How does a PRC national go to Thailand?

If I may impose on some of you knowledgeable bros -  what are the specifics regarding travel by a PRC national to Thailand?

1. Is it true that PRC nationals with a valid passport can just board a plane from China, land in Thailand and get a visa upon arrival?  
2. How long a stay in Thailand will this PRC national get with this type of visa?
3. How about if the PRC national need to go via Hong Kong (cheaper ticket price) instead of just leaving directly from China to Thailand?  Is it true that if the PRC natiional holds a valid onward air ticket, Hong Kong immigration will grant a visa to land in Hong Kong to then board the plane to Thailand?
4. Or does the PRC national then need to PRE-apply for a Thai entry visa first?

Any information etc - especially from bros who has traveled to Thailand with a PRC national - will be much appreciated!

Thanks
SEAJ

1. Is it true that PRC nationals with a valid passport can just board a plane from China, land in Thailand and get a visa upon arrival?  
Yes.

2. How long a stay in Thailand will this PRC national get with this type of visa?
15 days if done in Thailand after landing.

3. How about if the PRC national need to go via Hong Kong (cheaper ticket price) instead of just leaving directly from China to Thailand?  Is it true that if the PRC natiional holds a valid onward air ticket, Hong Kong immigration will grant a visa to land in Hong Kong to then board the plane to Thailand?
No. you can't enter HK without the pre-applied Thai visa.
You can take ferry from Zhuhai directly to HK airport and fly off to Thailand without entering HK.

4. Or does the PRC national then need to PRE-apply for a Thai entry visa first?
if PRC pre-apply the visa, it will be valid for 3 months.
BUT, when entering Thailand, most of the time, they only allow max 30days in Thailand.

so the only difference is the duration, if you u need to stay more than 15 days, then visa need to be applied beforehand.

[ Last edited by  kaka at 10-8-2011 11:18 ]

are you thinking about taking your GF for a holiday ?  

I would have thought going direct from China to Thailand would be cheaper then coming to HK and then going to Thailand !

Kaka,

One question then.

If the PRC gal is using her Chinese international passport  (not the HK entry permit passport "Kan An tong xin cheng" - correct me the term) apply a Visa to Thailand/Malaysia/singapore. Comes into HK (immigration allows 7 days), then didnt make the trip down to Thai/Msia or SG, returned back to PRC.

I understand she will receive some trouble/verbal warning from HK immigration? i.e. she may not be able to reenter to HK using the china passport if repeating the offence.


2nd scenerio, does this mean that if she had the Visa, she can do this:

PRC -> HK (7 days?) - > thai/Msia/SG (??days) -> HK (another 7 days?) - > PRC

yes.

7 days before and after.
so total 14 days in HK.

many HGs in HK actually do this.

i'm not sure abt the punishment if she don't go to SG/Thai/MY.
but to pass by HK, have to pre-apply Thai Visa, which means have to show proof of fully paid air-ticket and hotel confirmation.
(unless she is going with a tour group)

since ticket and accommodation is already paid for...
might as well tell her to fly to Thailand and fly back on the same day.
eat lunch and dinner, watch movies on the plane.



[ Last edited by  kaka at 10-8-2011 11:25 ]

Technically, they are allowed 7 days before and after. But in reality I know many who have only gotten 2 days upon returning through Hong Kong.

Also, most HG's fly to either only Thailand or Indonesia and not other Asian countries because they can get visa on arrival there.

Yes you are correct, to show prove of air ticket to final destination.
The last time my GF used this method, she did not produce any confirmation oflight to final destination.
however, when she exited HK via Macao, the HK immigration officer put a "X" mark on the stamping with some funny abbreviation, sort of like warning.


the other travel document they can use instead of China Passport "hu zhao", is it called "gang ao tong xing zheng"?, i.e. only valid for PRC ppl to enter HK or Macao while application for this document is quite similiar to using China passport entry, i.e. need to apply at their own registered province. It can be multiple, 1 entry or 2 entries over a period of time.

that also depends on her 户口, whether she's Shenzhen, Hunan，Beijing, etc.
different rules based on their current "hometown's citizenship".
different amount of deposit when travelling with tour groups.
too complicated, and rules always changing.
i traveled to Pattaya with a bunch of PRC girls.
the girl from Hunan, has to pay RMB 8,000 deposit.
another one from Beijing no need to put deposit at all.

in the past, PRC can travel to HK, then go to Macau, then go back Zhuhai.
now can't.
if you enter HK, u can only exit from HK to China..
enter Macau, only exit from Macau to China.

Was it an "X" mark or more like a big ass "+" sign?

My fb had a valid entry-exit permit (I think its called this? not sure in Chinese) with multi entries. First time was ok, but second time for no reason at all, she got this big "+" sign with funny abbreviation... and then denied entry. Actually she had many valid entry-exit permits before this. But now for whatever reason, not really blacklisted, but clearly being watched and not given the max 7 days into HK anymore...

this was her route few months ago using her china passport. That;s when she got the "X" or "+" stamp.


Yep, that;s right. I just wander if the HK immigration will input any message into the system for future reference. My GF was pissed and she tried to rub off that stupid "X" mark, even tried to rip it...

Btw, you think the immigration will be less bias to allow normal stay for PRC chick who is butt ugly or pork chop??
I think the immigration is generalising the intention of th PRC chicks coming to HK. Fuckin hypocrites!!!

4....FOUR Mods replying!!  Oh WOW!!!

Thanks guys - for all that info and insight. REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

Actually my plans is to go to Phuket for a week or so and then Bangkok for a couple days for some cheap shopping etc for her.
I asked my travel agent (HKG based) who quoted a much higher price for my itinerary out of Shenzhen versus HKG - thus my initial question.

I've even been on-line chit chatting with a legal advisory that offers free consultations on the Thai Government web site about Thai visas.

Basically, the advisor tells me that both Visa upon Arrival as well as pre-applied ones via the GZ visa office costs THB 1,000 and all that's required is 2 photos and a passport valid for over 6 months. Proof of funds over THB 20,000 MAY also be required. The lines at the GZ visa office are most times very long and they will only accept applications in the morning.

My travel agent also came back to me and advised approximately the same as you guys above - that she'd need to have both her two-way permit to enter Hong Kong as well as her passport to board the plane in Hong Kong to go to Thailand.  What he did not tell me is the problem you guys have pointed out - that when she returns to Hong Kong, her two way permit is actually NOT valid for entry to Hong Kong, as she will NOT be entering HKG from China! OUCH!

Anyway, I've done further RX on this and now finds that travel from SZ is very cheap via Air Asia - RMB 500 out to and 600 back from Bangkok.  Only problem with the Air Asia flight is that the flight out reaches Bangkok at 1 am at night!  Guess I'm gonna have to revise my plans and first stay in Bangkok before  going off to Phuket.

Again thanks y'all - and anybody else who will come on to give me further advise/opinions.

This Veggie section is actually GREAT!  It bring out topics that truly offers a rich tapestry of diversity to our forum; something more like Icered of years past, which makes membership here all the more rewarding.  

Thank you MODS for coming up with this section.

SEAJ

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 10-8-2011 14:27 ]

My friend was told something else by a travel agency in Guangdong.  She is from Guangdong Province.

My Friend has a PRC passport. She will get a 7 day permit to enter HK and then to HK airport to take a flight to Thailand / Singapore. When returning back from Thailand / Singapore to HK airport, like 15 days late, and then back to China is fine. Once arriving in Thailand, she can get a visa.  She was told this by a travel agency in Guangdong.

She is going alone with me and not on a tour.  She is getting an electroinc Ticket. There is no boarding pass before arriving at the airport.  The visa for Thailand is can be applied in Thailand once arriving. I have told her there will be problems.

On 141 it's a different answer:

Once returning she will have issues if she does what the travel agency tell her . She needs to return back to the same place she enters and exits. For example like from CHINA to HK and HK to CHINA.  China to HK then China to Macau is a NO NO.  

When she returns to Hong Kong, her two way or one way permit is actually NOT valid for entry to Hong Kong since she left HK already.

Can she just enter HK with the passport and 7 day permit and once returning from Thailand, not go thu HK, and go directly to China by ferry to Zhuhai ?

Is there a website in Chinese for questions. I tried telling her the information she got from the travel agency is wrong but she doesn't believe me.

[ Last edited by  Weelock at 17-8-2011 16:19 ]

which part of Guangdong?

if she is a resident of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, then proof of return air ticket and hotel confirmation is enough.
i heard residents of Huizhou and some other Tier-2 cities also need not pre-apply visa.

anyway, i do not know for sure.
this is only based on the information i heard from my China colleagues, WGs and friends.
China rules are probably the most fickle in the world.

but i think your friend should be right in believing the tour agency.
they usually have the most updated information.

OK - after our teleconv and reading your post, I called my travel agent again.

According to him, the way to do it is for the PRC national to get a Thai visa on her passport first; armed with this AND the return Air ticket, the Hong Kong immigration WILL grant a 7 day visa for her to get on the plane from Hong Kong as well as another 7 day visa when she arrives back in Hong Kong from Thailand.

I then asked him about VOA (Visa on Arrival) and he told me that he's gonna find out about this - if its possible to just have a valid passport and return air tickets HKG-Thai_Hkg to be granted the 7 day visa outward and inward bound.

I'll also try to ask my friend at the HKG Immigration department if he's still around (last time I talked to him he told me he was emigrating to Canada - figures!)

Will advise  when I find out anything more

SEAJ

do note that whatever your travel agent say, it does not apply to any PRC national.

to get the most accurate information,
it is important that the travel agent sees the PRC national's passport / ID.

because if the PRC national has previously successfully obtained other countries' Visa, it helps too.

hence there isn't a proper website highlighting all the Terms and Conditions. (not that i know of, if anyone can point me to one, that will be great.)
too many varying factors.

Good point - as you had related before, it does also depend on where the PRC national originates from. I've phoned my Travel agent with this added info and he now recalls that this is true. He will get back to me later.

BTW - I did call my friend who was a senior at the Immigration department - and got him on roaming as he's already in Vancouver!!
Told me - "Yeah, yeah - only now you remember to call me...now that I'm already in Vancouver!!  OK OK, I'll call you when I get back to Hong Kong in a month or so time - this is costing too much!"  So of course I felt a bit foolish and decided NOT to ask him my question just then/will see him next month etc.
Man time does fly doesn't it?  

SEAJ

that's why Beijing hukou is thriving.
although government is curbing the Beijing population, but the black market hukou trading is still very common.
FYI, hukou means residency.
Some young parents or rich students are paying 300,000 RMB just to get a Beijing hukou.

with a beijing hukou, you can buy a car, get subsidized housing / schooling, and most importantly to some.. hassle-free VISA to other countries.

LOL! Like a lot of things in China, the reply to this question is all hazy!

On the way over yesterday, I went up to the Chinese Immigration office to enquire and found out:

- Forget about the Visa on Arrival to LOS if you plan on travelling privately and NOT part of a group! The Chinese immigration will not even allow you to leave the country without a valid pre-acquired visa to Thailand.

- Even if you are with a tour group, the tour group company will insist that you pre-apply for a visa - and thus allowing them to also make a profit on this application.

- Arrival back via Hong Kong SHOULD be OK; the Chinese Immigration officer OPINES that the Hong Kong immigration will most likely give the PRC national arrivee a 7 day entry to Hong Kong and/or enough time to go on back to the PRC (not sure - will need to check further on this)

BTW - The best quote I have been able to get from asking around a few travel agencies to do this application instead of having to go up to GZ and start lining up ONLY for the morning application session is RMB 350; just give them your PRC national passport and 2 passport photos and it should be ready for pick-up in about 10 days. Reaonable I guess as the Thai consulate will already charge THB 1,000 which is approx RMB 200.

SEAJ

[ Last edited by  SEAJ at 21-8-2011 18:43 ]

1. What is LOS

2. Does the PRC person needs a visa to enter HK before she gets to the HK airport?   She has already gotten the visa for Thailand before entering HK. PRC person has been to HK before.

3. Great NO, warning stamped on her passport when returning back to HK.

[ Last edited by  Weelock at 22-8-2011 09:32 ]

1. LOS = Land of Smiles= Thailand.

2. Don't matter if she's been to HKG before or not as she had most likely entered using a two-way permit instead of her passport. According to the PRC immigration officer I spoke to, if she already has a Thai visa, then they will allow her out of China - and just presumes that the HK immigration will then allow her 7 days upon them seeing such visa in her passport AND her travel itinerary.

And if nothing else, she could take the direct Ferry to HKIA from Shekou and actually just check in to the airline in Shekou and never actually enter HKG - just transit there.  

The important point is that the PRC will only allow her to LEAVE the PRC if she already have the Thai visa.

SEAJ