Thailand Tourist Visa via Kuala Lumpur Thai Embassy |Updated 2018

Many tourists would transit either Penang or Kuala Lumpur on their way to Thailand for the main purpose of making tourist visa to enter Thailand.

The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is located in Jalan Ampang:

Information:

Address: 206, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Consular section office hours: Monday to Friday

Visa Application: 9.30am to 11.30am
Collection (next working day): 2.30pm to 4.30pm
Passport and legalization: 9.30am to 4.30pm

Closed on Saturday/Sundays and public holidays. Please note that the embassy is also closed on Thai public holidays.

Lunch time: 1pm to 2.30pm

How to get there: You can take the Putra LRT train- stop at Ampang Park LRT station and walk straight along the main intersection traffic light- you will pass the Jalan Tun Razak police station on your left, followed by Nationwide and the Spain Embassy. British High Commissioner office will be on your right. Walk further and you will see the Thai Embassy, located opposite of Holiday Inn hotel.

Why would you need a tourist visa?

A Malaysian or most nationals who enters Thailand is allowed about 28 days of stay in Thailand. If the entry is via Survanabhumi airport, then it is 30 days if I am not mistaken. But via other airports and entree points, you can only stay for 28 days. You would need to get yourself a tourist visa when you plan to stay longer than 28 days. If you stay longer than 28 days and did not take the trouble to get yourself the visa, then it would be painful- you have to do visa runs when you are in Thailand- not only you have to pay, you are only given about 14 days extra.

Therefore, it is better to do the visa so that you can stay about 60 days- previously when I enter Thailand on 28 February, I am allowed to stay until 29 April. Eventually I extended to end of May so I made 2 trips to the Burmese border in Mae Sai to chop my passport (and pay 500 baht each time to the Myanmar government- and that excludes the time and transportation fees I need to bear to get there). Therefore, if you ever exceed 28days, get the visa done to save the hassle.

Applying for the tourist visa (updated on October 2018):

What you need (details can be found on this page here):

1. Completed visa application form
2. Original passport with at least 6-month validity and 1 blank visa page
3. A copy of passport (ID page)
4. A passport size photo (white/ blue background and taken within the past 6 months)
5. A copy of reservation/confirmation of return ticket to and from Thailand (and not one way ticket)
If traveling by personal vehicle, please submit a copy of vehicle registration and a copy of the vehicle owner’s identity card/ passport.
6. A copy of reservation/confirmation of accommodation for the whole stay or rental agreement
in Thailand.
If staying with a friend/relative, please submit his/her invitation letter and a copy of his/her identity card/passport.

7. Fees, if applicable  (for Malaysians, it is free)

Note: Additional documents that are deemed necessary may be requested.

Visa fees (as per website checked on October 2018):

•  RM 150 for single entry visa
•  RM 750 for multiple entry visa
•  Fee is exempted for nationals of Malaysia, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Tunisia

Bring along your own ball point pen to fill up the form so that you need not wait your turn to use the pens that they provide there.

You need to go for visa application in the morning between 9.30am to 11.30am (don’t arrive too late at 11.30 am as the application may close for the day as it is limited to about 130 persons per session).  When you arrive at the Thai embassy, show your passport and documentation to the guard and he will register your details on a log book. Then he will issue a ticket number for you.

Proceed into the consulate office like what you see the guy in photo below is doing. Take a number from the machine-  the same number is given in a pair. Ensure you keep the number properly because one of the number will be retained and you need to produce it when you collect your passport the next day. Fill up the form while waiting.

Then wait for your number to be called. Go to the counter and hand over your visa, forms, going and returning tickets, photo and fees (if applicable).  You may be asked for the purpose of the stay- state the purpose. Once your request is taken, the waiting number with a slip will be given to you. You need to produce the slip and the queue number when you collect the passport.

Collection of passport:

Collection is on the next working day from 2.30pm to 4.30pm.

Note the working hours of the embassy. Check the public holidays for both Malaysia and Thailand to ensure you do not go there when there is a public holiday.

Note: Thai Embassy in KL is wheelchair friendly. If the applicant is using a wheelchair, the guard would open the gate (the date is usually closed and applicants enter through a side gate/guard house area). There are ramps for the wheelchair to go up the office.

If you are a tourist/ digital nomad, please consider extending your stay in Malaysia as well.

And while you are at Jalan Ampang, do take the opportunity to visit KLCC 🙂

I actually walked slowly from the embassy to KLCC- passing Ampang Park on my right (has been demolished), Citibank and a temple on my left (serves vegetarian lunch during weekdays) before reaching KLCC.  That particular day the weather was pleasant as it had just rained and it make my walking trip very pleasant 🙂