Is it easy/allowed/possible to apply for a visa to Thailand OUTSIDE your home country?

[steve9291]

Hi amazing forum!!! 👋😉
Imagine:

- You're on a tourist visa, multiple entry
- You leave the country to head to Vietnam
- You want to reenter on an investor visa, elite visa, retiree visa, etc. 

Can you easily do so from a different country?
Even better, could you LEGALLY apply for any type of other visa WHILE in Thailand?

The reason I ask is that I don't have 'home base' the moment i leave for SEA, so I have to plan my moves very carefully. I have lived in the PI for a long time so travelling around doesn't scare me, but getting 'stuck' does

Cheers!

[Thomaz73]

The only one I'm sure can only be obtained in your home country is the METV. You can get SETV and non-whatew (incl retirement) in neighbouring countries. Elite is a long process. Can be initiated outside the country. 

[davidge]

It’s actually become more difficult since they introduced the e-visa system as you have to provide proof of residence in the country you are applying through. Simply being a tourist or temporary visitor doesn’t count.

At least for now, this doesn’t apply to the countries neighbouring Thailand as they don’t use the system, so you can go to an Embassy/Consulate in those countries and apply in person. Some are meant to be easier to deal with than others but I don’t keep track of which ones as it can change. A tourist visa from one of these is relatively straightforward but other visas might have requirements for money in bank etc which you might not have in those countries, though I understand it is possible to use proof of funds in a Thai bank in at least some of these.

If you have a Tourist Visa you can convert that to a Non O inside Thailand, assuming you are over 50 (or married to a Thai).

[davidge]

22 minutes ago, Thomaz73 said:

The only one I'm sure can only be obtained in your home country is the METV

A Non O-A can also only be obtained in your home country.

[biggles]

Just a word about the Thai embassy in Manila. A tourist visa takes 2 business days to process, leave before 12n day 1 pick up after 3pm day 3. Don't get caught out by public holidays. They do have a number of requirements, listed on their web site.