I have a Thai wife and I am retired in Thailand, with hopefully a lot of future International travel planned.
I am pondering the best approach for "Permission to Stay" extensions, or changing Visa (given upcoming trips outside of Thailand in 2022/2023) - I suspect simplist approach may be to get a multiple re-entry on current "Permission to stay" based on marriage to my Thai wife, with my visa beign a Type-OA visa. Unfortunate vacation/permission to stay dates complicate this a bit.
I have ideas, but I thought I would post here, in case someone spots a superior and easier course of action.
My Details (Visa and Travel planned):
- My visa is a Type-OA, and I am on a "Permission to Stay" based on marriage that expires 03-Feb-2023. I don't have a 're-entry' permit on that permission to stay (yet).
Upcoming travel of my Thai wife and myself outside of Thailand:
- mid-August-2022 to 7-Oct-2022 [flights booked]
- 4-Jan-2023 to 20-Jan-2023 (return dates +/- a few days) [flights not 'yet' booked]
- 17-Mar-2023 to 17-April-2023 ( dates +/- a few days). [flights not yet booked]
I Discarded 'no-rentry permit idea' : I think coming/going with no-re-entry permit (invalidating my current permission to stay) may involve too much paperwork/liaison with Immigration each time I go/return to Thailand hence I won't speculate here on what is involved there (please correct me if I am wrong).
I think the simplest approach may be either a single-re-entry 'permit' or a multiple re-entry permit on my current 'permission to stay'.
Corrections/suggestions on that are welcome.
My current thinking/assessment (comparing a single vs multiple re-entry permit approach)
1. Single Re-entry Permit idea: (ie Single re-entry permit to allow return after Aug-October trip):
- go now to immigration and obtain single re-entry permit so to be able to return to Thailand after upcoming Aug-to-October-2022 travel
- return to Thailand on 7-Oct-2022 with current permission to stay valid.
- depart 4-January-2023 which invalidates permission to stay on Type-OA visa.
- return 20-January on 30-day tourist visa
- around 17-February-2023, apply for a 30-day extension on tourist visa [ this irrationally 'scares me a bit ' going for such an extension ]
- depart Thailand 17-Mar to 17-April-2023.
- return to Thailand 17-April-2023 on 30-day Tourist Visa Exempt
- immediately apply for 90-day Type-O based on 'Retirement' and not on 'Marriage' (I have had 800K in bank here in Thailand for years)
- then if get 90-day Type-O, after 2 months apply for 1-year extension on permission to stay based on 'retirement' (less paper work than marriage and money not the issue)
or
2. Multiple Re-entry Permit idea (on current permission to stay)
- go now to immigration and obtain multiple re-entry permit on current permission to stay in Thailand
- return to Thailand on 7-Oct and also return to Thailand on 20-January on current permission to stay (which expires 3-Feb-2023)
- IMMEDIATELY go to Immigration and apply for 1-year permission to stay based 'marriage' on a Type-OA Visa (where permission to stay expires 3-Feb-2023).
- Hopefully prior to 17-March I obtain 1-year extension, and then IMMEDIATELY apply for a re-entry permit on 'permission to stay' on Type-OA visa during my March-to-April-2023 travels outside of Thailand.
The problem I see with approach-2, is there is not much time between 20-January and 3-February-2023, ... and not much time between 20-January and 17-March (~7 weeks) for approval of 'extension on permission to stay'. (given massive paperwork for a marriage extension)? Last time it took almost 6-weeks to get my extension on my permission to stay (based on marriage) which means I would be very nervous - would I obtain my extension on my permission to stay before leaving on my 17-March-2023 travels outside of Thailand??
My current thinking is to go for a Single Re-entry permit now (for return after Aug-Oct travel) and to decide later (before 4-January-2023) if I go for a second re-entry permit for the January-2023 travel (ie be flexible and make my mind up later).
Viewpoints are welcome.