Obtaining Indian Visa in Phuket

[svBeBe]

Does anyone know the travel agency in Phuket that handles obtaining visas for India?

I contacted the Indian consulate in Singapore and learned they only process visas for residents of Singapore. We are US citizens and will need visas in order to stop in Cochin and possibly Goa next January. Supposedly there is a travel agency in Phuket that frequently arranges Indian visas for cruisers wanting to visit the Andaman Islands, but as yet I have been unable to locate the name and location of this agency.

Thanks,

Judy
S/V BeBe

[svBeBe]

Finally found it!

Emotion Travel in Phuket handles visas for India and Andaman Islands.

[Laidback]

Do not advise the use of a travel agency to handle the processing of a visa application
Do not give your passport/s to any non-government organisation in Thailand.

Here is the website with details of how to apply (once application forms are completed send via EMS -- if in Thailand)Embassy of India in Thailand : VISA SERVICES

[svBeBe]

Friends on another boat used Emotion Travel last year with no problems. And Noonsite also recommends Emotion Travel in Phuket for handling visas for India. Frankly, I would feel safer using an agency that is known and recommended than using an unknown courier service to transport my passport to Bangkok for processing and back to Phuket.

Do you know of anyone who has experienced problems in having this agency (or any other agency) handle obtaining visas in Thailand? Or is this just a cruiser rumor?

Judy
S/V BeBe

[Laidback]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

Friends on another boat used Emotion Travel last year with no problems. And Noonsite also recommends Emotion Travel in Phuket for handling visas for India. Frankly, I would feel safer using an agency that is known and recommended than using an unknown courier service to transport my passport to Bangkok for processing and back to Phuket.

Do you know of anyone who has experienced problems in having this agency (or any other agency) handle obtaining visas in Thailand? Or is this just a cruiser rumor?

Judy
S/V BeBe

Judy,
#1 EMS is the franchised Courier by the Thailand Government to carry all secure mail directly from Post Office to Post Office - I have used it for over 10 years and have never heard of a problem.
#2 The theft of passports and identities is a real and present issue in Thailand.
3# The Thai Immigration Authority does NOT allow the use of agents to process visas.

If your passport/s goes missing for what ever reason once you hand it over to some agency. You shall find yourself in deep doodoo. You might ask your agency in Phuket 'how it intends to send your passport and documents to Bangkok ?'

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Laidback

Do not give your passport/s to any non-government organisation in Thailand.

Do not give your passport/s to any non-government organisation.

[svBeBe]

Okay. I understand the concern. However, India has outsourced visa application processing at almost all of their consulates. Our plans now have us returning to the USA for a month prior to going to Phuket and we should be able to obtain visas for India at that time. We actually are in Bangkok at the moment but it is too early to obtain the 6-month visa because the visa starts upon date of issue, not upon date of arrival in India.

However, the Indian consulates in the United States no longer accept visa applications. The application process is outsourced to Travista -- a private company. One has no choice except to obtain visas for India through this agency within the USA. One must submit one's passport with the application.

So much for the old advice of never giving passports to non-governmental organizations.

[osirissail]

Sounds like a classic "Catch-22" situation. Be careful to check the date of any Noonsite information, some of it is rather old. First hand recent information from another cruiser is good - but - as with everything, their experience may have been the exception rather than the rule.
- - Is a personal visit to the "Visa Application Center" possible for delivery of the documents? Although probably not as convenient as being on the boat and sending the stuff in - you should have a higher degree of assurance if you can personally hand the documents over the counter at the actual V-A-C.
- - I have noticed a trend world-wide for countries to use the internet for submitting the applications - and/or - a courier service for the application and "copies" of documents - and then, a personal visit for biometrics, interview, and original documents and passports.

[Laidback]

Originally Posted by svBeBe

Okay. I understand the concern. However, India has outsourced visa application processing at almost all of their consulates. Our plans now have us returning to the USA for a month prior to going to Phuket and we should be able to obtain visas for India at that time.
So much for the old advice of never giving passports to non-governmental organizations.

The advice provided was specific to using a travel agent in Phuket to process the application - However, as Thailand's Immigration Department has ruled that the use of agents to obtain visas is against their regulations, it would be a problem if the passport/s disappeared.
Noted, that you are in Bangkok at the moment - why not make a visit to the consular section of the Indian Embassy and obtain 1st hand information - which if you have time, you could share with us?

Link to the Embassy http://www.indianembassy.in.th/tourist_visa.htm

[svBeBe]

We left Bangkok on 13 July. Did not have time to visit the Indian Consulate but it would have done us no good anyway because the visa starts the date of issue, not the date of arrival in India. As US citizens we could obtain a 10-year visa to India, but normally one obtains a 6-month visa and we will be obtaining the 6-month one.

Folks traveling up the western coast of Malaysia can obtain visas in Kuala Lumpur, but be forewarned that India is also outsourcing that visa handling and it takes several days. We will get ours through the mandatory Travista agency while in the States. That will require a bit of digging on our part because the visa application requires a government issued document stating the birthplace of the applicant's parents. Hopefully we can locate death certificates for all 4 of our parents to cover this absurd requirement.

I am curious how the Immigration Dept of Thailand has any legal authority over another country's method of handling visas for their country. This would not involve Thailand Immigration. Foreign citizens obtaining visas for another foreign country, not a Thai visa and not involving a visit to Thailand. But I will take your word that this is what the Immigration Dept of Thailand means about not allowing agents to handle visa applications. I would read their requirement to mean that agents are not allowed to handle Thai visa applications -- which is a totally different scenario.

I do not know if Emotion Travel in Phuket is the correct place today to obtain the Indian visa or not. Our changed plans provide us an alternative to obtain the visa and we will go that route instead of using the travel agency in Phuket.

Judy

[Fantazia]

Dear Judy,
still clunking my way around the site and will probably stumble into a few places that make little sense until I get the hang of it. Looking for information on security, timing and routing from Darwin through the Suez into the Med. Have you seen a forum that would put me in touch with experience in these areas please?
No rush enjoy your cruising

Best John Woodruff (Fantazia)

[Laidback]

Hell John,
Sailboats normal departure time from LangKawi - Malaysia or Phuket - Thailand for final destination : the Mediterranean, is shortly after Christmas through to mid January. Some will congregate in Telaga - LangKawi others congregate in NaiHarn Bay - Phuket. The favoured route is to head north until close to the Similan Islands - SW Thailand then proceed West through the Sombrero Channel 7d 39' N x 93d 36' E. Heading for either the Uligan Atol in the Northern Maldives OR Cochin on the West Coast of India.
From either then proceed to Salalha or Muskat Oman before entering the Gulf of Aden.
If security details are required :- PM

[Fantazia]

Dear Judy,
Thanks for your kind help, if you come across any blogs or sites dealing with any more detail on this I would most appreciate a heads up. You have been more than kind,
I envy you out there.

Best regards John Woodruff