Help: Non-Immigrant type O-A visa

[colinalford]

At present Im off shore Abu Dhabi as picked up a job. I have a Non-Immigrant type O-A visa with a retirement extent ion that will expire on the 25th of March and it looks like that I will not make the dead line in time before my annual renewal of my retirement and visa is due. I am trying to get back into Thailand in time but it is starting too look like next to very unlikely.

Could you please give me some advise on the following.

 

1. can I get any extension on the expiry date 25th March.

 

2. If I re-enter Thailand  on a visa on arrival visa would there be any problem

 

3. I presume then I would need to go outside of the country again to obtain a new O-A visa. Which would be the best place country close to go to obtain one and what documents would I require. I live in Korat and have a bank account in Thailand and one in the U.K.

 

not sure which direction to go at the moment. Thanks    

      

[ubonjoe]

1. You can apply for it on the 25th, Just be sure you have everything needed on that day.

2. I think you would get a 30 day visa exempt entry not a 15 day visa on arrival that is only for those from 21 countries.

3. You can only apply for a OA long stay visa in your home country or country of legal residence.

It is possible to apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration with a visa exempt entry. You must have at least 15 days remaining of the 30 day day entry or the 30 day extension of it. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

Then you could apply for the one year extension of stay based upon retirement during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the visa.

[elviajero]

57 minutes ago, colinalford said:

1. can I get any extension on the expiry date 25th March.

Presumably you have a re-entry permit to keep the March 25th stay alive. In which case as long as you enter before the 25th you can go to immigration and apply for a new 1 year extension; assuming you can meet the financial requirements.

 

1 hour ago, colinalford said:

2. If I re-enter Thailand  on a visa on arrival visa would there be any problem

If you qualify for Visa Exempt Entry (30 days) they will give you permission to stay for 30 days. During the first 15 days of that entry you could apply for a non-immigrant visa at immigration as a prerequisite to a 1 year extension of stay. But you will need to remain in the country until the visa is issued which could be up to 2 weeks later.

 

1 hour ago, colinalford said:

3. I presume then I would need to go outside of the country again to obtain a new O-A visa. Which would be the best place country close to go to obtain one and what documents would I require. I live in Korat and have a bank account in Thailand and one in the U.K.

You would probably only be able to get a new Non 'O-A' visa in the UK.

[Tanoshi]

Will you be returning to your offshore job ….. when ………. or will you remain in Thailand ……. how long?

[Snow Leopard]

If you are a resident of the UAE and can get a salary letter from your employer you can apply for a one-year Non O-A visa in Abu Dhabi. 700 AED for a 12-month multiple entry visa. 

[colinalford]

Thanks for the replies. 

Is this correct . When I arrive back in Thailand after the 25th and obtain a visa for permission to stay for 30 days.  I then can then go to the immigration office in Korat with the normal papers that is required for the Category O visa along with my wife with her papers and have a multi entry retirement extension added to my passport without leaving the country.   

[colinalford]

I will be Staying in Thailand for around eight weeks before returning to Abu Dhabi. I haven't all the information needed with me to apply at the embassy in Abu Dhabi

[colinalford]

At the moment Im using a Mission visa to work in Abu Dhabi which I have been told will be converted at some stage into a work visa

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, colinalford said:

Thanks for the replies. 

Is this correct . When I arrive back in Thailand after the 25th and obtain a visa for permission to stay for 30 days.  I then can then go to the immigration office in Korat with the normal papers that is required for the Category O visa along with my wife with her papers and have a multi entry retirement extension added to my passport without leaving the country.   

 You can apply for a visa that allows one 90 day entry that is only valid for the date of issue and the 90 day entry stamp is done on that day. The visa stamp will not be done until you go back after about 2 weeks after your apply for it.

You could apply for a one year extension during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the visa. After getting the extension you could apply for a multiple re-entry permit.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, colinalford said:

I will be Staying in Thailand for around eight weeks before returning to Abu Dhabi. I haven't all the information needed with me to apply at the embassy in Abu Dhabi

 

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for a visa that allows one 90 day entry that is only valid for the date of issue and the 90 day entry stamp is done on that day. The visa stamp will not be done until you go back after about 2 weeks after your apply for it.

 

Joe, if he's only planning to stay in Thailand for two months as indicated above, couldn't he also simply arrive as a 30-day visa exempt entry (assuming his passport is from an eligible country), and to avoid any problems, be sure to arrive with at least 20,000 baht in cash and some evidence of onward travel out of Thailand like an airline reservation ticket or printout.

 

And then, before the original 30-day visa exempt entry expires, apply for a 30 day extension of that at his local Immigration office just with the payment of the required fee. That would cover a two month stay.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

And then, before the original 30-day visa exempt entry expires, apply for a 30 day extension of that at his local Immigration office just with the payment of the required fee. That would cover a two month stay.

That would cover this trip but he might be thinking of future trips by asking about doing the extension.

[colinalford]

My goal is to get my multiple entry retirement visa back  as the swing dates at the moment on the vessel are very flexible stretching longer than shorter.  Would it be better if I came in on a 30 day extension then leave the country , say to Singapore to obtain a multi entry O visa.  

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That would cover this trip but he might be thinking of future trips by asking about doing the extension.

 

Yep, the visa exempt and extension would be a quick and easy way to cover just this one trip of up to two months.

 

The visa methods you explained require more involvement and paperwork with Immigration (being the 90-day Non-O and then transitioning to a one-year extension of stay based on retirement combined with a re-entry permit). But those would cover him for a longer period of time, including future return trips back to Thailand during their validity period.

 

Edited February 24, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, colinalford said:

My goal is to get my multiple entry retirement visa back  as the swing dates at the moment on the vessel are very flexible stretching longer than shorter.  Would it be better if I came in on a 30 day extension then leave the country , say to Singapore to obtain a multi entry O visa.  

If your wife is Thai you could get a multiple entry non-o visa in Savannakhet Laos. Easy trip from Korat.

You could then apply for a one year extension of any of the 90 day entries from the visa.

[colinalford]

Yes my wife Thai, I will look up Savannakhet  and may do a trip out that way if its easy to a multi entry O visa. I have Thai bank account but as you can see not much knowledge about the visas.   

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, colinalford said:

Yes my wife Thai, I will look up Savannakhet  and may do a trip out that way if its easy to a multi entry O visa. I have Thai bank account but as you can see not much knowledge about the visas.   

You will go to the bridge in Mukdahan and cross over to Savannakhet.

Easy to get a the multiple entry non-o visa there and no financial proof is required.

You will need your marriage certificate plus a copy and signed copies of you wife's house book registry and ID card.

The fee is 5000 baht.

[colinalford]

If I obtain a multi entry O visa on my visit to Savannakhet will this visa last for one year and within that year I will need to do my 90 day reporting if still in Thailand but within that year I can then apply for my retirement extension.  

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, colinalford said:

If I obtain a multi entry O visa on my visit to Savannakhet will this visa last for one year and within that year I will need to do my 90 day reporting if still in Thailand but within that year I can then apply for my retirement extension.  

The multiple entry non-o visa allows unlimited 90 day entries for a year from the date is issued. No need to do reports of staying longer than 90 days since the longest you can stay is 90 days.

You can apply for the extension based upon retirement during the last 30 days of any of any the 90 day entries from the visa.

[colinalford]

Just to confirm that I am reading this correctly. I can go to Savannakhet and get a multi O visa which will last one year and within that year I can then add a retirement extension to that visa.

[lopburi3]

As said the multi entry non immigrant O visa from Savannakhet is what you should obtain and use until your employment ends as you just do not have time to convert to retirement extension of stay and even from O visa entry it would be difficult with only 8 weeks in country - it also allows free entry/exit so no re-entry permit required.  You will have to overnight in Savannakhet (watch for holidays - listed on website).  

[colinalford]

Thanks guys the internet is very slow onboard this vessel so there has been some cross connections. You have been a great help and put my mind at rest . Beers are on me  

[elviajero]

10 minutes ago, colinalford said:

Just to confirm that I am reading this correctly. I can go to Savannakhet and get a multi O visa which will last one year and within that year I can then add a retirement extension to that visa.

Yes. And it sounds like the best option for you as you’re not living permanently in the country.

 

However, note that you can get a 1 year extension as a spouse OR for retirement during any of the 90 day stays. You can also extend any 90 day stay by 60 days if needed.

[Kasane]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

1. You can apply for it on the 25th, Just be sure you have everything needed on that day.

2. I think you would get a 30 day visa exempt entry not a 15 day visa on arrival that is only for those from 21 countries.

3. You can only apply for a OA long stay visa in your home country or country of legal residence.

It is possible to apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration with a visa exempt entry. You must have at least 15 days remaining of the 30 day day entry or the 30 day extension of it. See: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

Then you could apply for the one year extension of stay based upon retirement during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the visa.

1. "The application must be submitted more than 15 days before visa expiration and, in case of overstaying in Thailand, application could not be submitted".   I had my application for Non-O visa rejected because the IM office require "more than 15 days before visa expiration" So there should be at least 16 days to expiration before submitting the Non-O application. Application submission day is "0" day.