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Paul ******
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Paul ******
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QUESTIONS

COMMENTS

Paul *******
@Justin *******
I don't think that's the case at all. All Thai consulates operate in a similar fashion, but the interpretation of the rules may sometimes be a little different AND sometimes the rules change over time.

In Laos, due to a large volume of applicants, particularly from countries such as Myanmar who used agents, they clamped down on the financials, requiring applicants to keep the required funds in their account for 3 consecutive months, to prevent agents from lending the money for a few hours, then asking for it back.

This did not occur at consulates further afield, meaning that at those consulates, they care less about how long the money has been in your account (which is relatively meaningless) but more about how you acquired the funds (say through your salary or invoices being paid to you).
Paul *******
@Sylvia *******
I think the bank staff are not familiar with the DTV. A little silly that it would be less regarded than a one year visa, given the DTV lasts 5 times longer (although each stay is only for 180 days or around half that of a typical extension of stay, but still).
Paul *******
Anonymous participant I assume you had 500,000 or more sitting in your account for at least 3 consecutive months? Vientiane requires this (unlike most other consulates in the region).
Paul *******
@Semyon *******
I see. Hopefully you can change your ticket, but the lesson is, always plan to stay a little longer.

When I applied for my visa (in Taiwan) I had already planned on staying several days in order to travel as well.

I ended up staying 6 days and 6 nights but because I needed to submit additional documents on the second day (the day I would have otherwise received my visa) they only gave me my passport back the afternoon before my flight back (I flew out the next morning), which was the Monday following the weekend. Thus, I was without my passport for most of the trip (although that was fine; I didn't need it for hotel check-in and copies of the important pages was sufficient to rent a car).

I was pretty sure I'd be fine, but if for some reason I had to submit even more documents, I would have had to spend another 3-4 days longer, since there was also a public holiday 2 days later.
Paul *******
@Deepak ******
In the coming months, more and more consulates will be switching to the e-visa system and we can assume by sometime next year, that's all there will be left.
Paul *******
All of them do, just that the interest rate isn't very good.
Paul *******
@Bastien *******
No, immigration won't transfer visa stickers obtained at consulates abroad. They'll turn you away and tell you to travel with both the old and new passport.
Paul *******
@Benjamin ********
You present both passports. Immigration won't transfer visas. They will only transfer extensions of stay, obtained in country and you would do that through your assigned immigration office only.

If your passport expires with a valid DTV in it, you carry the old passport along with the new passport whenever you enter and exit Thailand.

I've done that before with a non-O multiple entry visa. The only time I got my visa (actually extension of stay) transferred was when I had an in country non-O 1 year extension, which was then transferred to my new passport. That took up 3 pages in my passport! They copied all the previous extensions as well.
Paul *******
Yes. Translate foreign language documents into either English or Thai.
Paul *******
This is the DTV group, not the general visa group. Nevertheless, for the time being, there's a 60 day visa exemption, which may revert back to 30 days at some point in the future. I don't think the 60 day visa exemption is being planned to be permanent. It will probably stay in place for the remainder of the high season but could go back to 30 days sometime next year.