O/A visa and insurance experience today

[brianj1964]

27 minutes ago, doctormann said:

There seems to be a tacit assumption that anyone supporting a Thai wife / family is on an extension to a non-O visa.  This is not correct.  i personally know of several people, who are married to Thais, who originally started out with a non-OA and have been on extensions for many years.  Most are extending for 'retirement', despite having a Thai wife, merely because this involves far less bureaucracy.  It does require twice the finances, of course, but if you can meet these, it is far less hassle than getting an extension based on marriage.

That's why I applied for an O-A from London, there was less paperwork involved, I'm hoping if I move to an O next year from a neighbouring country it will be more straightforward 

[Peter Denis]

51 minutes ago, saengd said:

As far as I am concerned it is now confirmed that in Chiang Mai at least, all O-A visa extension based on retirement will require evidence of health insurance, what other offices around the country do may vary. 

Looked in the Chiang Mai forum, but not easy to check for cases in the 86 page Visa-thread.

Can you please post a link to the post that confirmed your conviction of HI required for OA - retirement extensions.

Thanks!

[saengd]

3 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Looked in the Chiang Mai forum, but not easy to check for cases in the 86 page Visa-thread.

Can you please post a link to the post that confirmed your conviction of HI required for OA - retirement extensions.

Thanks!

My conviction is based on my knowledge of the visa agent, Assist Thaivisa in CM, their track record and their connections with Immi. They have posted several times on different sites explaining what is happening and what the requirements are. Today I saw a note from the Brit. owner of that service, a person I know well. His note was posted by another in one of the many threads on this subject although I'm not sure which one. In it he reaffirms what I wrote earlier and that potentially in the not too distant future, the 90 day report may be used as a point at which to verify the insurance is in place.

 

Many posters will disregard what I've written here and claim it's just another agent drumming up business, I guess you'd need to know the people involved to understand it isn't that at all.

[john terry1001]

52 minutes ago, doctormann said:

There seems to be a tacit assumption that anyone supporting a Thai wife / family is on an extension to a non-O visa.  This is not correct.  i personally know of several people, who are married to Thais, who originally started out with a non-OA and have been on extensions for many years.  Most are extending for 'retirement', despite having a Thai wife, merely because this involves far less bureaucracy.  It does require twice the finances, of course, but if you can meet these, it is far less hassle than getting an extension based on marriage.

I have been married to a Thai and coming to Thailand for over 25 years and we've lived here for over 15. I'm fully aware That most of us (finance permitting) were encouraged to stay using an extension based on retirement because it was much simpler and quicker to complete (1-2 days instead of a month).

 

In days gone by  anybody could enter Thailand with almost no restrictions but over the years I've watched the ability to obtain visa/permits of stay become much more restrictive as TI attempt to channel people into the visa/extension they want individuals to use. 

 

When they stopped issuing ME non O's and restricted them to 90 day SE's, and were more restrictive on the reason for issue I decided it would be better To suffer the extra restrictions and apply for a marriage extension.

My logic was that, although initially more difficult to apply for, The marriage extension requirements remained stable while all other visa applications became more difficult. And that 'logic' has remained over the more recent big changes for expats in the last year or so. Maybe the possibility of splitting up families has prevented TI from coming down so hard on expats who are here on marriage extensions. 

 

So, for those who still use the easy 'retirement extension' option, now is possibly the time to re-assess the way you might want to stay here. 

 

49 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

Perhaps they are not in Thailand  continuously, perhaps not the 90-120 days to get a marriage extension, perhaps they were using a O-A for its ME capabilities, perhaps they prefer to prove funds in home country, perhaps they could not get the Thai insurance anyway, as they are not always in Thailand continuously etc. ????????

But they do hope to be able to come and be with there family as often as possible ????????. Does the insurance cover for immigration issue stress or is it excluded ????????.

From reading previous threads, if I remember correctly, you are an off shore worker who's work schedule restricts your lengths of time to stay in Thailand. The ME non O was probably ideal (and necessary) for you, and I sympathise with you and the problem you're now faced with. But I can also understand the reason why TI have decided it's necessary to change their rules. Non O visas were never intended as a means of staying permanently in Thailand but, unfortunately, others have abused the system by doing exactly that. And TI, in their wisdom, have said enough's enough. Over 95% of expats can still stay in Thailand by using the correct visa/permit option. Unfortunately you are one of the few that now finds it much more difficult.

[Kadilo]

2 hours ago, john terry1001 said:

Surely those supporting families should be on an extension based on marriage and therefore excluded from this problem anyway.

Why do they need to be married to help support others? 

[Kadilo]

4 hours ago, Exploring Thailand said:

That's cleared that up then. ???? Have you ever thought about applying for a job at Immigration? 

Or not posting 

[john terry1001]

1 minute ago, Kadilo said:

Why do they need to be married to help support others? 

Cos that's the rules you have to abide by. Same in most foreign countries when you want to live there.

[jackdd]

4 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Why do they need to be married to help support others? 

They don't need to be, they can send money from everywhere.

But if they want to stay in Thailand being married makes it easier.

[Kadilo]

Just now, jackdd said:

They don't need to be, they can send money from everywhere.

But if they want to stay in Thailand being married makes it easier.

Thank you. Let Mr Terry know that will you. 
Ta. 

[GeorgeCross]

7 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Why do they need to be married to help support others? 

well of course you are free to support anyone you want married or otherwise but if you want to extend your visa on basis marriage well you kind of need to be married!

[Kadilo]

3 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

well of course you are free to support anyone you want married or otherwise but if you want to extend your visa on basis marriage well you kind of need to be married!

Who said anything about it extending on basis of marriage. It was assumed that if someone wants to support a family they should be married. Hence the question. 

Tbh there is so much nonsense spouted on this and other threads at the moment it is becoming counterproductive. 

Same happened when they first announced the monthly income criteria with wild predictions and everyone had something to say about someone they knew who knew someone etc. 

 

it appears some people just like to feel they know more than others when it’s clear they know Jack. 
 

 

[john terry1001]

29 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

30 minutes ago, jackdd said:

They don't need to be, they can send money from everywhere.

But if they want to stay in Thailand being married makes it easier.

Thank you. Let Mr Terry know that will you.

I'm well aware of the rules and the ease of which they can be used for somebody's benefit. 

If you look at my original post I said: 

Quote

Surely those supporting families should be on an extension based on marriage and therefore excluded from this problem anyway.

I said 'should', suggesting it might be a better option. I didn't say must.

 

By saying  'But if they want to stay in Thailand being married makes it easier.' Jackdd is, in effect, agreeing with me that being excluded from this problem anyway would make it easier.????

 

In your original post you said:

'Guys supporting families with existing foreign cover who are going to be driven out as they cannot afford the extra expense.'

 

My original reply was to suggest that, if somebody was being driven out because of lack of funds, that person might look at alternative/cheaper ways of resolving the problem. 

 

If you wanted a response specifically related to somebody in that predicament who was not married you should have said so

[Mapguy]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Looked in the Chiang Mai forum, but not easy to check for cases in the 86 page Visa-thread.

Can you please post a link to the post that confirmed your conviction of HI required for OA - retirement extensions.

Thanks!

Sorry to be indirect, but from a personal visit and also by direct report of the American consulate in Chiang Mai, the CM Office is following the police orders to the letter.

 

By the way, that CM thread is full of all sorts of garbage.  You are right, it is hard to plow through it. If you get past the bickering on that thread, you''ll do ok in recent weeks.

 

But remember, I speak of Chiang Mai specifically.

[DJ54]

 Has anyone that has health coverage but not from a Thai company

advised their provider and asked the provider to contact  Thai Officials to get something done?

[AJ5358]

17 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Theres international flights into Hua Hin ?? 

Yes, flights to and from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

[AJ5358]

@Sheryl and @Thaidream UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT RE: HUA HIN IMMIGRATION! Our friends who went to their local office in Hua Hin and requested that their OA entry stamps be corrected from 30 days on arrival to 12 months on arrival gave me a further update late yesterday. The immigration officer who made the correction to their stamp in the morning called them back at the end of the day and told them that they have to return to the Hua Hin Immigration Office tomorrow as they should NOT have received a corrected stamp from them. What a nightmare!

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, DJ54 said:

 Has anyone that has health coverage but not from a Thai company

advised their provider and asked the provider to contact  Thai Officials to get something done?

No health insurance company likely to do this as retirees in Thailand would be an insignificant part of their total clientele. And most don't have an office/staff in Thailand.

 

Local brokers who sell foreign policies are in dialogue with givernment on this issue but having trouble getting answers/clarification.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, AJ5358 said:

@Sheryl and @Thaidream UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT RE: HUA HIN IMMIGRATION! Our friends who went to their local office in Hua Hin and requested that their OA entry stamps be corrected from 30 days on arrival to 12 months on arrival gave me a further update late yesterday. The immigration officer who made the correction to their stamp in the morning called them back at the end of the day and told them that they have to return to the Hua Hin Immigration Office tomorrow as they should NOT have received a corrected stamp from them. What a nightmare!

If necessary they can get a corrected stamp at Suvannabhumi. A hassle, I know.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, AJ5358 said:

@Sheryl and @Thaidream UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT RE: HUA HIN IMMIGRATION! Our friends who went to their local office in Hua Hin and requested that their OA entry stamps be corrected from 30 days on arrival to 12 months on arrival gave me a further update late yesterday. The immigration officer who made the correction to their stamp in the morning called them back at the end of the day and told them that they have to return to the Hua Hin Immigration Office tomorrow as they should NOT have received a corrected stamp from them. What a nightmare!

Hi AJ5358,

I can only hope that the reason they are called back to have their corrected stamps corrected again is that HuaHin in-land Immigration is not allowed to correct a Suvarnabhumi border-entry immigration stamp.

Please do keep us posted on the above!

And really feel for your friends whose start of their long-stay in Thailand turned out to become an absolute administrative nightmare.

[jackdd]

1 hour ago, AJ5358 said:

@Sheryl and @Thaidream UPDATE TO MY PREVIOUS COMMENT RE: HUA HIN IMMIGRATION! Our friends who went to their local office in Hua Hin and requested that their OA entry stamps be corrected from 30 days on arrival to 12 months on arrival gave me a further update late yesterday. The immigration officer who made the correction to their stamp in the morning called them back at the end of the day and told them that they have to return to the Hua Hin Immigration Office tomorrow as they should NOT have received a corrected stamp from them. What a nightmare!

Can you post a picture of their stamp after it was changed twice?

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Peter Denis said:

I can only hope that the reason they are called back to have their corrected stamps corrected again is that HuaHin in-land Immigration is not allowed to correct a Suvarnabhumi border-entry immigration stamp.

Please do keep us posted on the above!

Indeed, they may also have forgotten to ask to see insurance. 

[AJ5358]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

If necessary they can get a corrected stamp at Suvannabhumi. A hassle, I know.

Even if they came in through Don Muang airport?

[Sheryl]

I'm not sure. Should be able to get from Don Muang too but I haven't seen any reports on that one way or the other. 

 

See what @ubonjoe says

 

[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, AJ5358 said:

Even if they came in through Don Muang airport?

It can be done there since that is their point of entry to the country.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Quick question !!

 

An on retirement extension from an OA with no current re-entry permit.

 

Can I cross the border ( at Ban Phu Nam Ron for example ) voiding my extension to get 30 days exempt and then apply for an O visa based on retirement ( I meet the financial requirements) here in Thailand with a view to retirement extensions.

 

 I understand this can be done at an airport but can it also be done at a land border ??

 

TIA

 

Andy

[Jingthing]

21 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Quick question !!

 

An on retirement extension from an OA with no current re-entry permit.

 

Can I cross the border ( at Ban Phu Nam Ron for example ) voiding my extension to get 30 days exempt and then apply for an O visa based on retirement ( I meet the financial requirements) here in Thailand with a view to retirement extensions.

 

 I understand this can be done at an airport but can it also be done at a land border ??

 

TIA

 

Andy

I assume the answer is yes but it might be seen as odd behavior. Without a reentry permit their only choice is to stamp you in for 30 days or deny entry.

I suppose it's possible they could deny you entry but don't see why.

However, before you try such a thing please make sure that your local office will still process what you want (90 day O visa in Thailand followed by annual retirement extension). 

This is a time of change with retirement status rules so I wouldn't assume anything. 

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Quick question !!

 

An on retirement extension from an OA with no current re-entry permit.

 

Can I cross the border ( at Ban Phu Nam Ron for example ) voiding my extension to get 30 days exempt and then apply for an O visa based on retirement ( I meet the financial requirements) here in Thailand with a view to retirement extensions.

 

 I understand this can be done at an airport but can it also be done at a land border ??

 

TIA

 

Andy

You can certainly be issued a Visa Exempt 30 day entry at a land border, presuming you have not done the same thing previously!

 

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You can certainly be issued a Visa Exempt 30 day entry at a land border, presuming you have not done the same thing previously!

 

As he said, he's currently on an O-A so not likely he's overdone the 30 day entries recently. 

[Andrew Dwyer]

8 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I assume the answer is yes but it might be seen as odd behavior. Without a reentry permit their only choice is to stamp you in for 30 days or deny entry.

I suppose it's possible they could deny you entry but don't see why.

However, before you try such a thing please make sure that your local office will still process what you want (90 day O visa in Thailand followed by annual retirement extension). 

This is a time of change with retirement status rules so I wouldn't assume anything. 

Thanks JT , I do plan a visit to my IO today after lunch 

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

As he said, he's currently on an O-A so not likely he's overdone the 30 day entries recently. 

Yes, but we would have got comments alluding to the 2 limit rule had I not mentioned it... just as I will now irritate you by saying he is on an Extension not a visa! ????