Applying for a visa

[Kawikasudo]

I’m planning on coming to Pattaya in November from Hawaii. I have to go through the Thai consulate in L.A. Do I apply for a visa first then the flight and Sha+hotel or book a flight and hotel reservations first before I apply for a visa?

[Faz]

If the type of Visa your applying for requires proof of flight and hotel booking, then you will need to book them in order to apply for the Visa in the first instance.

You'll need the Visa to apply for the COE, but will already have the flight and hotel booking confirmation.

[BlueSphinx]

7 minutes ago, Kawikasudo said:

I’m planning on coming to Pattaya in November from Hawaii. I have to go through the Thai consulate in L.A. Do I apply for a visa first then the flight and Sha+hotel or book a flight and hotel reservations first before I apply for a visa?

Which Visa do you intend to apply for? 

When you did not make up your mind yet about that, do provide the following info as that will determine your best option (which might be NOT applying for a Visa, and entering Thailand VisaExempt).

# How long do you intend to stay?

# Your age and nationality

# Whether married to a Thai national or with Thai dependent children

[JamesE]

47 minutes ago, Kawikasudo said:

Do I apply for a visa first then the flight and Sha+hotel

This is according to the rules. But this...

48 minutes ago, Kawikasudo said:

book a flight and hotel reservations first before I apply for a visa?

...is what you need to do.

I just went through this with the Consulate in LA and it was a bit confusing because the rules say you don't book your flight and hotel until after your COE is pre-approved. But the visa application (I did a TV) asked for the itinerary and receipt for the flight and an address in Thailand. So, book first, then visa, then COE pre-approval, upload the SHABA confirmation, proof of test payment, and visa, and you're done. The one thing I didn't learn until midway through my first COE application was that you can't apply before 30 days prior to arrival in Thailand. That was only in the fine print at the bottom of one of the pages.

LA was actually very efficient. The visa was processed in two business days and rejection or acceptance of the COE steps happened within a day of me submitting the docs.

[Kawikasudo]

1 hour ago, Faz said:

If the type of Visa your applying for requires proof of flight and hotel booking, then you will need to book them in order to apply for the Visa in the first instance.

You'll need the Visa to apply for the COE, but will already have the flight and hotel booking confirmation.

Thank you!

[Kawikasudo]

1 hour ago, BlueSphinx said:

Which Visa do you intend to apply for? 

When you did not make up your mind yet about that, do provide the following info as that will determine your best option (which might be NOT applying for a Visa, and entering Thailand VisaExempt).

# How long do you intend to stay?

# Your age and nationality

# Whether married to a Thai national or with Thai dependent children

I intend to apply for a non-immigrant “O” tourist visa for two months. I had one before and it cost me $200. I’m American 70 years old 

[Kawikasudo]

50 minutes ago, JamesE said:

This is according to the rules. But this...

...is what you need to do.

I just went through this with the Consulate in LA and it was a bit confusing because the rules say you don't book your flight and hotel until after your COE is pre-approved. But the visa application (I did a TV) asked for the itinerary and receipt for the flight and an address in Thailand. So, book first, then visa, then COE pre-approval, upload the SHABA confirmation, proof of test payment, and visa, and you're done. The one thing I didn't learn until midway through my first COE application was that you can't apply before 30 days prior to arrival in Thailand. That was only in the fine print at the bottom of one of the pages.

LA was actually very efficient. The visa was processed in two business days and rejection or acceptance of the COE steps happened within a day of me submitting the docs.

Thank you! That was very useful information!

[BlueSphinx]

16 minutes ago, Kawikasudo said:

I intend to apply for a non-immigrant “O” tourist visa for two months. I had one before and it cost me $200. I’m American 70 years old 

There is no such thing as a non-immigrant "O" tourist Visa.  You can apply at the Thai Embassy in LA for

#1 - a 90-day Non Immigrant O Visa for reason of retirement (+50 years) or for reason of marriage with a Thai national;

or for

#2 - a 60-day Tourist Visa.

Note that if you do not intend to stay longer than 2 months, you do not even have to bother about applying for a Visa, and you can opt to enter Thailand VisaExempt (without a Visa).  On entry you will currently be stamped in for a 45 days permission to stay, and that permission to stay can be extended once (for 1.900 THB) at any Thai Immigration Office for a period of 30 days.  So that would provide you with 75 days of stay with no need to apply for a Visa.

When doing that you still need - like everybody entering Thailand - meet the CoE requirements.  And these stipulate that you need a.o. to provide proof of a +100.000 US $ covid-19 coverage insurance for the period you will be stamped in on arrival (i.e. 45 days when you opt to enter VisaExempt). 

FYI > When you book a return-flight with Emirates such +100.000 US $ covid-19 insurance is included FREE in your ticket-price for the full trip, and this for all passenger classes (even cheapest economy option).