Savannakhet Multi Entry. Change permission to stay

[Liquorice]

30 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

Thank you for the reply. I understand what you are saying but I am trying to avoid having my 400,000 tied up for too long. If I get the 90 day Non O as soon as possible(1st Of May when my current stay expires)  then 60 days after  the visa is granted(1st July) I can apply for the extension and 30 days later (1st August) have my 400,000 available.

Just how can you apply for the 1 year extension on 1st July, as in your own words you'll depart Thailand 21st May returning 2 months later, which will be around 21st July.

[Wongkitlo]

9 hours ago, Liquorice said:

Just how can you apply for the 1 year extension on 1st July, as in your own words you'll depart Thailand 21st May returning 2 months later, which will be around 21st July.

Thanks. The dates are pretty flexible. I was just trying to explain how it would save  my money being in the bank  for a longer time hopefully. Even if I don't return till the 21st July,  I can apply for the extension immediately I arrive back and hopefully have it approved by 21st August. 

[DrJack54]

OP, by now you should be aware of some basic facts. In no particular order: 

1. To "buy time" you can obtain "60 day extension to visit wife".

That may have issues as wife needs to attend immigration with you.

 

2. You can obtain a Non O at Thai embassy/consulate. That includes Australia. Think you misunderstand the 90 day count. That stamp of 90 days would be given on entry to Thailand.

Furthermore the 12 month extension can at the EARLIEST be applied for in the last 30 days of that 90 day stamp. 

Whatever you do the Non O (e-Visa) + application for 12 months extension+ under consideration period will take minimum 3 months.

 

Obviously the money is the issue. .

Long term you could consider income method as an alternative. 

[Liquorice]

1 hour ago, Wongkitlo said:

Thanks. The dates are pretty flexible. I was just trying to explain how it would save  my money being in the bank  for a longer time hopefully. Even if I don't return till the 21st July,  I can apply for the extension immediately I arrive back and hopefully have it approved by 21st August. 

You can apply for the 1 year extension up to 30 days prior to your current permission of stay expiring (45 days at certain offices).

However, when you apply you are given a 30 day under consideration stamp, which is dated 30 days from the expiry date of your permission of stay, not from the date of submission.

 

Whichever way you decide to proceed, that 400K will be tied up for the same amount of time.

Theoretically, you could withdraw that 400K once your application has been accepted, but it is strongly recommended you leave it until the application is 'approved'.

[Wongkitlo]

42 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, by now you should be aware of some basic facts. In no particular order: 

1. To "buy time" you can obtain "60 day extension to visit wife".

That may have issues as wife needs to attend immigration with you.

 

2. You can obtain a Non O at Thai embassy/consulate. That includes Australia. Think you misunderstand the 90 day count. That stamp of 90 days would be given on entry to Thailand.

Furthermore the 12 month extension can at the EARLIEST be applied for in the last 30 days of that 90 day stamp. 

Whatever you do the Non O (e-Visa) + application for 12 months extension+ under consideration period will take minimum 3 months.

 

Obviously the money is the issue. .

Long term you could consider income method as an alternative. 

Thank you. If I take option 2 and  get the Non-O from HCMC as soon as possible then re enter Thailand and get the 90 day stamp on entry I can exit Thailand on a re-entry permit  and re enter within the first 60 days of the stay.

If I then apply for the extension it will hopefully be approved within 30 days and I can access my money again. 

I understand the Non o  and application for extension will take a minimum 3 months. I am just hoping to get the process started ASAP instead of waiting till I return from Australia. 

I understand the re-entry permit does not affect the length of the visa. I can not see how not being in Thailand while I  wait for the  last 30 days of the visa to come up, will affect the process of applying for the 1 year extension as soon as I return to Thailand, unless somebody knows otherwise.  Thank you again for your help. 

[DrJack54]

39 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

I can not see how not being in Thailand while I  wait for the  last 30 days of the visa to come up, will affect the process of applying for the 1 year extension as soon as I return to Thailand, unless somebody knows otherwise.

Being outside of Thailand for the first two months of the 90 day stamp from the Non O will not affect the process. That 2 months will count as seasoning.

 

Do whatever you want.

The Non O marriage e-Visa from Saigon will take days to obtain.

From immigration site: "6. Processing Time: 5 working days (NOT including the day of submission)"

Seems a convoluted option.

However go for it.

Do whatever. 

[Wongkitlo]

19 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Being outside of Thailand for the first two months of the 90 day stamp from the Non O will not affect the process. 

 

Do whatever you want.

The Non O marriage e-Visa from Saigon will take days to obtain.

Seems a convoluted option.

However go for it.

Do whatever. 

Thank you for the advice. There are other considerations which I did not mention - I am happy to go on a holiday for a few days, I am staying in Pattaya but want to deal with Trat office so I avoid a trip in a van then taxi from Pattaya to Laem Ngop,  and I prefer  to deal with Thai immigration as little as possible. 

Regardless the main motivation is getting access to my money within 3 months, rather than waiting till I get back from Australia then 3 months afterwards from the date I arrive back. Again thank you for taking the time. 

[Rob Browder]

13 hours ago, Wongkitlo said:

Thank you for the reply. I understand what you are saying but I am trying to avoid having my 400,000 tied up for too long. If I get the 90 day Non O as soon as possible(1st Of May when my current stay expires)  then 60 days after  the visa is granted(1st July) I can apply for the extension and 30 days later (1st August) have my 400,000 available. If I wait till I arrive back from Australia (1st July) I will need to wait two months to apply for the extension (1st September) then 30 days for approval(1st October). This is on the understanding that the extension can only be applied for in the last 30 days of a 3 month visa. I know 400,000 is probably not a lot to some but I have a small business and having it tied up till October is difficult. 

I did avoid answering about what immigration office I use because I did not want to complicate things too much but I live 6 months in Pattaya (low season) and 6 months in Trat (High season). My work permit and tm30 is in Trat. I would apply for the extension there  but getting the visa out of the country  would avoid one  trip from Pattaya to Trat.  I have also dealt with Jomtien immigration in the past  and, unless things have changed, visiting the woman who does the 60 day extension to visit your wife is something that should be avoided. 

If it were me, I would border-bounce for another 90-day entry before your "Visa" expires (22nd April), then start seasoning the 400K. 
Use a re-entry permit to keep that 90-day "permitted stay" alive until you return, at which point your current "permitted stay" is still good through mid July. 

Apply for the 1-year extension upon return, with the money already seasoned, and with you in-country to deal with the "under consideration" home-visit.

 

If you are doing your marriage extension at Jomtien, you are (bleeped) in terms of "their attitude," no matter what - 60-days or 12-months.  They will likely be as rude to your wife as possible, and look for any reason to deny the extension.  That said, you can get it done with persistence, and if you can watch them abuse your wife without exploding.  I used the Non-O-ME from Savannahkhet specifically for this reason, for years.

 

I don't know if Trat is friendly with marriage-extensions.  It is a hassle at any office, really - even in places where they are at least "civil" about it.  In Bangkok, they told my wife I was a "criminal" for having used a Non-O-ME Visa in the past - though that experience was far less-bad than Jomtien, in that they didn't literally "make up" fake requirements to block me.  Out in the sticks it was better - they were even polite - but it took all day, every year. 

 

I now use a retirement-extension from Jomtien, which is EASY there.  You mentioned the money-thing, so not ideal for you.  And, your first 12-month extension from a Non-O Visa must be for the same reason as the visa, so would need to be for marriage.  The next year, could use retirement via agent for a 12,500 Baht fee - just keep in mind, if the marriage-extension is too painful. 

 

I don't think this is in your plan - but, be forewarned - the one thing you MUST avoid in Jomtien, is trying to get a Non-O 90-day stamp from a visa-exempt entry for either Retirement OR Marriage.  They break the money-seasoning rules, and demand a 15K baht payoff via an agent for that 90-day stamp - for over 10 years.  The IO has some "deal" worked out with higher-ups, so no appeal is possible. 

[Wongkitlo]

48 minutes ago, Rob Browder said:

If it were me, I would border-bounce for another 90-day entry before your "Visa" expires (22nd April), then start seasoning the 400K. 
Use a re-entry permit to keep that 90-day "permitted stay" alive until you return, at which point your current "permitted stay" is still good through mid July. 

Apply for the 1-year extension upon return, with the money already seasoned, and with you in-country to deal with the "under consideration" home-visit.

 

If you are doing your marriage extension at Jomtien, you are (bleeped) in terms of "their attitude," no matter what - 60-days or 12-months.  They will likely be as rude to your wife as possible, and look for any reason to deny the extension.  That said, you can get it done with persistence, and if you can watch them abuse your wife without exploding.  I used the Non-O-ME from Savannahkhet specifically for this reason, for years.

 

I don't know if Trat is friendly with marriage-extensions.  It is a hassle at any office, really - even in places where they are at least "civil" about it.  In Bangkok, they told my wife I was a "criminal" for having used a Non-O-ME Visa in the past - though that experience was far less-bad than Jomtien, in that they didn't literally "make up" fake requirements to block me.  Out in the sticks it was better - they were even polite - but it took all day, every year. 

 

I now use a retirement-extension from Jomtien, which is EASY there.  You mentioned the money-thing, so not ideal for you.  And, your first 12-month extension from a Non-O Visa must be for the same reason as the visa, so would need to be for marriage.  The next year, could use retirement via agent for a 12,500 Baht fee - just keep in mind, if the marriage-extension is too painful. 

 

I don't think this is in your plan - but, be forewarned - the one thing you MUST avoid in Jomtien, is trying to get a Non-O 90-day stamp from a visa-exempt entry for either Retirement OR Marriage.  They break the money-seasoning rules, and demand a 15K baht payoff via an agent for that 90-day stamp - for over 10 years.  The IO has some "deal" worked out with higher-ups, so no appeal is possible. 

Thanks.  Since the  ME visa expires on the 21st April  I do not think I can use it to get the extension.  I thought to apply for the extension I must have a valid non o visa. 

I am working  months of the year so the retirement visa is not an option. 

Yes. I do not want to speak bad of anyone but the extension desk at Jomtien is a nightmare. I don't want to go there. The last 60 day extension at Trat was very friendly. She even gave my wife her phone number and,a list of papers needed to get the Non o and extension. It is just a long journey from Pattaya so I avoid it in low season. 

Thanks for your advice 

[Liquorice]

22 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

Thanks.  Since the  ME visa expires on the 21st April  I do not think I can use it to get the extension.  I thought to apply for the extension I must have a valid non o visa. 

My Non Imm O expired in 2014, it was 'used' on entry

It doesn't change your Immigration status when your visa expires, or it's used on entry, unless your permission of stay expires.
It's your permission of stay you extend from entry of a Non Imm O visa.
Re-entry permit protects that permission of stay.

[DrJack54]

37 minutes ago, Wongkitlo said:

Since the  ME visa expires on the 21st April  I do not think I can use it to get the extension.  I thought to apply for the extension I must have a valid non o visa.

You could have obtained a 12 month extension from current permission of stay.

Even if you did one more exit/reenter prior to expiry of the ME Non 0 you could have obtained a 12 month extension.

In the same way you could have obtained a 60 day extension followed by 12 month extension. 

You do not require a Non O.

[Rob Browder]

1 hour ago, Wongkitlo said:

Since the  ME visa expires on the 21st April  I do not think I can use it to get the extension.  I thought to apply for the extension I must have a valid non o visa. 

As long as your "permitted stay" is from a Non-O Visa Entry, you are able to apply for a 12-month extension for the same reason as the visa was issued ("married to a Thai" in your case). 

The "enter before" date on the visa-sticker does not matter.

 

1 hour ago, Wongkitlo said:

The last 60 day extension at Trat was very friendly. She even gave my wife her phone number and,a list of papers needed to get the Non o and extension.

That is VERY good news, if you can use them for your 12-mo extension(s) - could be done in July, per what I outlined above. 

[Wongkitlo]

Thanks  @DrJack54 @Rob Browder @Liquorice  I was thinking that once the ME expired I could not apply for the new Non O but realize now that is dumb. Have just come off 6 months of work so thinking can be difficult. At least I have several options. Am really grateful for you guys  taking the time.