I have a Non O A issued on Jan' 19, 2019 and I am currently in Australia visiting family since Nov' 16 2019. 

I have booked my return trip to Thailand on Jan' 14, 2020 which is 3 days prior to my Visa expiry with the hope that I will be stamped for a further 12 months without any problems.

 

A few questions if I may politely ask for knowledgeable advice

 

1/ Will I need to have Mandatory Health Insurance? my belief from previous respected advice here is that I wont, so I have not arranged it (fingers        crossed)

 

2/ Do I only need to have my current Australian Bank statement as proof that I have better than equivalent 800k baht?

If so I'm not sure how many months backdated it is required to be?

 

3/ My passport expires in March 2021 but I have a return ticket to fly home on Nov' 16 2020. Australia allows my entry then as my passport is still valid and that is there only requirement, but is there any chance that the Thai IO wont allow me entry as my departure date is less than 6 months from my passport expiry? or do I not have to show a return ticket anyway?

 

4/ Presuming all of this happens with no problems (fingers crossed again). I want to do some travels into neighbouring countries, so I will probably apply for a Multiple Entry re-entry permit. Once I re-enter from my 1st trip will I then be required to have Mandatory Health Insurance?

1. No insurance will be needed when you enter the country.

2. You will not need to show that until you apply for an extension near the end of the one year entry you will get in January of 2020.

3. No They will not ask to see your ticket out of the country since you will be using a visa for entry.

4. No need for insurance.

1. When you arrive Jan 14, you will be stamped in for the full year that your OA Visa entitles you.

No need for health-insurance on entry/re-entry when on an OA Visa issued before Oct 31, 2019, like yours.

2. As you already proved your financials when applying for the OA Visa, there is no need to prove any financials till the end of your permission to stay (which will be Jan 13, 2021).

When you at the end of your permission to stay apply for an extension of stay, only then you will need to demonstrate your financials, i.e. 800.000 THB on a thai bank-account for 2 months before your application.

However, you applying for an extension of stay based on an OA Visa for reason of retirement, you will be required to have thai-approved health-insurance. 

As that is an expensive and basically worthless insurance, you could also consider to exit Thailand at the end of your permission to stay and re-enter Thailand Visa-Exempt.  And then apply for a 90-day Non Imm O - retirement Visa at your local IO.  In the last month of that 90-day Visa, you could then apply at that same local IO for a 1 year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O - retirement Visa.

The conditions and requirements for extension of a Non Imm OA and a Non Imm O are identical, with the exception that a Non Imm O does NOT require insurance.

3. When entering on an OA Visa, you do not need to show an outbound flight.

4. Having re-entered on 14 Jan 2020, you could buy a single (1000 THB) or multiple (3800 THB) Re-entry permit at a local IO (or at the re-entry permit desks in some international thai airports).  Such a re-entry permit will keep your permission to stay (till 13 January 2021) alive, when re-entering Thailand from abroad.  No need for health-insurance, as mentioned in 2.

Edited December 10, 20196 yr by Peter Denis

Wouldn't hurt to have 20,000 baht in cash ( or equivalent ) on you when going through immigration. Although this is not a requirement now and those on Non Imm O visas are not required to have this , the goal posts are constantly changing right now and you could meet an immigration officer having a bad hair day.

 

Forewarned is forearmed. Better safe than sorry.