User profile: ksmcqueen

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Forums > Travel Yunnan > FYI: How to get a China tourist visa in Bangkok

Getting a Chinese visa in Bangkok right now is a giant hassle. If you can do it literally else on the planet, do that. I've heard Chiang Mai is much more lenient, and I did it pretty easily in Vientiane about a year ago, but I guess I like a challenge. Here's all the info I gathered during the 5 days in Bangkok I spent getting all the ducks in a row:
Right now it's not possible to use an agent to turn in your passport for you, everyone has to go into the embassy themselves.
SO, when you get to the AA building, go in the door on the left side when you're facing the building, through a metal detector.
The lady at the door will want to look in your bags, and you can't bring any water or other drinks in.
Go up the stairs to the second floor, and when you get into the office, don't mess around with asking anyone questions or with the forms or any of that, go straight to the line with the red side that says "queue" to take a number. You'll be waiting for a long time, so get your number first, then go back to the desk at the entrance to get the visa application form.
It's the same form for tourist, work, or student visa.
If you're an American you need to fill out 2 of that form. Fill it out in all caps or they might not accept it.
Take your 2 passport photos and glue them onto the form yourself, they won't do it for you. There's a jar of glue on the counter where people are standing filling out forms in the back.
Wait 2-4 hours until your number comes up, and give them all the documents I'll list below along with a big cheesy smile and hope for the best.

And you need all of them.
I waited in that line 3 times in two days before they would even accept my documents.
You need

:The 2 visa application forms with photos glued on

:Printout flight confirmation from bangkok to china and back. In case you want to go in by train or are unsure of your dates, any of the travel agents around Khao San Road will make you a flight confirmation for about 500 baht/100 kuai, no problem
: Letter of employment from your current job saying that you work there and signed by someone, or if you're unemployed, you have to type up a quick note saying that you're unemployed and that you're going to China for travel and shopping and not to seek employment, and sign it.
: Printed, detailed itinerary of where you're going to visit while in China
: 2 copies of your passport info page
: Copy of your most recent Chinese visa
: Copy of your Thailand entry stamp
Plus either
1. A hotel booking confirmation and a copy of YOUR bank statement in your home country or in Thailand with at least 600 kuai for every day of your intended stay in China
or
2. An invitation letter from someone in China and a copy of THEIR bank statement.
If you go the invitation letter route, you must also have a copy of both sides of their ID card
The letter must include a sentence along the lines of "I will pay for all of your expenses during your stay in China" or "all expenses during your stay, including travel, accommodation, insurance, will be borne by me", or feel free to add your own personal flair.
The letter must also contain the inviter's name, phone number, and address (address in Chinese too) and YOUR passport number, and it must specify the dates of your intended stay in China.

Plus whatever other trifling little details they may feel like requiring that day.
When you pick it up, no need to take a number. Just go to the window on the far left to pay, then get your receipt and stand in line at the collection window to pick up your passport.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Student Visa Crackdown

So I'm sorry to hear that more people are encountering the same problem...

I'm lucky enough to be an English speaker, so I could conceivably come back on a work visa, but I'm still unclear as to whether or not I would be eligible for a residence permit.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Student Visa Crackdown

Yep, I got my tuition fees back, which is nice. A couple of solutions possible. I keep getting more information from the PSB/Immigration office through a third party, apparently I can't get a residence permit for either a student or work visa, but tourist visas are no problem. All kind of hearsay until I try. Going down to Thailand tomorrow, will try what I can and keep folks informed here, for people in the same pickle I'm in now.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Teaching with Eemom English

I have, it's a huge school, big classes. Be careful about what they say they pay though. When I worked there they said it was 140/hour, which is ok, but it turns out they actually paid 140 per 60 minutes of actual teaching time. So if the class was 45-50 minutes long, you got less than 140 kuai. Seemed kind of shady and nitpicky to me. Every other job I've had pays per teaching hour.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Student Visa Crackdown

I'm also wondering what happened to the other guy that was in the interview with me. He got rejected for the same reason, I wonder what he's doing?

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WOW! Thank you so much again to everyone who came and made this so fun! Jay and I are both amazed and humbled by the great show of support for our committment to each other. Heaping thanks on thanks for everyone who helped us out so much: my bridesmaids Annette and Sunny, Jay's best man James, our officiator Dale, our ringbearer Little Coconut Head, Juliette and Matu for letting us take over DT Bar, Mark for DJing, Gerrit for the beautiful flowers, Sunny and JiaJia for the cakes, Sander and Tony for grilling, Ian, James, Kris, Ralf, Mark, and everyone else who played music, everyone who brought food, and Ben, Kris, and Pat for spreading the love. THANK YOU!!!!

Reviews

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Lovely restaurant with top-notch service and fantastic food. I love all the beets, avocados, brussels sprouts, asparagus, quinoa, and tempeh. At first glance of their new menu I was overjoyed to see so much deliciousness, then nearly passed right out from elation when I noticed most of it is vegan! In all seriousness though I can't say enough about how wonderful this place is. Highly highly recommend!

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Best pizza in town. Slice of Heaven's a close second, and a better value on their 20kuai pizza Fridays, but overall taste and selection goes to Lost Garden, hands down. I went there for the 3rd or 4th time for the pizza night last week. We sat on their roof terrace, which has been re-done very nicely since the last time I was there. The service was reasonable, and the waitresses even spoke some English! On a previous visit I had a pumpkin soup and a baked pasta, both delicious and well-presented. Anecdote: I was there once on a cold day a couple of months ago and the foreign manager (owner?) made my friend and I hot toddies upon request, even though they're not on the menu, and they were pretty much perfect. I have nothing negative to say about this place.