UPDATE: Visa came in just a couple of hours ago! Seems like spamming them twice a day with emails has worked lmao. Now I’m just looking for quick flights in and out of Thailand so the visa can be activated at arrivals. Thanks everyone who commented!
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I applied for an ED Visa from the USA Los Angeles consul because I’m going to do a Master’s in Bangkok. It was supposed to be approved before my arrival in Thailand, but they decided to ask for further documentation *literally hours* before I arrived. I got the email while waiting at my layover country and I sent them supporting documents via the email they gave me within minutes of me receiving the request. After a week of no response, I emailed them again asking what I should do once the visa is approved because I’m currently already in Thailand under the 30-day visa exemption. Still no answer. I asked a family member in the US if they could call the consulate since I can’t make international calls, plus the time difference makes it difficult. Turns out they were on holiday for a week, hence why they didn’t answer my emails (I understand not having the site open, but they should have someone still working on urgent and important stuff like visas…). Besides that, they also didn’t answer if they received my documents or any updates on my visa, just gave me their email (the email I’ve been desperately contacting and have gotten no response from).
I’ve been in Bangkok for 2 weeks now and I’m growing increasingly worried about my visa. I called the US Embassy in Bangkok but they didn’t have any information. So then I called the phone number on the Thai E-Visa website. They had no idea how to help me and they just gave me the contact information for the consulate I applied to (again, the *same* email I’ve been contacting, and that has been ignoring me).
Actually, I did get a response from the consulate, a single response to one of the dozens of emails I’ve sent them. I asked them about the progress of my visa, saying that I submitted supporting documents and an explanation a week ago and have not heard back, and all they said was basically “please submit the supporting documents requested”. !!!! This email is literally telling you I did submit them days ago. So I just responded with “I submitted these documents, please let me know asap if they’re insufficient so I can seek more documents from my school”. I have not heard from them since.
I have no idea what to do at this point. Between the US Embassy here not being able to help, the LA Consulate being unresponsive, and me not being able to contact them through phone, days and days have passed with me waiting and not even knowing if things are moving along. My orientation is in 2 weeks and the semester is bound to start soon after that. I don’t even know if I’ll be allowed to start studying without my visa. I also have not been able to do a lot of things like finish registering with my condo’s jurisdiction, apply for a bank account, get health insurance, etc. because I don’t have my visa. I also asked them if I have to exit and re-enter Thailand once I get my visa for it to be activated and they have not responded (I asked the US Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and they knew little about it).
If anyone has any word of advise, and information, literally *anything*, please let me know. I’m desperate at this point and it’s seriously affecting my health. I already had to visit the hospital once and had to pay without insurance precisely because I don’t have my visa.
Thank you
