Hi I have just received a 6 month Multiple entry visa and they have made it from the day I applied for it 31 August and not the day I asked as I have booked the plane for the 5th Oct. Can Anyone give me advice thank you.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user has received a 6-month Multiple Entry Visa (METV) with validity starting from the application date rather than their intended entry date. Various comments clarify that this is standard practice where visas are effective from the date of issuance. Users discuss the implications of this, noting that while it means losing some days of visa validity, it still allows for multiple entries within the visa's 6-month period. There's also mention of visa conditions for entering Thailand, particularly under recent immigration rules.
Amanda **********************
What is this visa and how much is it? Any qualifications to apply?
in the uk its about 150 pounds and its a multiple entry tourist visa valid for 6 months
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David ***********
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John ********
Send it back and tell them they got the date wrong see what happens
John ********
❓ If you enter Thailand on visa exempt 60 days then get 30 day extension. Then if you left say at Nong Khai could you get a METV at the Thai consulate in Vientiane and would you need to make an appointment? Appreciate answer from anyone whose done this, or anyone who knows the answer 100%.
Bart **************
There isn't much to advise I'm afraid. The visa is valid from August 31st and expires accordingly, and you won't be able to enter on it after the valid period. You can still get well over six months from it though, if you enter on the last day of the validity.
David ***********
Thats how it works im afraid. That said, it makes little difference as you can only stay 60 +30 days each entry and you get 60+30days without any visa now
Hi David, I was wondering that myself. Is there any advantage to a METV with the new immigration rule? Perhaps just guaranteed entry for that 6 month duration in case they have too many visa exempt stamps.
exactly. You can only enter twice a year but a METV only last six months anyway so no great advantage. The only benefit is it guarantees 60 days wheras no visa could revert back to 30 days with little notice
that’s true, the visa exempt could be changed back at anytime. What do you mean you can enter twice a year? I read that visa exempt has not specific limit unless the immigration officer thinks that someone is living in Thailand long term
im not sure id trust it. It was always 2 by land and all the visa pages i know are saying 2. As always, the only time you truly know is when you attempt it
John Howe . . well, you lost 35 days from the 180-days visa validity. It's a very bad move from the embassy where you applied. . . . . .The Thai embassy in Germany will issue a METV as close as possible to the date you gave them as the "intended date of arrival" in Thailand. They are keen to ensure you don't lose more days of visa validity as can be avoided. The embassy you applied with, obviously hasn't been thinking along the lines
Brandon ************
That's how all visas are. They are active from the day they are issued by the embassy. If you wanted it later you should have applied later.
It doesn't change the fact that you can enter as many times as you want from the date the visa is issued until the end date on the visa.
even if you enter Thailand on the last day your visa is valid, you'll still get a 60 day stamp. And each time you enter you can also apply for a 30 day extension. That means you can stay until May if you enter in February.
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Brandon ************
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John ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
That will be OK if it's right as I have my return ticket which you have to get, and that's 180 days from when I arrive.
most likely it will be okay. The airline can ask for proof that you're leaving Thailand within 60 days if you're traveling with a tourist visa, but the odds of that are very low. Normally they only ask this for people without a visa.
your permission to stay in Thailand starts when you enter Thailand and it will be for 60 days.
Your visa started the day it was issued by the embassy and can be used to enter Thailand unlimited times for 6 months from the day it was issued and you'll receive 60 days permission to stay each time.
single entry tourist visas are active the day they are issued by the embassy. Same as ALL Thai visas issued by a Thai embassy. You then must enter Thailand within the date the visa was issued and the end date on the visa (90 days)
yes I know all this but the 6 month validity starts as soon as it’s issued so let’s say you get a 6 month METV and then enter Thailand juts under 3 months later you only now have a 3 month METV in effect. Yes you can go in and out of Thailand as it’s multi entry but the validity is reducing daily from when it is issued whereas let’s say you get a 60 day single entry and arrive 30 days later you don’t lose anything. It’s hard for me to explain what I mean 😂😂. What they should do is start the 6 month validity when you arrive in Thailand so then you have 6 months of multi entry
that has nothing to do with the op's question. And it still doesn't change the fact that ALL Thai visas are active the day they are issued by the embassy.
A multiple-entry visa just means you can use it more than once as it's not invalidated by using it like a single entry visa is.
active yes but the days don’t start on a single entry until you enter Thailand but on a multi entry your 6 months has already started from the day it was issued therefore losing days if you applied too far in advance which is exactly what the OP is saying ( well I thought that’s what the OP was saying 🤷♂️)
you are talking about two different things and trying to make them sound the same when they aren't.
The "days" you're talking about are the exact same regardless of if the tourist visa is single or multiple entry. You get 60 days when you enter Thailand. Those days don't start until you actually enter Thailand. On a single entry they start when you enter Thailand. On a multiple entry they start when you enter Thailand.
The visa validity is active from the day the visa is issued for every visa. These two things are not the same. Visa validity and permission to stay in Thailand are different things completely.
No I’m not talking about two different things as I’ve had SETV and METV for years. My point was when you are issued an SETV you get your 60 days when you arrive to Thailand and that visa is finished. On an METV it is a 6 month multi entry visa but the 6 months starts when it is issued and the obviously you get 60 days when you enter Thailand so they work differently. I thought the OP was saying that they thought the 6 month visa started the day you arrive in Thailand which of course on an METV isn’t true. Maybe I misread what they are asking 🤷♂️
putting aside the multi entry aspect the only difference between the two is that one is valid for 90 days and the other is valid for 6 months. That's it. Both get you stamped in for 60 days on arrival
he's saying both the validity and stamp duration work exactly the same which is true. Validity starts on both on the day it's issued and you get a full 60 day stamp on both when you enter.
You just have the option of entering again on the multi entry, which is the difference.
There isn't a difference in how these work in terms of when they start, the difference comes down to the multi entry.
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Ivan ************
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John ********
That’s how they do it. Nothing can be done. You applied too early
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John ********
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