Please help me understand how much time I have after obtaining my O-A retirement visa before I am required to enter Thailand?  How long before I will be penalized for not using my O-A visa to enter Thailand.  I have one other trip planned before coming to Thailand and the duration of that trip is uncertain at this time.  It can be adjusted as needed, I just need to know how long I can wait before entering Thailand on my new O-A visa.  Thank you for reading this question, and for helping me.

You have until the "use by" or "enter before" date on the visa, for an OA that's usually 1 year from the date of issue.

 

There is no penalty for delaying entry.

 

The visa is valid for 1 year from the date it’s issued. E.g. If issued on 15/6/19 you can enter once or multiple times until on or before 14/6/20.

 

Whenever you enter, even if it were 14/6/20, you will be granted permission to stay for 1 year.

As said, you have one year from date of issue.

The above answers are correct. Just to add...many folk reenter just before the expiry date of your O-A visa. As pointed out in elviajero example. You will then be given a 12 month stamp from that entry. NOTE if you intend to exit and reenter los during that time you need to obtain reentry permit. Available at immigration and main airports.

As said you'll be given a new one year permission to stay whenever you use the OA to enter before the visa expires, but the visa still expires on the use-by date printed on the visa. The permission to stay allows you to REMAIN IN Thailand, but it does not extend the expiry date of the visa. Once the visa expires you no longer have a visa, only permission to stay and will need a re-entry permit to replace the expired visa if you want to exit and return while keeping the then current permission to stay..

 

it it is important to check on the expiry dates on the visa and on the permission to stay since the two serve different purposes. Some people like to state they've extended their OA visa, but it's only the permission to stay that can be extended if you meet the requirements and wish to do so.

The answer is as soon as possible to get the maximum out of the visa. The best way would be to get the visa as close to your departure date as possible, if you want to get a full 2 years out of the visa.

Slightly off topic, I obtained a couple of years ago a Non O Single Entry Immigrant Visa based on me receiving my UK State Pension.

If I remember correctly it was valid for 90 Days from the date I entered Thailand.

looking at the Hull Consulate Website it now says valid for 90 Days from date of issue ?

The single entry visa is valid for three months from date of issue and allows a single stay in Thailand of up to 90 days.

27 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Slightly off topic, I obtained a couple of years ago a Non O Single Entry Immigrant Visa based on me receiving my UK State Pension.

If I remember correctly it was valid for 90 Days from the date I entered Thailand.

looking at the Hull Consulate Website it now says valid for 90 Days from date of issue ?

The single entry visa is valid for three months from date of issue and allows a single stay in Thailand of up to 90 days.

Your 90 day permission of stay will be from date you enter los. If you need to exit and reenter los you will need to obtain reentry permit. When you reenter you will not receive 90 days. Your until date will be same as the one given on your first entry. 

Edited July 2, 20197 yr by DrJack54

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Your 90 day permission of stay will be from date you enter los. If you need to exit and reenter los you will need to obtain reentry permit. When you reenter you will not receive 90 days. Your until date will be same as the one given on your first entry. 

Thanks for the info 

the only 'penalty' is if you don't use it before it expires you have to do it all again.

As an example to confirm what has been said here.  I receive a O-A visa multiple entry in the USA dated June 5, 2018. i did not enter Thailand until 12 December 2018.  Upon entering Thailand my passport was stamped with (perimited to stay date of 11 December)  Note that is 1 year from the date I entered Thailand.  So yes, with a 1 year Non O-A visa, if entering before the 1 year expiration of Visa, you would get permission to stay one year.  Please beware that you wanted to return after the your visa expiration date, make sure to get a re-entry permit which would be need to re-enter without problems even though you have multiple entry.  At the time I requested a re-entry, the IO informed me, voluntarily, that if I was coming back to Thailand before the expiration date of my visa, I would not need a re-entry (3800 baht). The IO said it was better to get the re-entry if I was not sure I was coming back to Thailand before June 5, the expiration date of my visa.  With the re-entry, my permission to stay was extended to 11 December 2019. I plan to enter again later this month (July) or early next month.  Not fact, but I am trusting that I will be given permission to stay 1 year from the date I re-enter. I will know very soon.  Sorry for being so long winded.

19 minutes ago, Ej2562 said:

As an example to confirm what has been said here.  I receive a O-A visa multiple entry in the USA dated June 5, 2018. i did not enter Thailand until 12 December 2018.  Upon entering Thailand my passport was stamped with (perimited to stay date of 11 December)  Note that is 1 year from the date I entered Thailand.  So yes, with a 1 year Non O-A visa, if entering before the 1 year expiration of Visa, you would get permission to stay one year.  Please beware that you wanted to return after the your visa expiration date, make sure to get a re-entry permit which would be need to re-enter without problems even though you have multiple entry.  At the time I requested a re-entry, the IO informed me, voluntarily, that if I was coming back to Thailand before the expiration date of my visa, I would not need a re-entry (3800 baht). The IO said it was better to get the re-entry if I was not sure I was coming back to Thailand before June 5, the expiration date of my visa.  With the re-entry, my permission to stay was extended to 11 December 2019. I plan to enter again later this month (July) or early next month.  Not fact, but I am trusting that I will be given permission to stay 1 year from the date I re-enter. I will know very soon.  Sorry for being so long winded.

You will be given a permission to stay until 11th of December. A reentry permit only protects your current permission to stay so that it is "re-instated" when you come back, it won't extend the validity of the visa (which is what allowed you to get a one year permission to stay).

 

Sophon

16 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Slightly off topic, I obtained a couple of years ago a Non O Single Entry Immigrant Visa based on me receiving my UK State Pension.

If I remember correctly it was valid for 90 Days from the date I entered Thailand.

looking at the Hull Consulate Website it now says valid for 90 Days from date of issue ?

The single entry visa is valid for three months from date of issue and allows a single stay in Thailand of up to 90 days.

I asked a question recently similar to your post but still not sure of the rules . 

Question was ,  with a non O s/e based on a UK state pension do you have to leave Thailand every 90 days ?

31 minutes ago, superal said:

I asked a question recently similar to your post but still not sure of the rules . 

Question was ,  with a non O s/e based on a UK state pension do you have to leave Thailand every 90 days ?

It’s a S.E. only valid for 90 Days

43 minutes ago, superal said:

I asked a question recently similar to your post but still not sure of the rules . 

Question was ,  with a non O s/e based on a UK state pension do you have to leave Thailand every 90 days ?

Single entry non immigrant O visa allows one stay of up to 90 days.  This is all it allows unless you extend your stay at an immigration office in Thailand by proving 65k baht per month income or 800k in Thai bank account.

23 hours ago, superal said:

I asked a question recently similar to your post but still not sure of the rules . 

Question was ,  with a non O s/e based on a UK state pension do you have to leave Thailand every 90 days ?

You are given a single entry permission to stay of 90 days. 

Not a question of leaving every 90 days, you can only stay 90 days. (Unless you pursue and Extension).