My Trip to Vientiane to get an O Visa

[billsmart]

I just got back from Vientiane, Laos where I got a new, 90-day, Non-Immigrant Type O visa based on Marriage to replace my 12-year-old Type O-A visa with which I was recently denied a one-year extension because I did not have health insurance even though I was asking for an extension based on Marriage. I promised I’d give a brief account of my experience in case anyone out there is thinking about doing the same.

First of all, if you are thinking about getting a new visa in Vientiane, you should check out at least two websites:

• https://bbqboy.net/can-expect-applying-thai-visa-vientiane-laos/ tells a good account of this person’s experience there. It’s a little old and some things have changed, but it has a lot of good advice.
  • For your first day when you make your application…
    • The consulate opens at 9 a.m., not 8:30.
    • When you make an appointment, you’ll get a queue number. Mine was 150. When they open, they start admitting people in order of their queue number. The first group was 1 to 20, then 1 to 40. I thought I’d have to wait a long time, but only had to wait about 30 minutes to get in.
    • Once you’re in, you first fill out a form, then go to a station that checks all your papers, and finally you are let into the area that actually accepts the applications.
    • This is also done by queue number, but again, I only had to wait maybe 15 minutes to get my turn. I'd estimate there were about 200 people there.
    • I was out of there by 10:30.
  • On your second day, the day you pick up your visa…
    • The consulate opens at 1:30 p.m., not 1:00.
    • Entry is en masse, but when you go to the area where the visas are issued, they proceed by the same queue number you had the day before.
    • I only had to wait about 45 minutes to get my turn.
    • I was out of there and on my way to the border by 2:30 p.m.
    • Some people, however, were not immediately issued their visa and were told they had not yet been approved. Mine was ready and waiting.
• https://thaivisavientiane.com/ , the official Thai Consulate’s website which is very good. It tells you everything (almost) you need to know to apply for an O visa and allows you to book an appointment to do so.
  • In addition to the requirements they list, they also required:
    • A copy of the page in your passport that shows your old Thai visa;
    • A copy of the page in your passport that shows your exit stamp from Thailand;
    • A copy of the page in your passport that has your new Laos visa;
    • You should get these done at your hotel or, worst case, the consulate does have a copying service that will do them.
    • The two photos have to have a white background, not blue (although you can get new photos right there at the consulate like I did for THB 1K).
    • A bank statement showing you have had a balance of at least THB 100K for at least the prior six months. This requirement is shown as only applying to multiple entry visas, but they wanted it for my single-entry. I did take one just in case so I was okay.
• Vientiane
  • Everyone there speaks Thai and takes Thai baht, but they give back change in Laotian kip. Take a lot of THB 100 notes with you so you don’t pay for a meal with a THB 1,000 note and get back a lot of kip.
  • I stayed at the Pacific Vientiane Hotel (listed on the website above). It was THB 750 a night. It was very basic but was okay for me. It was located only about 10 minutes by tuk-tuk (THB 200 one-way) from the consulate and there were a lot of restaurants nearby.
• The Border at Nong Khai
  • Thai Immigrations is on this side of the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong river, and Laos Immigrations is on the other side.
  • I hired a “handler” when I got out of my car and was glad I did.
  • He charged THB 800 to escort you through both immigration stations and drive you to your hotel. He had a badge that seemed to allow him to get me special treatment.
  • Leaving Thailand was no big deal.
  • He had a van which took me across the river.
  • He helped me fill out the Laotian visa form and also to scoot through without having a photo. I just paid the Laotian Immigration Agent THB 1,000 to either overlook the photo, or maybe he took one while I was at his window.
  • Anyway, I got my Laos visa in about 10 minutes.
  • Then I was ushered through Immigration in a special, short line, and driven to my hotel.
  • I gave the guy (Ong) THB 1,000 and he gave me his card with his Line address. (Email by ThaiVisa if you want his contact address on Line.)
  • I ended up hiring him to pick me up at my hotel on the last day, drive me to the consulate, wait for me, drive me to the border, help me exit Laos, drive me across the bridge, help me fill out my forms on the Thai side, and escorted me through customs. I gave him another THB 1,000.

 

All in all, I think the entire trip, including driving up and back from Petchabun, the “handler,” the Laos visa, the hotel, my meals, and the Thai visa cost under THB 20K.

 

Please feel free to contact me my email on ThaiVisa if you have any questions.

 

…Bill Smart

 

Edited December 14, 2019 by billsmart
typos

[notrub]

14 12 2019

 

Your introduction stated that you were refused retirement visa renewal because you did not have health insurance.  At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.  Was the decision to require you to have health insurance a local one or has something changed nationally that will affect us all? 

 

I get a bit nervous when I read about experiences such as yours.  I have learned that 'be prepared' only works when they don't change the rules which, as we all know, they do from time to time.   

 

Thanks in advance for any comments you may have.

[worgeordie]

2 minutes ago, notrub said:

14 12 2019

 

Your introduction stated that you were refused retirement visa renewal because you did not have health insurance.  At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.  Was the decision to require you to have health insurance a local one or has something changed nationally that will affect us all? 

 

I get a bit nervous when I read about experiences such as yours.  I have learned that 'be prepared' only works when they don't change the rules which, as we all know, they do from time to time.   

 

Thanks in advance for any comments you may have.

He had an O-A visa which you must have insurance for, an O visa you do not need insurance...at this time

regards Worgeordie

[DrJack54]

OP, one of the best feedback/reports I have read. Thanks for doing that. Lot of folk on extensions with an original non o-a will find this very useful.

For the record I find it obscene that that imm have made this retroactive. 

I entered on non o, but feel for guys like you been made jump through BS hoops.

[DrJack54]

24 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

He had an O-A visa which you must have insurance for, an O visa you do not need insurance...at this time

regards Worgeordie

He did not require health insurance 12 yr ago when he obtained O-A. That visa expired 11 yr ago. For some time he has been obtaining annual extensions to his permission of stay. Not his original visa.

As I stated above this retrospective application is a nonsense. Personally I believe Thai imm will realize this is just c""p with a captical C.

[billsmart]

1 hour ago, notrub said:

14 12 2019

 

Your introduction stated that you were refused retirement visa renewal because you did not have health insurance.  At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.  Was the decision to require you to have health insurance a local one or has something changed nationally that will affect us all? 

 

I get a bit nervous when I read about experiences such as yours.  I have learned that 'be prepared' only works when they don't change the rules which, as we all know, they do from time to time.   

 

Thanks in advance for any comments you may have.

It was my understanding that a one-year extension of an OA visa based on retirement would require health insurance, but NOT an extension based on marriage...but my local Immigration Office (Phetchabun) insisted that the healthcare insurance requirement applied to all OA visas. I questioned it, but chose not to argue or make a big deal about it. I did confirm with them before I left the office that if I returned with an O visa, no healthcare insurance would be required.

It does seem that different Immigration offices are enforcing these new rules differently. I'd just suggest you clarify the requirements in force at your local Immigration Office well in advance of your application for a one-year extension.

Good luck...BIll!

[DrJack54]

OP, sadly I think many imm office are adopting the same approach as per your experience. I guess reports have been made regarding CW. If they also are applying this incorrect interpretation then Vientiane amount many other consulates will be extremely busy.

[baansgr]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

He did not require health insurance 12 yr ago when he obtained O-A. That visa expired 11 yr ago. For some time he has been obtaining annual extensions to his permission of stay. Not his original visa.

As I stated above this retrospective application is a nonsense. Personally I believe Thai imm will realize this is just c""p with a captical C.

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so he was in Thailand on OA....even now I have to provide copies of a 9 year old Non O visa when I want a re entry or residence letter

[DrJack54]

23 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so he was in Thailand on OA....even now I have to provide copies of a 9 year old Non O visa when I want a re entry or residence letter

This has been discussed many times. 

You have your take on it and others have a different opinion.

Fact is Visas cannot be extended 

One can apply for extension to current "permission of stay". The basis for that application can perhaps start with say retirement. Then after marriage change to ME. Upon parent of Thai child become based on parent of Thai etc.

 

[KhunBENQ]

What a mess. Conflicting info.

Next week a mate will walk in to Jomtien trying to get his yearly extension based on retirement.

Entered on Non O-A in 2010, never left the country.

I wish him good luck but already prepared him with all necessary info to get a Non-O in Laos.

Will surely report the outcome.

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, baansgr said:

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so he was in Thailand on OA....even now I have to provide copies of a 9 year old Non O visa when I want a re entry or residence letter

Please explain. For RC you will need most likely tm30 and lease. Perhaps reentry permit. For sure not your original non o or whatever. A re-entry permit requires your current "permission of stay" along with most recent entry stamp. Also tm6.

[worgeordie]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

He did not require health insurance 12 yr ago when he obtained O-A. That visa expired 11 yr ago. For some time he has been obtaining annual extensions to his permission of stay. Not his original visa.

As I stated above this retrospective application is a nonsense. Personally I believe Thai imm will realize this is just c""p with a captical C.

I was replying to Notrub, he thought he would be refused an extension because he had no insurance,

so i was explaining to him he would not require insurance if he had O visa ,you only need insurance if

you have an O-A visa

regards worgeordie

[baansgr]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Please explain. For RC you will need most likely tm30 and lease. Perhaps reentry permit. For sure not your original non o or whatever. A re-entry permit requires your current "permission of stay" along with most recent entry stamp. Also tm6.

I got two residence letters from Jomtien in February for Driving  renew el...thought I had everything copied regarding passport and entry stamps etc...nope, was told to go and get a photo copy of the original Non O from Penang years ago

It is stupid how immigration view it and it shouldn't be like that as you said you could change the reason from marriage, working or retirement but I understand the reasoning behind why they ask

Edited December 14, 2019 by baansgr

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, baansgr said:

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so he was in Thailand on OA....even now I have to provide copies of a 9 year old Non O visa when I want a re entry or residence letter

I am afraid that is not exactly true, and it might be semantics, pedantic, whatever word you choose. You cannot extend a Visa, it has a date of expiry on it, and nothing you can do will extend that. 

He is in Thailand on Extensions to a Permission to Stay, Extensions on his original Permit To Stay. Until the dreaded Insurance requirement, it wasn't really important which category of Non-Imm you started with. 

 

My original Visa Stamp is in my old passport, which has never been required for me to obtain a Residence Letter. 

[justin case]

17 hours ago, billsmart said:

A bank statement showing you have had a balance of at least THB 100K for at least the prior six months. This requirement is shown as only applying to multiple entry visas, but they wanted it for my single-entry. I did take one just in case so I was okay.

 

do you mean a paper on bank heading that talks about the money

 

or a copy of a bankbook with recent deposit like immigration asks ?

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by justin case

[billsmart]

33 minutes ago, justin case said:

 

do you mean a paper on bank heading that talks about the money

 

or a copy of a bankbook with recent deposit like immigration asks ?

 

 

The requirements just say "bank statement." It's a copy like Immigrations wants, except it doesn't have to be done on the same day. Mine was about three days old by the time I presented in in Vientiane. I went down to my bank (Ayudhya) and they just printed out the last six months of my transactions, like you see in your bank book. It was not on their letterhead, but it was "official looking," and they stamped every page with some kind of bank logo and the bank agent's initials on every page. That seemed to do the trick.

 

[Peter Denis]

12 hours ago, worgeordie said:

... i was explaining to him he would not require insurance if he had O visa ,you only need insurance if

you have an O-A visa.

It's more nuanced than that...

A Certificate confirming that you have thai-approved health-insurance is now required by the majority of IOs when you apply for an extension of stay based on an original OA Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.

However, if you are married you can simply apply for an extension of stay based on that original OA Visa for reason of MARRIAGE.  The requirements for that are different.  Obviously you need to prove that you are married to a thai national.  The bonus for doing that, is that the financials you need to prove are lower, but also that NO health-insurance is required if you are extending your stay based on MARRIAGE.

Bill (who is married) and the OP of this thread, unfortunately needed to extend his permission of stay at a rogue IO (Phetchabun), that also enforces the health-insurance requirement even when the reason for your extension is not retirement but marriage.  They are blatantly wrong in their interpretation as the PoliceOrder is crystal clear on this matter that it is only required when applying for an extension based on retirement.  

But his local IO has the last word, so Bill had no choice but to make the 800 km journey to Vientiane to apply there for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa based on marriage.  And in the last month of that 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa he will go to this local IO to apply for an extension based on marriage.

Crazy, sad, outrageous, but true.

   

Edited December 15, 2019 by Peter Denis

[Doubting Tom]

Wow imm the only thais u can't bribe for couple hundred baht how dare they do it by the book????

[sfokevin]

The OP got a Non O based on marriage.... What would be the needed paperwork for a Non O based on retirement?... If they are still offering that as an option?

[ubonjoe]

43 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

The OP got a Non O based on marriage.... What would be the needed paperwork for a Non O based on retirement?... If they are still offering that as an option?

They want 800k baht a bank or proof of 65k baht income, a medical certificate and a police clearance certificate (it can be one for here).

[Vyhod]

21 hours ago, billsmart said:

ot back from Vientiane, Laos where I got a new, 90-day, Non-Immigrant Type O visa based on Marriage to replace my 12-year-old Type O-A visa with which I was recently denied a one-year extension because I did not have health insurance even though I was asking for an extension based on Marriage. I promised I’d give a brief account of my experience in case anyone out there is thinking about doing the same.

First of all, if you are thinking about getting a new visa in Vientiane, you should check out at least two websites:

• https://bbqboy.net/can-expect-applying-thai-visa-vientiane-laos/ tells a good account

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

[Suradit69]

18 hours ago, baansgr said:

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so

No, annual extensions are extensions of your permission to stay.  The reason you need a re-entry permit to re-enter Thailand while on an extension of stay is because you no longer have a visa.

 

The issue with insurance arises if you originally entered on an O-A visa even though it has since expired.

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by Suradit69

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, Vyhod said:

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

That is what is shown on the appointment website but it does not appear on the actual embassy website.

No sure they are asking for it when a non-o visa application is done. They would accept the proof even if was not required,

 

[Momofarang]

21 hours ago, notrub said:

At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.

Got the same info from the same office this Friday. So they haven't changed their mind (yet?).

 

In case they did by the time you get your yearly extension, they can issue a 60 days one, so plenty of time to get organized.

My wife was doing the talking, and with a bit of hindsight I get the feeling they came to understand that forcing people to convert to non-O would only give them more work.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Momofarang

[billsmart]

2 hours ago, Vyhod said:

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

They did for me. I marked "Single Entry" on my application form, and when they asked me for my bank statements, I pointed out that I just wanted a single-entry, not multiple-entry, and they said they need them for either. Luckily, I had them because I wasn't sure because of the way the requirements were worded on their website, so I got them before I left.

[billsmart]

1 minute ago, religious monga said:

last i went it cost 15 baht on the cross bridge bus and 8000 kip on the bus into vientiane.

or 30 baht tuktuk to train station or 70 baht tuktuk into nong kai on the thai side

Yes, you can do that all yourself and don't NEED a "handler." You could probably walk all the way if you wanted for free. I just found his services very useful and worth the THB 800 (THB 1,000 with tip).

[Dumbastheycome]

23 hours ago, notrub said:

14 12 2019

 

Your introduction stated that you were refused retirement visa renewal because you did not have health insurance.  At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.  Was the decision to require you to have health insurance a local one or has something changed nationally that will affect us all? 

 

I get a bit nervous when I read about experiences such as yours.  I have learned that 'be prepared' only works when they don't change the rules which, as we all know, they do from time to time.   

 

Thanks in advance for any comments you may have.

Is your renewal to from an  original O or O. A Visa? I am also up in January for ext/ret at Buriram and original visa was  O.A .

Edited December 15, 2019 by Dumbastheycome

[moe666]

Bill thanks for the info could you give us a rundown on the remainder of requirements copies of marriage and other such info they wanted, thanks

[MeePeeMai]

On 12/14/2019 at 4:27 PM, billsmart said:

I hired a “handler” when I got out of my car and was glad I did.

Where did you leave your car? 

How much did they charge you for parking and was it a safe area to leave your vehicle? 

 

Thanks in advance Bill.

[ireckonso]

Spending 20000 baht on a 2000 baht visa and people wonder why the immigration visa services are so messed up now.