hapark

Thanks to all for helpful advice.

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a Thailand Elite on their website (https://www.thailandelite.com/#/) and when approved and paid for you can get the visa sticker done on arrival or at immigration in Bangkok and a couple of other offices.

Thank you for quick response.  Do the airlines accept this proof of payment as evidence of having a visa when boarding, and is onward travel ticket required?  Alternatively, could you enter on a tourist visa, then  apply for the Elite from within country, or does it have to be done before entering?

Thanks again

Does applicant require a trip to Thai Embassy/Consulate in their home country to get a stamp in passport based on Elite approval documents, or do they arrive in Thailand with the approval forms and get all required stamps upon arrival.

Thanks for any clarification!

On 3/14/2022 at 1:28 PM, ubonjoe said:

Having a tourist visa entry is one of the requirements to apply for the non-o visa.

But a non-o visa for being a family member of a person on a retirement extension is not listed as one that can be done.

That is why a agent may be able to arrange it.

Thanks for this info.  As family dependent member is not on the list that be converted from tourist visa to non-O, not sure how it can be done.   Heard from friend who said his agent could not do, so wondering how and where can be done with agent? Any confirmed cases of anyone doing this recently in Chonburi?

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

I have read some posts about an agent being able arrange the non-o visa for a family member at immigration. Perhaps that is an option.

What is her current visa status here?

If on a tourist visa, would this option of switching to the non-o at immigration be possible for the wife?

It used to be possible to fly out to Hong Kong, KL, etc to get a single entry Non B in order to process WP. With Covid restrictions, HK does not look feasible. Any other locations in the region to do this with minimal hassle and what is the actual timing and process  for visa, WP application?

Thanks 

When transfer existing visa and 12 month extension to new passport, can re-entry stamp from old passport be transferred or used as well? Or is it required to pay for new reentry permit with new passport?

Thanks for advice

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not have non-o visa for a family member of a person on a extension based upon retirement on its list for the visas. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=2537

I have read report of people getting a non-o with the help of an agent.

Thank you, that is very helpful.

On 2/1/2022 at 2:29 PM, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not issue non-o visas for family members of a person on a extension of stay based upon retirement.

 

At this time most embassies and official consulates will not issue a non-o visa for family members unless a person is on a non-b visa or extension based upon working and etc.

Hello,

Would it be possible for dependants to enter on a tourist visa and then do a TM86 to change to

non-imm O, once in country, based on being dependants to Non-Imm O 12 month extension holding retiree?

Thank you for advice

16 minutes ago, MajorTom said:

Also be aware that Thai immigration does not like to stamp backwards in a passport. I dont know if this is a rule or just a guideline. Say if you have some blank page in the beginning they will not want to use that. They always go to the back.

Also, every time i start on a fresh passport they will jump start on page 6 or 8.. So that means the first pages are wasted for use in Thailand.

You seem to imply that blank pages at the beginning or middle parts of a passport are somehow invalid and cannot be used. If they are blank then surely, they can still be used.  Never heard of any such rule...anyone else?

43 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

As an aside, but with a connection :-

Most countries have a 'must have x empty pages in a valid passport and at least six months before expiry' rule.

I was caught out once as I has less than six empty pages. I ended up 'lifting' some visas that were the 'stuck on' types ie not stamped. (Cambodia and Laos.)

I have never heard of this rule of "x empty pages" rule before.  Can anyone confirm what is the case for Thailand?

According to the link below which was googled, the guy says 1 or 2 blank pages for most countries, which would make more sense than 6 pages.

https://thepointsguy.com/guide/6-very-important-things-to-know-about-your-passport/

Running out of free pages, so want to make sure a whole fresh passport page is not used for this.  Is the 30 day exempt entry a half page stamp and at Suvarnabhumi can you politely ask immigration officer to  stamp it on a specific half page if it will fit.?

Any confirmation or recent experience that the 15 day  Visa on Arrival process is still available and functioning?  (not asking about the 30 day exemption)

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It started back 2020 when they first started allowing entries for more categories for entries to the country.

As I have advised people before is to check with the embassy or official consulate about getting the visa.

Thank you for the sound advice.  A small technicality, but I wonder if it would make any difference if the retiree is on a retirement extension to an originally issued non-B visa (reason for extension changed from employment to retire).  I still see some consulates are still asking for a valid work permit, so maybe the dependents still could not apply in such a case?

On 2/1/2022 at 4:33 PM, ubonjoe said:

I have seen many reports of the extension application being denied since the covid 19 restrictions went into effect.

This from a embassy website. Note the ones for family members and nonte of them are for retirement. 

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/visas/

Ubonjoe, any idea whether this was an announced change of policy (due to covid), and where to find more information? Or was this an re-interpretation of existing rules with different consulates having different rules. 

Any advice from all welcome.

On 2/4/2022 at 1:57 PM, ubonjoe said:

I suggest you contact the embassy or official consulate where you applying for the visa about it. Some may still do them.

The only solution that comes to mind is some sort of Elite family visa but is fairly expensive

On 2/1/2022 at 4:33 PM, ubonjoe said:

I have seen many reports of the extension application being denied since the covid 19 restrictions went into effect.

This from a embassy website. Note the ones for family members and nonte of them are for retirement. 

Source: https://thaiembdc.org/visas/

Thank you for this information.  This seems like the dependant foreign spouse and children of foreign retiree in Thailand can no longer "piggyback" as a dependant on the father retirement visa?  That is a real game changer for many.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

This on the Thailand pass site. https://tp.consular.go.th/en/plan

I wonder if the 15 day Visa on Arrival is still available for Indian citizens?

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration does not issue non-o visas for family members of a person on a extension of stay based upon retirement.

 

At this time most embassies and official consulates will not issue a non-o visa for family members unless a person is on a non-b visa or extension based upon working and etc.

Can you confirm where you saw this information that most overseas Thai embassies and official consulates are not issuing non-o visa for dependent spouse and children of retiree on non-O  12 month extension?  Never heard this before, and know some in this situation who have done it.

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

This on the Thailand pass site. https://tp.consular.go.th/en/plan

Thank you Ubonjoe

Dependents are unable to piggyback on first 90 days of Non Imm O holder visa, only on the 12 month retirement extension.  Could the dependents instead enter on tourist visa and convert that to Non O in country, and thereafter piggyback on Retiree, assuming retiree has extended 90 day before the dependent's tourist visas expire. Otherwise the dependent have to wait outside Thailand until 12 month retiree extension obtained?

Reviving this topic due to the new 5 day test n go. For a Delhi-Taipei scenario with transit through Bangkok.  Assuming no same day connecting flights via Bangkok, could Indian citizen enter Thailand under 15 day Visa on arrival, do Day 1 of the Test n Go Hotel, and depart for Taiwan on Day 4 (without Day 5 hotel and PCR), assuming day 1 PCR all clear?

Would Thailand pass be issued under such circumstance?

26 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The official minimum for international to international at Suvarnabhumi is 55 minutes, but two hours is still awfully short given the consequences of missing the connecting flight. Ideal, would be about six hours, I think. If you cannot find anything better, you have a tough decision to make. My gut tells me that the Omicron panic may have dissipated within a month or so, and the challenge may lessen, but obviously you cannot rely on this.

Sound advice as the consequences of any delay, which can be common at the departure end, would be serious. 2 hours may be cutting it too close, unless things change.

1 hour ago, Carmine6 said:

Taiwan stopped allowing transiting in May and last I checked a month ago was still closed, or else that is where I would have connected through.  I'll double check it since they could have changed recently, but highly unlikely.

 

Best I could find was reference to the original prohibition on transiting in May 2021:

News Ticker - EVA Air | Global (English)

 

Effective from 00:00 am on 19MAY2021(local flight schedule departure time). CECC imposes entry restrictions for non-R.O.C. nationals and travelers transiting through Taiwan are temporarily prohibited.

The transit takes place in Bangkok with Taipei as the final destination.

On 12/23/2021 at 11:50 PM, BritTim said:

I think some days there are flights DEL->BOM->BKK->TPE on Thai Smile with a transfer of under 12 hours in Bangkok. Worth checking.

Thank you for this suggestion again.  After lots of looking around, I am seeing a Bangalore-Taipei flight once a week on Thai with a 2 hour transit in Bangkok.  The  only questions are whether the flight is operational and if you can check bags through, and thus avoid entering Thailand.  The additional risk would be if you missed the connection for some reason, had to stay over in Thailand for a night or 2 and  be forced to enter subject to quarantine.