Dear Editor,
A few weeks ago I planned with my Thai wife to spend a short vacation in Russia. We arranged all flights with a local travel agency and found by internet suitable hotels for our stay both in Moscow and St Petersburg.
On the Web I read the requirements to get a tourist Visa are: Order visa invitation, 2 pictures, passport, and Visa application form. They do not mention the insurance requirement which is a must, as well flight tickets.
At this point I called the Russia Consulate in Bangkok asking how and where I could get the Visa invitation. The laconic answer: We are taking care on business and tourist Visa. We cannot help you for the invitation. You have to arrange that requirement by yourself. Where? Sorry we don’t know. The document can be issued by a licensed company authorised by the Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs and/or by Russia Interior Ministry.
Simply amazing!
I visited at least 60 countries including more recently China and Vietnam, and I never had problems with the Visa issued via Internet, at the arriving airport or by the pertinent consulate. In short, I gave up our trip to Russia and will spend the vacation in some other more flexible country/
Kind regards,
Concerned Farang
