Questioner: Prim
I would like to ask for your advice on this. I returned home to Suriname last Tuesday, July 5, after a wonderful 3-week holiday in Thailand. I brought my girlfriend with me and she has to fly back to Thailand on October 1, to apply for her further stay in Suriname from there.
I will have to go with her, because she does not dare to travel alone, a total of 2 flights of 20 hours in total, with 12 hours transit waiting time at Schiphol.
My problem: Before my trip to Thailand, I had to send my visa application by FedEx to the Embassy of Thailand in Brasilia, Brazil. And that was a misery. I applied for a one-year visa with multiple entries to travel to Thailand 3 times, and had paid: – visa fee USD 200 – bank fee for transferring the visa fee: USD 120 – FedEx (round trip) USD 235.
It took 2 months to get my visa back approved by Brasila, due to FedEx logistics. This is a separate story. And when I get it back, it turns out that I have a Tourist Visa TR for 3 months, with multiple entries. But I paid USD 200 for an annual visa, while a single entry tourist visa costs USD 40. So it turns out that no annual visa is given? A tourist visa with multiple entries costs USD 200. A tourist visa for a single entry costs 40 USD! So the visa alone cost me 535 USD.
The ticket Paramaribo – Bangkok – Paramaribo cost me 3,160 USD. So in total a trip of 3 weeks to Thailand: 4,037.50 USD exactly.
My question/request to you: Is there a better and cheaper way to apply for the visa? Only the Thai embassy in Brasilia is authorized to process Surinamese visa applications. It is not possible to apply for an e-visa. So I have to spend around 4,000 USD again for my trip in October next.
Thank you
Reaction RonnyLatYa
I have looked at the website in Brazil but it is “Under construction” https://brasilia.thaiembassy.org
I don't get much wiser from that.
1. “I applied for a multi-entry year visa to travel to Thailand 3 times”. Does that mean that you have applied for a Non-immigrant O Retired Multiple entry?
2. “And when I get it back, it turns out that I have a Tourist Visa TR for 3 months, with multiple entries.” Maybe you didn't meet the requirements for a Non-immigrant O Retired Multiple entry and they gave you another that you did.
As far as I know, a “Tourist Visa TR for 3 months, with multiple entries” does not exist. What does exist is a “Multiple Entry Tourist Visa” (METV) with a validity period of 6 months. That indeed costs as much as a Non-immigrant O Retired Multiple entry. With every entry you get a stay period of 60 days instead of 90 days. You can extend those 60 days once by 30 days. Then you have to go outside and “border run” or extend it for a year, but that is also the case with a Non-O.
3. In my opinion, Suriname does not fall under the "Visa Exemption" and you will therefore always have to apply for a visa. Otherwise this was a solution if you only stay for 3 weeks.
4. “Only the Thai Embassy in Brasilia is authorized to process Surinamese visa applications. I'm afraid there is no other solution than to follow that path.
But maybe there are readers who have experience with applying for that visa from Suriname and can share their experiences with the path they have followed.
– Do you have a visa question for Ronny? Use it contact form.! -
Thank you very much, Ronnie, for your comment. I think you are right about the visa types, costs and validity period. The fact is that for my next visits I always have to make my request by FedEx or DHL.
This is the address of the Thai Embassy in Brasilia, if still needed. https://www.thaiembassyinbrazil.com/
I welcome advice from my readers.