Thai and US Visas

Traveling to Thailand or taking a loved one back to the USA from Thailand are two endeavors which require preparation and patience.

In comparing and contrasting the Immigration systems in both the United States of America and the Kingdom of Thailand, it becomes immediately apparent that Thailand's immigration system is far less complex than that of the USA. Further, the Kingdom of Thailand allows much greater immigration access than does the United States. Currently, Thailand allows people from many different countries to enter the Kingdom visa free. Those entering the Kingdom without a visa are granted entry based upon a visa exemption. These entrants are required to leave the country usually within 30 days. However, should one enter Thailand using a visa exemption at an Immigration checkpoint on one of Thailand's land borders, then they will only be granted 15 days presence in the Kingdom.

Those who wish to remain within the borders of the Kingdom of Thailand for a longer duration can apply to obtain a Thai visa at a consular post outside of the Kingdom of Thailand. Common Thai Immigration Categories are: Business, Tourist, Education, and "Other" which is used as something of a catch-all category.

By comparing the Immigration process of Thailand with the USA, one can easily see that the methods of controlling immigrant activity are not similar. Where the Thai model is relatively permissive, the United States has been in the process of tightening Immigration regulations. At one time, it was possible to obtain a United States tourist visa without being subjected to a visa interview. After the tragedy of 9/11 regulations have required that those seeking tourist visas to the USA be interviewed by an American Consular Officer.

Royal Thai Immigration does not have a visa category for foreign fiances of Thai Citizens. Bi-national married couples wishing to reside in Thailand are permitted to apply for an "O" visa, if one of them is a Thai Citizen or resident in Thailand. However, a visa based upon an intention to marry a Thai citizen will not likely be approved. Conversely, many foreign fiancees of US Citizens travel to the United States of America each year. Thailand sees many fiancee visas processed through the American Embassy in Bangkok. Thai-American couples who make it through the fiancee visa process generally get married in the United States and the Thai citizen takes up permanent residence in the USA. Unlike Thailand, US permanent residence is somewhat easy to obtain for those married to a US Citizen.

Benjamin W. Hart is Managing Director of Integrity Legal (Thailand) Co. Ltd. He is also a licensed American attorney and Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. To Contact Integrity Legal please call Toll Free 1-877-231-7533 or email info@integrity-legal.com. See them on the Web at k1 fiance visa or k3 visa

Is it Safe to Travel to Thailand?

Over the last six months, Thailand has reached the headlines across the globe. In November 2008, the "Yellow Shirts" held the International Airport at Bangkok under siege, and over the last few weeks, the country has faced another national emergency, when the "Red Shirts" decided to fight back with their protests in Bangkok. Yet, in many areas of Thailand, all seems peaceful and quiet, and there are no signs of these political protests. No sign that is, apart from the concern and worry of the locals, and the quieter bars, restaurants and hotels.

The issues behind these protests are complex, but to put it as simply as possible:

The Yellow Shirts (also known as The People's Alliance for Democracy or PADs), agree with the concept of democracy, but also feel that people need to have some understanding of the long term economic, social and political consequences of their vote. They believe that Thaksin used corruption to gain the vote of the majority population of the rural regions of Northern Thailand, on the lead up to the 2001 elections that made him prime minister.

The Red Shirts, however, see Thaksin more as a Robin Hood character, who took from the rich and gave to the poor. They believe they would be financially better off both in the short term and the long term under the rule of Thaksin. Now, Thaksin faces corruption charges, and an unelected party and prime minister are ruling their country. As a result, they feel cheated.

Who is right and who is wrong is not for discussion here. We are currently more concerned with the impact these struggles could have on the economy of Thailand and on the number of tourists who want to visit. When the first major protests began in November 2008, many holidaymakers cancelled their trip, and having just recovered from the impact of the Tsunami, many businesses in the tourism industry of Thailand faced yet another season of lowering tourist numbers. The fallout from this is wide spread. Entire families rely on the income delivered by tourism to survive.

As such a high proportion of the population in the tourist hotspots of Thailand survive on the income of tourism alone, the majority of the locals in these places want nothing but a peaceful resolution. They want foreigners to continue to regard Thailand as The Land of Smiles.

Whilst no one wishes to encourage you to walk into the middle of a conflict, I'm sure I'm speaking for the large majority when I ask you to consider the real impact of these struggles on your visit to Thailand. Neither the Reds nor the Yellows have an issue with tourists or expats, but if you are concerned about the recent troubles in Bangkok, I would like to highlight that you do not need to fly to Bangkok if you wish to visit Thailand. You can fly from Kuala Lumpur to Krabi, or fly direct into Phuket. From there you can go straight to your final holiday destination, where a warm welcome and a peaceful atmosphere awaits - just as tourists have grown to expect from Thailand - The Land of Smiles.

This article was written by Paula Westberg, manager of Lanta International Language School. LILS offers fast, fun and effective Thai Language Courses based on the latest findings in educational science. For more information about their courses or methods of teaching visit their website: http://www.effective-thai-language-classes.com