Uh-oh! Now there is a REAL problem in the KD household. My wife can't seem to explain who that charming, handsome, young man is in all those pictures nor can she explain who the guy was who went with her to see the Consular. Scandal! I checked her and my daughter's (old) passports and damned if those visitor visas don't still look authentic. I can see how the dozen or so Homeland agents could have been so fooled. The visas seem to still exist in the passports after all these years and are so "authentic looking".

BUT how can that be when people who NEVER went through the process themselves posted on this very thread the gospel truth about getting a visitor visa...

I'm NOT really me! This isn't really MY big dck swinging between my legs! Help me! Hellllllllp Meeeeeeeee!

Yes, delusions of grandeur again. It is probably quite small! 555+

KD
No one is doubting the fact that you were able to accompany your wife to get a visa When that happened in whatever year gone by. The current rules are quite specific and state you are not permitted to accompany the applicant etc etc. These rules have been in effect for at least the past 2 years and are strictly enforced. I was able to accompany my wife to the interview in 1975 but that was a long time ago and things change. My friend was told by the consular staff that if he persisted in being present during the interview that they would cancel the interview completely and would not refund the application fee. He was told he would have to wait outside the consulate. He complained bitterly to both his Congressman and Senator to no avail. Neither was able to do anything about it as the embassy is pretty much self-governing.
Now if you doubt what I'm saying then send an email to the embassy posing this same question and let us all know what they say. I'll be happy to apologize if I'm wrong.

"if he persisted in being present during the interview"
There's your confusion right there. I clearly posted he can accompany her to the Consular. The guards there are not going to let her in and then turn him away. That is silly. He's American and can walk right in. They can sit together and wait for her to be called to the window. ONLY she can go to the window for the interview. HE cannot go to the window with her. If, during the interview, she might mention "That's my husband right there.", the interviewer would likely also ask him to come to the window (as they asked me each time) and ask me questions about our history, what we planned to do while there, how long before we come back, what assets or other ties to both Thailand and America I have, a multitude of questions about my stay in Thailand, and other questions until satisfied our intent as clearly to go for a visit and return before the visa expires.

The same blah, blah, blah was the stated policy and has been for years. If the interviewer sees an opportunity to dig deeper into her intent sitting patiently nearby, that interviewer is likely going to exploit it. No you cannot insist you remain at the window with her. No you cannot force the interviewer to hear whatever you have to add. You only matter if the interviewer decides you matter; and the interviewer will not decide you matter if you are not there. So go and ask your wife to let the interviewer know you are sitting nearby if he/she cares to speak with you.

My wife went solo to the interview for our daughter AFTER she already had hers in hand [from when I also went] and the interviewer denied a visitor visa for our daughter. I hopped on a plane and we both went there together. I spoke to the supervisor who agreed it was stupid to grant my wife's visa, but not our daughter (3 yo at the time). So he ok'd a 10 year visa for her and off we went. So, AGAIN, it is better to go than not go and no rent-a-cop guard is going to deny an American citizen entry into the compound. That is silly.

Reread my posts more slowly. Nothing I stated suggests the OP would be allowed to elbow his way into being part of the interview. Sheeesh, already...

Laan Yaa Mo wrote:Yes, delusions of grandeur again. It is probably quite small! 555+

Yes, it is.

And for the record, fdmike, I am not refuting the facts you posted. The facts of the stated policy are whatever they are. However, the reality when she/they go there is not preordained by the stated policy. It's all up to the interviewer; and the interviewer will likely choose to gather more information (from the OP) than just what's on the application and the bits and pieces gleaned from the interview.

BTW, oftentimes the interviewer decides they are experts in Thai language, but end up confusing the person being interviewed because of misplaced tones or slightly improper sentence structure. Same can happen if the interviewer decides his wife is fluent enough to conduct the interview in English (she may misunderstand a few words which make all the difference). It happens. Being there for one's wife so the interviewer can double-check for clarity and completeness is also another reason to go with her.

Example: The interviewer, after reading from the application, may ask if she owns or rents her residence. Well, she thinks, she is staying with you in the rented Bangkok/Pattaya/Phuket condo right now and answers "Yes, rent.". Well, the application says she owns a home and land in Udon. She lied. Poof - visa denied. It happens. If you were there, you could clear up that confusion and explain she does own the property, but the Bangkok condo is where you are both staying for now.

Kd what you don't seem to want to understand is that you nor anyonelse are not permitted to even wait in the room with your wife (applicant) unless the applicant is a minor. My friend was told he could not wait with his wife but had to leave the consulate and wait outside. He never made it past the security checkpoint. When he protested he was told by a consular officer that the interview would be cancelled if he did not leave. He had to leave the consulate and wait outside. Now this is what happened to him on the two occasions when his wife applied for her tourist visa approximately two years ago. I have no idea when your wife applied for her visa because you continue to sidestep the issue but this is what happened to my friend. She was denied a visa on both occasions because she was not able to prove that she would be returning to Thailand. She was denied the first time for not having her own bank account and the second because she could not adequately explain to the officer exactly where her in-laws lived in the US. If her husband was able to accompany her he could have explained the issue of the bank account and location of his relatives. I read both refusal letters which is why I know what happened. He asked to speak with a consular officer at the security checkpoint who then told him to wait outside the consulate or risk having the interview cancelled.
I'm not sure what you mean when you say the policy has been in effect for years because this was NOT the policy in the past. I know many other people who applied for a tourist visa for their wife and like you were able to speak with the consular officer but that was before this new policy came into effect. Try to enter the consulate with the applicant today and you will not get any further than the security checkpoint. The last time I was at the Consulate to conduct business at ACS (last year) I noted that there was no longer any access into the visa application waiting room from ACS. You cannot circumvent the rules either by saying you are going to ACS because they will want to see your appointment letter. Now please calm down because I don't want you to have a heart attack over this isue.

He's American and can walk right in.

If he has an appointment.......... A year ago November I was refused entry during my wife's interview for the Visitor's Visa. She had an appointment. She was allowed in and I was not permitted to go through the gate. I waited outsite (on the street) while she was interviewed. She had the choice of conducting the interview in English or Thai. The interview was successful.

When stopped at the gate I tried to argue with the guards but was quickly informed that she could go, as she had the correct application information, but I could not. That was that. I politely waited for her to return.

Let's agree my experience was as posted. Let's agree your friend's experience was as posted. Let's agree things may be different now.

I have no qualms about the above, but when someone tries to tell me what MY experience was or correct the events of MY experiences, that is just silly.

ACS did in fact implement a new policy regarding access to the compound. Appointments have since been made mandatory for all non-emergency services. Given that policy, the OP would need to book an appointment with ACS on the same day to be able to accompany his wife into the compound. He could not simply walk in with her (as I posted previously) unless he also has other business scheduled.

That being the case, if I [as in me] were in the OP's position, I would schedule something just to be able to be there to support my wife during her visit. Also as posted previously, I would also have my wife let the interviewer know I was nearby. It wouldn't hurt, but it could help...

SFG

If I were you I would disregard what KD is posting about attempting to circumvent the system at the consulate. There are now two seperate entrances into the consulate after the security check (1 for visa applicants & the other for ACS business). There is a wall now seperating the two parts of the consulate as well preventing people conducting business in ACS from mingling with those requesting a visa and vice versa. Although I have no first hand information about trying to get into the interview waiting room with the applicant other than what I've already posted, I would be willing to bet you will be asked to leave or not permitted into the waiting room to begin with or worse still the interview will be cancelled and you'll lose the application fee. I would not at all be surprised if there was a consular officer seated at the entrance to the interview waiting room to ensure unauthorized persons do not enter.

Considering all the enhanced security at the consulate & embassy I would suspect they would frown on someone trying to circumvent it.

I don't see where I posted anything about trying to barge into the same waiting room. Do you?

Much thanks to all of you who have posted your advice and comments, and especially those who have been generous enough to take time to write PM's. I feel as though I have a better grasp of what is required and what to expect from the US Embassy as pertains to my wife obtaining a Tourist Visa to accompany me to the US this year. I'll keep you posted on my progress and experience with the Embassy.

BTW, fdimike, you know I like a good sparring; and nothing I post should be taken personally. In fact, as a result of our exchanges, I learned something. Thanks for that!

Kd nothing personal taken. Good way to learn since none of us knows everything despite some thinking they do.

No worries,
Look at all the people that still don't think Obama is really an American.Yet,there he is,with pictures of himself and the family in the White House.
People tend to believe what they want to believe,no matter country or religion.It's easy to use excerpts to back up their opinions.

I don't know why I couldn't get this to post as the last sentence.
Isn't that why debate teams are still popular to this day in secondary schools and colleges?

Yes people will beleive what they want to beleive, even if it is not really true.

KD It is my opinion your posts were not clear initially about you not being in the interview with your wife. This thread could ahve been half as long had your posts been clearer. Blah blah blah blah blah

This is from Bangkok embassy website FAQ:

ACCOMPANYING APPLICANTS: I am an American citizen and would like to accompany my Thai friend/fiancé/wife, colleague/etc. into the visa waiting area and assist him/her during the visa interview. Can I do this?

Only individuals applying for a visa are allowed to enter the building and to participate in the visa interview. Exceptions ARE NOT made for American citizens who are family members, colleagues, or friends of the applicant. The only exceptions are for children under the age of 16 and applicants with disabilities, who may be accompanied under certain circumstances.

Also this is from Legal website:

Denials of Non-Immigrant Visas: Section 214b of the US Immigration and Nationality Act
Each year, the US Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand process hundreds of non-immigrant applications for the US Student Visa, the US Tourist Visa, and the US Exchange Visitor Visa. In non-immigrant visa cases a common method employed by Consular officers to deny a non-immigrant visa is use of the powers granted under section 214b of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act. This section of the act creates a presumption of immigrant intent that must be overcome by the non-immigrant visa applicant before a visa will be issued. One must prove strong ties to Thailand (or another country outside of the USA) and weak ties to the US. For example, in many cases involving applications for a US tourist visa, applicants will often be denied if they have a US Citizen fiance, fiancee, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife. The reason for the denial is usually due to the fact that the existence of a strong personal relationship with an American acts as a mitigating factor against overcoming the presumption of immigrant intent.

My wife had her application refused last week. We only wanted to visit my ailing 89 yr old father who I havn't seen in 10 years and who has never met my wife. Now he never will.

what about meeting you old dad in Canada..can you get a tourist visa for you and your wife into Canada??