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Thai Visa Applications in Penang: Further Update on Restrictions

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests we are doing an update on a prior video discussing Thai visa application requirements from the Thai Consulate in Penang, Malaysia.

Why are we discussing Penang, Malaysia? Well it is a pretty popular place to seek visas as we have discussed in prior topics, as we have discussed in prior videos. Penang is fairly popular for a number of reasons most notably it is relatively close to Phuket which is a large area where there is a large foreigner concentration. It is generally also the closest Consular jurisdiction with respect to Southern Thailand generally which can make it fairly popular.  But also there have been over recent weeks and months some rather interesting changes with respect to that specific post and there are some new ones here now.

In a prior post we discussed how they were capping the number of applications that were going to be taken on a daily basis at 100 per day. Some further interesting information regarding this. A reminder which was posted by the Penang Consulate themselves; just a couple of reminders: 

Person's with "incomplete documents" will not be allowed to enter the building. Those found to have entered will be rejected and need to apply the next day. So you need to make sure that you have got all your documentation. They apparently are getting increasingly strict with application processing.

This is important: submission of ”fake documents" will result in a blacklisting for one year. That is pretty important. Never a good idea, ever, to submit false documentation to any Embassy associated with a visa application and I think this 1-year blacklisting is just a pretty good example of Immigration and  Foreign Ministry officials ratcheting up the penalties associated with those who are trying to sort of finagle their way back into the Kingdom of Thailand.

Finally overstays pose a high risk of visa refusal.  I will go into that in another video. We have done another video on that topic contemporaneously with this one specifically on overstays generally as there has been some rather substantial changes with respect to minor over-stayers associated with trying to come into the Kingdom of Thailand on even an otherwise valid travel document.

But the thing to take away from this video is, not only has Penang capped out the number of visas that they are going to be issuing through that post, and that post was pretty popular especially because in certain circumstances a one-year multi-entry non-immigrant B Visa could be obtained through the Penang Consulate  which could be kind of a benefit for some as it may not be particularly convenient to seek a one year B visa extension in country, but now it would appear that they are taking an even harder line with respect to certain aspects of the visa application process including the issue of missing documentation and they are especially taking a hard line with respect to over over-stayers and fake documentation.