Three Year Non Immigrant B Visa

[xbusman]

On my last swing through Chicago I submitted all the paperwork for my Non Immigrant B visa in due form and coming highly recommended. I dressed up and spoke pleasant thai to the raffish clerk and returned promptly in three days to have my passport hurled back at me through the bulletproff screen. Glancing quickly through I found my new visa and made a hasty exit with my prize.

On the plane back to Don Muang while trying to fit all eleven lines of my Bangkok address in that box not big enough to hold "NANA" I had the opportunity to carefully exam my Non Imm B and discovered that the expiration date is set for March 2007. A three year Non Immigrant B visa! I must have said the right things in chicago.

From reading this forum, I was confident this was just another beaurocratic bunk up but was hoping just to ride it out and renew at the proper time in one year. Since March I have been in and out of Thailand over five times and never a notice by immigrations....until last night. Miss "I need to read every stamp in your passport" raised the flag and a chinese fire drill of officialdom examined every square centimeter of my passport for the better part of an hour. Finally they told me to go to Immigration office downtown and get it straightened out.

My question is this. Being that this is Thailand and we are in the middle of buying Liverpool, how about some advice from our illustrious members on the best way to play this. I have a terrible feeling that if I were to drop by Immigtrations that this could get progressively worse. Any ideas or hard earned wisdom?

[Indo-Siam]

I can't figure out why Immigration cares. Whether you have a 90 day visa, or a 100 year non-immigrant visa, the maximum ENTRY PERMIT they will give you at entry is 90 days. As far as I know, Immigration at the border could care less about the validity of your visa, up until it expires.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[ovenman]

A three year Non Immigrant B visa! I must have said the right things in chicago.

Did you somehow qualify for one of the elusive APEC three-year, multiple-entry visas? If not and assuming that somebody in Chicago simply made a mistake, I don't really see how that would be your problem. Then again, this is the Land of Smiles not the Land of Logic...

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A three year Non Immigrant B visa! I must have said the right things in chicago.

Did you somehow qualify for one of the elusive APEC three-year, multiple-entry visas? If not and assuming that somebody in Chicago simply made a mistake, I don't really see how that would be your problem. Then again, this is the Land of Smiles not the Land of Logic...

If it is a Thai bureaucratic bungle, they will adjust the validity period at Immigration

It will get amended to a one year period of validity. Don't fight 'em lest they simply cancel the visa on the next arrival.

[john b good]

I can't figure out why Immigration cares. Whether you have a 90 day visa, or a 100 year non-immigrant visa, the maximum ENTRY PERMIT they will give you at entry is 90 days. As far as I know, Immigration at the border could care less about the validity of your visa, up until it expires.

Good luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

This is not correct.

I have a very good friend who has a 12 month Non-Imm "0" visa and he can stay for the full year (not just 90 days) and he comes and goes as he pleases. Upon his return the guys at the airport immigration stamp him back in up to the end of the original expiry of the visa.

[Indo-Siam]

JBG _

For someone coming and going, there are three or four separate things stamped into a passport:

One is a "visa" - which is usually issued outside Thailand

One is an initial entry permit - which is normally issued at a border crossing/entry point, and is normally valid for 90 days (there are exceptions, for holders of "OA" visas)

One may be a long-term extry permit extension - which is normally only issued at a main (non-border) Immigration office - and this is typically valid for no longer than one year since issuance of the immidiately previous entry permit that it is extending.

One is a "re-entry" permit, which can be obtained at both main Immigration offices,, and at border crossings (or, at least, at Don Muang Airport).

I suspect that your friend is coming and going on the basis of a re-entry permit, issued on top of an extended entry permit - but (unless he had an OA visa when he first entered Thailand) his initial entry permit - prior to receiving his first long-term extension - was for just 90 days.

Cheers!

Indo-Siam