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Where can I obtain the Thai Visa
Application?
To
receive applications by mail, please send a self addressed stamped
envelope to:
Royal
Thai Consulate General
Attn: Visa Section
611 N. Larchmont Blvd., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, California 90004
You can download the visa application as an
Adobe pdf file from Download Visa
Forms Page |Click here|
. However, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed
on your computer in order to view and print the PDF visa and passport
applications. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit their
web site at http://www.adobe.com/. 
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Where should I apply for my Thai Visa?
See
"Consular
District" in Consulate
Info.
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Do
I have to send my actual passport with my visa application or
can I send a copy of the passport?
You
must send the actual passport with the required
documentation for the Thai visa. When sending your passport by
mail, we recommend that you use a a safer mail service other than
regular mail (Registered Mail, Priority Mail, Express Mail, etc.). Also keep this in mind when you include the postage for
returning the passport and visa to you.
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I
have a Federal Express/DHL/or UPS account. Can I enclose a label
and account information for returning my passport and visa?
Yes.
You can use a courier service such as Federal Express, DHL, UPS,
etc. for return mail of your passport and visa. However, make
sure you have completed the label and all necessary information
on the label and, if possible, include an envelope from the courier
service. MUST have an account number
- credit card payment is NOT accepted.
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What
do you mean by "passport must be valid for at least six months?"
Your
passport must not expire within six months from the date
you apply for the visa to Thailand. This does not mean
that your passport must be at least six months old. Please note
that our office cannot issue the Thai visa if the passport will
expire earlier than six months.
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How
soon should I apply for my visa?
You
may apply for the visa no earlier than 90 days from when you plan
to enter Thailand. As the visa will expire in 90 days from the
date of issue (six months if two entries are issued) you
do not want to apply too early. Also, allow enough time for the
visa to be issued (two business days if applying in person or
ten days - not including mailing time - if applying by mail).
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How
can I extend my visa while in Thailand?
You
should apply to the Thai Immigration office before the
visa expires. Whether or not the visa will be extended is strictly
up to the Thai Immigration officer. For more information on extending
Thai visas, please see the web site of Thai Immigration at
http://www.immigration.go.th/ (Select "Required
Documents" from English Menu > select "Visa Extension" from menu
[click on folder icon] > and then select appropriate topic from
resulting menu [click on document icon]).
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My
passport does not contain any blank "Visa" pages. Can the visa
be issued on the "Amendment" pages?
No.
The visa will only be issued on a blank visa page. The
visa page cannot have any type of marking, stamp, note,
etc. If your passport does not contain a blank visa page, you
must contact your embassy or appropriate passport agency which
issues the passport of your country and request additional visa
pages or a new passport. The Royal Thai Consulate General cannot
add visa pages for you.
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I
have an emergency and must fly to Thailand immediately. Can I
obtain a visa from the Consulate in one day if I visit the Consulate
in person?
Under
such circumstances, you should contact the Consulate at telephone
(323) 962-9574 through 9577 extension 230 during business hours and speak to the Visa Officer
to make an appointment before coming to the Consulate. The issuance
of the visa is up to the Visa Officer. Please keep in mind
that we receive many telephone calls at a given time and you may
have difficulty getting through. We do our best to answer
all calls promptly. You may also contact the Visa Section by
E-mail at
thai.la@mindspring.com but it is better to telephone your
request for faster service.
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I
had a visa issued by your office earlier this year and it expired
before I could use it. Can I extend this visa?
No.
If the visa expires, the Consulate cannot extend the validity
of the visa. You will have to reapply for a new visa. You will
have to resubmit all required documentation. (Single-entry visas
expire within 90 days from date of issue).
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I
plan to visit other countries around Thailand and I plan to be
in Thailand for less than 30 days. However, my airline ticket shows
more than 30 days in Thailand. Do I need to apply for a visa?
Yes.
If your airline ticket shows more than 30 days in Thailand, you
must apply for the visa before entering Thailand even if
you plan to obtain an airline or rail ticket to a third country
upon arrival in Thailand. If your airline ticket shows more than
30 days in Thailand and you leave without a visa to Thailand,
there is a very good chance that the airline could refuse to allow
you to board until you obtain a Thai visa.
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What
if I visit Thailand without a visa with the intention of staying
only 30 days but I decide to
extend my stay beyond the 30-day period. Can I extend the "30-day-visa-on-arrival"
in Thailand?
You
must contact Thai Immigration before your the expiration
date stamped in your passport when you arrived in Thailand. The
extension is up to Thai Immigration. If you think you might stay
more than 30 days, then we recommend that you obtain a Tourist
Visa before entering Thailand.
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I
will be in Thailand on business for less than 30 days. Do I need
to obtain a visa?
Yes.
The "30-day-visa-on-arrival" is for Tourism only. If you
will be in Thailand on business which includes attending a
conference, you must apply for a "Non-Immigrant
- Category B" visa.
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I
would like to seek employment while in Thailand. Your requirements
for a Non-Immigrant Visa state that I must have a letter from
the company or institution I will be working - along with other
documentation - with when I apply
for the visa. If I don't have the required documentation for the
Non-Immigrant Visa, can you issue a Non-Immigrant
Visa so I can still look for work?
No.
We cannot issue Non-Immigrant Visas for seeking employment. You
would have to apply for a Tourist Visa and when you are hired
by a company in Thailand, you may be required to leave the country
and obtain an appropriate Non-Immigrant visa. Keep in mind that
before you can begin working in Thailand, you must have
a valid Work Permit. Your employer in Thailand should be able
to help you apply for the Work Permit. For more information on
Non-Immigrant Visas, please see " Non-Immigrant Visas."
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My
spouse is Thai and we will be visiting his/her family for more
than 60 days. Can I obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa for visiting our
relatives?
Yes.
You would need to submit a copy of your marriage certificate along
with the other required documentation for a visa and state on
the Visa Application that the purpose of your trip is "visiting
family or relatives." Issuance of the visa is up to the Visa Officer.
Please see Non-Immigrant Visas Type O".
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When
paying for the visa fee, may I pay by cash or by personal or company check?
Payment of visa fee must be in the form of Money Order or Cashiers
Check ONLY. We
cannot accept payment by cash, personal or company check. If
payment is made in the form of cash, personal or company check the visa
will not be issued until we receive cashier's check or money order
made payable to " Royal Thai Consulate General , Los Angeles".
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I
will be visiting Thailand with my family. Can I send all of our
passports and visa applications together in one envelope?
Yes.
You can include all passports and all necessary documentation
in one envelope and return envelope. You may also include one
cashier's check or money order for the visa fees for all applicants.
In addition, please write the name of the applicant on the back
of their photograph.
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Can
I apply for a Visa for someone other than myself?
Yes.
When applying for a visa in person, the visa applicant is not
required to apply by themselves as long as all required documentation
is submitted at the time of the visa application. However, all
visa applications must be signed by the applicant.
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If
I am required to submit a copy of my airline tickets, can I submit
the itinerary instead?
No.
Itineraries will not be accepted in place of the copies
of airline tickets. However, itineraries showing e-tickets
will be accepted.