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How To Get A 60 Day Tourist Visa To Thailand

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Getting a 60 day tourist visa to Thailand is much easier than you may think. That is why I thought it important to outline the steps on How To Get A 60 Day Tourist Visa To Thailand. If you are in any major city in the United States chances are there is a Royal Thai Consulate near you. To get your 60 day tourist visa to Thailand will require you to pay a visit to the Royal Thai Consulate. There is an application form that you must fill out and bring in with you. You must also bring some information about yourself, of which, I will outline in this article.

First you will need to download the PDF application form and fill it out.

I recommend using black or blue ink only and print very clearly in all capital letters. Do not complete the form in cursive script. Also do not write fast and sloppy. The person who will review your application form may deny you if it looks like you have rushed through completing the form.

Royal Thai Consulate Visa Forms

Chicago: http://www.thaiconsulatechicago.org/images/Visa_Form_2015.pdf

Los Angeles: http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/uploads/Fillable_Visa_Application.pdf

New York: http://www.thaicgny.com/%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A9%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%AD-%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A4%E0%B8%A9-english-version/visa-service/visa-applicatform/

Miami: http://www.ibuildwebs.com/thaiconsulate/Thailand-Visa-Application.pdf

If none of these Royal Thai Consulate locations are near you simply search:
[insert your city or state] thai consulate visa

How To Get A 60 Day Tourist Visa To Thailand Application Form Example
This is what the basic application form looks like for a visa to Thailand.

Second you will need to passport style photos.

When you get your passport photos wear an all black shirt. Wearing a suit and tie is also acceptable. It is not a good idea to wear a loudly colored shirt when you go to take your passport photos. There are many places to get passport photos professionally taken and in many cases it only takes 10 to 15 minutes. Most Walgreens drugstore or CVS drugstore locations have passport photo equipment. Some local for photographers may also have the correct equipment to take passport photos. Going to a professional photographer can be a great idea as well because they can Photoshop a shirt in any color and make it look like you are wearing it.

Third. You will need to take screenshots of your bank account.

When you take screenshots you will need to have the date and the total available balance visible. You will need to show that you have more than $700 US available to you. Print the screenshots and submit them with your application form.

Fourth. You will need to get a cashiers check or a money order for the total application fee.

Upon the writing of this article the fee was US$40 but it may have changed so double check. The Royal Thai consulate will not except cash for the 60 day visa application fee.

Fifth. You will need to make photo copies in color of your passport and your drivers license.

You will need to submit these with your application. Be sure to print them in color and use a high-quality printer so that they are easily readable. If they are not readable to the person reviewing your application your application will be denied.

Sixth. You will need to show that you have a flight to Thailand and leaving Thailand.

Your arrival flight can not be more than 30 days from the time of application submission. Your departure flight can be up to six months from your arrival or more, however you must show a departure flight from Thailand.

Seventh. Make your plan to visit the Royal Thai Consulate.

I would suggest planning on arriving at the consulate in the morning as soon as they open to avoid a line. Most Royal Thai Consulate offices break for lunch in the middle of the day. This means that you will have to be at the office either before or after lunch. Be sure to double check the lunch break for your Royal Thai Consulate office.

Also. There are TONS of Thai holidays as well as American holidays. The Royal Thai Consulate observes BOTH American and Thai holidays. Make sure the day you plan on visiting they will be open!

Here are two places to check holiday schedules.
A list of Thai Holidays that will effect Royal Thai Consulate Visa Issuing Services:
https://www.officeholidays.com/countries/thailand/index.php
U.S. Holidays with also effect Royal Thai Consulate Visa Issuing Services:
https://www.officeholidays.com/countries/usa/index.php

Eighth. I have at least $10 in cash with you when you go.

The Royal Thai Consulate personnel may offer to mail your visa to you at your home. This is a great option if you have to travel from a rural location to a major city to apply for your visa. Visa application fees must be paid in a cashiers check. Mailing fees for the 60 day tourist visa must be paid in cash. If you choose to take the option and have your visa mailed to you they will send it via USPS priority mail with a tracking number. Be sure to retain your tracking number so that you can monitor your packages progress through the mail.

Ninth. When you receive your visa check it over and make sure that all of the dates are correct.

Do not assume that no mistakes were made during your approval process. The staff at any Royal Thai Consulate is very competent and very trustworthy however humans make mistakes sometimes. Always double check your dates!

Tenth. When you arrive in Thailand be sure to have your passport open to the page with your 60 day visa.

This is the most important. You have to be sure that you alert the immigration official that you already have a 60 day visa. If you do not do this the immigration officials will assume that you are getting a 30 day tourist visa on arrival. I am not sure what happens if you get a double visa and I don’t want to find out. Neither should you. Be sure to show the official your 60 day visa.

Now You Know How To Get A 60 Day Tourist Visa To Thailand

So those are the steps on How To Get A 60 Day Tourist Visa To Thailand. It is not very difficult to do at all. Getting a 60 day visa only requires you to have the correct paperwork. The Thai people love tourists visiting their country. They will welcome you with open arms but only ask that you respect their land while you are enjoying yourself. Have fun on your 60 day visit to Thailand!

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Booking My Third Flight To Thailand

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My return trip to Thailand.
This will be my third trip to Thailand within one year, I guess you could say I really like it there. There is Songkran. Songkran is a nationwide water fight but you can see more on that here.
On previous trips I have shared with you pictures and videos of random places that I have gone. While these videos are great in the pictures outstanding this time I want to show you a little bit more of exactly how I book my trip to Thailand. On the last two trips I have used Google flights and monitored them throughout a couple months. To try and get the best pricing on flights to Bangkok. This time around I have used an app called Hopper. Hopper has been set up on my phone for a few months and sends me notifications as flights from Phoenix to Bangkok change. With the notifications it also has recommendations on when the best time to buy your flights to Bangkok will be. Financially you should be prepared to purchase your plane ticket at least six months in advance of your trip. This way when the best price comes along you can purchase on the spot and don’t have to wait for your next paycheck.
For more tips on being financially responsible while traveling click here.

Hopper App Demonstration Image

This column spans 3 of 8

Hopper sent me a notification on flights with United Airlines and ANA Airlines as having the best deal for around $660 USD. Considering I paid almost double that on my first trip to Thailand I feel that this time around these flight prices are a steal. While at first I found it hard to trust an app on my phone to book plane tickets with, hopper actually connects you with the official websites of the airlines that you are booking with. Even though I use the app Hopper, I dealt with united airlines when I paid for my airline tickets to Thailand. Going through the flight booking process with united airlines website was pretty straightforward. There was one minor mishap where I accidentally selected a seat for one of the legs of my trip. Because of that selection there reset it resulted in a additional charge of $69 USD. The receipt for that flight was a little cryptic and I was having trouble understanding where the additional charge came from. I waited until the charges process it through PayPal and then I called United airlines to get clarification on the additional charge for the flight. Customer service at United airlines was very helpful. The gentleman helped me distinguish what the additional $69 USD charge was for and then he offered to reverse the charge because of my accidental click. I really appreciate united airlines being flexible on their refund policy.
$69 USD goes a long way in Thailand! I did have to submit a refund request electronically and enter a long series of numbers in order to process the refund, however, it was not that difficult and their was on the screen instructions to assist me. So that wraps up how I booked my flight to Thailand this time around. Once I get to Thailand I’ll be able to book shorter flights, let’s say to Vietnam or Cambodia, something like that. But the main flight is out of the way. Now the waiting game begins…The excitement builds more every day…

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To Ankor Thom

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Chang let me drop my bag and get settled into the room. I used an hour or so to upload some pictures because my iPhone was full and iCloud failed. I used an FTP client to upload to one of my hosting accounts. Didn’t know there was such a thing but there are tons of them, I used FTP Client Pro.
After an hour or so Chang and I took off to get tickets to Ankor Wat and Ankor Thom. We stopped at an ATM then at the ticket building. $20 USD for a one day pass to both Ankor Wat and Ankor Thom. There is a museum just outside of the ticket building … next time.
Chang suggested we start at Ankor Thom and that’s what we did. When we pulled up Chang gave me the run down of the locations at the Ankor Thom complex and told me where I would find him when I was done. It was a great way to get around the complex without having to move along. Being a bit of an architectural history buff I needed a little extra time to analyze the carvings in the walls. It was really interesting to see the remainder of the headers and footers of doorways, you’ll notice that there is a hole for the door hinges at all of the openings. Walking through Ankor Thom you get the feeling of a military fortress. There are small passages and doorways everywhere they let you crawl through. Really exciting if you are into historical Asian architecture. As you move through the rest of the complex you’ll see that it begins to look more like a training ground and compound all in one, again with a high lookout tower.
I don’t think I made it to all of the corners of the complex, in fact I’m positive I didn’t. I’d smelled some BBQ on the way in and I was hungry. I made my way back to the meeting point and Chang was there just like he said. Awesome!!

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Welcome To Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Flying into Siem Reap was easy from Bangkok. The flight was supposed to be a little over an hour but we were well under that. From the window of the plane the Cambodian landscape seemed to be pretty spread out. There were no large buildings and the airport was relatively small. You have to pay to get into Cambodia. $15 USD and another $15 USD if you do not have a passport photo of yourself. So $30 USD to get into Cambodia. I happened to have about $75 USD in some Twenties and Fives so I made it happen without a trip to the ATM.
They get you through this airport REALLY quick even with printing the photo. In fact, all over Thailand and Cambodia they really shuffle you through the airports relatively quickly. Everyone through customs was more than friendly.
As I walked outside I was met by my Tuk Tuk driver, Chang, almost instantly. He shook my hand and showed me the way and asked where would I like to go. I found Chang and his brother Daniel on AirBnB and booked their small rooms for $10 USD just outside of Ankor Wat.
Riding through Siem Reap was much different than Thailand. First you are driving back on the right side of the road. Second there are American cars there. Third the symbolism and statues are much different. Funny for being not so far away.
There was also a clear difference in buildings in Cambodia. There were not many buildings over 1 story tall and much of them could use repair. A good description to paint a picture would be to say some buildings looked “Bombed Out” or “Looted”. One of the only ATM’s I saw was the one Chang took me to after I dropped my bag at the room was attached to a building that looked like this. To the left was what looked to be the leftovers of a jewelry store and to the right was a small convenience store, no formal front door, just a convenience store in a bombed out building. I bought stuff.

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How To Get Through Any Airport Faster

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Be ready.

That really is the secret to getting through any airport faster. On my travels it has become clear to me the more prepared I am the easier the flight goes. Since everyone loves lists here is mine on how to fly through the airport.

1.) Have your passport easily accessible.

Fumbling around looking for anything in the airport stresses you out. You have a line of people staring at you, an attendant that is waiting and you don’t want to lose anything while you’re digging through your packed bags. Eliminate the stress and use a fairly accessible pocket for your flight information, drivers licenses, and passport.
I use either the front pocket or an top inside pocket depending on the bag that I plan to travel with facing in front of me. At each checkpoint which is almost always where a line is forming, it is a snap for me to produce any requested identification.

2.) Keep Immigration information in you passport.

You don’t want to lose any of those papers that they give you when you get your passport stamped. You’ll need them to get out of whatever country you are in. If you are even a bit of an explorer keep all your documents in a gallon plastic bag to prevent an accident.

3.) Be Ready For Security.

You’ve been standing in line for 20 minutes and now you are at the steel tables just before you get in the scanner and you are just NOW checking your pockets? You have a water bottle after all the signs said “No Liquids over 3oz”? My advise is put EVERYTHING in your bag when you are shuffling through the security line, far before the metal table. Have you iPad or laptop ready to come out of your bag and into a separate bin. Take off your belt put it in your bag and untie your shoes if you need to. Some airport security still wants to see your toiletries so have those at the top of your bag in a gallon sized plastic bag. I’ve learned you can’t control other people but you can be prepared with your pockets empty

4.) Find your gate.

Before you go around shopping at the boutiques or duty free find your gate and check the screen for you boarding time and destination. Then go shopping or use the washroom etc.. Knowing exactly where your gate is will prevent you from having to run with your coffee to try and catch a flight on the other side of the terminal. Know your boarding time, show up 5 minutes before and stand in line. You’ll be one of the first people on the plane. This is especially true if your seat is at the back of the plane

5.) Say Please and Thank You.

This will get you a long way. Treat all the security personnel with respect and they will always point you in the best direction they can. This is more true outside of the United States than in. Nothing is worse than standing in the wrong line because you didn’t smile when you asked and say Thank You when you receive the information you asked for.

So that’s it, a few of my personal favorites for getting through any airport faster. What are some of your favorite ways to get through the airport quickly? Let me know!!

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