Advise On Rules For Multiple Entry Non-immigrant Visa

[beanfeast]

hi all

i recently married a thai national,early next yr im planning to spend 1 yr in thailand with my spouse on a multiple non immigrant o visa,which im aware allows me 3 90 day entrys for up to 1 yr,ive read some information from a thai embassy in my home country that suggests or how i percieved it that if you dont wish to leave thailand every 3 months you can go to an immigration boarder control office in thailand to activate the next 90 days,have i misunderstood this :/.if so do i have to leave thailand every 3 months?and whats the easiest root to go for activating the next 90 day from bangkok?

appreciate any advise

simon

[Brigante7]

Hi Beanfeast, I'm in the same position as you mate, but from what I can understand with a 1 year multy entry Non O visa you can stay in Thailand for 90 days at a time but you have to do a visa run before the 90 days is up, then you re-enter Thailand and get a new 90 day stamp and so on. If you do your final visa run around 2 days before the end of the visa, you will get another 90 days giving you around 15 months in total. If I'm wrong then I hope somebody will correct me, all the best and enjoy yourself.

[LivinginKata]

During your first 90 days you can go to any Thai Immigration office and apply for a one year extension, subject to you being married to a Thai National, and having a joint income of 40,000 baht/month. The documents required have been well discussed in other topics on this forum. Once you have the extension you do not have to leave Thailand, you only have to check into any Immigration office every 90 days (for notfication of address in Thailand).

[Crossy]

During your first 90 days you can go to any Thai Immigration office and apply for a one year extension, subject to you being married to a Thai National, and having a joint income of 40,000 baht/month. The documents required have been well discussed in other topics on this forum. Once you have the extension you do not have to leave Thailand, you only have to check into any Immigration office every 90 days (for notfication of address in Thailand).

Actually you can do this during the last 30 days of any of your entries, although if an extension is your goal it's not worth paying the extra for the multi-entry visa. Do note however that getting the extension is something of a pain with lots of documentation required.

If you only intend remaining for about a year, I'd stick with your original plan of a multi-entry and do border hops every 90 days, making your final run a day or so before the expiry of your visa will net you a final 90 days stay allowing you squeeze up to 15 months out of your visa.

BTW there is no limit to the number of entries, each will get a new 90 day stamp.

[gzu88bv]

During your first 90 days you can go to any Thai Immigration office and apply for a one year extension, subject to you being married to a Thai National, and having a joint income of 40,000 baht/month. The documents required have been well discussed in other topics on this forum. Once you have the extension you do not have to leave Thailand, you only have to check into any Immigration office every 90 days (for notfication of address in Thailand).

LivinginKata or any other expert, please confirm what you are saying here, e.g. that from the very first till the very last day of your first 90 days after entry with a new Non-O-Visa, and only then, and when married to a Thai and having a 40K monthly Income, one is entitled to an Extension.

The reason why I ask is that I know of a couple who did met above requirements, but was clearly told to run down his present visa and seek his Extension just 3-4 weeks prior the latest stamp to stay date.

We should not discuss whether it is wise do that (money spent), but only to be seen from a technical standpoint

[Crossy]

LivinginKata or any other expert, please confirm what you are saying here, e.g. that from the very first till the very last day of your first 90 days after entry with a new Non-O-Visa, and only then, and when married to a Thai and having a 40K monthly Income, one is entitled to an Extension.

The reason why I ask is that I know of a couple who did met above requirements, but was clearly told to run down his present visa and seek his Extension just 3-4 weeks prior the latest stamp to stay date.

Yes, you should apply for the extension during the final 30 days of an entry permit, you'll usually get a 30 day 'under consideration' stamp (together with a possible home visit from the police) before finally getting approved.

The 40k income needs to be demonstrated, either by an embassy letter (for overseas income) or by tax receipts (for a Thai income).

[lopburi3]

You can apply for extension of stay during the last 30 days of your current permitted to stay stamp. So it can normally be a single entry visa or any entry of a multi entry visa. But as with everything your mileage may vary.

[LivinginKata]

I don't consider myself an 'expert', I am just relating my own personal experiences when visiting Phuket Immigration. Just a few months back I assited one of my long stay guests to apply for his one year extension for the first time and his application was sucessful AND it was before the last 30 days. It's been my experience that applications can be made ANYTIME in the 90 days. Many officiers try to make excuses to delay applications just to save themselves the work on that day. A 500 baht 'good service tip' works wonders.

[lopburi3]

You have never seen me call myself an expert at anything; and I don't recall anyone else claiming to be experts. We are providing information as best we can and as accurately as we can. As immigration is full of exceptions and personal experiences that are out of the ordinary this is not an exact science.

Paying bribes is not, and should not, be normal policy. By most reports Immigration likes to see the application during the last 30 days unless there are reasons, such as a trip, making that timing a problem.

[LivinginKata]

lopburi3... you are the one who implied I was an expert ?? Who mentioned 'bribes' ?? Ok, in future I won't bother answering any questions, just not worth the aggravation...

[Crossy]

Many officiers try to make excuses to delay applications just to save themselves the work on that day. A 500 baht 'good service tip' works wonders.

Sorry, Livinginkata, but that looks like a bribe to me Or is there a difference between a 'good service tip' and a bribe?

[LivinginKata]

Sorry, Livinginkata, but that looks like a bribe to me Or is there a difference between a 'good service tip' and a bribe?

Said I was not going to contribute any more, but since you asked. If any official tries to extort any money out of me then I refuse point blank. If I get reasonable service in a polite manner then I CHOOSE to give a gratuity, much like I would do in a resturant. I do not consider that a bribe.

[Crossy]

Sorry, Livinginkata, but that looks like a bribe to me Or is there a difference between a 'good service tip' and a bribe?

Said I was not going to contribute any more, but since you asked. If any official tries to extort any money out of me then I refuse point blank. If I get reasonable service in a polite manner then I CHOOSE to give a gratuity, much like I would do in a resturant. I do not consider that a bribe.

OK, I understand, I think Lop was reading it the same way as myself. Assuming you give the prezzy AFTER receiving good service it's not a bribe (well, it could be construed as an early bribe for next time)

Obviously up2u, but a gratuity of 500 does seem a little OTT for a service costing 1900, I just hope they don't come to expect the something extra

[beanfeast]

ok

thankyou all for your input,as initially im going for a duration of up to 1 yr,not eligible for working because its just an non immagrant visa o and will be living off savings and limited funds thus not able to show the 40k a month combined earnings i will assume from everybodys imformation that i have to do the preverbial visa run every 90 days,can anyboby tell me the easiest and cheapest route to the closest border for getting my visa stamped from bangkok

many thanks everybody for their help

[lopburi3]

A non immigrant O visa can be used to obtain a work permit if you find employment.

You will have to exit/enter other country and return every 90 days and from Bangkok there are organized mini bus trips to the Cambodian border for this - cost is about 2,000 baht. There are advertised in the classified sections of English newspapers.

[The Professor]

I dont think offering a 500 baht "tip" or any tip to an immigration official is a wise idea, nor do I think the official would accept such "tip" with all of his peers closeby and watching. Makes for an odd situation I think