Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are posing the question, "are Thai Embassies and Consulates unaware of recent changes to Thai Visa policy?" As I have discussed in other videos, I've been kind of nonplussed by all the frankly people that don't have any idea what they're talking about, talking about: "oh, we got a new Visa this, we got a new that," well it takes a minute, and this is an example. 

I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that is pattayamail.com, the article is titled: Blowback begins about latest visa exemptions and DTV discretion. Quoting directly: "The new, five-year and multi-entry Destination Thailand Visa also has its difficulties as some diplomatic posts seem unaware." Yeah it takes a minute for this to sort of propagate through the system. Quoting further: "Applicants must apply from their home country Embassy (or via the e-visa portal but not from within Thailand)". They do have a mechanism for checking that out. Quoting further: "But Embassies have yet to catch up. The Thai Embassy in London (one of many) appears to be silent on the DTV and still claims that Brits only get 30 days Visa-free." Well you know how often the Embassies change their websites? It takes a little time. Quoting further: "The Thai Embassy in Norway simply reprints the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry's handout which leaves many questions unanswered. Very few, if any, Embassies go further than that. There is great hesitation in granting the DTV to the alternative "soft power" applicants claiming to enrol for sports courses or having a hospital appointment." Yeah I kind of saw that probably would be an issue. Quoting further: "What kind of unambiguous detail do they need to provide? Nobody seems to know." 

Again this is why when people come out and talk about this and especially even people within aspects of the establishment talk about it and they are not in Immigration and they talk about Immigration protocols very precisely, I keep thinking of that line from the movie Looper where he says "that is a very precise description to describe a very fuzzy mechanism!" That's the point. Immigration does things on a case by case basis; they apply the law based on the facts. There is no one size fits all for a lot of these questions, a one size fits-all answer for a lot of these questions. Quoting further: "The main disincentive in any case may be the 500,000 baht (around US$14,000) bond required." You have to be able to show that you have a minimum of, I would call it 15,000 if you are thinking about it in Dollar terms because 500,000 go up and down a little bit. But yeah you have got to show 500,000 baht in an account. 

I am not overly surprised the Embassies are not completely up to speed on this. In fact I'd be surprised if they were. It takes a minute to watch this stuff sort of trickle through the system and then they get used to new rules and protocols. Also a lot of people are looking at some of these new visas and failing to see that oftentimes there are better options including among the older visa category. So again, those who find themselves overwhelmed by this, it might not be a terrible idea to contact a legal professional, gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.