Question about Non OA (Retirement) and Re-Entry Permit

[Piscis]

I have a question regarding a Non OA Visa, issued for reason of Retirement.

 

Lets say i have a Non OA Visa, valid from Nov.6 2020 to Nov.5 2021. Lets say i would enter Thailand on November 01. 2021. Upon entry, i would get a stay permission for one year - correct?

So i COULD stay for that whole year in Thailand and COULD apply for an extension to stay, lets say 30-45 days before my permission to stay expires - correct?

 

BUT: If i want to leave Thailand, lets say in January 2022 and want to return a couple of weeks later. Would it be possible to apply for a ME Re-Entry permit, before i leave Thailand to enter within the granted 1 year period to stay?

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Piscis

[ubonjoe]

You will get a new one year permit to stay if you enter the country up to and including the day your OA visa expires.

You can apply for a single or multiple re-entry permit to keep the remainder of your last one year permit to stay valid when you enter the country.

[DrJack54]

15 minutes ago, Piscis said:

If i want to leave Thailand, lets say in January 2022 and want to return a couple of weeks later. Would it be possible to apply for a ME Re-Entry permit, before i leave Thailand to enter within the granted 1 year period to stay?

Yes you can.

multi reentry 3800 baht can obtain immigration or airport.

Or 1000baht for single reentry. The date on the reentry permit will match with permission of stay on stamp in your pp.

[Piscis]

Thank you very much guys!

 

At the moment i am in Thailand on an extension of stay based on a previous issued Non O (R). Permission to stay ends July 13th.

However, i still have a Non OA Visa in my Passport, valid from Nov 6 2020 to Nov 5 2021. I could use that VISA for my next entry...

 

I was just evaluating what would be my best option to stay in Thailand. Keep my Non O extension by extending year by year, OR keeping my Non OA alive by doing as i requested in my OP, by using the OA Visa for my next entry and applying for a ME RE permit based on that Visa...

 

I tend to keep my Non O extention alive... and just forget the Non OA...

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, Piscis said:

I tend to keep my Non O extention alive... and just forget the Non OA...

You can still get the re-entry permit for your extension and use it to enter the country. Why did you apply for an extension if you your visa was still valid or did you get less than a one year entry the first time you used it.

No need to leave and re-enter the country to get a new OA visa entry.

[Piscis]

Well, that all goes back to October 2020.

 

I was outside Thailand. In my passport i had an extension of stay based on a previous issued Non O (R) and a valid ME Re- Entry permit.

However, this extension based on a Non O was at that time not eligible to receive a CoE. Thai Consulate recommended applying for a Non OA. Which i did and received it two weeks later - no big deal... 

I entered Thailand on that Non OA Visa. Left Thailand again in March this year.  

 

Now i am back in Thailand (however, have to leave before October again... for personal reasons). But i did not use my Non OA Visa. I used my Non O extension to stay and ME Re-Entry permit. Reason: I intented to apply for an extension of stay on that existing extension based on my older Non O (R). Why i wanted to do that?

 

Three reasons:

1. Dont need the 400/40K health insurance like the Non OA (at least at the moment...)

2.  My existing Non OA expires 05. Nov. 21. I might not be able to enter again before...

3. July is more suitable for me for making future extensions...

 

However, if things will change within the upcomming months, i might change my plan, try to re enter Thailand before Non OA Visa expires and go the OA route...

 

Thanks!

 

John

 

 

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, Piscis said:

However, if things will change within the upcomming months, i might change my plan, try to re enter Thailand before Non OA Visa expires and go the OA route...

I think the embassy may of been wrong when they pushed you get the OA visa.

If I recall correctly they allowed both the extensions and the OA visa from day one.

I am surprised immigration let you enter the country with you current extension instead of the OA visa.

I you wanted to eliminate the problem with having both the OA visa and the extension you could get a new passport and have your extension of stay stamps transferred to it.

[Piscis]

In the first 3-4 weeks the Non O was not on their list to receive the CoE. I acctually applied using my Non O extension and was denied... a few weeks later, at the same day i entered Thailand on my new Non OA Visa, they added the Non O (and extensions) LOL...

 

When i applied this time for my CoE in April, i used only my older extension to stay and ME Re- entry Permit. No problem at the embassy, received CoE within a few days.

 

At immigration at Suv. Airport, the IO spotted both, the Non OA VISA and the still valid extension to stay/ME Re-Entry permit. He showed me both and i told him to use the valid Extension to stay/Re Entry permit. He confirmed twice, as this seemed not common to him, however, he replied: "no problem". I explained to him that i wanted to continue on my Non O based extension to stay and do not wanted to continue with the OA.

There where two IO at my desk and for both that seemed to be OK...

 

 

[Piscis]

Next week i will apply for my 365 days extension and a ME Re-Entry permit. Doing so i will be again in my July-July extensions... which suits my future plans best... and hopefully no need for the 400/40K insurance, which is basically useless, as my german privat health insurance covers me worldwide, but would not be accepted by Thai IO for an extension based on a Non OA Visa... which sucks...

Edited June 23, 2021 by Piscis

[Piscis]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

If I recall correctly they allowed both the extensions and the OA visa from day one.

Yes, that is correct. As long as the extension was based on a Non OA Visa. My extension was based on a Non O Visa. That was the problem...

[ubonjoe]

33 minutes ago, Piscis said:

Yes, that is correct. As long as the extension was based on a Non OA Visa. My extension was based on a Non O Visa. That was the problem...

I have a friend that was in the USA when it first started and he had a extension of a non-o visa entry and got a COE. He had been waiting for months to get back to here.

[Piscis]

Well, in my case they did not accept my extension based on the Non O Visa. I went through the CoE process and got denied...

 

Acctually i remember very good that the first 3-4 weeks (in October 2020), when "retirees" were again allowed to apply for a CoE, the official anouncement on the embassy websites did not mention the Non O Visa (or extensions) based on retirement. They only stated Non OA (or extensions thereof) would be eligible. I took a chance with my Non O extention and was denied. LOL.

 

As far as i remember, the Non O based on marriage were accepeted before Non O based on retirement. but not 100% sure on that. Did your friend have a Non O based on retirement or based on marriage? At what time did he enter Thailand? 

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Piscis said:

Did your friend have a Non O based on retirement or based on marriage?

Retirement.