Visa exempt to Non O

[graeme72]

Hello

          I entered visa exempt and want to get a Non O retirement visa. Will I get 12 months permission to stay or only 90 days?

[DrJack54]

90 days.

Step 1 is to obtain non O retirement.

You will need 800k on day of application in your Thai bank account. 

You need show money came from O/S.

That gives a 90 day stay.

 

Step 2 in last 30 days of the non O apply for 12 month extension. The funds having been in bank for 2 months.

 

Do you have Thai bank account in your name only? 

Edited March 7, 2022 by DrJack54

[graeme72]

20 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

90 days.

Step 1 is to obtain non O retirement.

You will need 800k on day of application in your Thai bank account. 

You need show money came from O/S.

That gives a 90 day stay.

 

Step 2 in last 30 days of the non O apply for 12 month extension. The funds having been in bank for 2 months.

 

Do you have Thai bank account in your name only? 

Yes I have a Thai bank account solely in my name with the 800k that I recently transferred from O/S.

                 Thanks.

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, graeme72 said:

Yes I have a Thai bank account solely in my name with the 800k that I recently transferred from O/S.

                 Thanks.

Excellent. You can apply for your non O now. The funds need be in bank on day of application.

How many days remaining on your current visa exempt entry? 

[graeme72]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Excellent. You can apply for your non O now. The funds need be in bank on day of application.

How many days remaining on your current visa exempt entry? 

19 days

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, graeme72 said:

19 days

Reason I asked is best to apply for your non O couple of weeks prior to expiry of your current permit.

[ProbPossConf]

When you entered Thailand on Visa Exempt, did the immigration officer asked for a departure airline flight or were you able to request entry to apply for a Non-O stay?

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, ProbPossConf said:

When you entered Thailand on Visa Exempt, did the immigration officer asked for a departure airline flight or were you able to request entry to apply for a Non-O stay?

The onward flight is required at departure by airline (not always).

It would be extremely rare at immigration at Thai airport on arrival.

In fact I have never heard of it..

Possible but extremely unlikely. 

Have the 20k cash on you but again uncommon to be asked. 

[aussiexpat]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Reason I asked is best to apply for your non O couple of weeks prior to expiry of your current permit.

It's not just best to apply a couple of weeks prior, immigration rules say you must have more than 15 days left on your current permission to apply for retirement non-imm O

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by aussiexpat

[graeme72]

9 hours ago, ProbPossConf said:

When you entered Thailand on Visa Exempt, did the immigration officer asked for a departure airline flight or were you able to request entry to apply for a Non-O stay?

Immigration have never asked for departure details. Airlines usually do (and I had a throwaway ticket) but not this time as they were too busy combing through the mountain of Covid paperwork. If you come from an acceptable country you don't have to ask for anything you just arrive and you will get 30 days visa exempt entry. Now I will go to Immigration and apply for a Non O visa.

[DrJack54]

48 minutes ago, graeme72 said:

Now I will go to Immigration and apply for a Non O visa.

Yes you are down to 18 days now so go asap. 

Which immigration office.

As usual some offices make their own rules.

Recall (think it was CM) wanting 20 days remaining on permit at some point. 

Edited March 9, 2022 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

11 hours ago, graeme72 said:

19 days

Have you applied for 30 day extension yet? That can be included in the required 15 days.

[graeme72]

On 3/9/2022 at 7:03 AM, DrJack54 said:

Yes you are down to 18 days now so go asap. 

Which immigration office.

As usual some offices make their own rules.

Recall (think it was CM) wanting 20 days remaining on permit at some point. 

Khon Kaen

[graeme72]

On 3/9/2022 at 7:25 AM, ubonjoe said:

Have you applied for 30 day extension yet? That can be included in the required 15 days.

So you have to apply for a 30 day extension with 15 days left also?  I wasn't aware of that.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, graeme72 said:

So you have to apply for a 30 day extension with 15 days left also?  I wasn't aware of that.

You could apply for the 30 day extension at anytime.

What a meant was that if you did not have 15 days remaining on your 30 day stay you got on entry you could apply for the 30 day extension and do the application.

I am aware of immigration doing the 30 day extension and the non-o visa application on the same day.

[graeme72]

 My understanding of the 30 day extension was that you could apply up to the last day of exempt entry, thanks for clearing it up, and the info regarding the extension and Non O application on the same day and I understand that it's only a maybe.

[Lorry]

On 3/7/2022 at 8:24 AM, DrJack54 said:

You need show money came from O/S

Are you sure? I didn't know this. 

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, Lorry said:

Are you sure? I didn't know this. 

When applying for a non O based on retirement inside Thailand you require 800k in Thai bank account on day of application. 

You need to show funds came from abroad.

The exception is when the funds have already been in Thailand for some time. 

For a non O marriage this is not required. 

[Lorry]

On 3/10/2022 at 6:19 PM, DrJack54 said:

You need to show funds came from abroad.

The exception is when the funds have already been in Thailand for some time

Any idea, how long is "some time"? (I don't even remember how long i have had funds in my Thai bank,  my current fixed term deposit book was issued 4 1/2 years ago)

Or is this up to the IO?

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, Lorry said:

Any idea, how long is "some time"?

A few months would be sufficient.

I don't have an exact number but thinking 2-3 up would be sufficient.

[RedArmy]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

A few months would be sufficient.

I don't have an exact number but thinking 2-3 up would be sufficient.

I put the 800,000 into a FD account in October last year - If i apply for a Non O, do you think they will ask me for proof of International transfer or not ?

[topcatsurin]

I think i maybe confusing myself , so would like to ask for help/clarification please.

Am i right in thinking , from what i am reading , i can get a visa exempt stamp (30days)

on arrival at Suvarnabhumi airport , then convert it into a Non O visa (not Non OA) ?

I have had Non O visas before , from Embassy in London ,very simple and easy ,

these were multiple entry based on me being over 50 and having a pension .

Is this similar to what is being talked about here ? I realise its for 90 days.

thanks for help.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, topcatsurin said:

Is this similar to what is being talked about here ? I realise its for 90 days.

thanks for help.

The enter visa exempt and obtain a non O marriage inside Thailand requires 400k in your Thai bank account on day of application. (800k if based on retirement)

The non O  gives you 90 day permit.

Most folk, couple of months into that permit apply for 12 month extension. 

At any stage to exit and reenter you would need to obtain reentry permit.

 

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, RedArmy said:

I put the 800,000 into a FD account in October last year - If i apply for a Non O, do you think they will ask me for proof of International transfer or not ?

My understanding is that proof of transfer from abroad would not be required in your example. 

For peace of mind you could ask your immigration office.

Ubonjoe hopefully can advise if this info incorrect. 

[graeme72]

I have been out of the country for 3+ years and went to immigration with 17 days left on my visa exemption to apply for a Non O retirement. I have had 800,000+ in my Thai bank account for a couple of weeks prior to application. They insisted I had to have the money in the bank for 2 months and would not give me a visa, so I had to settle for a 30 day extension, but they indicated they would give me a visa when I return.

[DrJack54]

38 minutes ago, graeme72 said:

 They insisted I had to have the money in the bank for 2 months and would not give me a visa, so I had to settle for a 30 day extension, but they indicated they would give me a visa when I return.

Surprising that they required you to have funds in bank for 2 months?

Did you have proof that the money came from o/s. If not then that would be why you had to obtain 30 day extension. 

When do you return to immigration? 

 

[ubonjoe]

14 hours ago, RedArmy said:

I put the 800,000 into a FD account in October last year - If i apply for a Non O, do you think they will ask me for proof of International transfer or not ?

 

12 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

My understanding is that proof of transfer from abroad would not be required in your example. 

For peace of mind you could ask your immigration office.

Ubonjoe hopefully can advise if this info incorrect. 

The majority of office would not require proof it came abroad if the 800k baht has been in the bank since October.

If it has been in the bank for at least 2 months since that is the amount needed for a extension. The reason they want proof it came from abroad is due there is no amount of time it has to be in the bank before applying to insure it was not borrowed to apply for the non-o visa.

[graeme72]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Surprising that they required you to have funds in bank for 2 months?

Did you have proof that the money came from o/s. If not then that would be why you had to obtain 30 day extension. 

When do you return to immigration? 

 

I assumed (perhaps foolishly) that if they were not sure of the origin of of the funds from bank book details, they would ask, but they didn't, I did have proof. My extension is till 26/4 and they said to return 20 days before then.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, graeme72 said:

My extension is till 26/4 and they said to return 20 days before then

All good. 

On the up side, seems you received a standard 30 day extension and return 26/4 and obtain your non O.

Good result.

Of course don't let the funds dip below the 800k after you get the non O your next step is the 12 month extension. 

Some folk leave it the 800k in bank all year round. 

A dedicated bank account for immigration purposes so to speak. 

 

[RedArmy]

My long term intention is to apply for a Non O ( Retirement) then subsequent extensions.

 

But i am moving about a bit & still not settled - Is it true to say that a 12 month extension has to be done at the same Immigration office that issues the 90 day Non O ?

 

If this is the case, maybe its better for me to apply for a 60 day Covid Extension next week instead ?