Extend Stay 30 Days w/ Embassy Letter, Then Apply for 3-Month Non Immigrant O Visa?

[Dragonboat Ronin]

Wondering if anyone can advise if this is possible. If i extend my current amnesty from Sept 26th to about Oct 25th or so (30 days) using an extension letter from my consulate, would i then be able to go thru a visa agent in late October and convert that to a 3-month Non-Immigrant O visa? (effectively staying to about mid-January next year). Or is the Thai government prohibiting longer-term visas done from within Thailand after the amnesty ends? Thanks folks.

[ubonjoe]

You could apply for the 30 day extension and then the visa but you must have 15 days(21 at some offices) remaining on it to do the visa application.

[stretch5163]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You could apply for the 30 day extension and then the visa but you must have 15 days(21 at some offices) remaining on it to do the visa application.

Can you get a 3 month Non Im visa in country ?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, stretch5163 said:

Can you get a 3 month Non Im visa in country ?

Only if you qualify for one to apply for certain extensions of stay.

 

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, stretch5163 said:

Can you get a 3 month Non Im visa in country ?

Under specific circumstances, it can be possible. You must have entered Thailand with a tourist visa, or visa exempt. You then need to apply for the visa when there is at least 15 days (longer at some offices) left on your permission to stay. There are various bases for requesting the visa, and you must meet appropriate conditions for it to be given.

[Dragonboat Ronin]

Thanks Ubon Joe & Brit Tim, great advice especially the point about giving at least 15 days for processing. Do either of you know anything about the reliability of this service: https://thaivisacentre.com/ or do you recommend any particular agency here in Thailand? Salutes all.

[Dragonboat Ronin]

1 hour ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

Thanks Ubon Joe & Brit Tim, great advice especially the point about giving at least 15 days for processing. Do either of you know anything about the reliability of this service: https://thaivisacentre.com/ or do you recommend any particular agency here in Thailand? Salutes all.

Better yet, is it possible to convert a tourist visa to a 3-month non-Imm O without having to go thru an agency to save the hi fees?

[Phillip9]

29 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

Better yet, is it possible to convert a tourist visa to a 3-month non-Imm O without having to go thru an agency to save the hi fees?

It's possible.  Most often done if you are married to a Thai.  If you give more information about what type of non-o you want, people can better advise you.

[greggraham]

I was told once you use the amnesty letter you cannot apply for any proper kind of extension, you are essentially in the "want to leave but can't" gang. FYI. Check with your local IO. 

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

Better yet, is it possible to convert a tourist visa to a 3-month non-Imm O without having to go thru an agency to save the hi fees?

If you meet all the official requirements, it is possible to do it yourself. The visa application fee is only 2,000 baht (gives a 90-day stay from the date the visa is issued) after which you can apply for a one-year extension of stay for 1,900 baht.

 

We cannot advise on whether you can satisfy all the requirements without knowing the basis on which you intend to apply for the visa and (usually) whether you can satisfy the financial requirements.

[Dragonboat Ronin]

 Here's the info i got when asking a visa processing agent:

 

I ASKED: If i have a letter from my embassy that extends my visa from Sep 26 for one more month (until about Oct 25th), can i then still apply for the 3-month non-immigrant O visa (to extend until Jan next year)?

 

THEY REPLIED: yes , please have available day 20 days before your visa expire is all good .

 

Fee for this service is 25,000 baht tho. Does this sound reasonable and legit? 

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

 

Fee for this service is 25,000 baht tho. Does this sound reasonable and legit? 

Not sure why your 30 day extension with embassy letter is required.

Agent may be obtaining non o (based on volunteering) and looking for time.

Friend of mine obtained non o (volunteering) along with 12 month extension few weeks back. Cost him 49k. 

Guess if you just want the 90 day non o then 25k sounds fine. 

Ask your agent if nothing changes can be obtain you extension to non o later.

Edited September 6, 2020 by DrJack54

[WuhanVagabond]

On 9/5/2020 at 3:23 PM, ubonjoe said:

You could apply for the 30 day extension and then the visa but you must have 15 days(21 at some offices) remaining on it to do the visa application.

I'm also confused this answer.

 

I've read many posts here and elsewhere that an embassy letter extension prohibits you from any converting to a non-tourist. Read about this response from IOs relating to Retirement,  Education,  and Volunteer. Even posts about schools telling prospective students that embassy letter extensions had caused others to be rejected and that they wouldn't even bother trying.

[ouagadougou]

31 minutes ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

 Here's the info i got when asking a visa processing agent:

 

I ASKED: If i have a letter from my embassy that extends my visa from Sep 26 for one more month (until about Oct 25th), can i then still apply for the 3-month non-immigrant O visa (to extend until Jan next year)?

 

THEY REPLIED: yes , please have available day 20 days before your visa expire is all good .

 

Fee for this service is 25,000 baht tho. Does this sound reasonable and legit? 

I might be wrong, but I vaguely remember some people having issues with the 30 day extension with embassy letter due to immigration placing an "under consideration" stamp in their passport.  This required the individual to return to the office 15 days later to get the remaining days.  In this way, immigration has taken away the option to convert to a non-immigrant visa.... or extension to stay based on ____ .... i'm not sure what the jargon is.

Appreciated if someone could confirm or refute this.

Edited September 6, 2020 by ouagadougou

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, ouagadougou said:

Appreciated if someone could confirm or refute this.

Indeed. Think this guy has been looking at the difference between applying for long term extensions (example change from ME marriage to non o extensions) and the folk that just looking for 30day extension.

@Peter Denis

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by DrJack54

[Dragonboat Ronin]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Not sure why your 30 day extension with embassy letter is required...

It isn't a requirement. I"m hoping to use the 30-day extension to buy more time, then do the 90-day non-immigrant visa. This should theoretically allow stay until next January, essentially allowing a max of 4 months instead of 3. My concern were the postings that mentioned using an extension letter would disqualify you for getting the non-immigrant visa afterward. The agent i spoke to at least implies the 30-day extension will not disqualify a further long-term visa. If folks have relevant evidence this agent is wrong that could be valuable to people reading this topic. Cheers.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Dragonboat Ronin

[Peter Denis]

5 hours ago, Dragonboat Ronin said:

It isn't a requirement. I"m hoping to use the 30-day extension to buy more time, then do the 90-day non-immigrant visa. This should theoretically allow stay until next January, essentially allowing a max of 4 months instead of 3. My concern were the postings that mentioned using an extension letter would disqualify you for getting the non-immigrant visa afterward. The agent i spoke to at least implies the 30-day extension will not disqualify a further long-term visa. If folks have relevant evidence this agent is wrong that could be valuable to people reading this topic. Cheers.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1179669-new-from-us-embassy-official-extension-stamp-to-change-to-long-term-visa/?do=findComment&comment=15786691

See post above, as well as the one directly after it with an IO confirming that when having applied for the Embassy letter special extension of you, would disqualify you for a later 1-year extension of stay.

But as usual practices vary widely from IO to IO, so it would be recommended to enquire beforehand at your IO (and not just take the word from the Agent for it) when you intend to do the above.

 

>> Also this post will be relevant for you with an IO hinting that a further extension of the Amnesty is in the pipeline.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1181185-don’t-leave-it-to-the-last-minute-thai-immigration-reminds-foreigners-ahead-of-amnesty-deadline/?do=findComment&comment=15787514

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Peter Denis

[Jackson B]

When I asked at CW about extending my TR by 30 days, then using the extra time to make a Non-O application, the IO said not possible. Must apply for Non-O now. But maybe that attitude is flexible depending on office. And that advice could change next month, I suppose.

 

Luckily, I got my non-O application in last week, and immigration police visited my apartment today. They said very few genuine applications were being rejected.

 

Last day to apply would be this Friday (15 days before the 26th).

[BritTim]

8 minutes ago, Jackson B said:

When I asked at CW about extending my TR by 30 days, then using the extra time to make a Non-O application, the IO said not possible. Must apply for Non-O now. But maybe that attitude is flexible depending on office. And that advice could change next month, I suppose.

The issue appears to be that the 30-day extension with embassy letter is taken under consideration, with a report back date (to confirm the new permission to stay) too late to apply for a conversion visa which requires you to apply at least 15 days before expiry of your permission to stay. As far as I know, even well connected agents cannot make the 15-day rule go away.

[greggraham]

1 hour ago, Jackson B said:

When I asked at CW about extending my TR by 30 days, then using the extra time to make a Non-O application, the IO said not possible. Must apply for Non-O now. But maybe that attitude is flexible depending on office. And that advice could change next month, I suppose.

 

Luckily, I got my non-O application in last week, and immigration police visited my apartment today. They said very few genuine applications were being rejected.

 

Last day to apply would be this Friday (15 days before the 26th).

That was quick on the home visit front! So when do you go back to get the 90 day stamp? Assume you're on an "under consideration" currently? 

[Jackson B]

24 minutes ago, greggraham said:

That was quick on the home visit front! So when do you go back to get the 90 day stamp? Assume you're on an "under consideration" currently? 

There's no stamp or anything that says "under consideration", but I assume that is the current status. I go back to collect my stamp – or is it a whole paper page? – towards the end of next week.

 

Apparently very few applicants are currently going for the non-O retirement option, so there was no queue.