Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ General
How much does a visa cost?
You must pay a fee, usually in local currency. At Key visa we advise you of the application fee and include this in a package with no hidden extras and we pay the fees. You only pay a deposit and the balance becomes due once the visas is approved.
How long will my visa be valid?
A visitor’s visa is between valid for between 1 and 6 months, but visa validation lengths vary. We can advise you on the correct visa to apply for and the corresponding duration of validity after your initial consultation.
How do I sponsor an application?
Becoming a sponsor for a Thai national is achieved by submitting additional paperwork with your partner’s documents including financial, accommodation and relationship status.
How long does an application take to process?
If we are applying for a visitor visa then from receipt of documents to visa awarded, it takes approximately 2 weeks. If the applicant needs an interview at the embassy it is approximately 3 weeks before completion.
If we are applying for a settlement visa then from receipt of documents to visa awarded, it takes approximately 8 weeks. If the applicant needs an interview at the embassy it can take up to approximately 12 weeks before completion.
What supporting documents are needed?
Everyone’s circumstances are different and no application is the same. Our responsibility to the client is to advise what correct documents are needed and to make sure that the presentation of the application meets a high standard, guaranteeing that the visa will be issued.
Can having worked in a bar be detrimental to my girlfriend's application?
The embassies do work with an open mind and her previous or current employment is only a small part of the application. Key visa’s job is to portray the full application.
How Do I Save Skype Messages & Record Skype Calls?
As technology is improving, moire and more people are using the internet from all walks of life and ages. A popular choice of communication is Skype which we find most of our clients use to contact their Thai girlfriends from the UK, Australia or Ireland. But as we have seen, Skype is not easy to obtain records from so you can chat for hours and after months of great service, have no records to show. This does not help when applying for a visa.
Please be aware that continuing using Skype is great but most people are not aware you can download a conversation log from Skype which is free. This logs all calls and chat in a printable form and allows you to keep all records.
I am constantly being told in my office “We use Skype but we cannot get records”, now you have no excuse. Look up Skype Log View and download it. It allows you to keep all your records which is great because with all visa applications, the more contact information we have, the more chance we have of getting you a visa.
Make sure before you download anything free you have virus checked it first.
How Do I Record App Chats With My Girlfriend?
Chat history is important for visas to UK, Australia, when you are applying for a visa to the UK or Australia then recording your chat history is one of the most important things you will ever do to get a visa accepted.
The reason is that most visas are given on the merits of the relationship so both the UK and Australian Embassies want to see that you have been keeping in touch during your times apart from each other showing an ongoing relationship whilst the foreigner partner is overseas and the great thing is it is FREE!!
Technology has overtaken the need to pay British Telecom and Telestra 1.50 Pounds or Dollars per minute as most ways to keep in contact are FREE but keeping the records is more important so as technology moves forward so your mind set should do also.
Keeping in touch with your Thai girlfriend or Thai partner should be recorded and backed up in case you have a need to obtain a visa in the future or even now as the relationship to the Embassy official is more important than most of the extra documents you will supply.
Free chat users like LINE, Whatsapp & Messenger are the most common and can be tracked using the correct software and making sure you do not lose any records, most of my clients use one of the above but do not realize that you can get records of these for free so I have given you below the link to the various companies to obtain your records.
Facebook Messenger
Facebook don’t give you an easy option like the others, but this is the best way that I have found:
1. Go to m.facebook.com/messages. If you are logged in to Fb then this will open the mobile version of the messaging app on your PC.
2. Click on the conversation you wish to save. This will open the conversation in its own window.
3. Click on “See Older Messages” near the top of the screen. Here’s the worst part, especially for those who have years of one conversation with many thousands of individual msgs. Keep clicking on “See Older Messages” until you reach the point in the conversation where you want to start. If that is the first post in the conversation, you can spend several minutes clicking.
4. Hit CTRL/P on your keyboard. This will bring up the print dialog box.
5. Print your messages
So now there is no reason not to be able to supply reams and reams of useful text records.
FAQ Thai Visa
Can I convert a 7 days extension to a Non Immigrant and retirement visa in Thailand?
For a retirement visa it is fairly common now for people to change from a 30 day visa on arrival to a Non Immigrant visa such as a retirement visa without leaving. This is providing you are 50 years of age or above and have the financial criteria to satisfy the Immigration Officer. You cannot extend the 30 day visa on arrival with a 7 day extension and then change to a retirement visa. A seven day extension states on the visa that no further extension of stay will permitted. If you find yourself in this predicament, the fastest and easiest way to clear this problem would be a one day visa trip to Cambodia. This will net you a 15 day visa, allowing you to convert to a Non Immigrant visa and retirement visa in Thailand.
Saving for a retirement visa – what style of bank account should I use?
You should keep the funds for your long stay visa in a current Thai bank account, a Thai fixed deposit account or a foreign currency deposit account. Putting the money in a high interest bond account or similar will cause you problems when you come to apply for your visa. We know the interest is good on the money, but it is no good if your visa application is not accepted.
When should I apply for a re-entry permit when I wish to leave Thailand?
Obtaining a re-entry permit to protect a long stay visa is normally done approximately one week before you are ready to travel. This stamp is placed on the visa in your passport at the Thai immigration bureau. This visa stamp is designed to safeguard your long stay visa. If you do not obtain a re-entry permit when you return to Thailand, you will find your retirement visa, marriage visa, etc., is null and void.
I always advise my clients when they renew their long stay visa to obtain a single re-entry permit. This is beneficial in two ways. First, If you leave and forget to obtain the permit you have it already. Second, if you have an emergency and have to leave Thailand quickly, you can go and not have to worry about safeguarding the visa.
How early can I re-apply for my long stay retirement visa in Thailand?
It is common to reapply for your retirement visa in Thailand approximately 2-3 weeks before your visa is ready to expire. You should always remember to go off the ink stamp date printed in your passport and not your 90 day report date which is the slip of paper given to you every 90 days. If you need to obtain an income verification letter it is advisable to obtain the letter 2 weeks before your retirement visa is due so the question of the income letter being to old will not arise when you come to re-apply.
I have a multiple entry non-immigrant O visa – Do I just need to report every 90 days?
This is one of the most common questions I am asked. A non-immigrant multiple entry visa, issued by a Thai consulate outside of Thailand, requires you to cross a Thai border every 90 days for the one year duration of the visa. The most common way is to go on a visa run across the Cambodian-Thai border. This will net you another 90 days. This is not a one year extension visa, such as a retirement visa, which is awarded by a Thai Immigration Officer within Thailand. Those allow you to simply report to an Immigration office every 90 days.
My child has been given a 1 year ED visa, but mine is about to expire. Is there anything I can do to stay?
The answer is yes. Because your foreign child is your dependent, and the child is in full time education in Thailand, you can “piggy back” on your child’s visa, converting your current non-immigrant visa to match your child’s long stay visa. please note that Immigration will ask you to show some kind of evidence of how you are supporting your child in Thailand if you are not currently working; be it money in a Thai bank or a regular income from your own country. There is not a specific amount and is at the discretion of the immigration office, so have your information ready at hand.
I have been fined by the police for not having a copy of my passport on me is this correct?
Yes it is correct. Like most countries, Thailand law is that a foreigner should carry at least a copy of their passport showing the details page, the latest entry visa stamp and the white departure card that is placed in your passport when you enter Thailand. It can also be for your own safety. I always advise having a copy of your passport because if the eventuality arose where you lost your original passport, it will save you a lot of heartache at your embassy when applying for a new one. If you call our office, for a small fee we can produce a credit card sized laminated copy of your passport which you can carry with you at all times with ease.
My visa expired because I was looking at the date of my 90 day report – What should I do?
This is an alarmingly common occurrence at the moment. We have seen numerous cases where the client has presumed that their visa finish date was not the ink stamp in their passport, but was the 90 day report date. Please be aware that your 90 day report date does not always align perfectly with your one year visa. In most cases your 90 day report date will run past your retirement visa date. For renewing any long-stay, one-year visas, you should always check the ink stamp in your passport and go by that date. For your 90 day report, go by the date on the white TM47 paper stapled into your passport. I would advise you to go to your immigration office and point out your mistake and normally they will allow you to pay the overstay and retain your visa.
I have just returned from Cambodia on a standard visa run and have received only 15 days renewal.
This is not a mistake, it is a new visa rule that has recently been enforced. If you enter Thailand on a {VOA}, which is a 30 day free visa on arrival, and you wish to go on a Cambodian visa run or cross a border via land, you will now only receive 15 days when you re-enter. If you leave and then reenter Thailand via the airport (not across land), you shall be given 30 days.
This rule does not apply if your passport has a current visa was acquired outside Thailand, e.g. Non-Immigrant visa multiple entry. Please note: Not all nationalities are given 30 days on arrival so please check your visa status before you arrive. New enforced rules can be less of a headache if you arrive in Thailand with a visa in your passport.
Can I open a bank account on a 30 day visa?
This seems to be the trend now in Pattaya. The answer to your question is yes you can open a bank account on a 30 day visa on arrival but you will require a residency letter, obtainable from your local immigration office. This is a document with your photograph and your current address stamped by the immigration bureau. When you have the residency certificate you can go to most banks and open a bank account. When you go to the immigration bureau you need two passport sized photographs and something confirming your address in Thailand such as a rental agreement, hotel receipt, or home ownership information. The residency letter issued by the immigration bureau can be used for purchasing a motor vehicle or motorbike in your own name, obtaining a Thailand driving license or opening a new bank account.
I have a 30 day visa but want to stay 50 days – What is the process?
The easiest solution is to go on a Cambodian visa run that will net you a 30 day extension. It is important that you have a visa run agent check your passport for eligibility before you book a visa run. You do not want to make that bus ride only to be denied the extension! In most of my articles I advise that those planning to stay more than 30 days in Thailand shouldn’t just bring suitcase and toothbrush. Obtain a visa from a Thai consulate in your own country before you arrive, it does saves you quite a lot of hassle.
