Australia Non Immigrant "O" Visa

[VR333]

Hello,

In the past, as an Australian married to a Thai, I would always get a one year, multiple-entry non-immigrant "O" Visa,  issued in Australia. I would depart Thailand for Singapore, KL etc. every ninety days and, on returning, get stamped in for another ninety days.

 

I'm trying to understand what I should be selecting from the e-visa menu options. I'm not a retiree but I am over fifty years of age, married to a Thai, and split my time between Australia and Thailand. I rang the Thai Embassy in Canberra. They told me there is no longer a yearly non-immigrant "O" visa, that now I can only get six months (I didn't get details). They suggested I could also return without a visa, get a sixty-day entry, and later go to immigration to extend for a further thirty days, with some other documentation. I didn't ask any further, but are my only options in November 2024, a six-month non-imm-O? visa, or leaving before my sixty days/ninety days are up and returning a few days later to start another 60+30 day stay?

 

If I do the 60 day entry +30 days extension, then depart and return after a few days outside Thailand, am I going to run into problems? I thought immigration didn't like back-to-back entries like this. Or can I really just enter, leave before sixty days (by air) return after a few days in Singapore, rinse, and repeat? I would spend less than six months total in Thailand per calendar year, at least for the next couple of years.

 

I don't want a retirement visa because I'm not retired and prefer not to have to visit an immigration office. I would prefer to keep things simple, as I have done for years. I'm fine with having to exit Thailand by air every ninety days (or sixty days). If anyone could suggest what options might be best for me, I would be grateful. 

[Upnotover]

The non-O option mentioned is not a 6 month option.  It will give you a single 90 day entry.  You could extend that at immigration to visit your wife and get another 60 days.  Alternatively a 60 day exempt entry can be extended by 30 days and then again by 60 to visit your wife.  However you play it you're going to either have to leave the country and/or visit immigration at some point.

[Pattaya57]

For the first 90 days I would do the non-imm O e-visa (retirement or marriage). I recently got the retirement visa which was pretty easy to get (A$120 and approved in 3 days). Gives you first 3 months without having to visit immigration.

 

For next 3 months you can do a border hop and come back on free 60 days visa exempt + 30 day extension (1900 baht at local immigration)

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:26 AM by Pattaya57

[DrJack54]

4 hours ago, VR333 said:

I'm not a retiree but I am over fifty years of age, married to a Thai, and split my time between Australia and Thailand

You should post details of "split my time ...."

Meaning what is the actual breakdown. That determines best options.

BTW: Non O (retirement) has the requirement of being 50+.

Retired is not a requirement. 

[Lacessit]

A retirement visa is quite simple compared to the hoops the OP seems to want to jump through. There is no requirement to be retired, just plus 50 and the various financial requirements.

 

The only reason I can think of for the OP rejecting a retirement visa is either not having 400K baht to put on deposit, or not wanting to tie up that amount.

 

The logic of preferring to go to Immigration for a 30 day extension vs reporting to Immigration every 90 days baffles me. Not to mention 90 day reports don't necessarily have to be done in person.

 

90 day reports cost nothing. Leaving Thailand every 90 days does. The OP's post is not making much sense to me.

[Pattaya57]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

A retirement visa is quite simple compared to the hoops the OP seems to want to jump through. There is no requirement to be retired, just plus 50 and the various financial requirements.

 

The only reason I can think of for the OP rejecting a retirement visa is either not having 400K baht to put on deposit, or not wanting to tie up that amount.

 

The logic of preferring to go to Immigration for a 30 day extension vs reporting to Immigration every 90 days baffles me. Not to mention 90 day reports don't necessarily have to be done in person.

 

90 day reports cost nothing. Leaving Thailand every 90 days does. The OP's post is not making much sense to me.

It's acually 800k baht for the retirement non-imm O, not 400k. Also did you miss the part where he'll be spending less than 6 months per year in Thailand so doesn't need a long term visa

[Bvor]

1 hour ago, Upnotover said:

Alternatively a 60 day exempt entry can be extended by 30 days and then again by 60 to visit your wife.  However you play it you're going to either have to leave the country and/or visit immigration at some point.

As well as VE also has evisa SETV and METV options all of which do not require 800,000/400,000 Thai bank BS requirement. Leaving the country appears to not be an issue with his OZ/LOS splits and his close border crossings. 

 

[VR333]

Thanks for all the replies; very helpful.

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You should post details of "split my time ...."

Meaning what is the actual breakdown. That determines best options.

BTW: Non O (retirement) has the requirement of being 50+.

Retired is not a requirement. 

For me, it means being in Australia April to July, plus another three months at some other part of the year. I'm better off financially doing this, for the next couple of years at least.

 

 

5 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

For the first 90 days I would do the non-imm O e-visa (retirement or marriage). I recently got the retirement visa which was pretty easy to get (A$120 and approved in 3 days). Gives you first 3 months without having to visit immigration.

 

For next 3 months you can do a border hop and come back on free 60 days visa exempt + 30 day extension (1900 baht at local immigration)

 

This might be the option that works for me, with one or two sixty-day visa-exempt (if that is the correct terminology) visits. The cost of traveling in and out of Thailand isn't an issue.

 

 

5 hours ago, Upnotover said:

The non-O option mentioned is not a 6 month option.  It will give you a single 90 day entry.  You could extend that at immigration to visit your wife and get another 60 days.  Alternatively a 60 day exempt entry can be extended by 30 days and then again by 60 to visit your wife.  However you play it you're going to either have to leave the country and/or visit immigration at some point.

Okay. Now I understand it better 

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, VR333 said:

For me, it means being in Australia April to July, plus another three months at some other part of the year. I'm better off financially doing this, for the next couple of years at least.

If understanding this correctly then you are looking to spend ~ 6 in Thailand ~6 out.

The important thing is the 6 in Thailand is not continuous.

Makes things very easy regarding options.

Since visa exempt is currently 60 days (if that doesn't revert back to 30) staying 3 months very easy.

 

For a longer stay eg 5 months continuous you could obtain a non O in Oz + 60 day extension "to visit wife" 

4 month stay eg visa exempt + 60 day extension to visit wife.

List goes on.

 

Suggest don't do visa exempt entry then prior to expiry return flight to eg Singapore for another visa exempt entry with very little time out. 

[VR333]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

A retirement visa is quite simple compared to the hoops the OP seems to want to jump through. There is no requirement to be retired, just plus 50 and the various financial requirements.

 

The only reason I can think of for the OP rejecting a retirement visa is either not having 400K baht to put on deposit, or not wanting to tie up that amount.

 

The logic of preferring to go to Immigration for a 30 day extension vs reporting to Immigration every 90 days baffles me. Not to mention 90 day reports don't necessarily have to be done in person.

 

90 day reports cost nothing. Leaving Thailand every 90 days does. The OP's post is not making much sense to me.

 

I hear you, but I view it this way. I still love to travel. Leaving to go outside of Thailand for a week, a month, etc. from time to time, the cost isn't a concern. I personally don't like being in Thailand during April, May when it is way to hot for my liking. Maybe if I wasn't up physically to hop on planes and drag a bag around with me, then I might find staying in Thailand year in, year out more acceptable, but right now I'm still fit enough to enjoy travel. The yearly multi Non "O" suited my situation.

 

I'm fortunate to be in a position that 400k is ok if I had to tie it up in a Thai bank. While I can get a better return in Australia on money invested, if I needed to deposit it in Thailand, then it is what it is.

 

I've spent many years in Thailand using multi-entry Non-O visas. Never set foot in an immigration office, just got stamped in at the airport or in the bad old days, at Poi Pet. I'm still fortunate to have a choice and my preference is to avoid government departments if I can.

 

3 hours ago, Bvor said:

As well as VE also has evisa SETV and METV options all of which do not require 800,000/400,000 Thai bank BS requirement. Leaving the country appears to not be an issue with his OZ/LOS splits and his close border crossings. 

 

Exactly 👍

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, VR333 said:

I still love to travel. Leaving to go outside of Thailand for a week, a month, etc. from time to time, the cost isn't a concern

That won't cut it if in future if time spent in Thailand increases and you plan to use flights for small breaks out of Thailand.

Again this visa exempt entry to 60 days is a recent change. 

At some point you will be advised to obtain a visa entries via air. 

[VR333]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

If understanding this correctly then you are looking to spend ~ 6 in Thailand ~6 out.

The important thing is the 6 in Thailand is not continuous.

Makes things very easy regarding options.

Since visa exempt is currently 60 days (if that doesn't revert back to 30) staying 3 months very easy.

 

For a longer stay eg 5 months continuous you could obtain a non O in Oz + 60 day extension "to visit wife" 

4 month stay eg visa exempt + 60 day extension to visit wife.

List goes on.

 

Suggest don't do visa exempt entry then prior to expiry return flight to eg Singapore for another visa exempt entry with very little time out. 

 

Six months in Australia, Less than six months in Thailand once some time spent in KL, Singapore etc. is deducted.

 

Doing back-to-back sixty-day visa exempt entries, interspersed with flying  for a few days out of the country was sounding good, but if I'm possibly going to run in to problems with immigration, then I won't risk it.

 

A 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage, followed by a few days overseas e.g. Singapore, then return on a sixty-day visa exempt entry, followed by three months plus in Australia... would I encounter problems that way? Returning from time in Australia I would get another "O" visa.

 

 

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, VR333 said:

A 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage, followed by a few days overseas e.g. Singapore, then return on a sixty-day visa exempt entry, followed by three months plus in Australia... would I encounter problems that way? Returning from time in Australia I would get another "O" visa.

Shouldn't be an issue.

Some plans depend on visa exempt remaining at 60 days.

BTW: you could take time to read up on recently introduced DTV (new visa option) 

Current threads running. 

[Pattaya57]

13 minutes ago, VR333 said:

A 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage, followed by a few days overseas e.g. Singapore, then return on a sixty-day visa exempt entry, followed by three months plus in Australia... would I encounter problems that way? Returning from time in Australia I would get another "O" visa.

You should have no problem with that plan and it gives you 5 months without having to visit immigration

[Lacessit]

32 minutes ago, VR333 said:

 

I hear you, but I view it this way. I still love to travel. Leaving to go outside of Thailand for a week, a month, etc. from time to time, the cost isn't a concern. I personally don't like being in Thailand during April, May when it is way to hot for my liking. Maybe if I wasn't up physically to hop on planes and drag a bag around with me, then I might find staying in Thailand year in, year out more acceptable, but right now I'm still fit enough to enjoy travel. The yearly multi Non "O" suited my situation.

 

I'm fortunate to be in a position that 400k is ok if I had to tie it up in a Thai bank. While I can get a better return in Australia on money invested, if I needed to deposit it in Thailand, then it is what it is.

 

I've spent many years in Thailand using multi-entry Non-O visas. Never set foot in an immigration office, just got stamped in at the airport or in the bad old days, at Poi Pet. I'm still fortunate to have a choice and my preference is to avoid government departments if I can.

 

 

Each to his own. I used to love travel too, now I regard it as a major burden, to be avoided if possible.

 

[VR333]

A quick update. I applied for a 90 days non-imm O e-visa based on marriage yesterday. Approved in less than 24 hours, so I can't complain about the service.

 

The only issue I had was setting up an account to apply. Took more than ten attempts. I tried with a Yahoo e-mail, and while I received verification links, every time I clicked on them, the website said the link was invalid. Tried a Windows 10 desktop, a Windows 11 laptop,  Chrome, Edge, no luck. In the end, I used a different e-mail with the Opera browser. Then finally I was able to create an account.

 

Thanks once again for all the helpful advice. It allowed me to understand my options better. 

[Mukdahan Mark]

FTI

Worth noting that Savannakhet Thai Embassy no longer does walk in visas, you have to book an appointment now!  Allow a week in advance to be safe, also turn round time stated ism 48 hours!!