gobbledonk Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 I've never been to Hawaii, but reading the list of requirements the US Embassy has for a tourist visa, I think it would be easier to just get some large potted palms in my apartment, stick an umbrella in a gaily coloured drink and play a ukelele. Seriously, has any Thai other than Thaksin or you-know-who ever been allowed into the US, at least post 9/11 ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Aussies need a visa to visit the US??? You don't have the same kind of agreements as between the EU and the US??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Aussies need a visa to visit the US??? In some cases, they will grant Aussie tourists a visa-on-arrival, but their Embassy site seems to indicate that this isnt automatic and its safer to get the tourist visa before leaving. Thais, however, would need about a million baht in their back pocket and a penthouse to get the nod, at least going by the wording on the Embassy's page. Make an appointment, turn up for an interview (wtf ?) and fill out fifteen forms - sensational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 The US embassy is indeed a pain in the ass for Thais... I thought Aussies had the same treatment as EU citizen, I was wrong... I guess the US don't want an invasion of kangaroos as the Food and drugs administration wouldn't be happy to receive so many... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pom Michael Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 Americans need a visa for Australia also, so it is a case of reciprocity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Agreed, PM, and our tourist visa conditions are hilarious. We have a tourism industry that is crying blood about the lack of tourists from places like Japan, yet we insist that anyone who wants to sit on one of our beaches have at least 10K AUD in the bank ! Very few working Australians have that kind of money just sitting around - why do we expect tourists to have it ?? (They also have the requirement that you have to be able to show that you got the 10K from your work over a period of months/years : its so blatantly designed to stop people trafficking/indentured prostitution, yet the girl I mentioned in earlier posts managed to come from Isaan and overstay her 3-month visa. Her Thai 'sponsors' in rural Victoria would have replaced her several times since then : cheap labour to pick fruit while they reap the rewards). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Not sure how you arrived at your conclusion about US visas for Thais. The fact is thousands of Thais get visas every year. We have sent something like 50 Thais out of our office to the US over the past 5 years. All were given 10 year multi entry visas, I canâ??t think of one that refused. Probably 25% of the Thais in our office have US visas either for business or many have done themselves for personal trips. I also have many friends whose wives all have visas (as mine does as well). We know a Thai couple that just took a trip to the US west coast late last year. Both were given the 10 year visa. One of the Thais (30 something guy) that works for me just took his mother to the US to see his brother. The urban myth that Thais canâ??t visas to the US is borne out of the fact that people donâ??t take the time to understand the requirements and complete the paperwork properly and then blame the system. It is a simple process, but you must follow it exactly. There is no requirement to have a certain amount of money in the bank, the only criteria is you must show a compelling reason that you will return. This is often easy to do if you just take the time to think about it. The consulate provides a check list giving examples of the kind of ties they are looking for. It also specifically says that a large amount in the bank showing the person is rich is not needed: "While an applicant needs to show he has enough money to make the trip, an individual does not need to be rich to get a visa. It is more useful to show the consular officer a steady banking history, with regular deposits and withdrawals, than a letter stating simply that the applicant has lots of money in the bank." TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danno6 Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 yea, my wife (prior to our marriage) got a 10year tourist visa relatively easily (other than the wait at the embassy) to visit me before we were married. She had a little $ in the bank and owned a condo (small studio), but as important had a letter from her employer saying she had 2 weeks vacation and was expected back to work upon her return. Almost a rubber stamp approval Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbledonk Posted April 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Wow - how many Farang on this board have a 10-year multi-entry visa for Thailand ? The Thais seem to go out of their way to deter folk from coming and going over an extended period ... Anyway, thanks for the info - will pursue it further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiHome Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 The 10 years multi year became common after the US started requiring interviews for every application sometime after 9/11. When my wife got her first US tourist visa in 2002, neither of us actually went to the consulate. Had the application and docs delivered, then 2 days later picked up the visa. It was a single entry with a 3 month validity (we never actually used it). In 2003, she had to go to interview (we were not living in Thailand at that time) and was given a 5 year visa. She now has new 10 year issued from Bangkok. All very routine. TH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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