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What Should I Do After My Tourist Visa Application Was Rejected in Vietnam?
Dec 27, 2019
6 years ago
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERI have a 3 year relationship with my Thai girl friend and I had a retirement visa which I renewed each year for 3 years. It expired last week and I couldn't renew it again because of the new rules requiring large amounts of money in a Thai Bank which I cannot now do. Every year I have spent 6 months in Thailand and 6 months in England (April-September) so we decided to go to Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam, for a short holiday and to get a 90 day Tourist Visa. Although my application was fine, as per their website, they rejected it and they inserted a visa sticker into my passport which they then stamped as VOID. Also, they refused to say why it was rejected.
We returned to Thailand where they gave me 30 days then we went to the Thai Consulate in Bangkok to ask for help. They said they cannot tell us why I was rejected because each consulate has its own authority. They suggested we try again at Vientiane, Laos next time. I suggested that it was likely that I would be rejected again because they would see the void stamp. They agreed and then suggested that I go back to Ho Chi Min and re-state my case in more detail. We had already stated my case in an interview there so I’m not confident that it will make any difference.
I feel that they rejected me because I changed from a Retirement Visa to a Tourist Visa - I’m not really a tourist - and it seems like I’m not welcome here now as I am not wealthy enough for them to accept me although I have shown for the last 7 years that I can support myself and my girl friend here.
My only hope now, I think, is to return to England, apply for a new passport to lose the void stamp and then apply for a Multiple entry Tourist Visa, which hopefully they will accept and then I can stay for 6 months again from next September.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any ideas would be welcome.
We returned to Thailand where they gave me 30 days then we went to the Thai Consulate in Bangkok to ask for help. They said they cannot tell us why I was rejected because each consulate has its own authority. They suggested we try again at Vientiane, Laos next time. I suggested that it was likely that I would be rejected again because they would see the void stamp. They agreed and then suggested that I go back to Ho Chi Min and re-state my case in more detail. We had already stated my case in an interview there so I’m not confident that it will make any difference.
I feel that they rejected me because I changed from a Retirement Visa to a Tourist Visa - I’m not really a tourist - and it seems like I’m not welcome here now as I am not wealthy enough for them to accept me although I have shown for the last 7 years that I can support myself and my girl friend here.
My only hope now, I think, is to return to England, apply for a new passport to lose the void stamp and then apply for a Multiple entry Tourist Visa, which hopefully they will accept and then I can stay for 6 months again from next September.
Has anyone else experienced this problem? Any ideas would be welcome.
TLDR : Answer Summary
An individual shares their experience of having their Tourist Visa application rejected in Vietnam after holding a Retirement Visa for three years. They discuss the challenges faced due to new financial requirements and express concerns about not being able to meet these criteria. Following the rejection, they sought advice from the Thai consulate but were left unsure about further steps. The community provides various suggestions, including potential visa alternatives and the possibility of applying for a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa after returning to England.
NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
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Tod *********
And before I close this thread, please realize it's nothing to do with you being welcome here or not.
It seems you were using an affidavit of income from abroad letter from your consulate to say you met the financial requirements to get your extensions of stays. When your consulate stopped issuing that letter you had two choices; transfer IN to the country a minimum of 65K baht a month each month EVERY month for 12 months before your next extension (just like the income you said you got from your consulate letter) OR bank 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you applied.
You didn't meet the requirements to get the visa extension you were applying for. It has nothing to do with whether you can support yourself here or not and everything to do with the fact that you didn't meet the requirements to get your extension.
Believe me I am not unsympathetic but it was ALL over the tiny portion of the inter-web that is thai related about the consulates stopping the income affidavit letters at the beginning of this year AND what a person needed to do to meet the requirements IF they still wanted to use monthly income as the method of proof of funds.
I think you have some good advice about how to stay here for 6 more months AND then when you go back to your country what to do visa wise so when you come back you get another 6 months (in 60 day increments).
Good Luck, (y)
It seems you were using an affidavit of income from abroad letter from your consulate to say you met the financial requirements to get your extensions of stays. When your consulate stopped issuing that letter you had two choices; transfer IN to the country a minimum of 65K baht a month each month EVERY month for 12 months before your next extension (just like the income you said you got from your consulate letter) OR bank 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you applied.
You didn't meet the requirements to get the visa extension you were applying for. It has nothing to do with whether you can support yourself here or not and everything to do with the fact that you didn't meet the requirements to get your extension.
Believe me I am not unsympathetic but it was ALL over the tiny portion of the inter-web that is thai related about the consulates stopping the income affidavit letters at the beginning of this year AND what a person needed to do to meet the requirements IF they still wanted to use monthly income as the method of proof of funds.
I think you have some good advice about how to stay here for 6 more months AND then when you go back to your country what to do visa wise so when you come back you get another 6 months (in 60 day increments).
Good Luck, (y)
Gregor **********
for any 6-months stay with a METV, he also can buy an inexpensive Travel & longstay health insurance with a good coverage, in the U.K., in case the absence of such worries some posters
Gregor **********
my plan B if I'd be refused my yearly Non-Imm-O Extension based on retirement, would always be the 6-months Multi Entry Tourist Visa. Like
@Steve ******
for the past 13 years I am staying for 6 months and spend the other 6 months in Europe. Sometimes I visit my girlfriend for 4-6 weeks in mid-summer, and this could be done by visa exempt entry. For @Steve ******
the METV applied in the U.K. on the consulate Hull or Cardiff, or at the emabssy in London, would be the best alternativeTod *********
I think the best course of action for you now stay until you're going back (as I pointed out you can get close to 6 months of stay just using 30 day visa exempt entries and 30 day extensions on those).
THEN when you're back in your country if you want to get a new passport and while you're there apply for a 6 month METV <- multi-entry tourist visa. As people pointed out that will give you more than the 6 months you need here, and you can do it again the following year as you'll have been out of the country plenty long enough not to raise any flags.
THEN when you're back in your country if you want to get a new passport and while you're there apply for a 6 month METV <- multi-entry tourist visa. As people pointed out that will give you more than the 6 months you need here, and you can do it again the following year as you'll have been out of the country plenty long enough not to raise any flags.
Tod *********
One more thing the void without prejudice stamp is NOT gonna affect you getting a new visa from any thai consulate that I know of.
A LOT of thai consulates in the area went to putting the visas in and then voiding them.
You're in the country now on a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp, you can extend that stamp by 30 more days, THEN you need to go apply for a real visa OR you can bounce out and back in to get a new 30 day visa exempt entry stamp and extend that by 30 more days too. AND you could even do it one more time (because you get two 30 day visa exempt entry stamps per calendar year entering by land. So right now you can stay for the next 6 months by extending your current stamp by 30 days, then border bouncing two times next year for new 30 day visa exempt entry stamps and extending each visa exempt entry by 30 days
A LOT of thai consulates in the area went to putting the visas in and then voiding them.
You're in the country now on a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp, you can extend that stamp by 30 more days, THEN you need to go apply for a real visa OR you can bounce out and back in to get a new 30 day visa exempt entry stamp and extend that by 30 more days too. AND you could even do it one more time (because you get two 30 day visa exempt entry stamps per calendar year entering by land. So right now you can stay for the next 6 months by extending your current stamp by 30 days, then border bouncing two times next year for new 30 day visa exempt entry stamps and extending each visa exempt entry by 30 days
Tod *********
You don't need to go get a new passport as that's NOT why you were denied a tourist visa in Vietnam AND there's no way any immigration office INSIDE the country could have told you why you were denied getting a VISA from a thai consulate in another country.
When you applied for the tourist visa did you have proof of 20K baht or the equivalent in a bank account? Did you have proof of onward travel within 60-90 days? Did you have proof of lodging?
Usually they only deny people a tourist visa because of failing to meet one of those requirements (that ARE posted on the website of the thai consulate you used. :O)
When you applied for the tourist visa did you have proof of 20K baht or the equivalent in a bank account? Did you have proof of onward travel within 60-90 days? Did you have proof of lodging?
Usually they only deny people a tourist visa because of failing to meet one of those requirements (that ARE posted on the website of the thai consulate you used. :O)
Ron *******
You must have loads of money to waste. Flying home, get new passport, get another visa then come back.
Then whats the plan? Perhaps another single entry visa, 2 if your lucky, then your back to square one again.
Then whats the plan? Perhaps another single entry visa, 2 if your lucky, then your back to square one again.
Tod *********
okay, you're talking about a couple totally different things, you obviously were using an affidavit of income from abroad letter every year from your consulate to get your yearly extensions before this one
Robert *******
As you now have a 30 day stay and you can apply for a 30 day Extension of Stay on top of this, till when did you plan to stay before the move back to England?
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERI will extend for another 30 days next month.
After that it looks like I'm stuffed and will return to UK
After that it looks like I'm stuffed and will return to UK
Reply to
Steve *******
Reply
Robert *******
Just to put it all in a short list:
You can not meet the requirements for a Non Immigrant O visa based on being over 50 years of age, as you are not married you can not meet the requirements of the Non Immigrant O visa based on being married.
If you want to stay 6 months a year inside Thailand, the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa will give you this time in sections of 60 days.
You can not meet the requirements for a Non Immigrant O visa based on being over 50 years of age, as you are not married you can not meet the requirements of the Non Immigrant O visa based on being married.
If you want to stay 6 months a year inside Thailand, the Multiple Entry Tourist Visa will give you this time in sections of 60 days.
Robert *******
i did remove members from this group, I blocked members from this group and deleted all kind of total bu....it advice.
If you want to help others, feel free to share your experience and knowledge. Do not tell them to move to other countries as they are not welcome in Thailand.
If you want to help others, feel free to share your experience and knowledge. Do not tell them to move to other countries as they are not welcome in Thailand.
Benjamin ******
To stay in Thailand, your options are as follows:
1. A so called "retirement visa". I'm not too familiar with it, but I know there's one that doesn't require banked money. Search for it in the group, I think Tod Daniels made a post about it.
2. A Multiple Entry Non-O based on marriage from HCMC or Savannakhet (if you feel ready to marry her)
The other ways require showing money in a Thai bank
1. A so called "retirement visa". I'm not too familiar with it, but I know there's one that doesn't require banked money. Search for it in the group, I think Tod Daniels made a post about it.
2. A Multiple Entry Non-O based on marriage from HCMC or Savannakhet (if you feel ready to marry her)
The other ways require showing money in a Thai bank
Marty *********
You can’t meet the financial requirements. Do you mean the 800,000 baht banked money method or the monthly income method? Any chance you can begin saving the money?
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERI'm 75. I might be dead before I save 800,000 😁
The depreciation of the pound has reduced my pensions total to below 65,000b and I need money in the UK also.
The depreciation of the pound has reduced my pensions total to below 65,000b and I need money in the UK also.
Reply to
Steve *******
Reply
William *********
Getting a new passport won’t change anything it’s logged in the system now
Robert *******
Your visa is VOID, you asked about it, had a discussion about it and still have NO clue why?
Andrew *********
@Robert ******
they wouldn't tell him why they refused him a visa but instead of just refusing him they put a visa sticker in his passport and then stamped void on it. They didn't need to do that. They could of just refused a visa and then he would of entered Bkk on a 30 day visa exemption with a clean passportSteve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERThat's right. It's not helpful to not know why.
Reply to
Steve *******
Reply
George ********
Get married, apply for extension based on marriage in Savanahket, no Financials needed but must exit Thailand every 3 months for an hour or so.
Benjamin ******
@Andrew ********
Getting another visa does not give a promise of entry.Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERNot ready for marriage yet 😁
Reply to
Steve *******
Reply
Robert *******
You visited a Thai Consulate in Bangkok, they do not exist
Phil ******
@Robert ******
lol... Cos that's don't need a diplomatic mission in their own countryRobert *******
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is something different than the Consulates abroad under their supervision.
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERConsulate
Reply to
Steve *******
Reply
Robert *******
a Few things in this story.
new rules requiring large amounts of money in a Thai bank
This new rule is made in 1998, about 21 years ago?
new rules requiring large amounts of money in a Thai bank
This new rule is made in 1998, about 21 years ago?
Steve *******
ORIGINAL POSTERThe problem is that the UK Embassy stopped doing an income confirmation letter because Thailand won't accept it.
Reply to
Steve *******
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