🌏 Overview
- Trip Duration: November 6, 2024 – November 28, 2024 (23 days)
- Who went: Me (Hussain Abdullah Tofa) and my wife, Salma Fariha
- Purpose: Leisure
- Visa Type: Tourist Visa, Single Entry, 3-Month Validity
🛬 How We Got the Visa
Getting the visa was a journey in itself. After a failed attempt at Saimon Center, I prepared thoroughly and reapplied through the Thailand VISA Application Center — SILKWAYS. Here’s the entire process I went through:
📄 Documents I Submitted:
- Filled and signed visa application form (downloaded from the Saimon Global website)
- Passport photocopies (2 passports + 1 extra of mine)
- 2 copies of NIDs (or BRC if you don’t have an NID)
- My sponsorship letter and supporting documents — DOWNLOAD HERE IF YOU NEED ONE: Sponsorship Letter For Your Spouse
- MTB Bank Statement for the last 6 months (with a balance over 170,000 BDT) — 2 original copies
- MTB Bank Solvency Certificate — 2 original copies
- Marriage Certificate in English — 2 copies
- Color passport-size photos (3.5 × 4.5 cm, white background) — 2 for each of us
- Round-trip, fully paid air ticket copy
- Paid hotel bookings for all 23 days
- My Freelancer ID Card
- Freelancer Declaration Application — DOWNLOAD HERE IF YOU NEED ONE: Freelancer Declaration Application
- Detailed travel itinerary — DOWNLOAD HERE IF YOU NEED A TEMPLATE: Thailand Travel Itinerary – 23 Days
- Submitted both my current and previous passports
- Visa request applications for both of us — DOWNLOAD HERE IF YOU NEED A TEMPLATE: Visa Request Application for Thailand
✅ Visa Center Reviews:
- Saimon Center: They told us to come at 9 AM, but security still refused entry by 10 AM. They only accept 17 applicants per day. Felt like a syndicate operation. Avoid!
Read my full review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9GtshcuasbPyd4Ri8
- Thailand Visa Application Centre: Not even a real Thai visa office — it badly needs an upgrade. Read my full review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NeHQ6qGFeJcYhCY16
- ShareTrip Lounge: Acceptable overall, though the staff were rude. They do refund the visa fee if your application isn’t approved. Read my full review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BDzH2KP4kiTkBAR27
- SILKWAYS: The best experience by far. I arrived at 6 AM to lock in my spot. The staff was a mixed bag — some were rude, but others (especially the lady at counter 4) were very helpful. Read my full review here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RynmEUBGxYTLmvxy9
🛍️ Flight & Transport Summary
| Route | Details | Airline/Transport | Cost (approx, BDT, per person) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka ✈️ Bangkok | BS 217 at 9:15 AM | US-Bangla | 18,000 |
| Bangkok ✈️ Chiang Mai | AirAsia A6VKQP at 3:45 PM | AirAsia | 5,400 |
| Chiang Mai → Bangkok | Overnight Train 3:30 PM – 5:10 AM | Thai Rail | 2,400 |
| Bangkok ✈️ Phuket | Domestic flight (same-day ticket, high price) | Thai Air Asia | 20,500 |
| Phuket ➡️ Phi Phi | Chaokoh Ferry (11 AM) | Ferry | 2,900 |
| Phi Phi ➡️ Krabi | Ferry (1:30 PM) | Ferry | 1,600 |
| Krabi ➡️ Bangkok | Bus (5 PM, with free Dinner) | 4,100 | |
| Bangkok ➡️ Pattaya | Bus (6 AM) | 600 | |
| Pattaya ➡️ Ko Samet | Grab (Uber) + Ferry (round trip) + Entry + Taxi | 3,500 | |
| Ko Samet ➡️ Bangkok | Taxi + Bus | 1,000 | |
| Bangkok ✈️ Dhaka | BS 218 | US-Bangla | 10,000 |
🏨 Hotels & Costs
| Date | Place | Hotel | Nights | Approx. Cost (BDT) |
| Nov 6-9 | Chiang Mai | Rai Doi Chang | 3 | 25,570 |
| Nov 10-14 | Phuket | Calypso Patong Hotel | 4 | 9,925 |
| Nov 14-16 | Phi Phi Island | Phi Phi Bayview Resort | 2 | 12,215 |
| Nov 16-18 | Krabi | Aonang Viva Resort | 2 | 10,270 |
| Nov 19-22 | Pattaya | Red Balcony Hotel | 3 | 10,540 |
| Nov 22-23 | Ko Samet | Tubtim Resort | 1 | 6,555 |
| Nov 23-28 | Bangkok | Q Space Residence | 5 | 12,450 |
🎥 My YouTube Vlogs from Thailand
1️⃣ Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Mae Rim
🛌 Stay at Rai Doi Chang Moncham
📍 Watch on YouTube
2️⃣ Exploring Mae Rim (Day 2)
🌧️ A rainy, foggy day in Chiang Mai
📍 Watch on YouTube
3️⃣ What We Did in Thailand — Chiang Mai Adventures
🌲 Pongyang Zipline & Jungle Coaster
📍 Watch on YouTube
(Additional vlogs for Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Pattaya, and Bangkok will be added soon…)
💸 Total Estimated Cost for 2 People
| Category | Amount (BDT) |
| Flights (International + Domestic) | ~80,000 |
| Hotels | ~87,500 |
| Transport (Trains, Ferries, Buses, Cars) | ~10,000 |
| Food, Activities, Shopping | ~40,000 |
| Visa & Misc | ~10,000 |
| Total | ~227,000 BDT |
📍 Final Thoughts
Thailand was a dream trip from start to finish. From the misty mountains of Chiang Mai to the turquoise waters of Phi Phi and the buzzing nightlife of Pattaya — every single moment was unforgettable. The visa process was tough, but I made it through with persistence and well-prepared documents.
For anyone planning a similar trip — avoid middlemen, arrive early at the visa centers, keep your documents spotless, and plan your itinerary like a pro.
Want to feel what I experienced? Watch my YouTube vlogs and you’ll be transported there.
Would I go back again? Absolutely.
Until next time,
Tofa
