PhuketDok

My five year renewal is coming up soon. I have always done this in Phang Nga since it was easier and could be done in one day. Has any Phuket resident renewed their Driver's license in Phang Nga recently. Do they still allow this? Thank you.

Does this mean the Day 5 quarantine stay in an SHQ hotel is no longer required?

Great update on Phuket procedures.  Does anyone know if they are still grandfathering Visa OA holder's insurance requirements for extension of stays? 

9 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

You did not get an extension of a visa.

You got an extension of a permission to stay.

 

If the permission to stay was from an OA visa and your extension was for retirement you should have been required to have insurance (if you are under 75, none of the insurance will start if you’re over 75) 

 

It is irrelevant when your original visa was issued. 
 

you were lucky.

It appears a few IO offices are not requiring insurance when applying for an Extension of Stay for NON IMM OA Visas dated prior to Oct. 31, 2000, e.g. Lampang, Kho Samui and Phuket. I hope this keeps spreading.

My new stamp  is clearly OA. There is no doubt that IO new I was an OA Visa holder.

I just renewed my Non-Imm OA Extension of Stay at the Phuket IO and I did not need to have Health Insurance. I was told this a week or so ago by one of the officers while doing a "stamp transfer" to a new passport. I am not sure why they are not requiring it anymore but I believe I heard them say it was because my Non Imm OA Visa was issued/activated prior to Oct, 2019. In addition to this pleasant surprise, the office was very quiet due to the Covid amnesty and the entire process took less than 20 minutes. I can only hope that this insurance requirement stays in place and extends out to all IO.

I just realized that I forgot to thank you UbonJoe for your prompt reply.

PhuketDok

Can anyone tell me how long a letter from the Embassy confirming my pension will be accepted by IO? I think I have read that it can be 6 months old but could not find anything to confirm this.

Thanks,

Thank you Ubonjoe.

Do I have to be concerned about exiting Thailand on the morning of the 23rd (day after my Extension of Stay expires, at midnight on the 22nd)? I am trying to avoid having to get a Myanmar Visa. This way I would exit Thailand on the 23rd and return the same day.

I do have a multiple re-entry permit.

PhuketDok 

I am considering switching from Non Imm OA based Extension of Stay toa Non Imm O Visa. I know I have to leave Thailand to switch from the OA to the O. One way to do this is to leave Thailand once current Extension of Stay expires and then come back to Thailand Visa Exempt. Has any one recently left Thailand at Ranong and re-entered at Ranong with a Visa Exempt. 

Thank you.

Thank you everyone, all my questions have now been answered.

One last question. I understand that in order to enter Thailand Visa Exempt, you must have a ticket (air or bus) showing you intend to leave the country within 30 days. If I apply right away for the 90 Day Non Imm O Visa, I will not need that ticket. Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks everyone for your prompt responses.

To answer the question whether I am married to a Thai lady, no I am not (my Canadian wife won't let me).

I will be using a letter from the Canadian Embassy to confirm my pension. Will I need that letter to apply for the 90 day Non O, or is it only required when applying for the 1 year Permission/Extension? 

Thanks again.

I am currently living in Phuket on an Extention of Stay based on a Non-Imm OA Visa. When the Extension of Stay expires I will be out of Thailand and plan to re-enter on a Visa Exempt. This will allow me to stay in Thailand for 30 days. I understand that I have to apply for the next step almost immediately after arriving since Immigration requires about two weeks to process the next step. I am not sure exactly what the next step is. Is it the actually the application for a one year Non-Imm O Visa, or is there an intermediary step I have to go through first, i.e., a 90 day Non-Imm Visa? 

If I arrive Visa Exempt, will I need a ticket (air, bus) showing that I will be leaving Thailand in 30 days?

Also, can you tell me what date would be on the Non-Imm O Visa, i.e., the date I apply, or the date the application is approved?

The reason I ask these questions, is because the date that I plan to arrive in Thailand and using the Visa Exempt process, it is at a time in the year when it is not convienent for me to be renewing my subsequent Extension of Stay(s). I would like to delay this "renewal" date a month or two from my arrival date.

Thank you for your help

Excellent information from you all. This was my first time to use this site and it was a very positive experience. Thanks once again.

Thank you for your replies. I was hoping that I could apply for the Non-Imm O without leaving the country since my new Passport would not have any stamps in it. But you all indicate I must leave Thailand first.

I have been living in Phuket for the past 5 years on a Non-Imm OA Visa. My passport is full so I am applying for a new Passport to replace my existing Passport. I know I can get my Extension Stamp and Multiple Entry Stamps transfered into my new Passport at the local Immigration Office. Due to the Insurance Requirement I would like to apply for a Non-Imm O Visa. Instead of waiting for my extension to expire, can I apply for the Non-Imm O Visa with a blank Passport, i.e., no Stamps transferred?