way to do it unless wanna like fly to laos angel ur tourist visa thereChris *******
@Kay *****
if you apply for the evisa and don't get it on time:You can enter visa exempt 30 days ( plus 30 extension if needed) and when it does come you can border bounce and enter on it then.
As long as you do it within the time allotted you can still manage about 9 months.
I don't know that the French embassy is that bad, you must make sure you have all the documents ready to go and hopefully don't miss something.
Sometimes horror stories miss relevant details that are contributing factors.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Av *********
Hi, I live in France and work in Italy. The problem is, apparently, the Thai Embassy in France is not very efficient and the visas do not arrive in time so I’m looking at other options. ThanksReply to
Kay ******
Reply
Brandon ************
Your plan was impossible from the beginning. You can ONLY get a multiple entry tourist visa from your home country, and you're not in your home country so you cannot get it. You must apply through the embassy or consulate of where you physically are.
There is no such thing as a 60 day extension to visa exempt. If you travel visa exempt you will receive a stamp for 30 days in Thailand, and you can apply one time for a 30 day extension, giving you 60 days total.
There is no such thing as a 60 day extension to visa exempt. If you travel visa exempt you will receive a stamp for 30 days in Thailand, and you can apply one time for a 30 day extension, giving you 60 days total.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
Thanks for the info. I’m thinking perhaps it would be less complicated if I requested a regular tourist visa (60 days) and then got the 30 day extension in loco. In any case, something tells me I should request it as soon as possible.Henrik *****
Most embassys ( in Europe ) process the visa application after departure date and not day of applying.
It’s to the benefit of the tourist, so they have the longest possibel time to enter Thailand after the visa has been issued.
It’s to the benefit of the tourist, so they have the longest possibel time to enter Thailand after the visa has been issued.
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERGood to know. Thanks. With the SETV, I get 60 days + 30 day extension, leave the country (I’m planning a trip to Nepal anyway), come back on visa exempt and then extend for 30. Does that sound right to you? If so, that could actually work for me.
Brandon ************
@Kay *****
yes like the other person said, that's how it works and should be able to fulfill your needsNongnuch ********
@Kay *****
yes, this plan will work! 60-days TR Visa, extend for 1900.- THB on Immigration, exit Thailand and re-enter visa exempt and extend the 30 days with another 30 days. 60+30+30+30 = 150 days in total possible, plus the time spent in NepalKay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Nongnuch *******
Thank you for the confirmaton!Reply to
Kay ******
Reply
Brandon ************
@Kay *****
The difficult thing with METV is that it's only valid for 6 months from the day it's issued, so if you apply very early to try and make sure you get it in time, you could potentially lose out on a lot of the benefit if they actually issue it early.Whereas with the SETV, it's valid for entering Thailand for 90 days from the day it's issued. So you could apply about 3 months before you are traveling and even if they issue it the next week, you're still in good shape and don't lose out on anything.
Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
Hi, I am a legal resident in France and since I have an Italian passport, I am a EU citizen. So I have to request the visa from country I live in, which is France. I’m just worried about the time factor. Apparently, they are quite slow at the Embassy in France, which was surprising to hear to be quite honest. Perhaps I should hire an agency to do this me? Thoughts?Kay ******
ORIGINAL POSTERThey exist in France to help French people who don’t speak English because the online visa request website is in English 😉
From your experience, are multi entry visas more difficult to obtain than regular tourist visas? Thanks.
From your experience, are multi entry visas more difficult to obtain than regular tourist visas? Thanks.
Graham ******
@Kay *****
Yes because you have to provide proof of exiting before day 60 then proof of re-entering againReply to
Graham ******
Reply
Brandon ************
I've never heard of an agency for applying for a Thai visa through a Thai embassy, but they may exist. Doesn't necessarily mean they'll be any faster though.
Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
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