Switching from Non-Immigrant OA to Non-Immigrant O on basis of Retirement

[flexomike]

1 hour ago, chiang mai said:

You should read the entire thread before commenting!

You should do your research before making comments, 19 years on an OA and you don't even know what your talking about. Oh I forgot I switched to marriage.

[chiang mai]

Just now, flexomike said:

You should do your research before making comments, 19 years on an OA and you don't even know what your talking about. Oh I forgot I switched to marriage.

It's very sad but, goodbye.

[flexomike]

18 hours ago, TimBKK said:

The OA insurance requirements are so low and thus so cheap (granted, its a complete throwaway policy) that I wonder if it would actually cost more to switch to a non-O, at least initially?

 

Think I paid 2000b (via an agent) for something from the “Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited” which I believe is affiliated with Bangkok Bank.  I could probably renew the policy at a BKK branch for even cheaper.

 

Just a though, although I suppose over time the non-O will eventually win out on cost.

If applying for an extension within Thailand you have to have one of the insurance polices on their list. If over 70 you are screwed. Only way you could get by on your agent purchased policy would be having him do your extension also.

[Liquorice]

3 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

I mentioned the social security health benefits because it is accepted as insurance for the O-A, and it seems the only reason people change is because of the insurance, so I mentioned an option, (that never seems to be put forward).

Can you provide a link to either a Thai Embassy or Thai Immigration to support your claim that either accept Social Security Health schemes for the Non O-A application, or extensions of stay from entry of a Non O-A visa.

 

I can only find the TGIA approved Insurers or a Foreign Insurance company prepared to sign the foreign Health Insurance certificate as acceptable.
Is the SS Health scheme hidden somewhere in the small print?

Edited September 24 by Liquorice

[bigt3116]

22 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Can you provide a link to either a Thai Embassy or Thai Immigration to support your claim that either accept Social Security Health schemes for the Non O-A application, or extensions of stay from entry of a Non O-A visa.

 

I can only find the TGIA approved Insurers or a Foreign Insurance company prepared to sign the foreign Health Insurance certificate as acceptable.
Is the SS Health scheme hidden somewhere in the small print?

 

Hunting for it as we speak  🙂

 

Though to be fair, the MFA website does not even mention insurance.  🙂

 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/page/non-immigrant-visa-o-a?menu=5e1ff71bc4281a00c812e8e2

[Liquorice]

1 hour ago, bigt3116 said:

 

Hunting for it as we speak  🙂

 

Though to be fair, the MFA website does not even mention insurance.  🙂

 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/page/non-immigrant-visa-o-a?menu=5e1ff71bc4281a00c812e8e2

To be fair, there is a reference to NON-Thai social welfare being accepted, but must be certified by a foreign Embassy in Thailand, OR, a certification letter of authorised person's signature by a notary public from the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

[Imd8ta]

On 9/22/2024 at 1:33 PM, skorts said:

Thanks for your feedback. 
 

Can I go to Immigration and apply for a Non-Immigrant O Visa almost immediately after entering Thailand on 60 days Visa exempt or do I have to wait until later during my 60 day Visa exempt period?

Anytime as long as it's 15 days prior to expire. Info from Udon IO.

[Rob Browder]

4 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

 

Hunting for it as we speak  🙂

 

Though to be fair, the MFA website does not even mention insurance.  🙂

 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/page/non-immigrant-visa-o-a?menu=5e1ff71bc4281a00c812e8e2

I remember speculation about this when the health-ins requirement was first added to Non-OA Visa-extensions**, because some Non-OA folks had it from previous employment in Thailand.  I do not recall reports that it was accepted or not. 

A related question - can it also be used for the LTR insurance requirement? 

I assume many who have these visas previously worked in Thailand before retirement, and it is a no-brainer to keep this very affordable insurance.

** (Technically, "permitted stays" continuing the original visa's "permitted stay" - but this issue shows that Immigration view them as "visa extensions," in practice.  Otherwise the type of a "long ago used/expired visa" would not matter.)

[Imd8ta]

Just a heads up.      I did my crossing on Friday 13th. to kill off the OA. Went to the Udon IO on Monday. Prior visa was an OA based on marriage. I was told that I would have to bring the necessary docs for marriage (wife's ID card, house book, pics of us in the house ect. for the FIRST time only, after that I could go alone. Fortunately I knew a supervisor there and she agreed to take copies.

[Liquorice]

4 hours ago, Imd8ta said:

Prior visa was an OA based on marriage.

The 0-A visa can only be applied for based on retirement.

 

 

[DrJack54]

5 hours ago, Imd8ta said:

I was told that I would have to bring the necessary docs for marriage (wife's ID card, house book, pics of us in the house ect. for the FIRST time only, after that I could go alone

IO was confused.

That would be the case when changing from based on marriage to retirement from a non O.

Assume same as OP you changing to based on retirement.

 

The fact is you ended your permission of stay and reenter visa exempt and applied for NEW non O based on retirement then details of wife etc should not be required. 

[Lite Beer]

7 hours ago, Imd8ta said:

 Prior visa was an OA based on marriage. 

There is no such thing.

[Imd8ta]

16 hours ago, Liquorice said:

The 0-A visa can only be applied for based on retirement.

 

 

My original OA  WAS based on retirement, then changed to marriage once here.

[Liquorice]

1 minute ago, Imd8ta said:

My original OA  WAS based on retirement, then changed to marriage once here.

Thanks for the correction.

 

After your 0-A had expired, you changed the reason for the 1 year extension of permit of stay to marriage.

[flexomike]

On 9/24/2024 at 6:36 PM, Liquorice said:

The 0-A visa can only be applied for based on retirement.

 

 

If you had an OA which when originally applied for on the basis of retirement only, can be changed over to an extension based on marriage and no insurance would be required

[flexomike]

On 9/24/2024 at 9:39 PM, Lite Beer said:

There is no such thing.

He obviously changed the reason when he did an extension.

[DrJack54]

41 minutes ago, flexomike said:

If you had an OA which when originally applied for on the basis of retirement only, can be changed over to an extension based on marriage and no insurance would be required

That's correct and folk should note that for the very first extension from a non O-A it must be based on retirement.

After that extensions can be based on marriage and have no insurance requirement. 

[oldcpu]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

That's correct and folk should note that for the very first extension from a non O-A it must be based on retirement.

After that extensions can be based on marriage and have no insurance requirement. 

 

IMHO thats an important note from DrJack54.

 

Some years back, I found out this the hardway (when on a Type-OA).

 

Shortly after entering Thailand on my Type-OA (originally granted for reason of retirement), the new health insurance requirements were implemented.  So I decided for my 1st extension on my permission to stay in Thailand to do so based on a reason of my being married to a Thai.  That was WRONG planning on my part.  Phuket immigration refused, telling me I could not do this for my first extension (as my original Type-OA was for reason of retirement).

 

I ended up (for that 1st extension) going with an extension for reason of retirement (buying double health insurance for that first extension, as my superior European health insurance was not from a Thai branch of a Health Insurance company). 

 

A year later for my 2nd 1-year extension (on my type-OA) I was able to switch to an extension based on marriage to a Thai person (with no requirements for health insurance proof from the Thai branch of an insurance company).  But in Phuket, the paperwork (and very long time to get approval for an extension based on marriage (long as it is sent out of province)) was a bit unsettling for me, ... so I decided NOT to get a re-entry permit on that extension of my permission to stay, and the next time I exited Thailand I deliberately let my Type-OA be invalidated (and I subsequent re-entered Thailand visa exempt and successfully applied for a Type-O).

 

Some times, if one has not this planned in advance, it can seem a bit convoluted, to legally weave through the different immigration regulations.

 

 

Edited September 26 by oldcpu

[Imd8ta]

On 9/24/2024 at 7:07 PM, DrJack54 said:

IO was confused.

That would be the case when changing from based on marriage to retirement from a non O.

Assume same as OP you changing to based on retirement.

 

The fact is you ended your permission of stay and reenter visa exempt and applied for NEW non O based on retirement then details of wife etc should not be required. 

They might have been confused, but ya gotta follow that Yellow Brick Road.  When I went back yesterday to apply for the non O the front line girl was pretty adamant that my wife needed to be with me for an interview before her boss (my friend) stepped in to tell her it was ok. A few minutes later she wanted the map to my house, again the boss interceded on my behalf. They ended up calling my wife while I was there and sending four pages home with me for her to sign, which I took back today verifying that she was indeed married to me and knew what I was doing. Almost three hours into it and too many signatures yesterday, I was set free, (minus my 2000 Baht). Today they told me to come back on 8 November as my application of stay was "under consideration". I was also advised about the aged funds and different schemes allowed, but they also told me upon renewal I'd have to call the bank a week ahead of time to get the full 12 months of statements. What a mess.

We all know that there is no continuity in the IO's, and they are indeed "confused" I can't see how all these different variances are dealt with in BKK.

[DrJack54]

21 minutes ago, Imd8ta said:

They ended up calling my wife while I was there and sending four pages home with me for her to sign, which I took back today verifying that she was indeed married to me and knew what I was doing.

I have no idea what your wife has to do with it.

You killed off the non O-A along with extension from it. 

You then obtained a NEW Non O based on retirement.

You don't need to be married and as a result the wife does not need to show you are still married.

 

I think io was confused with common situation of someone changing from based on marriage to based on retirement.

This is common when divorce occurs and for first extension based on retirement they may want to see that you are still married.

Otherwise you would have needed to exit Thailand as your extension would be invalid upon divorce.

You left Thailand and "Started over" marriage irrelevant 

[Imd8ta]

On 9/27/2024 at 5:41 PM, DrJack54 said:

You left Thailand and "Started over" marriage irrelevant 

Tell them that