Confused about obtaining a Non Imm O visa from Thai immigration

[Keith5588]

About me.

I am 67 years old British single (with Thai girlfriend) male. After help from this forum I obtained a Non Imm O-A visa from the London Thai embassy in July 2017 and all has gone to plan. I have only left Thailand once having a holiday in Vietnam and returning to Thailand 2 July 2018, just before the “enter before” date of my Non Imm O-A. So I was able to be in Thailand for yearly 2 years on the Non Imm O-A visa. Then July 2019 I obtained a 1 year extension based on retirement which expires on 1 July 2020. While in Thailand I have lived in Khon Kaen, a lovely town.

So all gone very smoothly, only charge being 1,900 THB for the extension.

Today I went for my 90 day reporting which was straightforward and quick as usual, just needed to hand over the filled out TM47, my passport, and copies of face page and permit to stay page.

 

Now the confusion.

I will have the problem (as many others) of needing to have health insurance, something I do not want to pay for as I have decided to “self insure”, when I go for my next extension of stay. Not too much of a problem as I was thinking of turning it into a mini holiday to have a look at the Mekong river around Nakhon Phanom before going to Savannakhet. Maybe apply for a Non Imm O visa in Savannakhet, but now I am thinking it would be easier to just re-enter Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt, then apply for Non Imm O at Thai immigration.

So today I asked about obtaining a Non Imm O visa in 3 months time when my permit to stay expires on 1 July 2020. I said that I intend to leave Thailand and enter Laos just before 1 July and return to Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt.

He said that they could issue me with a Non Imm O visa, then I would not need the Health insurance but I would need to leave Thailand and then come to the immigration for the Non Imm O visa on or before 10 June.  I assumed that he looked at the dates of my old expired Non Imm O-A visa and that I was currently on an extension of stay that ends 1 July but I did not specifically mention it.

I was a bit confused why I needed to apply before 10 June so he repeated it and was very specific in that I need to travel into Laos on the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th of June, obtain a 30 day visa exempt upon reentry into Thailand, then come along to KK immigration on the 8^th, 9^th, or 10^th June.

He gave me 2 copies of the TM87 form and said I would need the original and a photocopy of the following:-

1. . Bank statement and proof that 800,000 THB has been in a Thai bank for at least 3 months prior to application of the Non Imm O visa.

2. Passport pages including my old Non Imm O-A visa

3. Proff of address in Khon Kaen

4. Application form

 

I am still confused why I cannot leave Thailand say on 30^th June, return on say 2 July, then apply for a Non Imm O visa. Why would I need to apply for the Non Imm O visa before 10 June?

Hopefully someone can shed some light on it.

If not I may go back to immigration in a couple of months from now.

Or I could just do as told and leave and return before 10 June. My thinking is that I do not obtain a re-entry permit then I will just be on the 30 day visa exempt.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Keith

[jacko45k]

16 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

I am still confused why I cannot leave Thailand say on 30^th June, return on say 2 July, then apply for a Non Imm O visa. Why would I need to apply for the Non Imm O visa before 10 June?

He seems to want you to do things before your next 90 day report is due. 

From what I read your perspective seems to be the correct one. 

[Keith5588]

Thanks jacko, it helps that you also feel I have not missed something.

My next 90 day report is on 8 June. 

I queried twice why I needed to apply for the Non Imm O visa before 10 June and he actually wrote it down the second time that I need to apply at Khon Kaen immigration on 8th, 9th or 10th June.

It makes no sense, I have wondered if he subtracted 21 days from when my extension finishes on 1 July. Again makes no sense as I will terminate the extension by leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit. I will probably pop along to immigration again in 2 months time just to make sure because he was so insistant that I needed to apply before 10 June.

Thanks again

Keith