Question re process of switching from Non-OA to Non O.

[PhuketDok]

 

I am currently living in Phuket on an Extention of Stay based on a Non-Imm OA Visa. When the Extension of Stay expires I will be out of Thailand and plan to re-enter on a Visa Exempt. This will allow me to stay in Thailand for 30 days. I understand that I have to apply for the next step almost immediately after arriving since Immigration requires about two weeks to process the next step. I am not sure exactly what the next step is. Is it the actually the application for a one year Non-Imm O Visa, or is there an intermediary step I have to go through first, i.e., a 90 day Non-Imm Visa? 

 

If I arrive Visa Exempt, will I need a ticket (air, bus) showing that I will be leaving Thailand in 30 days?

 

Also, can you tell me what date would be on the Non-Imm O Visa, i.e., the date I apply, or the date the application is approved?

 

The reason I ask these questions, is because the date that I plan to arrive in Thailand and using the Visa Exempt process, it is at a time in the year when it is not convienent for me to be renewing my subsequent Extension of Stay(s). I would like to delay this "renewal" date a month or two from my arrival date.

 

Thank you for your help

[DrJack54]

You will be doing conversion of visa exempt to 90 day non o (based on retirement) prior to that expiring you will apply for 12 month permission of stay (extension). You will need onward flight for airline to issue boarding pass.

To delay you could apply for 30 day extension at imm to your be 30 day entry. Obtaining setv might be more suitable.

Edited December 9, 2019 by DrJack54

[Peter Denis]

DrJack's response is fully correct.

Your initial arrival >

You can arrive Visa-Exempt, and afterwards can extend the permission to stay from that VE for another 30 days.

You can also arrive on a 60-day single-entry Tourist Visa, which also can be extended for another 30 days.

Your application >

You need to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa at your local IO minimum 15 days before your permission to stay expires.  Some IOs require even 21 days beforehand.

Your extension of stay >

In the last month of your 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you can apply at your local IO for a 1-year extension of stay.

Please note that your application for an extension of stay must be done at the some IO where applied for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

 

You did not mention whether your present Non Imm OA was based on retirement or on marriage.

I presume that you are not married, and that the reason for you wanting to convert is to avoid the new health-insurance requirement at extension for an OA - retirement.

However, if you are married you could also simply keep your present OA Visa and apply for an extension for reason of marriage, which does NOT require health-insurance.

 

[glegolo]

36 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

DrJack's response is fully correct.

Your initial arrival >

You can arrive Visa-Exempt, and afterwards can extend the permission to stay from that VE for another 30 days.

You can also arrive on a 60-day single-entry Tourist Visa, which also can be extended for another 30 days.

Your application >

You need to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa at your local IO minimum 15 days before your permission to stay expires.  Some IOs require even 21 days beforehand.

Your extension of stay >

In the last month of your 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you can apply at your local IO for a 1-year extension of stay.

Please note that your application for an extension of stay must be done at the some IO where applied for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

 

You did not mention whether your present Non Imm OA was based on retirement or on marriage.

I presume that you are not married, and that the reason for you wanting to convert is to avoid the new health-insurance requirement at extension for an OA - retirement.

However, if you are married you could also simply keep your present OA Visa and apply for an extension for reason of marriage, which does NOT require health-insurance.

 

A Non Immigrant O-A VISA is based on Retirement..

 

glegolo

 

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, glegolo said:

A Non Immigrant O-A VISA is based on Retirement..

INCORRECT!

When you initially apply for an OA Visa (long-stay) in your home-country, it will be based on 'retirement' as you need to be 50+ years of age to be eligible.

Once you are in Thailand on that OA Visa and apply for an EXTENSION of stay, you need to specify the reason on your application.  When you do the extension of your OA Visa for reason of retirement, since Oct 31 you also need to meet the new health-insurance requirement.

However, in case you got married in mean time, you can also apply for an extension of stay of your OA Visa based on marriage.  In that case the health-insurance requirement is not applicable (and you also have the nice bonus that the financials to prove are considerably lower).

So many OA Visa holders whose extensions where done for reason of retirement, but who are married, are now applying for reason of marriage in order to avoid the expensive and basically worthless health-insurance requirement.

[DrJack54]

17 minutes ago, glegolo said:

A Non Immigrant O-A VISA is based on Retirement..

 

glegolo

 

As a non-O can be based on retirement.

 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

INCORRECT!

When you initially apply for an OA Visa (long-stay) in your home-country, it will be based on 'retirement' as you need to be 50+ years of age to be eligible.

Then he was correct! An Extension is another distinct matter!

Edited December 9, 2019 by jacko45k

[PhuketDok]

Thanks everyone for your prompt responses.

 

To answer the question whether I am married to a Thai lady, no I am not (my Canadian wife won't let me).

 

I will be using a letter from the Canadian Embassy to confirm my pension. Will I need that letter to apply for the 90 day Non O, or is it only required when applying for the 1 year Permission/Extension? 

 

Thanks again.

[Peter Denis]

21 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Then he was correct! An Extension is another distinct matter!

Sorry, but neither his or your comment are helpful in any way for the OP.

@glegolo's comment was clearly incorrect (misleading is maybe a better term) in the context of my response on the OP's query.

I am grateful for comments when incorrect/incomplete on subject-matter, but posts like yours are counter-productive.

Nitpicking is easy, especially in a complex matter like the thai Visa-jungle,  Providing helpful information is an entirely different matter.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Peter Denis

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Sorry, but neither his or your comment are helpful in any way for the OP.

Apparently nor was yours. He is married to a Canadian!????

Edited December 9, 2019 by jacko45k

[oslooskar]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

However, in case you got married in mean time, you can also apply for an extension of stay of your OA Visa based on marriage.  In that case the health-insurance requirement is not applicable (and you also have the nice bonus that the financials to prove are considerably lower).

I hope you're right! I was married to a Thai national in 1986 and divorced from her in 1992 but plan to remarry her sometime this month. (Note: Our son has both Thai and American citizenship.)

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, oslooskar said:

I hope you're right! I was married to a Thai national in 1986 and divorced from her in 1992 but plan to remarry her sometime this month. (Note: Our son has both Thai and American citizenship.)

Unless you are so unlucky as having to deal with a rogue IO (like the Phetchabun one), there should be no problem when you are married, to change your present OA extension based on retirement, to one based on marriage when you visit your local IO for your upcoming extension of stay. Thus avoiding the expensive and basically worthless thai-approved health-insurance requirement.

Even in the unlikely case of being denied, there is no man overboard.  Because in that case you can simply exit Thailand for a nice holiday-trip abroad and return Visa exempt.  And then you can apply for a 90-day Non Imm O based on marriage at your local IO, and in the last month of its validity then apply at that same IO for a 1 year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O - marriage.

[Autonuaq]

You are abusing the tourist visum.

You are already in the system even with the tourist visa

 

You come with the intenion to stay longer. You are lucky the immigration officer did let you enter the country

 

They have other visa for that and they cost money.

 

The thai elite visa for example beside that the Thai Embassy in The Hague or the Counsilor in Amsterdam can provide you with the correct visa.

 

You abused the tourist visa and that was correct noticed by the officer.

[fvw53]

3 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

DrJack's response is fully correct.

Your initial arrival >

You can arrive Visa-Exempt, and afterwards can extend the permission to stay from that VE for another 30 days.

You can also arrive on a 60-day single-entry Tourist Visa, which also can be extended for another 30 days.

Your application >

You need to apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa at your local IO minimum 15 days before your permission to stay expires.  Some IOs require even 21 days beforehand.

Your extension of stay >

In the last month of your 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you can apply at your local IO for a 1-year extension of stay.

Please note that your application for an extension of stay must be done at the some IO where applied for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

 

You did not mention whether your present Non Imm OA was based on retirement or on marriage.

I presume that you are not married, and that the reason for you wanting to convert is to avoid the new health-insurance requirement at extension for an OA - retirement.

However, if you are married you could also simply keep your present OA Visa and apply for an extension for reason of marriage, which does NOT require health-insurance.

 

Do I understand that to avoid compulsory health insurance it is not too difficult to switch from Non Immigrant OA to Non Immigrant O ?

Then why are several thousands not doing it ...or are they already doing it.

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, fvw53 said:

Do I understand that to avoid compulsory health insurance it is not too difficult to switch from Non Immigrant OA to Non Immigrant O ?

Then why are several thousands not doing it ...or are they already doing it.

Most of them - including myself - are waiting till last week of their present permission to stay based on their OA - retirement Visa.  And will then go the - relatively easy - conversion road to a Non Imm O - retirement.

In mean time (my permission to stay will be valid till June 2021), things might have changed so no reason for an overhaste conversion.

 

[Max69xl]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

INCORRECT!

When you initially apply for an OA Visa (long-stay) in your home-country, it will be based on 'retirement' as you need to be 50+ years of age to be eligible.

Once you are in Thailand on that OA Visa and apply for an EXTENSION of stay, you need to specify the reason on your application.  When you do the extension of your OA Visa for reason of retirement, since Oct 31 you also need to meet the new health-insurance requirement.

However, in case you got married in mean time, you can also apply for an extension of stay of your OA Visa based on marriage.  In that case the health-insurance requirement is not applicable (and you also have the nice bonus that the financials to prove are considerably lower).

So many OA Visa holders whose extensions where done for reason of retirement, but who are married, are now applying for reason of marriage in order to avoid the expensive and basically worthless health-insurance requirement.

Still, an O-A Long Stay Visa is based only on retirement. You can only apply for it in your home country. What's happening year 2 and later on in Thailand is another question. 

[SEtonal]

Phuket Immigration Volunteers has information on 
obtaining a NON-O based on retirement and obtaining an extension based on retirement.

 

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/non-o-visa/

[glegolo]

36 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Most of them - including myself - are waiting till last week of their present permission to stay based on their OA - retirement Visa.  And will then go the - relatively easy - conversion road to a Non Imm O - retirement.

In mean time (my permission to stay will be valid till June 2021), things might have changed so no reason for an overhaste conversion.

 

How is it possible for you to have a permission to stay up to june of 2021??? Seems strange. I thought that 1 year was maximum at a time that is...

 

glegolo

[Max69xl]

31 minutes ago, SEtonal said:

Phuket Immigration Volunteers has information on 
obtaining a NON-O based on retirement and obtaining an extension based on retirement.

 

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/non-o-visa/

This is the normal way to convert a 30 days visa exempt or a 60 days tourist visa to a 90 days Non-Immigrant O Visa at the local immigration office. Then 60 days later apply for a 1 year extension. 

[Peter Denis]

28 minutes ago, glegolo said:

How is it possible for you to have a permission to stay up to june of 2021??? Seems strange. I thought that 1 year was maximum at a time that is...

The validity expiry date of my OA Visa is 18 June 2020.  I will deliberately exit and re-enter Thailand early/mid June before the Validity expires, and that will provide me with a 1 year permission to stay till early June 2021.

[PhuketDok]

One last question. I understand that in order to enter Thailand Visa Exempt, you must have a ticket (air or bus) showing you intend to leave the country within 30 days. If I apply right away for the 90 Day Non Imm O Visa, I will not need that ticket. Am I understanding this correctly?

[glegolo]

36 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The validity expiry date of my OA Visa is 18 June 2020.  I will deliberately exit and re-enter Thailand early/mid June before the Validity expires, and that will provide me with a 1 year permission to stay till early June 2021.

So you do NOT have a permission to stay to 2021 then.

just to 2020... OK I understand.

 

glegolo

[glegolo]

2 minutes ago, PhuketDok said:

One last question. I understand that in order to enter Thailand Visa Exempt, you must have a ticket (air or bus) showing you intend to leave the country within 30 days. If I apply right away for the 90 Day Non Imm O Visa, I will not need that ticket. Am I understanding this correctly?

You can maybe NOT eneter.. you will not even come to the immigration and apply.. you can be denied entry..

 

glegolo

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, PhuketDok said:

One last question. I understand that in order to enter Thailand Visa Exempt, you must have a ticket (air or bus) showing you intend to leave the country within 30 days. If I apply right away for the 90 Day Non Imm O Visa, I will not need that ticket. Am I understanding this correctly?

The airline is your issue. They will not issue boarding pass with no visa and no onward flight (not a bus ticket). 

As recent as 2 months ago I few X Melbourne to Saigon. My visa for Vietnam had only 5 days remaining. I was only going for 3 nights on way back to bkk. The check in chick at Jetstar noticed my Vietnam visa ending soon. She insisted I bring up my flight Saigon to bkk. She was out of line but would not budge. 

Every few weeks I go Saigon. On return the check in staff (AirAsia) check through my passport looking for Visa for Thailand (every time). If I don't have one they insist on onward flight. 

Flying out of DM to Saigon they only look at my Vietnam visa.

This does not apply to border entries via land

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, glegolo said:

You can maybe NOT eneter.. you will not even come to the immigration and apply.. you can be denied entry..

 

glegolo

If that ever happened he could instantly book flight airbound side online to satisfy onward flight and be stamped in VE .

[Peter Denis]

22 minutes ago, PhuketDok said:

One last question. I understand that in order to enter Thailand Visa Exempt, you must have a ticket (air or bus) showing you intend to leave the country within 30 days. If I apply right away for the 90 Day Non Imm O Visa, I will not need that ticket. Am I understanding this correctly?

That's not fully correct.

You are presently in Thailand on a Non Imm OA Visa - retirement extension, so you are not a 'serial tourist suspect of working illegally in the Kingdom'.

So as good as certain you will have no issues at all when entering Thailand Visa-exempt.

You should however bring:

- 10.000 THB (or the equivalent in foreign currency);

- proof of accomodation for the first 2 nights (e.g. a reservation from one of the hotel-booking sites like Agoda or Booking.com will do, and can often even be cancelled on day of arrival if ypu have other plans).

 

Re the flight-ticket.

As DrJack54 already pointed out, you might be asked to show an onward flight-ticket when boarding from your home-country.  A rental-ticket or a cheap throw-away ticket (e.g. AirAsia one-way HuaHin to Kuala Lumpur for approx 30 US $) will do.

In the unlikely case that on arrival in BKK you will be scrutinized for an onward ticket, you can always tell them - truly - that you plan to apply for a Non Imm O Visa, and that there is thus no need for it.

But would be good to look up beforehand the details for buying a cheap on-line ticket (like the HuaHin-KL one) so that you can book it on-the-spot when queried.

Success!

[PhuketDok]

Thank you everyone, all my questions have now been answered.

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, glegolo said:

How is it possible for you to have a permission to stay up to june of 2021??? Seems strange. I thought that 1 year was maximum at a time that is...

 

glegolo

If he has a Non-Imm-O issued after June 2019, it is possible to achieve a Permit To Stay until June 2021, by entering Thailand in June 2020. 

[glegolo]

44 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

If he has a Non-Imm-O issued after June 2019, it is possible to achieve a Permit To Stay until June 2021, by entering Thailand in June 2020. 

EXACTLY, THAT was my point. He didn´t have it when he wrote it....

You gets it?

 

glegolo

[swoods58]

Does anyone know if this process is available at Hua Hin immigration? I need to convert mine next April.