Special tourist visa

[Silentsoul]

Hi guys first post and new here on the forum, i have a problem which maybe someone can help with. The new Thai gov special tourist visa which at this time will give you 9 months in the country with 3 90 day extensions. One of the many requirements is that you have to have paid accommodation for the lengh of your stay ie 90 days, well every hotel i have emailed phoned face book messaged cannot tell me how to pay for the hotel in advance, they need to supply a letter or certificate to me stating accomodation fully paid address of the hotel and tax number for me to present to the embassy for my application, but as it gets a bit harder they just stop communicating with me. I am in Australia right now as i was living in the Philippines so i want to go to Thailand and wait for the Phills to open so this accomodation i am booking right now could go as long as 9 months but the hotels dont seem to want to help me. Any advice..

[Garzan]

With the standard disclaimer of "I am not a lawyer" or a Thai Immigration Specialist, whenever I book rooms on Agoda, Agoda sends me a receipt showing the days I've booked, and whether or not I've already paid. 

 

[kimternet]

Do you still have to apply and book the STV via an agency?

When they launched the STV and the tourist visas were off the table it seemed like a lifeline, but with single entry tourists visas now available to all nations (?), I think I'd prefer this option, and switch to a longer term visa once in Thailand. Maybe the STV rules have changed, but it seemed initially set up to force applicants to use an agent, who can then add on unnecessary costs and push you to stay at certain hotels. Whereas with the tourist visa you remain more in control.

[Silentsoul]

Thanks for that, the rules state that the application must contain the tax number for the hotel, so i dont know how to do that, maybe i will just book with Agoda and see what happens.

[Silentsoul]

As i understand it once you apply for the 60 day tourist visa you can only then apply for another 30 days, the special visa gives you 90 days then you can reapply 2 times more giving you 9 months. I am waiting for the Philippines to open so i can return there, so i might need the 9 months.

[petehoax]

3 hours ago, Silentsoul said:

As i understand it once you apply for the 60 day tourist visa you can only then apply for another 30 days, the special visa gives you 90 days then you can reapply 2 times more giving you 9 months. I am waiting for the Philippines to open so i can return there, so i might need the 9 months.

more or less correct, except you don't apply for another visa, you get a visa extension. can be done on the local immigration office (in many larger cities in thailand) and is normally very quick and easy (and costs 1900thb for the 30 day extension, no idea if the price for STV extension is different).