With Laos Reopening... Question

[ubonjoe]

18 minutes ago, bamboozled said:

Thank you, UJ. That's a bummer. But Savannakhet/Mukdahan is? Is the Thailand Pass expected to be scrapped at some point in the near future? Maybe, just maybe there is an exemption at Mae Sai for day shopping? True, Thailand never got anything out of the deal since there was no entry fee. But it was ok for Myanmar.

I think the problem now may be entering Myanmar. 

Mae Sot is the only crossing on the Thailand Pass site.

Laos would be a choice if you went to the crossing from Chiang Rai. It is scheduled to open on June 1st since they were not prepared on both sides of the bridge there.

[bamboozled]

56 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I think the problem now may be entering Myanmar. 

Mae Sot is the only crossing on the Thailand Pass site.

Laos would be a choice if you went to the crossing from Chiang Rai. It is scheduled to open on June 1st since they were not prepared on both sides of the bridge there.

To Chiang Khong, you mean, Joe? Gosh, I haven't crossed there for about 25 years. Can you get visa on arrival there? Surprised it's not open as Laos said all borders are open, did they not? Guess it's a Thai side issue? Well, June 1 would be fine, too. We still don't know about the multi year visa. Who's first??

 

Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, bamboozled said:

To Chiang Khong, you mean, Joe? Gosh, I haven't crossed there for about 25 years. Can you get visa on arrival there? Surprised it's not open as Laos said all borders are open, did they not? Guess it's a Thai side issue? Well, June 1 would be fine, too. We still don't know about the multi year visa. Who's first??

You can get a visa on arrival there.

It was problem with both sides at the bridge not being ready for reopening.

I am confident that Savannakhet will be issuing a multiple entry non-o visa and may being doing it now. The bridge is open at Mukdahan and the Lao online visa site it open now and it can be used there.

[bamboozled]

10 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can get a visa on arrival there.

It was problem with both sides at the bridge not being ready for reopening.

I am confident that Savannakhet will be issuing a multiple entry non-o visa and may being doing it now. The bridge is open at Mukdahan and the Lao online visa site it open now and it can be used there.

What makes you confident, Joe? The site wasn't explicit that it was available though one could infer that it was. You do mean a 1 year, multi, yes? That is lovely news. I'm about to head to immigration and if my documents don't stand up I might be taking advantage of that in 60 days time.

[bamboozled]

On 5/16/2022 at 3:08 PM, DrJack54 said:

Please do. I think in your example it might depend on the understanding level of the immigration officer.

Good luck. 

If banking is not accepted perhaps you could obtain the 60 day extension to visit wife on the spot. 

Well folks, I got stuffed at Immi today for the Non-O year extension. I did get a lot of the documents in order for it including banking statements as best I could though they were from four different banks (see my previous post). It was swamped, of course, last Friday and this Monday having been holidays. And hot as Hades.

 

Well first off, the officer at info who didn't speak much English (?) told me that 12 months of 40k transfers was not acceptable. Not that my documents were not acceptable but that the 40k per month for a year was not even an acceptable method for the Non-O. This left me.....befuddled, to say the least. She did not like my bank documents, anyhow, and they did not add up to 400k (Correct because I was not using that method).

 

So I decided to apply for the 60 days to visit Thai wife and went back outside to get those documents together. After doing so, we had them looked at by the helpers who deemed them in order, though one of them asked a higher up about something. This higher up then asked my wife what the purpose of my 60-day extension to visit Thai wife was for. Was I taking care of her? Huh?? Weird.

 

I finally got back up to the counter inside and got into a conversation with a different immigration officer who said, yes, 40k per month for a year was fine for the year Non-O extension. But of course. So I showed her my bank documents once again. One was a credit advice from Deemoney who had acted as the intermediary between my US bank and my SCB account. She said I couldn't use that as Deemoney is not a bank. Huh? Then she looked at one of my credit advices that was from Bangkok Bank who also acted as an intermediary for Wise. She said the wrong box was checked at the top of the letter and that it should have been the box two above that one. Huh? Anyway, it was a classic immigration embroilment. Sometimes it is easy and sometimes it is....next to impossible.

 

I did get the 60 day extension.

 

For anyone trying to use Wise for international transfers to show immigration, I don't recommend it. It was a complete failure for me. I've read it's worked for some....

 

So, here's hoping the one year, multi in Savannakhet is a go.....in 60 days.

 

Cheers, Bam

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, bamboozled said:

I did get the 60 day extension

Thanks for update.

Good that you obtained the 60 extension to visit wife.

 

To be fair to immigration seems your paperwork (eg 4 banks etc) is bit over the shop.

 

Hopefully within the next 2 months you can obtain a ME non O marriage from Savannakhet or try and place 400k in back account and use money in bank method for the non O.

Good luck

[bamboozled]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Thanks for update.

Good that you obtained the 60 extension to visit wife.

 

To be fair to immigration seems your paperwork (eg 4 banks etc) is bit over the shop.

 

Hopefully within the next 2 months you can obtain a ME non O marriage from Savannakhet or try and place 400k in back account and use money in bank method for the non O.

Good luck

You're welcome and thank you. I don't agree, about fair to Immigration, Jack. I get your point but I think Immi  should be "fair" to a husband of a Thai citizen for 8 years that did indeed make 40k international transfers for 12 months. It was only 4 banks because they would not accept my 1 bank statement from SCB that shows the transfers (but doesn't show the three letter international code....come on, where else am I getting the money? Crazy). Nor will they accept the backup Wise receipts that also show them as international transfers. They don't explain in detail what they want or how they want it. You only really know if they will accept your paperwork when you get there....and then dependent on who you're dealing with as evidenced by the first INFORMATION officer who told me 12 months of deposits was not a viable method. It should not be this hard when you are married to a Thai citizen.

 

Anyway, I was not surprised it didn't work but I got frustrated nonetheless. It's easy to do when lines are long and you're sweating bullets with a mask on and things are unclear.

 

Cheers!

 

[supermac]

Hello on the requirements for a non O based on retirement in savanakhet it states a proof of pension obtained from your countries embassy is this necessary? as I am not in receipt of my state pension yet however I do have a work pension paid monthly any ideas,also I thought for the initial application for the non O retirement visa health insurance was introduced @ 400000/40000 is this no longer the case.

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, supermac said:

Hello on the requirements for a non O based on retirement in savanakhet it states a proof of pension obtained from your countries embassy is this necessary? as I am not in receipt of my state pension yet however I do have a work pension paid monthly any ideas,also I thought for the initial application for the non O retirement visa health insurance was introduced @ 400000/40000 is this no longer the case.

In the past the would accept about any proof of income that is 65k baht or more. The would also proof of 800k baht in a bank. 

The insurance requirement for a non-o visa requirement was created for embassies and official consulates in you home country when they first opened the country for those who are retired in 2020.

[supermac]

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Posted 1 minute ago

  10 minutes ago, supermac said:

Hello on the requirements for a non O based on retirement in savanakhet it states a proof of pension obtained from your countries embassy is this necessary? as I am not in receipt of my state pension yet however I do have a work pension paid monthly any ideas,also I thought for the initial application for the non O retirement visa health insurance was introduced @ 400000/40000 is this no longer the case.

In the past the would accept about any proof of income that is 65k baht or more. The would also proof of 800k baht in a bank. 

The insurance requirement for a non-o visa requirement was created for embassies and official consulates in you home country when they first opened the country for those who are retired in 2020.

 

Thanks Joe good news I have the 800000 baht method in place, now I just need to get to savanakhet and back into Thailand next month 27th when my OA visa expires lets hope The land border is fully open both ways and Thai pass terminated by then I will be watching this forum closely for any news on this many thanks.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, supermac said:

Thanks Joe good news I have the 800000 baht method in place, now I just need to get to savanakhet and back into Thailand next month 27th when my OA visa expires lets hope The land border is fully open both ways and Thai pass terminated by then I will be watching this forum closely for any news on this many thanks.

I assume do not have a valid re-entry permit. If you do have one you need to leave the country shortly before it expires and enter the country on or after the day it expires.

[supermac]

  30 minutes ago, supermac said:

Thanks Joe good news I have the 800000 baht method in place, now I just need to get to savanakhet and back into Thailand next month 27th when my OA visa expires lets hope The land border is fully open both ways and Thai pass terminated by then I will be watching this forum closely for any news on this many thanks.

I assume do not have a valid re-entry permit. If you do have one you need to leave the country shortly before it expires and enter the country on or after the day it expires.

 

No Joe I do not have a re entry permit and if possible I will go to savanakhet on the 26 or 27 June will both these dates be OK to let the OA expire? I will prob stay 2 nights to be sure, I am also unsure wether to get a single or multiple O retirement visa my understanding is that the multiple requires you to leave Thailand every 90 days whilst the single lets you do 90 day reports at the local IO is this correct? Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, supermac said:

No Joe I do not have a re entry permit and if possible I will go to savanakhet on the 26 or 27 June will both these dates be OK to let the OA expire? I will prob stay 2 nights to be sure, I am also unsure wether to get a single or multiple O retirement visa my understanding is that the multiple requires you to leave Thailand every 90 days whilst the single lets you do 90 day reports at the local IO is this correct? Thanks.

I assume you do not have a valid OA visa issued by a embassy or consulate. I am thinking you have a extension of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration for the one year entry you got from a OA visa.

If a extension of stay it ends on the day your leave the country. You could leave the country at any time now to get a non-o

visa.

[supermac]

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Posted 2 minutes ago

  12 minutes ago, supermac said:

No Joe I do not have a re entry permit and if possible I will go to savanakhet on the 26 or 27 June will both these dates be OK to let the OA expire? I will prob stay 2 nights to be sure, I am also unsure wether to get a single or multiple O retirement visa my understanding is that the multiple requires you to leave Thailand every 90 days whilst the single lets you do 90 day reports at the local IO is this correct? Thanks.

Expand  

I assume you do not have a valid OA visa issued by a embassy or consulate. I am thinking you have a extension of stay based upon retirement issued by immigration for the one year entry you got from a OA visa.

If a extension of stay it ends on the day your leave the country. You could leave the country at any time now to get a non-o

visa.

 

My original OA visa was issued in the UK in 2015 and has been extended at immigration in roi et every year since, I thought you had to leave the country shortly before it expires on June 27 without a re entry stamp in order for it to be terminated, so can I just leave anytime before June 27 and the OA is obsolete then obtain the O retirement visa in savanakhet? And which is best single or multiple entry for the O visa.cheers.

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, supermac said:

so can I just leave anytime before June 27 and the OA is obsolete then obtain the O retirement visa in savanakhet? And which is best single or multiple entry for the O

Yes your extension (without reentry permit) is dead when you exit Thailand.

 

The single non O is very different animal to ME Non O.

 

The non O gives you a 90 day stamp on entry and in last 30 days of that stamp you apply for 12 month extension. Financials required.

 

The ME Non O marriage is a visa valid for a year. 

You are stamped in for 90 days and then must exit.

When reenter (can be straight away) you are stamped in for another 90 days.

Buy doing an exit/reenter just prior to expiry of the visa you would be stamped in for 90 days.

Hence you effectively get a 15 month (almost) out of an ME Non O.

 

Be aware that each entry with 90 day stamp you can apply for 60 day extension to visit wife.

Many choose this option due to the financial requirements of the non O extension option.

 

Which one is best depends on person's situation. 

Edited May 20, 2022 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, supermac said:

My original OA visa was issued in the UK in 2015 and has been extended at immigration in roi et every year since, I thought you had to leave the country shortly before it expires on June 27 without a re entry stamp in order for it to be terminated, so can I just leave anytime before June 27 and the OA is obsolete then obtain the O retirement visa in savanakhet? And which is best single or multiple entry for the O visa.cheers.

If you do not have a re-entry permit you do not have to wait until your extension is nearly expired. Your extension ends on the day your leave the country.

[supermac]

Thank you very much Joe and Jack for clarifying that now I just have to decide wether to extend my current OA visa for 1 more year and wait untill the entry restrictions are eased further as I have already paid the required insurance vald untill June 2023 this is dependant on the IO accepting the guidelines 400000/40000 as another thread has experienced dificulties or jumping before I am pushed next year all comments greatly appreciated.

[bamboozled]

On 5/15/2022 at 12:26 PM, FARANG KIWI said:

Thanks UJ.

 

I think you answered the question that I really wanted to ask!! ????

Farang Kiwi, can you let us know if you're giving it a go and if so, the result? What's the plan? Thanks!

[FARANG KIWI]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:27 PM, bamboozled said:

Farang Kiwi, can you let us know if you're giving it a go and if so, the result? What's the plan? Thanks!

Arriving 06th June on 30 day TV then extend 60 days ( married to a Thai ) so late August will be planning to go across.

[bamboozled]

12 hours ago, FARANG KIWI said:

Arriving 06th June on 30 day TV then extend 60 days ( married to a Thai ) so late August will be planning to go across.

Thanks.... Ok, I will be due to go before that. I'm sure someone will be before me (mid July) but if not, I'll report back.