Wasping to Koh Samui and Visa Application for Thailand

Probably law of attraction also brought me the crazy Vespa riders who like to travel long distance. Last year August, my friend rode to Phuket with 8 other Vespas. I could not join because I just returned from Italy. This year, he and his wife want to ride to Koh Samui. It is going to be a 3 weeks trip. I cannot miss out this chance.

I learnt from my friend that the land border visa for Thailand is only 15 days. Only if you fly in, the visa is 30 days. We will be travelling around Southern Thailand longer than 15 days. So two ways to get around without overstaying.

Visa Run

Exit Thailand at a border and re-enter Thailand again with a new visa stamp valid for another 15 days. The nearest border to Koh Samui is at Ranong. So we can exit Thailand there, enter Myanmar and then re-enter Thailand again. We will need to pay US$10 for the Myanmar visa. If you are going to do a visa run, stand by a nice crisp US 10 dollar note.

If it is too much of a hassle to go all the way there just to get a new visa stamp, one can also apply for tourist visa at the Thai Embassy.

NOTE: As of 2014, Thai immigration is starting to crackdown on Visa Run in particularly on Westerners. Read here.

No more Thai visa runs: Immigration will not let visa runners return after Aug 12

Visa Application at Royal Thai Embassy Singapore

This visa is for single entry (unless you request) and is valid for 3 months from the date of visa approval. Once you enter Thailand, the visa permits you to stay in Thailand up to 60days. E.g. Your visa got approved on 15th July 2013. It is valid until 15th October 2013. You can enter Thailand with this visa between these dates. Let’s say you enter Thailand on 1st August, you must get out of the country within 60 days which is around 30 September.

The tourist visa is free for Singaporeans. You need to bring down the following documents, information during application. You can read more here. Below are the instructions for Singaporeans.

• Your passport (More than 6 months validity)
• Visa Application Form (available at Thai Embassy, or you can download and print here.)
• Two passport photos
• Logcard for vehicle (Printout from One-Motoring website is also acceptable.)
• Savings Account Bank Statement to proof that your have at least S$1,000 per person and maximum $2,000 per family (Must be Savings accounts, Fixed deposit not accepted. This is an evidence of adequate finance. We applied for 3 of us, we only have to show S$2,000. As of now 25th March 2015, Cash is no longer accepted unlike in the past.)
• Proposed Address in Thailand
• Name, Address and Contact details of a Guarantor in Thailand and Singapore if you have one.
• If applying for someone else behalf, bring NRIC photocopy and letter of authorisation.

Visa Application only from 9.15am to 11.30am, Monday to Friday. Do allow 7 to 10 working days to process. Collection is only during the weekdays between 2pm to 3pm.

Single Entry Tourist Visa

For more info, click the below link. For Singaporeans, there is no application fee of S$50. But if you wish to apply for multiple entry visa, that may be a different story.

http://www.thaiembassy.sg/visa-matters-/-consular/visa-requirements/tourist-visa

There are free maps and brochures on the second level, feel free to take as many as you want.

We did not book any hotels, nothing. Just go there and see what is there for us. However, there is a few places we would like to visit. So below is the rough outline of the trip. Plans will change along the way.  I will blog and post photos along the way if I can find the time and Wi-Fi.