Documents for Tourist Visa

[tomcat76 327]

I apologize if this has already been asked & answered, but I did search...

 

For a Tourist Visa from the Los Angeles Consulate, it's not clear to me just exactly what documents, if any, need to be mailed in besides the passport, application form (1 or 2 copies?), photos x 2, and the fee via cashier's check (and a return envelope).

 

Do I need to mail a copy of my e-ticket? I'm requesting a 3-entry visa, and plan to be in & out of Thailand from 30NOV until mid-March, and my return ticket shows the return in March (more than 90d). I was going to wait until I got there to arrange the interim trips, but they'll have to be one of course because even with a 30-d extension on the first entry I couldn't stay until the return date of that ticket. I'm hoping that for a tourist visa I don't need to get into all that and don't need to provide a copy of the e-ticket. Again, this is for the LA Consulate. There's a page at the LA Consulate's website that does NOT include the e-ticket on the list of required docs. Other Thai govt pgs do include it, but they look like they're lumping all the visa document reqts together (i.e., tourist & non-imm & retirement). So not 100% clear.

 

RE the fee - I'm also seeing varying guidance. Is it $35 per entry, or $40 per entry, or something else? 'Seems like this changes regularly.

 

Again - 'sorry if this info already exists hereabouts. (All the discussions I found seemed to focus on either non-imm or retirement visa issues, or questions about how the multiple-entry and extensions work, or are not so recent & possibly out-of-date.) Please point me to it if it does.

[js007 795]

I've never dealt with the LA Consulate, but every time I've gotten a visa from one of the other consulates (Houston, Denver), I've sent in the required documents, including a print-out of my ticket reservations. I'm not sure how strict they are about the ticket part. Maybe you could somehow print out an intended itinerary without buying the ticket? Just send them something that fits within the 60 or 90 day parameters. Then again, maybe they don't care, so long as they get their fee.

[bastax33 28]

I've gotten a single entry tourist visa from the L.A. consulate. I turned my documentation in person and not by mail. The form does ask for a copy of the itinerary to be included but when I included a copy of the E-ticket the guy behind the counter just gave it back to me and said it wasn't needed.

 

I think all that is needed is the flight numbers on the application form, but I'm not sure if they are more strict when mailing the documents in. The cost of the Visa is $40 per entry. Below is a link that you might find useful.

 

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=47

 

You can always call them with your questions too, good luck.

[nkped 1,208]

The itinerary poses an interesting question for a multi-entry visa. I'm on the verge of sending my application to the LA consulate. If you drill down a bit, there is a specific page for tourist visa for U.S. passport holders--http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_visa_detail.aspx?link_id=33, that does not say anything about itinerary. Also, says the fee is $40.

[tomcat76 327]

The itinerary poses an interesting question for a multi-entry visa. I'm on the verge of sending my application to the LA consulate. If you drill down a bit, there is a specific page for tourist visa for U.S. passport holders--http://www.thaiconsu...aspx?link_id=33, that does not say anything about itinerary. Also, says the fee is $40.

 

Yes, exact same page I linked to in my OP. Am usually a bit squeamish about calling & asking as a bureaucrat will usually just say yes, include everything.

 

For bastax33: What "form" are you referring to? The back side of the LA application form is all inclusive, and doesn't seem to address tourist visas specifically (but instead also the non-imm o visas, etc., which is reasonable actually because the application form itself also has boxes to check for the type of visa being requested and is not just for use with tourist visas). Was there something else you were looking at that specifically said the e-ticket had to be included for Tourist visas?

[bastax33 28]

If you download the application form from the L.A. consulate website, their is a second page that comes with the visa application form "General Information on Visas" and line 6 on the second page says to provide a copy of the airline ticket "if required to submit" I wasn't sure if it was required for a tourist visa or not and just brought a copy with me just in case...

[nkped 1,208]

Yes, exact same page I linked to in my OP. Am usually a bit squeamish about calling & asking as a bureaucrat will usually just say yes, include everything.

My bad on not checking the link. I would (will) go with the info on the web site. Their web master may or may not have talked to the office visa guru but the chances of the info on that page being accurate are probably better that what you would get from the person who happens to answer the phone when you call. They took the trouble of creating a page to answer our specific questions. Lacking anything better, I would go with it.

[tomcat76 327]

Yeah - my thought, too. 'Just thought I'd check here and see if anyone had experienced anything to the contrary. Maybe I'll print out that webpage and pack it along as a "checklist"...

[tomcat76 327]

I just got my passport back from the consulate in LA. No problems. I got a 3-entry tourist visa showing a 1NOV issue date and a 30APR enter-before date. I did not send any hotel or flight reservation documentation. Just 2 copies of the application (they returned one), 2 photos, cashier's check for $120, passport, and photocopy of passport info page. I used USPS Express Mail both ways as recommended, and getting it back today it took 10days. So no problems, no surprises, no delays; I even forgot to fill out the line on the application that asks for date of last visit.

[nkped 1,208]

I just got my passport back from the consulate in LA. No problems. I got a 3-entry tourist visa showing a 1NOV issue date and a 30APR enter-before date. I did not send any hotel or flight reservation documentation. Just 2 copies of the application (they returned one), 2 photos, cashier's check for $120, passport, and photocopy of passport info page. I used USPS Express Mail both ways as recommended, and getting it back today it took 10days. So no problems, no surprises, no delays; I even forgot to fill out the line on the application that asks for date of last visit.

Thanks, glad to hear it went well.

 

I just sent my application off today. It would have been yesterday. I thought that I had everything together including a money order for $40. I had not followed your advice to print off the consulate's page as a check list but I did go back to make sure I had not missed anything and found it said quite clearly $40 per entry. I'm planning a side trip and a total stay in SEA of a bit over 90 days. This morning got another money order for $40 and sent the package off with two of them.

[tomcat76 327]

RE printing out the consulate's page - that was mainly just so they could see on the other end that I was at least trying to follow their directions. They just sent it back. I won't bother the next time. The only thing I would do differently is remember to fill out that date-of-last-visit line - dumb. Oh, and get their phone no. off their website to put on the USPS mailer.

Edited November 4, 2012 by tomcat76

[js007 795]

10 days to get a visa from the LA Consulate? That seems like a long time. For what it's worth, the Houston consulate was FAST. Express mail the application to them on day one, they get it on day 2, and I get my passport back with a new visa on day 3. I provided the return Express mail envelope.

[tomcat76 327]

Yeap - 10d. Dropped it off at P.O. on a Wed mid-day; USPS dlvrd to my door Sat'y morning of the foll week (yesterday). I also provided the return Express mail envelope. The consulate's web page advises 2 weeks not incl mailing times, and longer. Last year I obtained an Indian visa at the last minute using a service, for which I paid hundreds of extra dollars for rush handling, and didn't get it much faster. So, I was happy with 10d on this.

[js007 795]

Yeap - 10d. Dropped it off at P.O. on a Wed mid-day; USPS dlvrd to my door Sat'y morning of the foll week (yesterday). I also provided the return Express mail envelope. The consulate's web page advises 2 weeks not incl mailing times, and longer. Last year I obtained an Indian visa at the last minute using a service, for which I paid hundreds of extra dollars for rush handling, and didn't get it much faster. So, I was happy with 10d on this.

 

I guess it doesn't much matter so long as you plan ahead. I didn't really need two day service, but if I'd paid a lot of extra money and still had a slow response, I'd be pissed.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

I always applied in person for tourist visas at the Thai Consulate in NYC. Never had to show an E-Ticket, but I always had a copy with me just in case.; One-day service for the double-entry visa. You drop off the application in the morning and get your passport back the next afternoon. A few times the guy behind the counter has told me I could pick it up the same afternoon and on one memorable occasion, they said if I waited 20 minutes, I could have the visa stamped in my passport that morning.

 

I've never seen them busy with walk-in requests for visas. There's never been anyone else waiting to submit an application or pick up a visa the 20 or so times I've gone to the Thai consulate.

 

Evil

Edited November 5, 2012 by Evil Penevil

[tomcat76 327]

If I were closer to LA, I'd have definitely gone that route. I hate mailing off my passport! I once had a property tax payment check stolen right out the mail, and have been leery of putting anything sensitive in the mail ever since (even though the thieves actually were caught during a traffic stop and the postal bags found in their back seat).

[nkped 1,208]

Just got my passport back from the Los Angeles consulate with a two entry tourist visa, which is what I asked for. Their web site does seem to be accurate as to what is required.

 

My experience was a bit more stressful than Tomcat's. I knew they had received my application on November 6 so this Monday, November 26, it had been more than the 15 days the consulate says is the minimum processing time. I was beginning to get worried even though I have a month to go. I was prepared (more or less) for eventualities, but I wanted to know what was going on.

 

So called the consulate at the number shown on the visa application. Took several tries to get through on the main number, but then got straight through to the extension for the visa section. Keeping in mind that a key to good customer service was to be nice to the person who answers the phone, I said good morning, I wanted to check on my visa application as they had had it over two weeks. It was a guy who answered, very fluent in English but probably not a native speaker. His initial response was that it was probably taking longer due to the holidays. Not rude but I was thinking I had just gotten the brush off. Then he asked my name which I gave him and he promised to get it as fast as he could. The visa was dated November 26, so he was a man of his word.

Edited November 28, 2012 by nkped