New Zealand?

Ca I take a Thai boy with me on a visit to New Zealand? Is it worth going so far?

Ca I take a Thai boy with me on a visit to New Zealand? Is it worth going so far?

If you can get him a visa, he can go with you.

[adman5000]

You may have to post a refundable bond - probably around USD$2000 to guarantee his return. That is what I did. The consular officer will tell you when he applies for his visa.

[Aunty]

Ca I take a Thai boy with me on a visit to New Zealand? Is it worth going so far?

I don't see why not. Thai nationals are welcome to travel to New Zealand, but first they must obtain a tourist visa first from the New Zealand embassy in Bangkok. Our rules are different from those of the USA and Europe, so put the stories you have heard about those countries out of your mind.

The main reason any visa is declined is that the immigration officer is not satisfied that the true purpose of travel to New Zealand is for the purpose of tourism, but rather, the applicant wishes to work illegally and or stay in New Zealand. So your friend will need to provide evidence that he does indeed intend to travel to New Zealand as a tourist, so things like a return air ticket, evidence of hotel and other accommodation having being booked, an itinerary of travel throughout the country, places he wishes to see and go to, sufficient funds to cover his stay while in New Zealand etc. Travel insurance. This carries some risk, if the visa is declined you may end up out of pocket!

While your friend's visa will be issued solely on his own merits, you may wish to go with him to the embassy to discuss your plans with the officials there. Remember, New Zealand is a progressive Western Democracy and as such we welcome you as a Gay man to bring your boyfriend as your travel companion to our country. If you have any problems at the embassy in Bangkok, ask to speak with an actual New Zealand staff member there, although do it politely. My suggestion would be to first go to or ring the embassy yourself and make some general enquirers about what it is that they need in order to issue your friend (and maybe you too) a tourist visa for a holiday in NZ.

As for the distance, well it's no further than Europe, and it's certainly a lot closer than North America. Thai flies direct. You can alo fly from New Zealand direct to South America (Argentina and Chile) if you are thinking of somewhere else to go.

Keep us posted.

A very informative quote from the Embassy web site. What about a stopover in Sydney? I see the Australians have something called a Transit Visa for stays up to 72 hours, although it seems to be for sailors.

Our rules are different from those of the USA and Europe, so put the stories you have heard about those countries out of your mind.

Funny, the rules you go on to describe are EXACTLY the same as those for the USA.

[Aunty]

Our rules are different from those of the USA and Europe, so put the stories you have heard about those countries out of your mind.

Funny, the rules you go on to describe are EXACTLY the same as those for the USA.

No they're not. Under US law, every applicant for a tourist visa must be considered by the immigration service as an illegal immigrant who wishes to live in the US until the applicant proves otherwise. We make no such assumption in law about people who wish to visit our country. Under our immigration policy we require that every applicant for a tourist visa must show that they are indeed a genuine short-term visitor and are not here to work illegally during visa period, which is our main concern. Show us you've got some money, a return plane ticket, and a job/school back home to go to and you're in.

It's two islands'; you can't hide!

Our rules are different from those of the USA and Europe, so put the stories you have heard about those countries out of your mind.

Funny, the rules you go on to describe are EXACTLY the same as those for the USA.

No they're not. Under US law, every applicant for a tourist visa must be considered by the immigration service as an illegal immigrant who wishes to live in the US until the applicant proves otherwise. We make no such assumption in law about people who wish to visit our country. Under our immigration policy we require that every applicant for a tourist visa must show that they are indeed a genuine short-term visitor and are not here to work illegally during visa period, which is our main concern. Show us you've got some money, a return plane ticket, and a job/school back home to go to and you're in.

It's two islands'; you can't hide!

Sounds same-same to me.

[Aunty]

I think the concerns are the same, but the way we go about addressing and managing those concerns are not. For example, if what Adman has posted is correct, have you ever heard of a bond being paid to get a tourist visa to get into the US?

New Zealand will issue a visa to a gogo boy if he can show that his visit is genuinely a short-term one. I don't think this is the case with the US although maybe you might know more about this than me?

I think the concerns are the same, but the way we go about addressing and managing those concerns are not. For example, if what Adman has posted is correct, have you ever heard of a bond being paid to get a tourist visa to get into the US?

New Zealand will issue a visa to a gogo boy if he can show that his visit is genuinely a short-term one. I don't think this is the case with the US although maybe you might know more about this than me?

I don't know about the bond issue -- except that this is not an option with the US.

A gogo boy would get a US visa if he could prove his visit is genuinely a short-term one. The problem is: how do you prove it, especially when you don't have a steady job, family, or assets in Thailand to come back to? In practicality, it is likely impossible.

[adman5000]

To provide further information - I went with my friend and assisted in him completing the application. I provided a statement that I was paying for roundtrip airfare and would pay for all hotel and other expenses. As I recall, it was when I called to check status and learned that he would not receive a visa after having paid the fee, and then asked what else I could do that I was informed of the bond option. It was not offered upfront.
There is no such option in the US.

While I enjoyed visiting NZ overall, I found their customs and entry process to be a real pain in the ass and the most drawn out affair I have ever experienced. They searched everything inside and out. They gave a student in front of us a hard time because he had more cigarettes than allowed and fined him and threatened to take away his student visa. The poor kid was scared shitless. They asked me all kinds of questions including asking me EXACTLY where I was going and how I could prove it. I said I had a detailed hotel reservation itinerary and rental car agreements which they asked to see and looked through. It just seemed a bit overzealous to me. I viewed it was because I was with my friend. I was not dressed like a back-packer in sandals either but in business casual. It did not feel welcoming to me. It was also late at night and got things off to a difficult start and unfortunately made a lasting unfavorable impression on me about NZ.

I was not dressed like a back-packer in sandals either but in business casual.

Never try entering New Zealand wearing Wellington boots. They don't like sharing the sheep.

BTW this is the true origin of the name "Wellington". The city grew up from an encampment based around a famous courtesan sheep.

[Aunty]

To provide further information - I went with my friend and assisted in him completing the application. I provided a statement that I was paying for roundtrip airfare and would pay for all hotel and other expenses. As I recall, it was when I called to check status and learned that he would not receive a visa after having paid the fee, and then asked what else I could do that I was informed of the bond option. It was not offered upfront.
There is no such option in the US.

While I enjoyed visiting NZ overall, I found their customs and entry process to be a real pain in the ass and the most drawn out affair I have ever experienced. They searched everything inside and out. They gave a student in front of us a hard time because he had more cigarettes than allowed and fined him and threatened to take away his student visa. The poor kid was scared shitless. They asked me all kinds of questions including asking me EXACTLY where I was going and how I could prove it. I said I had a detailed hotel reservation itinerary and rental car agreements which they asked to see and looked through. It just seemed a bit overzealous to me. I viewed it was because I was with my friend. I was not dressed like a back-packer in sandals either but in business casual. It did not feel welcoming to me. It was also late at night and got things off to a difficult start and unfortunately made a lasting unfavorable impression on me about NZ.

You no doubt met the profile of a drug dealer, hence the extra attention you were subjected to.

BTW this is the true origin of the name "Wellington". The city grew up from an encampment based around a famous courtesan sheep.Hence the origin of Aunty's famous war cry, used so often in her posts, "Bwaaah"

[adman5000]

You no doubt met the profile of a drug dealer, hence the extra attention you were subjected to.

So for the rest of you thinking of taking a friend to NZ, you will possibly be subjected to the same treatment. Their profile must include: buying your tickets in advance, numerous entry stamps across the world, middle aged and retired, neat and dressed business casual, fly in business class to NZ, member of Worldwide AAA and making all hotel reservations through there in advance on a frequent stay card, having Hertz car reservations with a company frequent user card. Yeah, sure, these certainly sound more like a drug dealer than a tourist.

But even after all this, it was worth it. The country and people were great, although many folks were very aggressive and unsafe drivers.

... many folks were very aggressive and unsafe drivers.So you met Aunty on the roads then?