Visa query

[Siam_Sam]

I was living in Thailand through an annual marriage visa but I'm back in the UK for a while. I have a re-entry permit and my visa runs out in November, which is when I am planning to return and renew my visa. However, I'm only planning to stay in Thailand for 6 months maximum before returning to the UK again. It makes more sense for me to apply for a Non O visa and do a a visa run 3 months after I go back to Thailand because a) I don't have to pay the  fee for the more expensive marriage visa, and b) I won't have to provide all the documents they'll need for that. My query is - if I apply for a Non O visa before I go back to Thailand, will the embassy reject this request because they'll see I already have a visa when I send them my passport?  

[Tim16]

You don’t send your passport when you apply for a visa, the visa is emailed to you.

If you do a visa run after 3 months you will only get 60 days at the moment, possibly back to 30 days which means to stay 6 months you will have to go to immigration to extend.

[DrJack54]

OP, what's the ongoing plan. 

I'm referring to after this next 6 month visit. 

 

[Upnotover]

I think that's a good plan.  The embassy won't know you have a re-entry permit.  Get the new non-O, enter 90 days (if the IO even spots the re-entry permit it is easy to explain what you are doing) and you then have the option of a 60 day "visit family"(wife) extension before ever having to worry about a border hop.

[Siam_Sam]

30 minutes ago, Tim16 said:

You don’t send your passport when you apply for a visa, the visa is emailed to you.

If you do a visa run after 3 months you will only get 60 days at the moment, possibly back to 30 days which means to stay 6 months you will have to go to immigration to extend.

 

So the amount of time you get on a Non O has been changed to 60 days? The last Non O visa I had gave me three entries of 90 days each. 

 

 

22 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, what's the ongoing plan. 

I'm referring to after this next 6 month visit. 

 

 

It's looking like it'll be six months in Thailand and then six months in the UK, alternately. 

[DrJack54]

Just now, Siam_Sam said:

So the amount of time you get on a Non O has been changed to 60 days? The last Non O visa I had gave me three entries of 90 days each. 

Non O gives a 90 day stamp. 

1 minute ago, Siam_Sam said:

It's looking like it'll be six months in Thailand and then six months in the UK, alternately. 

Up to you. I assume that's not based on taxation concerns. 

Having a Thai wife thinking annual 12 month extensions with a reentry permit makes better sense. 

 

[Upnotover]

5 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

So the amount of time you get on a Non O has been changed to 60 days? The last Non O visa I had gave me three entries of 90 days each. 

A non-O now will give you a single 90 days entry.  You mention "each" so must have had a multi-entry previously.  That is no longer an option.

[Siam_Sam]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Non O gives a 90 day stamp. 

Up to you. I assume that's not based on taxation concerns. 

Having a Thai wife thinking annual 12 month extensions with a reentry permit makes better sense. 

 

 

Yes but the marriage visa costs me 18k baht, whereas the Non O is only £150 (approximately 6,500 baht) as I remember, plus I don't have to show proof of 400k in my bank etc. 

 

5 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

A non-O now will give you a single 90 days entry.  You mention "each" so must have had a multi-entry previously.  That is no longer an option.

 

Yes it was a multi-entry Non O that I had when I first moved to Thailand. So there's no such thing as a multi-entry Non O visa anymore? 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

Yes it was a multi-entry Non O that I had when I first moved to Thailand. So there's no such thing as a multi-entry Non O visa anymore? 

Correct. 

 

[Upnotover]

2 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

 

Yes but the marriage visa costs me 18k baht, whereas the Non O is only £150 (approximately 6,500 baht) as I remember, plus I don't have to show proof of 400k in my bank etc. 

 

 

Yes it was a multi-entry Non O that I had when I first moved to Thailand. So there's no such thing as a multi-entry Non O visa anymore? 

 

No.  The multi entry went some time ago, from the UK several years ago in fact (I used to get them!).  And the current financial requirement for a signle non-O from the London Embassy website is as below (it can be UK or Thai account).

 

"Financial evidence showing monthly income of no less than 40,000 THB (£1,000) or having the current balance of 400,000 THB (£10,000), e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings
- Applicant’s recent official UK/Ireland bank statement shows your name, address (Screenshots are not accepted). For monthly income of last 3 months no less than £1,000/ month."

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Siam_Sam said:

I have a re-entry permit and my visa runs out in November, which is when I am planning to return and renew my visa

What do you have. 

If you have a reentry permit then you do not have a Multi Entry Non O visa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Siam_Sam]

47 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

 

No.  The multi entry went some time ago, from the UK several years ago in fact (I used to get them!).  And the current financial requirement for a signle non-O from the London Embassy website is as below (it can be UK or Thai account).

 

"Financial evidence showing monthly income of no less than 40,000 THB (£1,000) or having the current balance of 400,000 THB (£10,000), e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings
- Applicant’s recent official UK/Ireland bank statement shows your name, address (Screenshots are not accepted). For monthly income of last 3 months no less than £1,000/ month."

 

Yes the criteria is similar to a marriage visa but they cost a lot less which is why it makes more sense to get one of these. So with the Non O now you only get one entry of sixty days, with the option to extend it a further sixty days?

 

43 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

What do you have. 

If you have a reentry permit then you do not have a Multi Entry Non O visa. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I currently have a marriage visa. I had a Non O when I first entered Thailand back in 2022. It's cheaper for me to get a Non O before I go back but by the sound of it this will only last me a maximum of ninety days, with the option to extend it another sixty days. That would give me five months stay. We're planning to go to Hong Kong for a short trip so I'd get another sixty days when I return and that way I could stay for six months in total. Like you say though, if I renew my marriage visa that'll guarantee me six months stay each year without having to lave the country or extend my Non O. It's more expensive to renew my marriage visa but it's now looking like the most sensible way of doing it. 

[Upnotover]

1 minute ago, Siam_Sam said:

Yes the criteria is similar to a marriage visa but they cost a lot less which is why it makes more sense to get one of these. So with the Non O now you only get one entry of sixty days, with the option to extend it a further sixty days. 

No.  You get a single 90 day entry.  And yes, you can then apply for a 60 day extension.

 

2 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

It's more expensive to renew my marriage visa

Not sure why it's more expensive.  Presumably you actually mean a 12 month extension based on family (wife)?  That's 1900 baht.  How you are paying 18,000 is not clear.

[Siam_Sam]

27 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

No.  You get a single 90 day entry.  And yes, you can then apply for a 60 day extension.

 

Not sure why it's more expensive.  Presumably you actually mean a 12 month extension based on family (wife)?  That's 1900 baht.  How you are paying 18,000 is not clear.

 

You're right. My last one cost me 2,500 but the extra 600 baht went in the immigration officer's pocket. The one before that cost me 18k because I didn't have the 400k in a bank account from the province I was living in, it was in a bank account I opened in Bangkok. I'm not sure if that is one of the conditions? Maybe that's not true and I was lied to? When I go back I won't have the money in my account for six months prior to the application (another condition) so I'll get charged 18k again I expect. 

[Upnotover]

17 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

 

You're right. My last one cost me 2,500 but the extra 600 baht went in the immigration officer's pocket. The one before that cost me 18k because I didn't have the 400k in a bank account from the province I was living in, it was in a bank account I opened in Bangkok. I'm not sure if that is one of the conditions? Maybe that's not true and I was lied to? When I go back I won't have the money in my account for six months prior to the application (another condition) so I'll get charged 18k again I expect. 

Sounds like a lot of lies at your office.  No, the money needs to be in a Thai bank account, province is a nonsense requirement.  And it needs to be there 2 months on application, certainly not 6!  I'd consider moving.

[Siam_Sam]

4 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

Sounds like a lot of lies at your office.  No, the money needs to be in a Thai bank account, province is a nonsense requirement.  And it needs to be there 2 months on application, certainly not 6!  I'd consider moving.

 

I had a feeling I'd been lied to. Corruption and lies as standard in Thailand. Where can I find the official criteria for the marriage visa? 

[Upnotover]

9 minutes ago, Siam_Sam said:

 

I had a feeling I'd been lied to. Corruption and lies as standard in Thailand. Where can I find the official criteria for the marriage visa? 

Your office should be able to provide "their" list - but it should be similar to this as an example;