Can Non O visa be issued in Thailand

[Tmoney]

I am currently on a Non O (extension) based on Marriage.

I am leaving Thailand for 4 months during which time my visa (extension) expires.

Immigration will not let me renew my extension early prior to leaving.

Can I re-enter Thailand on a visa exempt (30 days) and apply for a new Non O visa based on marriage once I return?

I have 400,000+ Thai baht seasoned in a Thai bank account which will not be touched throughout this period along with all the other necessary paperwork.

Or, do I have to apply for a new Non O 3 month single entry visa in my home country prior to returning?

[ubonjoe]

You could apply for a non-o visa at immigration with a visa exempt entry.

[Tmoney]

That's positive, easier than applying online back home then, thank you Joe.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Tmoney said:

That's positive, easier than applying online back home then, thank you Joe.

Very simple option for you given that your Thai bank account and funds already in place.

Just return visa exempt and obtain non O 

Easy Peasy..

[CFCjeff]

If the OP is returning on a one way ticket without a non O in advance, would he maybe need a throwaway ticket for leaving Thailand within 30 days to keep airline and immigration happy.

 

Sorry if im wrong on this i dont want to give incorrect information, or maybe OP has a return ticket.

[Tmoney]

17 hours ago, CFCjeff said:

If the OP is returning on a one way ticket without a non O in advance, would he maybe need a throwaway ticket for leaving Thailand within 30 days to keep airline and immigration happy.

 

Sorry if im wrong on this i dont want to give incorrect information, or maybe OP has a return ticket.

Thanks you for the input but yes, I do have a return ticket.

[up-country_sinclair]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You could apply for a non-o visa at immigration with a visa exempt entry.

Is this a new development?

I thought you always had to apply for a non-O outside of Thailand and then do the extension of stay inside Thailand.

 

And just to clarify, a visa exempt is people who get 30 days based on their passport, for example, US, UK, EU, etc...

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Is this a new development?

No 

It has been available for many years. At one time they could be applied for at certain offices but now it can be done at any immigration office.

 

6 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

And just to clarify, a visa exempt is people who get 30 days based on their passport, for example, US, UK, EU, etc...

Yes

[up-country_sinclair]

25 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

It has been available for many years. At one time they could be applied for at certain offices but now it can be done at any immigration office.

Thanks for your reply.

 

So, I would apply for the Non-O and get 90 days and then would apply for an extension of stay, right?

 

If someone didn't apply for the extension, is there a limit on how many in country Non-O visas a person can apply for in a year?

 

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

So, I would apply for the Non-O and get 90 days and then would apply for an extension of stay, right?

That is the intent of non immigrant visas being issued by immigration. 

 

4 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

If someone didn't apply for the extension, is there a limit on how many in country Non-O visas a person can apply for in a year?

You would not be able to apply for back to back non-o visas. They can only be applied for with a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

If you applied for one and the left the country without doing a extension of stay immigration might make it difficult to apply for another one.

[Tmoney]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

 

It has been available for many years. At one time they could be applied for at certain offices but now it can be done at any immigration office.

 

 

Joe, do you by any chance have a link/pdf for the in country non O application requirements and application form please?

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, Tmoney said:

Joe, do you by any chance have a link/pdf for the in country non O application requirements and application form please?

This page list the various reasons a non-o visa can be applied for. Click them to open a PDF file for each type.

https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=2537

[NatureFilm]

If I would have known this earlyer!

Last year I couldn't return in time, because the Consulat in Frankfurt just didn't reply for month to my questions, how to return to Thailand and later how to make a new Non-Immigrant O Visa. I had to do an expensive useless 1 year Insurance (400.000 THB) just to get the Non O Visa.

 

I just could have come with my German passport and get 30 (45) days tourist Visa on arrival and then after 14 days quarantine go to the Immigration to apply for new Non Immigrant O, because my old had expired due to Covid-Mess at Consulate Frankfurt.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

7 hours ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Is this a new development?

I thought you always had to apply for a non-O outside of Thailand and then do the extension of stay inside Thailand.

 

And just to clarify, a visa exempt is people who get 30 days based on their passport, for example, US, UK, EU, etc...

I applied and got my non O from a tourist visa in Bangkok about 4 years ago. They converted from tourist to another type of non immigrant, then to non O retirement. It was not well known that you could do this, and there was a lot of contradictory "advice" about it, but I did it. 

[Tod Daniels]

You've been able to apply for a 90 day Non-O visa (based on marriage, over 50, raising half thai kids) in country for years and years.

You can only do it from a 30 day visa exempt entry (which people from 51 countries get when they show up here without a visa) OR a 60 day tourist visa entry OR an extension from one of those (either the regular 30 day or the 60 day covid extension).

Not every immigration office issues them
BUT
most of the ones that do require you to have 15 days or more left on your current stamp to apply, because the application goes under review and then you go back in 2 weeks to get the Non-O visa and new 90 day entry stamp inked in.

Chiang Mai AND Phuket are the exceptions and they require a minimum of 21 days left on your current stamp to apply at those offices.

The cost is 2000 baht and IF you entered on a 30 day visa exempt you use for TM87 (application for visa) and if you entered on a 60 day tourist visa stamp you would use form TM-86 (application for change of visa status) 
 

[Deerculler]

Is it possible to live full time in Thailand on a Non O Visa?

[Caldera]

2 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

Is it possible to live full time in Thailand on a Non O Visa?

You can use the Non-O visa to start living full-time in Thailand, with subsequent extensions (as long as you qualify for them).

[Deerculler]

How do you qualify to extend Non O visa?

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Deerculler said:

How do you qualify to extend Non O visa?

There is so many threads on this.

Which immigration office.

You obtained your non O retirement using Thai bank account in your name with 800k in account if based on retirement?

Are you 50+ years old?

Are you married to Thai national? 

Edited May 23, 2022 by DrJack54

[Tmoney]

On 5/23/2022 at 10:21 AM, ubonjoe said:

No 

It has been available for many years. At one time they could be applied for at certain offices but now it can be done at any immigration office.

 

Yes

Just an update from OP.

I have just left Samui Immigration Office and was told that these non O visas  CANNOT be applied for at this office.

I was told (unconvincingly, they didn't appear to know they existed) that I should apply at Suratthani IO for this visa.

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, Tmoney said:

I have just left Samui Immigration Office and was told that these non O visas  CANNOT be applied for at this office.

I was told (unconvincingly, they didn't appear to know they existed) that I should apply at Suratthani IO for this visa.

That is totally false info.

Perhaps change this page on the immigration website to Thai that lists all the visas that can be issued and show it to them.

https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=2537

[Tmoney]

Cheers for the suggestion Joe but TBH can't be ar$ed.

I have other other options, this just seemed easiest.

 

[up-country_sinclair]

On 5/23/2022 at 5:38 PM, Tod Daniels said:

Not every immigration office issues them
BUT
most of the ones that do require you to have 15 days or more left on your current stamp to apply, because the application goes under review and then you go back in 2 weeks to get the Non-O visa and new 90 day entry stamp inked in.

By any chance do you know if they issue them in Krabi?

[up-country_sinclair]

Also, can this be done after being issued a 30 day extension to a visa exempt entry?

 

Thanks very much!

Edited June 2, 2022 by up-country_sinclair

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, up-country_sinclair said:

Also, can this be done after being issued a 30 day extension to a visa exempt entry?

Yes but you need at least 15 days remaining on the extension.

[up-country_sinclair]

On 5/23/2022 at 12:27 PM, ubonjoe said:

This page list the various reasons a non-o visa can be applied for. Click them to open a PDF file for each type.

https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=2537

The Non-O marriage pdf in this link indicates that you need to present those awkward photos in/outside the house and also the house registration & map.  In my past experience, these items were only required once the extension was submitted 90 days after the visa was approved.

Am I reading this wrong?

Thanks again for your help, ubonjoe.  

Edited June 2, 2022 by up-country_sinclair