OA visa question

[Bournville]

I am on my 3rd (relevant?) OA visa. Originally issued January 24 2019. 

I left Thailand on several trips this year and I have a stamp with a "permitted stay " until August 14 2020. 

 

I am currently outside Thailand and plan to return in March 2020. 

 

Am I OK to return on my current visa or do I need another OA visa? Thanks. 

[jacko45k]

Do you have a Re-Entry Permit? 

 

[Bournville]

34 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Do you have a Re-Entry Permit? 

 

Re entry? I left Thailand a few weeks ago... My oa visa is multiple entry. 

[Peter Denis]

When your OA Visa has been issued 24 January 2019, its validity date will be till 23 January 2020 (look for the date on your OA Visa sticker).

When leaving and re-entering Thailand before the expiry of the Visa validity date (23 January 2020) you will be stamped in for the full year that your OA Visa entitles you to.

I deduct that you last re-entered Thailand on 15 August 2019, as your permission to stay date is 14 August 2020, as stamped in your passport.

You are now outside Thailand.  And when you re-enter before 23 January 2020, you will be stamped in once again for a full year.  E.g. a re-entry on 19 January 2020, will provide you with a permission to stay till 18 January 2021.

However, if you re-enter after 23 January 2020 - as you intend to do - you will need a RE-ENTRY PERMIT to keep that 14 August 2020 permission to stay 'alive'. 

So if you did not buy such a re-entry permit before having left Thailand, a re-entry after 23 January 2020, will void your 14 August 2020 permission to stay.  You will of course not be refused to enter Thailand then, but it will then be on a Visa Exempt which will allow you 30 days of stay.  And when you want to be on long-stay in Thailand you would have to go through the process of applying for a new Non Imm O Visa.  However, an OA Visa as your presently have, can only be issued in your home-country, so once in Thailand you would have to apply for a Non Imm O Visa, which does not have the benefits your present OA Visa has. 

Conclusion:

- When you did buy a RE-ENTRY PERMIT before having left Thailand, there is nothing to worry about and you will be stamped in for the remainder of your permission to stay (14 August 2020);

- If you did not buy such a re-entry permit, there are many options (re-entering before 23 January 2020 (and exiting again with a re-entry permit) / applying for a Non Imm O or OA Visa in your home-country / re-entering Thailand Visa Exempt and starting the process that will allow you a long-stay again / ...).

Will take too long to expand on all of these options, so in case you left without a re-entry permit let us know the following info so that TVF members can correctly inform you of the options you have:

- Your nationality and validity date of your passport

- Are you married to a thai national?

- Are you planning to stay long-term in Thailand, or only doing occasional long trips?

Please note that there are always solutions, so: Happy XMas-days!

 

[Bournville]

53 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

When your OA Visa has been issued 24 January 2019, its validity date will be till 23 January 2020 (look for the date on your OA Visa sticker).

When leaving and re-entering Thailand before the expiry of the Visa validity date (23 January 2020) you will be stamped in for the full year that your OA Visa entitles you to.

I deduct that you last re-entered Thailand on 15 August 2019, as your permission to stay date is 14 August 2020, as stamped in your passport.

You are now outside Thailand.  And when you re-enter before 23 January 2020, you will be stamped in once again for a full year.  E.g. a re-entry on 19 January 2020, will provide you with a permission to stay till 18 January 2021.

However, if you re-enter after 23 January 2020 - as you intend to do - you will need a RE-ENTRY PERMIT to keep that 14 August 2020 permission to stay 'alive'. 

So if you did not buy such a re-entry permit before having left Thailand, a re-entry after 23 January 2020, will void your 14 August 2020 permission to stay.  You will of course not be refused to enter Thailand then, but it will then be on a Visa Exempt which will allow you 30 days of stay.  And when you want to be on long-stay in Thailand you would have to go through the process of applying for a new Non Imm O Visa.  However, an OA Visa as your presently have, can only be issued in your home-country, so once in Thailand you would have to apply for a Non Imm O Visa, which does not have the benefits your present OA Visa has. 

Conclusion:

- When you did buy a RE-ENTRY PERMIT before having left Thailand, there is nothing to worry about and you will be stamped in for the remainder of your permission to stay (14 August 2020);

- If you did not buy such a re-entry permit, there are many options (re-entering before 23 January 2020 (and exiting again with a re-entry permit) / applying for a Non Imm O or OA Visa in your home-country / re-entering Thailand Visa Exempt and starting the process that will allow you a long-stay again / ...).

Will take too long to expand on all of these options, so in case you left without a re-entry permit let us know the following info so that TVF members can correctly inform you of the options you have:

- Your nationality and validity date of your passport

- Are you married to a thai national?

- Are you planning to stay long-term in Thailand, or only doing occasional long trips?

Please note that there are always solutions, so: Happy XMas-days!

 

Uppps. Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I did NOT get a re entry permit. I am a usa passport holder, which expires March 2027.. I am over 60 years old.. Retired No family in Thailand. 

 

That's a BIG question. How long will I stay in Thailand. It's good to have choices... I've always been in Thailand on an OA visa.. But only spend 8 months or so each year there... I leave to travel.. and then go back. 

 

I really appreciate the information provided. Cheers. 

[Peter Denis]

6 minutes ago, Bournville said:

Uppps. Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I did NOT get a re entry permit. I am a usa passport holder, which expires March 2027.. I am over 60 years old.. Retired No family in Thailand. 

That's a BIG question. How long will I stay in Thailand. It's good to have choices... I've always been in Thailand on an OA visa.. But only spend 8 months or so each year there... I leave to travel.. and then go back. 

I really appreciate the information provided. Cheers. 

Thanks.

You have several options and will map them out here in separate posts with advantages/disadvantages, so you can decide which one has your preference.

[Peter Denis]

OPTION 1

> Flying back to Thailand and re-entering BEFORE 23 January 2020 on your non-expired OA Visa.  You will then be stamped in again for a full year permission to stay till mid January 2021.

CONTRA > This would mean having to return to Thailand from USA where you probably are now, and that might not be convenient time- and planning-wise for you.  But it has several big advantages, so worth considering.

PRO > It would provide you with an additional full year entry without IO-trouble.

So in essence it would avoid you having to deal with the CONTRAs of all the other possible options you have (see my further posts).

 

Note: As your OA Visa will not be valid anymore after 23 January 2020, and considering that you plan to make  several trips abroad, you should then buy a single-entry re-entry permit (1000 THB) or a multiple-entry re-entry permit (3800 THB) BEFORE exiting Thailand.  Such re-entry permits can be bought at any IO, and at the departure desks of the major thai international airports.  And they will keep the granted permission to stay 'alive' when re-entering Thailand.

[Peter Denis]

OPTION 2

> Letting your OA Visa validity date (23 January 2020) expire, and returning to Thailand Visa Exempt.

PRO > Probably the 2nd best option, when it is impossible or too inconvenient to re-enter Thailand before 23 January 2020.

CONTRA > Instead of the IO-worry free year from your OA Visa, you would have to deal extensively with IO to stay longer term in Thailand.

Options are:

a) After having entered Visa Exempt which provides you a 30 day permission to stay, you could apply once for an extension of 30 days at any IO (1900 THB).  That would give you 60 days in Thailand.

After those 60 days you would have to exit Thailand (air or land-border).  On return (can be same day) you could re-enter Visa Exempt, and repeat the above.  That would give you 4 months in Thailand.

It is not recommended to try this a 3rd time, as you might get in trouble being regarded as a 'serial tourist' not using the proper Visa.

b) After having entered Visa Exempt first time (once or several times according to option a), you could apply for a 90-day Non Imm O - retirement Visa at the IO of the place where you want to stay longer term in Thailand.  You would have to meet the requirements (including financials on a thai bank-account), and when granted you can then apply at that same local IO in the last month of that 90-days for a 1 year extension of stay on the basis of that Non Imm O - retirement Visa.

 

[Peter Denis]

OPTION 3

> Letting your OA Visa validity date (23 January 2020) expire, and applying in your home-country for a 60-day Tourist Visa.

CONTRA > Like for OPTION 2 it is also not a long-term solution and you would also have to deal extensively with IO to stay longer term in Thailand.

PRO > Basically OPTION3 would require less dealing with IO nor a need for a border-run as in OPTION2 a).

Options are:

a) After having entered on your 60-day Tourist Visa which provides you a 60 day permission to stay, you could apply once for an extension of 60 days at any IO (1900 THB).  That would give you 120 days in Thailand.

After those 120 days you would have to exit Thailand (air or land-border). 

b) After having entered on your 60-day Tourist Visa first time (or after extended it > see option a), you could apply for a 90-day Non Imm O - retirement Visa at the IO of the place where you want to stay longer term in Thailand.  You would have to meet the requirements (including financials on a thai bank-account), and when granted you can then apply at that same local IO in the last month of that 90-days for a 1 year extension of stay on the basis of that Non Imm O - retirement Visa.

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by Peter Denis

[Peter Denis]

OPTION 4

> Letting your OA Visa validity date (23 January 2020) expire, and applying in your home-country for a 90-day Non Imm O - retirement Visa.

QUESTION > I am not sure whether it is still possible in the USA to apply for such a 90-day Non Imm O - retirement Visa.  In some countries the thai embassies/consulates do not provide them anymore.

So need to check whether still possible, if this option has your preference.

 

CONTRA > Instead of the IO-worry free year from your OA Visa, you would have to deal extensively with IO to stay longer term in Thailand.

PRO > Avoids having to apply at your local IO in Thailand for such a Visa.  But can easily be done in Thailand too (see OPTION 2b and OPTION3c).

After having entered on that 90-day Non Imm O Visa, you can in the last month of its validity apply for a 1 year extension of stay at the local IO where you want to stay long-term.

Edited December 29, 2019 by Peter Denis

[Peter Denis]

OPTION 5

> Letting your OA Visa validity date (23 January 2020) expire, and applying in your home-country for a new OA Visa.

PRO > You are familiar with this process, as you have done it already 3 times.

CONTRA > Since 31 Oct 2019, application for such an OA long-stay Visa (which can only be done in your home-country) now requires mandatory THAI-APPROVED health-insurance.

Unless you are already well-insured AND you can get your insurance-company to fill in and sign a Certificate stating that your policy meets the thai IO requirements, this option is really to be avoided. 

For sure you should NEVER sign up for the expensive and basically worthless policies provided by thai insurance-companies.  They are exorbitantly expensive for the ridiculous coverage they provide.  There are many options to avoid this thai insurance lobby scam, and use the money saved by doing so to subscribe to a decent health-insurance policy (if you are not covered already by an international insurance-policy).

 

 

[Peter Denis]

>> If you have questions re one of the 5 options or need additional information, let us know so that I or other TVF members can provide additional detail.

Success!

 

Note: Rather than putting the 5 options in 1 mega-post, I opted to do it in separate posts, as that would make it easier to address questions or insert comments on a particular option.

 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, Bournville said:

Re entry? I left Thailand a few weeks ago... My oa visa is multiple entry. 

But it will be expired when you plan to return. 

Without a Re-Entry Permit your August 2020 Permission of Stay will be lost, If you can return before 23rd January, you will be able to use the Visa, not after. 

 

I am sure Peter Denis above will have explained this.

Edited December 29, 2019 by jacko45k

[elviajero]

8 hours ago, Bournville said:

Am I OK to return on my current visa or do I need another OA visa? Thanks

You need another visa if returning in March.

 

You can only use your current visa until Jan 23rd 2020. If you enter on or before Jan 23rd you will get a new 1 year stay.

 

Had you bought a Re-entry Permit before leaving you'd be stamped back in until August 2020; but as you didn't that permission to stay is lost.

[OJAS]

In all the circumstances, your choices appear, in practice, to be limited to Peter Denis's options 2 or 3. Don't believe that the Washington Embassy nor consulates in the USA issue non-O visas on the grounds of being aged 50 or over, as per his Option 4, these days. And presumably the recently-introduced insurance requirement for non-OA visas would rule out his Option 5 in your case?

Edited December 29, 2019 by OJAS

[Martyp]

If you apply for a new O-A visa you will have to buy insurance this time to qualify. This is different than your previous O-A application. Even though you only stay 8 month/year you should consider getting an non-O visa. Either start in the US or come to Thailand to do it. No insurance required. I'm guessing you have the required money in a Thai bank already which should help ion the non-O process. In about 3 months you can apply for a 1 year extension and then you are set for your future time in Thailand.

 

Good luck

[mosan]

15 minutes ago, Martyp said:

If you apply for a new O-A visa you will have to buy insurance this time to qualify. This is different than your previous O-A application. Even though you only stay 8 month/year you should consider getting an non-O visa. Either start in the US or come to Thailand to do it. No insurance required. I'm guessing you have the required money in a Thai bank already which should help ion the non-O process. In about 3 months you can apply for a 1 year extension and then you are set for your future time in Thailand.

 

Good luck

If an individual acquires a Non Immigrant O-A visa in his home country he would have no need to have large sums of money in a Thai bank--he may, but it is not necessary.   Money in the bank in Thailand is only required when you are applying for a conversion of a Visa Exempt Entry or a Tourist Visa into Non O visa, or applying for an Extension of Stay at a local immigrations office.  Also he may not be here at a the same time each year to renew a yearly extension--which must be done sometime between 45 days and expiration of said extension...

[Martyp]

44 minutes ago, mosan said:

If an individual acquires a Non Immigrant O-A visa in his home country he would have no need to have large sums of money in a Thai bank--he may, but it is not necessary.   Money in the bank in Thailand is only required when you are applying for a conversion of a Visa Exempt Entry or a Tourist Visa into Non O visa, or applying for an Extension of Stay at a local immigrations office.  Also he may not be here at a the same time each year to renew a yearly extension--which must be done sometime between 45 days and expiration of said extension...

Yes. An non-O-A with insurance and money in the US or a non-O followed by a 1 year extension with no insurance requirement but money in Thailand. They are both 1 year. The timing is up to him. It is also up to him regarding whether he can afford to retire in Thailand 8 months/year. 
 

I came on an O-A and have money both in Thailand and the US. Not a problem.

[Peter Denis]

>> Just realized that I forgot another potentially attractive option.  So here we go!

 

OPTION 6

> Letting your OA Visa validity date (23 January 2020) expire, and applying in your home-country for a Multi-Entry Tourist Visa.

QUESTION > Some countries require that you have regular income to be eligible for an METV, which can be either proof of you being employed or receiving pension.  Worth checking out what USA requires in that respect.  Because when you are eligible it would be a very good alternative to consider.

CONTRA > Like OPTION 2 and 3 it is also not a long-term solution.

PRO > Basically OPTION6 would require less dealing with IO, and it allows you to stay almost 9 months in Thailand, which could be very interesting for you.

The METV is valid for 6 months, and allows you to stay periods of up to 2 months in Thailand, after which you need to either extend for 1 month at an IO or do a border-run.  Exiting and re-entering just before the 6 month Visa validity expires, will give you 2 extra months, and can be extended for 1 month.  Total = 9 months.

 

[Peter Denis]

My tentative conclusions at present:

• Option 1 > returning to Thailand before 23-01-2020, which will grant you a permission to stay till January 2021 (and will require a re-entry permit when exiting Thailand to keep that permission to stay alive)
  • Probably too expensive (return-flight USA-Thailand) and inconvenient
• Option 5 > on hindsight this is probably your best choice.  Re-applying for a Non Imm OA Visa in USA.
  • You would however have to deal with the health-insurance requirement.  When you have a health-insurance policy in USA, it would be a matter of having them fill in and sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate required by the thai embassy in USA.  If that proves difficult, you could try subscribing to the CHEAPEST thai-approved insurance policy.  The Policy of PacificCross with a deductible of 300K (for a coverage of 400K), would cost you approx 20.000 THB.  But that's worth considering, as the flights for Option 1 would probably be way more expensive.
• Option 6 > applying for an METV (if you meet the requirements), as you can get almost 9 months stay in Thailand out of that Visa.  So if option 5 is not possible due to the 'impossible' HI-requirement, this option would be your next best bet.
• Option 2 or 3 > If neither option 5 or 6 are possible, you can always enter Thailand Visa Exempt or on an SETV, and either extend these to the max, and then apply for a Non Imm O - retirement Visa,

Make your pick and provide questions/comments to get more detailed info on the option of your choice.

Cheers and Happy NewYear days!

Edited December 30, 2019 by Peter Denis

[UKresonant]

16 hours ago, OJAS said:

In all the circumstances, your choices appear, in practice, to be limited to Peter Denis's options 2 or 3. Don't believe that the Washington Embassy nor consulates in the USA issue non-O visas on the grounds of being aged 50 or over, as per his Option 4, these days. And presumably the recently-introduced insurance requirement for non-OA visas would rule out his Option 5 in your case?

The option 5; the O-A Thai issued insurance is likely to have a clause saying you have to be more than 180 days in Thailand a 12 month period  for it to be effective. As well as it's other drawbacks.

As you do not seem to be full time in Thailand, similar to myself, so the Thai insurance may have to be considered just as an extension of the Visa fee, possibly without it giving any actual medical cover.

Edited December 30, 2019 by UKresonant

[Peter Denis]

4 minutes ago, UKresonant said:

The option 5; the O-A Thai issued insurance is likely to have a clause saying you have to be more than 180 days in Thailand a 12 month period  for it to be effective. As well as it's other drawbacks.

As you do not seem to be full time in Thailand, similar to myself, so the Thai insurance may have to be considered just as an extension of the Visa fee, possibly without it giving any actual medical cover.

Yes, that's correct.  But indeed when OP is unable to persuade his US health-insurer to sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate, then subscribing to the cheapest possible thai insurance-policy (probably PacificCross with maximum deductable) is an option.

Obviously that bogus thai-approved insurance is no alternative for decent medical coverage, but should be regarded as nothing more than a paper entry-ticket to meet the OA Visa application requirements.

Normally I would never suggest somebody to go that road, but in OPs case the other options require several IO-hoops he would have to make, so the max 20K for this bogus insurance could be considered a Convenience Fee. 

[Martyp]

39 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Yes, that's correct.  But indeed when OP is unable to persuade his US health-insurer to sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate, then subscribing to the cheapest possible thai insurance-policy (probably PacificCross with maximum deductable) is an option.

Obviously that bogus thai-approved insurance is no alternative for decent medical coverage, but should be regarded as nothing more than a paper entry-ticket to meet the OA Visa application requirements.

Normally I would never suggest somebody to go that road, but in OPs case the other options require several IO-hoops he would have to make, so the max 20K for this bogus insurance could be considered a Convenience Fee. 

I think the Pacific Cross residency requirement might be six months. If he has an address and has been coming for 8 months at a time then PC might be an option.

[Peter Denis]

Just now, Martyp said:

I think the Pacific Cross residency requirement might be six months. If he has an address and has been coming for 8 months at a time then PC might be an option.

Thanks.

If OP already has international health-insurance in USA, then he only needs to persuade his insurer to fill in and sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate.  That might prove difficult as the Certificate-text refers to thai legislation, and requires 2 director-level signatures.  

So in case that avenue is blocked, subscribing to the thai PacificCross policy with highest deductible, might be an option.

Note: That we need to discuss the options to meet the Health-Insurance requirement when applying for an OA (long-stay) Visa, is of course completely ridiculous.

If foreign insurance companies are unwilling to fill in/sign the required Certificate, and also thai insurers pose requirements that make it difficult or impossible to subscribe to the policies they offer, then it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to meet the application requirements for an OA Visa.

And indeed since they imposed that new requirement I have not seen or heard of a single new OA Visa being issued anywhere.

 

[Martyp]

11 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Thanks.

If OP already has international health-insurance in USA, then he only needs to persuade his insurer to fill in and sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate.  That might prove difficult as the Certificate-text refers to thai legislation, and requires 2 director-level signatures.  

So in case that avenue is blocked, subscribing to the thai PacificCross policy with highest deductible, might be an option.

Note: That we need to discuss the options to meet the Health-Insurance requirement when applying for an OA (long-stay) Visa, is of course completely ridiculous.

If foreign insurance companies are unwilling to fill in/sign the required Certificate, and also thai insurers pose requirements that make it difficult or impossible to subscribe to the policies they offer, then it is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to meet the application requirements for an OA Visa.

And indeed since they imposed that new requirement I have not seen or heard of a single new OA Visa being issued anywhere.

 

I think I’ve seen a couple of posts of people who have purchased O-A’s using insurance but it is definitely not the best way to go now unless you are just willing to pay the extra cost of whatever you can get to comply with the requirement. I came on an O-A in 2017 but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone today. A non-O is now the best pathway to yearly extensions. 

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, UKresonant said:

The option 5; the O-A Thai issued insurance is likely to have a clause saying you have to be more than 180 days in Thailand a 12 month period  for it to be effective. As well as it's other drawbacks.

As you do not seem to be full time in Thailand, similar to myself, so the Thai insurance may have to be considered just as an extension of the Visa fee, possibly without it giving any actual medical cover.

Getting the initial visa he can use foreign insurance. A new OA each year using foreign insurance might be an option for him since he is not seeking to live here full time.

 

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Getting the initial visa he can use foreign insurance. A new OA each year using foreign insurance might be an option for him since he is not seeking to live here full time.

 

Provided, of course, that the foreign insurer is willing to sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate - which, as @Peter Denis has reminded us above, is by no means a given.

 

In practice, therefore, new OA-visa applicants are likely to be faced with a "Catch-22" situation in view of the requirement of Pacific Cross (as stated in both Lifestyle and Long-Stay Visa brochures) and other TGIA-approved insurers for them to be a Thai resident or reside in Thailand for at least 6 months in a 12-month period. IMHO we are probably now, in effect, witnessing the beginning of the end for the OA visa (and its demise could well be swift).

Edited December 30, 2019 by OJAS

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Provided, of course, that the foreign insurer is willing to sign the Foreign Insurance Certificate - which, as @Peter Denis has reminded us above, is by no means a given.

 

 

 

Some Embassies/Consulates will issue based on review of the policy documents without the "certificate" being signed.  One should try ot get it signed first but if can't contact the Embassy/Consulate concerned and see what they say. This is going to be a frequent occurrence and I suspect more of them will start issuing based on review of policy documents because there just isn't going to be a viable alternative.

[Sea Traveller]

On 12/29/2019 at 10:18 AM, Peter Denis said:

OPTION 1

> Flying back to Thailand and re-entering BEFORE 23 January 2020 on your non-expired OA Visa.  You will then be stamped in again for a full year permission to stay till mid January 2021.

CONTRA > This would mean having to return to Thailand from USA where you probably are now, and that might not be convenient time- and planning-wise for you.  But it has several big advantages, so worth considering.

PRO > It would provide you with an additional full year entry without IO-trouble.

So in essence it would avoid you having to deal with the CONTRAs of all the other possible options you have (see my further posts).

 

Note: As your OA Visa will not be valid anymore after 23 January 2020, and considering that you plan to make  several trips abroad, you should then buy a single-entry re-entry permit (1000 THB) or a multiple-entry re-entry permit (3800 THB) BEFORE exiting Thailand.  Such re-entry permits can be bought at any IO, and at the departure desks of the major thai international airports.  And they will keep the granted permission to stay 'alive' when re-entering Thailand.

Hi Peter. Thanks so much for Options 1-6 and your efforts ????

 

Option 1 is sounding interesting as for me even though my case is somewhat different and I have some questions that I place last but let me say this first.

 

I am from Sweden and is a Swedish citizen will this year become 59 years of age and I live in a partnership (de facto) relationship with a women that is Thai (and also Swedish) citizen. I have my  work on  merchant ships (since 1982) and I my current shedule is 4 (or 5) weeks job on board followed by 4 (or 5) weeks off periods. We are normally then living in Sweden from April- October and living in Thailand October - April with me thus going and coming. My current plan is to "officially" retire in 4-6 years time with same plan as of living like 50-50 in Sweden and Thailand then. I plan to still then be "officially" registered as be living in Sweden. By doing so I am not only entitled as to use the Swedish health care system, but I can also purchase "Travel Insurances" as with a coverage as for up at least 6 Months periods that also are valid in Thailand. I do always make sure that I have a such valid insurance when I am I staying in Thailand and keeping info with me all time as of the inurance reference number and telephone number to SOS International. To my understanding this kind of insurance "has worked" when bad things had happened to people that spend their time in Thailand on short time or longer periods. If you have a Home Insurance in Sweden you have autmatically a such Travel insurance for 45-60 days (depending on theinsurance company) starting counting from the day leaving Sweden. 

 

1. I am Not Married with a Thai or have childrens in Thailand.

 

2. I am not officially Retired which is required as to get an "Pension Certificate" as is required if I am to apply for a Non Immigrant "O" Visa based on "Retirement" from the Thai Embassy in Stockholm at least.

 

3. I have a Non Immigrant "O-A" Visa issued 25 June 2019 that is expire 24 June 2020 issued in Stockholm. I have by the way so far not been requested to present any health Insurance by any of the approved comanies in Thailanr when passing the Immigration at Suvarnabhumi or when visiting local Immigrations for do 24 hours TM28 for me or TM30 reports for my woman that have a house. 

 

4. I am scheduled to arrive straight from a ship to Thailand in beginning of April and during this my free period for 4 weeks move from living in Thailand to live in Sweden again. Based on that this gets as planned I hope to get Square Stamp saying I am "Admited to stay in Thaialand until 2 or 3 April 2021 when I pass Immigration at most likely Suvarnabhumi airport on 3 April 2020.

 

From like October we are going to move back to have Thailand as our living base until April 2021.

 

OK to the questions.

 

As to get a Multiple Re-entry Permit in conjunction with I visit local immigration for do the after arrival 24 hours reporting  as for currently 3.800 Baht (based on let say the last stamp says "Admited to stay until 3 April). Maybe then leaving Thailand on 10 April to live in Sweden.

 

A. Do I then have had to place +800.000 Baht on my Bank Account at Bangkok bank 2 (or is it 3) Months? prior to 3 April as a requirement as for  me to get a such Multiple Re-entry Permit?

 

B. OK let's say I got this Multiple Re-entry Permit. I am now going to pass Immigration at Suvarnabhumi airport to enter Thailand in let say October 2020 next time. Will Immigration let me in without having a Thai approved Insurance as to stay in Thailand until 2-3 April 2021?

 

C. Ok lets say the "B" did not work as for for reason the rules been changed again. Can I assume that I at least will be allowed to enter on a 30- day "Visa excemption. This works fine for me when I stay less than 30 days in Thailand when I work 4-4 weeks on/off swings.

 

Why do I have an "O-A" Visa some might ask? Well I like to next time in november 2020 get 5 year Thai Driving Licences instead of so far only 2 Years. We have planned to purchase a car in Thailand as has to be in my name and as I can figure out is not possible to do that with only a 30-day Visa excemption". 

 

Why don't I then get  Multiple Tourist Visa? Well I have no control of my self of booking of flight tickets as going to and back from my job as this is done case by case by my employer so I can't attach this when apply for Muliple Tourist Visa "Copy of ticket reservation, showing arrival and departure dates for Thailand. Make sure to have a copy of the ticket for each application" As to travel from South East Asia on were I have my work location since several years to Sweden as to apply for a Single Tourist Visa and then to Thailand on my private expenses is neither a option.

 

I might then apply for a new "O-A" Visa in Sweden later this year and pay the the Pacific Cross "Standard Extra Plan" which meets the minimun requirements that will cost me (age bracket 56-60) 31.601 Baht  and with a deductable of 40.000 Baht (25% discount 23.701). As I can understand the Thai insurance can't be trusted to cover anything (reading this forum) I will still then pay for Travel Insurance by I Swedish insurance company that basically have no upper covarge limits and also cover costs for transportation back to Sweden if this is desired to be best option by the insurance company (which normally is unlikely due to the very high costs).

 

Sorry for long mail but reading many comments as it is based on that you either are Married with a Thai (or have Thai childrens) or is Retired and the easy way is to just change from having a "O-A" Visum as your base to a Non Immigrant "O" VIsa.  I however understand reading this forum that the very majority of people has the option of change to "O" Visa as to be long time stayers in Thailand as for further base "Extension Of Stay" issued by Local Thai Immmigrations offices. 

 

Wish you and everyone a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Denis]

23 minutes ago, Sea Traveller said:

...

Wish you and everyone a Happy New Year!

Hi Sea Traveller,

I will respond to your message and the questions/comments you have, in separate posts.  That will allow TVF members interested in particular topics to respond to these without having to re-post the full message.
Happy NewYear for you too!