Non Imm O or O-A

[k.kevin]

As a UK resident who returned from 3 year assignment in Thailand I recently went to Thai Embassy London to apply for O-A visa. Immigration Officer didn’t like annual pension statement and bank statements as she wanted monthly bank international transfers or 800k plus marked up passbook and bank letter. After trying and failing to explain to her she was OK to process Non Imm O multiple entry 12 months for myself and wife. Advice needed on whether I should convert this to O- A once I arrive in Thailand and can get my Bangkok Bank passbook updated and bank letter. I can show 3 months pension income or 800k while my UK police and medical certificates are valid. I plan to apply for extension to stay based on retirement and as my pension is not a state pension for 3 years until I reach age 66 wondered if I can and should just renew the Non Imm O for self and wife each year when we go back for Christmas. Are there any significant benefits to having O - A.Thanks

 

 

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[Andrew Dwyer]

O-A can only be obtained in your home country and cannot be converted from an O visa .

Main benefit from an O-A is you can get almost 2 years from the visa by doing a re-entry just before it expires.

Also you don’t need money in a Thai bank until 2 months before your first extension ( which could be 22 months from obtaining visa if you timed it right ).

 

[BritTim]

From your description, it appears the London Embassy interpreted their rules normally. You are actually lucky that UK nationals can get a Non O just with a state pension (most nationals cannot). Did you get a single entry or multiple entry Non O? With a multiple Non O, you can choose to do border bounces every 90 days, and not bother with getting an extension of your permission to stay. If you only received a single entry visa (and optionally if you have a multiple entry visa) near the end of your 90-day stay, you can apply for a one-year extension of stay by showing 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account which must have been there for at least 60 days. 

[elviajero]

4 hours ago, k.kevin said:

After trying and failing to explain to her she was OK to process Non Imm O multiple entry 12 months for myself and wife. Advice needed on whether I should convert this to O- A once I arrive in Thailand and can get my Bangkok Bank passbook updated and bank letter. I can show 3 months pension income or 800k while my UK police and medical certificates are valid.

You can’t - and there’s no need to - convert to a non ‘O-A’ in Thailand.

 

When you enter with your non ’O’ visa you’ll be given permission to stay for 90 days. Within the last 30 days of the 90 you can apply for a 1 year extension of stay based on retirement. You will need to have 800K in your Thai bank for at least 60 days before applying. You don’t need a police report or medical certificate. You can renew the extension each year but must be in the country.

 

When you travel to the UK for Christmas you need to buy a single entry re-entry permit (you can get that when applying for the extension - 1,000 baht) so your extension is kept live when you return.

 

You didn’t need to get a multiple entry ‘O’ visa, but if you don’t want to apply for a 1 year extension you could exit/re-enter every 90 days. Every time you re-enter you’ll be given permission to stay for 90 days. An extension is your best bet if you can meet the financial requirements and can be in the country for the annual renewal.

 

You mention your wife. If you have a non-Thai wife she will need to extend her stay too. She will be able to piggyback your extension without needing to show 800K in the bank. Once your extension is granted she can apply for an extension as your spouse - usually they will process her application when they do yours, or straight after.

[OJAS]

8 hours ago, elviajero said:

You mention your wife. If you have a non-Thai wife she will need to extend her stay too. She will be able to piggyback your extension without needing to show 800K in the bank. Once your extension is granted she can apply for an extension as your spouse - usually they will process her application when they do yours, or straight after.

@k.kevin Regardless of her nationality, if you got married in the UK you would be strongly advised to get your marriage certificate legalised in accordance with the procedure set out at

https://www.gov.uk/get-document-legalised

 

If she is non-Thai doing this will, in any event, be a prerequisite to her being able to piggy-back on to your future extensions on dependency grounds. And if she is Thai you will then have the option of switching from retirement to marriage as the basis for your own annual extensions (a course of action which many Brits are being driven to consider on account of the plummeting value of sterling, which makes it difficult, if not, impossible for them to continue complying with the higher mimimum financial requirements for retirement extensions).