Apec Visa

[WNOVAK]

I shall be returning to Thailand next month to renew my O-A Retirement visa. Still have to spend most of my time in Australia but have several trips a year to the LOS.

I also hold an Apec visa which amongst other things allows me to fast track through immigration.

What I am still not sure of is whether the Apec Visa (good for three years) is sufficient enough to gain re-entry into Thailand on my Retirement Visa? Or do I also have to get a multi-entry permit when I renew my O-A?

Just want to be safe rather than Sorry.

What sayeth thou?

regards

Wayne

[WNOVAK]

GEE 24 hours and not one reply.

Maybe bringing it back to the top can stir some interest

[kiakaha]

I shall be returning to Thailand next month to renew my O-A Retirement visa. Still have to spend most of my time in Australia but have several trips a year to the LOS.

I also hold an Apec visa which amongst other things allows me to fast track through immigration.

What I am still not sure of is whether the Apec Visa (good for three years) is sufficient enough to gain re-entry into Thailand on my Retirement Visa? Or do I also have to get a multi-entry permit when I renew my O-A?

Just want to be safe rather than Sorry.

What sayeth thou?

regards

Wayne

For a start your terminology is not accurate. There is no such thing as an Apec Visa.You have an Apec Business Travel Card which gives you "pre-clearance" for a 90 day "permit of stay".No extension.After 90 days you have to leave.Multiple entrys within the 3 year period are however permitted.Visas are issued by governments.Apec is an organisation.

Secondly, there is no link between your Apec pre-clearance and a Non-Immigrant Visa.Use one or the other to enter Thailand.

You can still use the fast track lane at the airport by simply presenting your Apec credentials. I do this all the time, I present my Apec card to allow me to use the "Official/Diplomat" lane, but I use my Non-Immigrant Re-entry permit to actually enter Thailand.

If you are not living in Thailand permanently, why even bother with your Non-Immigrant Visa and the associated permit extensions and re-entry permits.Just use your Apec card and if you decide to live permanently in Thailand, then convert back to using the Non-Immigrant Visa for legitimate/legal longstay.

[donna]

the APEC card isnt a visa at all. i have one and what it does is fast track you through immigration on both ends, gives you 90 days at a time on a tourist visa and thats about it i think.

a friend of mine just did a visa run at Ranong. she should have only been granted a short term stay, but she was given the full 90 days, no problem.

i have never heard the APEC card mentioned on this board (and refrained from talking too much about it as i wanted to keep it to myself - selfish perhaps?) but i would tend to think that as your 'O' is a visa, you should perhaps stick with the usual channels you have gone through to get the re-entry permit.

[WNOVAK]

Thank you both for your informative reply. I realize this is not a standard visa topic but was relative to at least myself.

I am building up to spending much more time in Thailand and will continue to renew my retirement visa with a reentry permit.

The fast tracking is a bonus but the APEC card is useful to travel in the other 16 countries without obtaining a separate visa. In which case although the card itself may not be a visa it still allows entry to those countries as a pre-approved visitor. Maybe a "visa exempt card" is closer to the correct terminology?

Thanks again

[kiakaha]

the APEC card isnt a visa at all. i have one and what it does is fast track you through immigration on both ends, gives you 90 days at a time on a tourist visa and thats about it i think.

a friend of mine just did a visa run at Ranong. she should have only been granted a short term stay, but she was given the full 90 days, no problem.

i have never heard the APEC card mentioned on this board (and refrained from talking too much about it as i wanted to keep it to myself - selfish perhaps?) but i would tend to think that as your 'O' is a visa, you should perhaps stick with the usual channels you have gone through to get the re-entry permit.

Search the forum for APEC, you'll see many threads about it.It is not a secret, thousands of people have the card.You dont have anything to gain by keeping it to yourself, there are no quotas, they wont run out of cards for eligible applicants It is an incentive scheme to make business travel in the APEC economies easier/hassle free, thus hopefully bolstering inter-economy business.If anything, the more awareness there is about the card, the more successful the card will be.

... gives you 90 days at a time on a tourist visa

Incorrect terminology ; entering with your APEC card gives you a 90 day "permit of stay".

A visa and a permit are different things altogether.

A visa is a document/stamp that lets you travel to a country.Usually issued by a diplomatic post abroad or sometimes also obtainable upon arrival(VOA).The requirement to have a visa may be waived by some countries bilateral agreements.

A permit is a document/stamp that lets you stay in a country.

[midas]

the APEC card isnt a visa at all. i have one and what it does is fast track you through immigration on both ends, gives you 90 days at a time on a tourist visa ?????????and thats about it i think.

a friend of mine just did a visa run at Ranong. she should have only been granted a short term stay, but she was given the full 90 days, no problem.

i have never heard the APEC card mentioned on this board (and refrained from talking too much about it as i wanted to keep it to myself - selfish perhaps?) but i would tend to think that as your 'O' is a visa, you should perhaps stick with the usual channels you have gone through to get the re-entry permit.

you are incorrect about being issued 90 days on a " tourist visa " !! The 90 days

is meant to be given to cardholders to carry out legitimate business activities.

[donna]

but the stamp in my passport says 'tourist' but they write 'apec 90' next to it.

either way, i think you get what i mean...

[midas]

but the stamp in my passport says 'tourist' but they write 'apec 90' next to it.

either way, i think you get what i mean...

Are you saying that on the first line of the stamp

where it says VISA CLASS they actually write TOURIST and APEC ???

I find that almost impossible to believe ????????????????

[lopburi3]

I assume you obtained a non immigrant O-A in a foreign country that allows (or allowed) one year permitted to stay on entry? If that was a multi entry each entry resulted in a new one year entry stamp but at the end of the first year (expiration date of visa) you need a re-entry permit to keep any stay alive.

Or have you obtained a normal extension of stay from Immigration? In that case it is from a non immigrant O visa rather than O-A. And any exit of the country without a re-entry permit voids you extension of stay.

If para one is the case you must obtain a re-entry permit after you extend for the next year at Immigration and you will use that re-entry permit each time you return to Thailand as your visa information.

[donna]

but the stamp in my passport says 'tourist' but they write 'apec 90' next to it.

either way, i think you get what i mean...

Are you saying that on the first line of the stamp

where it says VISA CLASS they actually write TOURIST and APEC ???

I find that almost impossible to believe ????????????????

oops. sorry, midas. you are 100% correct. apologies if i was misleading you all.

i didnt check my passport yesterday, but after checking today, i see that my stamp reads as follows:

visa class: APEC-90