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What is the process and challenges for a Thai national to obtain a tourist visa to the USA?

Aug 23, 2022
4 years ago
Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
What is the process for someone to visit from Thailand to the United States? I have a friend (Thai National) who wants to come over to Los Angeles but she said that there's a wait of about 300 days for an interview and she's a little confused by the process.

Does anyone here have any insight as to how someone could visit the US for maybe 2 weeks to a month or longer?

She wanted to come visit in November or December.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Obtaining a tourist visa (B-2) to the United States can be particularly challenging for Thai nationals, with reports indicating a wait time of around 300 days for visa interviews. Many commenters shared frustrations about the stringent requirements, with a high denial rate of about 30% for applications. Factors contributing to the challenges include the perceived risk of overstaying and the need for applicants to prove strong ties to Thailand, such as stable employment, property ownership, and financial resources. Discussions also highlighted the disparity in visa processing experiences among different nationalities, raising concerns over fairness in immigration policies.
Scott *******
So weird that the US gives Thai nationals such a hard time with tourists visas but issues them to Malaysians with zero hesitancy.
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Coach-Jim ******
How long did it take for the Thai National after submitting the application to get an appointment?
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Coach-Jim ******
@Bruce ********
this is just for a tourist visa? Crazy how long it is
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Coach-Jim *****
about 6 months
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Bruce *********
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Dave *********
Just sneak across the Mexican border like everyone else. 160,000 every month are just let in. So far almost 2 million came across border and the Biden admin welcomed them w open arms.
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Antonio *******
@Dave ********
if lucky, bus to NYC and stay in a time square hotel
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Dave ********
does this work? This is a great idea.
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Dave *********
Most of the people coming across the border nowadays are non-Mexican. They are literally flying in from other countries mailing their passport to a friend in America and then just walking across illegal crossings. Worst case scenario they deport you at a court hearing 3 to 5 years later
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Dave *********
 but hey if you wanna try it legally and get a person from Thailand to come over to see you your chances are slim to none. 
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Dave *********
@Bruce ********
Who said anything about doing it “properly”.

With absolutely no penalties for crossing over the border Why would anybody wanna do it properly nowadays? That’s why 160 thousand people cross our borders illegally every month. There’s no penalty whatsoever when you get caught. 
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Dave ********
they did not walk across the border and go through the proper entryway. If you don't have a passport you can't do it.
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Dave *********
@Bruce ********
it’s a legit answer I know 3 people who have personally just walked across the border. 

Play blended in with the illegals crossing got fingerprinted and they gave him a packet and sent them on a bus to northern Ohio. They are allowed to stay until their court date which probably won’t be for 3 to 5 years. They flew from Haiti to Mexico and walked right across the border into Texas. About the easiest thing I’ve ever seen.  The only downfall was paying $800 for a fucking wristband from the cartel. And the $800 total (about $260 each) allowed all three of them to cross
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Dave ********
dude there is no need to try to be political here. I was asking legit question.
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Bruce *********
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Ross ********
My mia is a nurse and they said no to a tourist visa after a 1 minute interview
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Rob ******
@Robert *********
yeah Dude, way off. These immigration rules and policies were in effect WAY before the bad Orangeman went into office. Please take your fact-less political BS to a political forum.
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Ryan ***********
@Robert *********
permanent TDS
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Robert **********
@อ้วน ********
USA messed up, Trumpers don’t even want tourists, any sort of illegal entrant has a chance to stay, and no provision for an American to be a guarantor except marriage. My friend has several full passports with stamps from many Schengen and other non 5-eyes countries.
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อ้วน *********
Sorry to hear that, that had to be incredibly frustrating. But I appreciate the info, best to have realistic expectations.
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Robert **********
@อ้วน ********
same my partner. Job, money in bank, no mention of me, 2 week trip as a tourist. No questions didn’t look at documents
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Ross ********
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อ้วน *********
@Ross *******
what did they ask her?
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อ้วน *********
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Eric **********
Way too many overstay so it’s difficult for the legit folks
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Michael ***********
Phil Jones Actually not true. Many Southeast Asians just want to travel. Their income levels are higher than they were 30 - 40 years ago when the current rules were made. Many are wealthy or upper middle class. They're not interested in overstaying.
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Michael ***********
Highest percentage of overstays:
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Michael ***********
According to the Homeland Security report from March 30, 2020, the average overall Non-immigrant overstay percentage average only 1.03%.

Thailand is not specifically on the list of countries. The Top Five percentage countries with overstays: Portugal, Spain, Chile, Greece, and Lithuania. The top percentage being Portugal with 1.8% or 3,275 overstays.

Thailand is a Non Visa Waiver (NVW) country and the number of overstays for that category are 2.55%, less than the student overstay average of 2.71%.

There are some countries with a smaller number of visitors, but a much higher level of overstays, mostly from African nations.
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Eric **********
@Michael **********
My comment is based on personal experience. I’m always shocked how many folks overstay. I realize this isn’t statistically valid but I’d bet on it.
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Michael ***********
@Eric *********
I'm not sure that there is proof that a lot of Thai people overstay in the USA. The immigration rules seem to reflect the Viet Nam war era and aren't appropriate for the present day.
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Michael ***********
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Lisa *******************
Next to impossible unless she’s very rich, has a long term established business in Thailand, owns a lot of property, etc… she has the burden of proof that she has obligations in Thailand and every intention of returning. The interviewers are instructed to treat and assume that every Thai National applying for a Visa has no intentions of returning and are only going to the US to “Robin Hood”.
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Michael **********
I hear it's easier if she has 800,000 baht in the bank which she does. She also has a master's degree from one of the universities here and I'm not sure if that makes a difference.
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Michael ***********
@Bruce ********
My Thai girlfriend (now wife) applied for a tourist visa two times already over the past few years. The first time we meticulously prepared everything on our own, and the second time we hired an agency which her friends said was a 'sure thing'. She was summarily denied both times without the agent even appearing to look at the paperwork. Now that we're married we're going to try again, but I've heard some stories about wives being denied even when they have property, children, etc. It's really a messed-up system.
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Lisa *******************
@Bruce ********
- It isn’t for everyone, the US seems to be a bleeding heart for some. This is why the US needs a total immigration reform. It’s an unfair system that essentially incentivizes and rewards the illegal immigrants that come through our Southern Borders.

“Robin Hood” is a Thai term for illegally immigrating.
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Lisa ******************
I don't know what the term Robin Hood means. I never realized it was that hard just to go visit the US from a different country
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Bruce *********
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Todd *********
Getting USA visas for Thai nationals is a nightmare. USA 🇺🇸 sucks completely for that
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Todd *********
@Bruce ********
my condolences.
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
I own a house in Los Angeles. I know the prices here.
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Todd *********
@Bruce ********
yessir. And taxi from airport to downtown exactly 4x more expensive in LA than BKK for same distance
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
in Bangkok that would be about $6.
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Todd *********
Nik Dadd need 100k baht in bank account in her name only for 90 days for Mexico visa. Your entry routing might work lol. And hell, you need food stamps here. This just cost me $32 in LA 😂😂😂
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Rob ******
@Bruce ********
no matter where she enters from, she needs a visa and there is no visa on arrivals for Thai’s (at any entry point)
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Philip **********
@Bruce ********
Even if she did get a visa (it’s not impossible) for Mexico. And you tried to go through land border. They would turn her away. My Filipino wife was a permanent resident of Canada. We lived in Winnipeg. I was driving to Windsor Ontario. I wanted to go through Sault Ste. Marie Michigan because it saves 12 hours of driving. U.S. immigration wouldn’t let us drive through. It’s a 6 hour drive. The female immigration officer was stamping her refusal for entry papers like she caught Al Capone. Coming back I went through Detroit tunnel. I had a Customs Officer. I already knew my plate was in their system. I pulled up. Flashed my badge. (I worked for CBSA) First question. “All Canadian?” I no sir my wife is a permanent resident we’re just driving through cuz it’s only 6 hours. He nodded his head, he understood. Then cocked his head to go through. “Thank you very much!” He had common sense.

I looked into Mexico. Make sure she has money in bank. A criminal record check. A return flight and hotel booking. Ties to bring her back to Thailand. She could probably get one.
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Robert **********
@Bruce ********
thais need a US visa, so it’s no way they would let her through. 
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Philip *********
guess that answers that.
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Philip **********
@Bruce ********
She would need a visa for Mexico and it’s not easy to get. I already looked at it for my fiancé. And the U.S visa is extremely difficult to get. She needs very strong ties to Thailand and money in the bank. Same thing for Canada.
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Todd *********
@Bruce ********
i don’t think it would be any easier at all. And for Mexico visa, she needs 100k baht in her bank account for 90 days before she can book an interview at consulate in BKK
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Bruce *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Todd ********
what would happen if we met through Mexico and came into the land crossing border?
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Bruce *********
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Brandon ************
She's right, it's a very long and difficult process to get a tourist visa as a Thai citizen. They also reject about 30% of applications after the interview.
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Brandon ************
@Robert *********
the statistics are easy to find.
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Robert **********
I heard they only approve 30%.
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Robert **********
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Wayne *********
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Wayne *********
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