Quick Question

[Savanna]

Hi

If you have a 1 year non-immigrant type O visa, do you have to leave Thailand every 3 months or just report to an immigration office?

If you have a student or education 1 year visa do you have to leave Thailand every 3 months, report to an immigration office or just leave it for a whole year?

[Lite Beer]

Hi

If you have a 1 year non-immigrant type O visa, do you have to leave Thailand every 3 months or just report to an immigration office?

You have to leave and come back every 90 days.

[Guest]

Is this a question about 2 different visas?

Edited January 23, 2008 by Guest

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Is this a question about 2 different visas?

Indeed, it sure is a question about 2 different visa's.

[lopburi3]

If you are here on any visa entry, other than long stay, you are provided a 90 day or less entry. Only if you extend your stay at Immigration will you not have to leave every 90 days or less.

[Savanna]

If you are here on any visa entry, other than long stay, you are provided a 90 day or less entry. Only if you extend your stay at Immigration will you not have to leave every 90 days or less.

How do you know if you visa is a long stay visa?

Why give someone a 1 year visa if they have to leave every 30 days anyway??

[Lite Beer]

If you are here on any visa entry, other than long stay, you are provided a 90 day or less entry. Only if you extend your stay at Immigration will you not have to leave every 90 days or less.

How do you know if you visa is a long stay visa?

Why give someone a 1 year visa if they have to leave every 30 days anyway??

Because it will be a 1 year Multi Entry Visa. Each entry being 90 days maximum. Meaning you have to leave Thailand at least every 90 days and come back.

If you extend this Visa at an Immigration office it becomes a 1 year extended stay, not a Visa and lets you stay for 1 year.

On this 1 year extension you have to report to an Immigration office in Thailand every 90 days.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Lite Beer

[Mahout Angrit]

How do you know if you visa is a long stay visa?

Why give someone a 1 year visa if they have to leave every 30 days anyway??

With A Non Imm visa you will only be given 90 days to remain in Thailand on arrival, during that time, if you have a valid reason and evidence, you can extend it so you can remain in Thailand for 1 year. That extension can be perpetually renewed annually provided you continue to have the reason to stay.

If you get a Multi Entry Non Imm visa it will allow you to enter Thailand as many times as you wish for a period of 1 year, each time the stay is restricted to only 90 days (so you must leave and re-enter Thailand every 90 days). You can also apply for a 1 year extension if you have a Multi Entry but it is not necessary to do that to remain in Thailand for 15 months, provided you exit the country every 90 days.

This applies to both O or ED type visas.

It is not possible to get a 1 year visa from a Consulate/Embassy overseas (ie a visa that allows you to stay in Thailand 1 year without extension or exit/re-entry)

With a 1 year extension you have to report to immigration in country every 90 days.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Mahout Angrit

[Crossy]

It is not possible to get a 1 year visa from a Consulate/Embassy overseas (ie a visa that allows you to stay in Thailand 1 year without extension or exit/re-entry)

Just to add the rider to the above in that you CAN get a 1 year visa from an embassy in the form of a non-immigrant OA (retirement) visa, this gives you a full year on entry although you must do the 90 day address reporting drill.

If you can get a multi entry version of the OA you can stay two years with only one border run Of course you must fulfil the requirements of being over 50 and a bunch of other stuff.

[Savanna]

So once I arrive in Thailand with my 1 year non immigrant type O visa I can go to the immigration people to get it extended (say if I was renting a house and my daughter was in school or I was still staying with my friends who I originally came over to see) to a one year extension and then won't have to leave the country just report to immigration every 90 days??

*trying to wrap head around all this new info*

[Crossy]

So once I arrive in Thailand with my 1 year non immigrant type O visa I can go to the immigration people to get it extended (say if I was renting a house and my daughter was in school or I was still staying with my friends who I originally came over to see) to a one year extension and then won't have to leave the country just report to immigration every 90 days??

On what grounds will you be applying for your "O" visa? If it's anything other than RETIREMENT (in which case it's an OA) you're on 90 day border runs.

If you meet the requirements for the 1 year extension (usually marriage to a Thai, possibly as the supporter of a child with an ED visa) then you only have to do the address reporting (can do by post).

We need to know exactly what your situation will be, do you intend working, how are you going to finance your stay, are you married (nationality of spouse), your nationality etc etc etc.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Crossy

[Lite Beer]

So once I arrive in Thailand with my 1 year non immigrant type O visa I can go to the immigration people to get it extended (say if I was renting a house and my daughter was in school or I was still staying with my friends who I originally came over to see) to a one year extension and then won't have to leave the country just report to immigration every 90 days??

*trying to wrap head around all this new info*

If you were over 50, or Married to a Thai, or your daughter was in school and you had 500,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

YES.

For staying with friends or renting a house.

NO

[Mahout Angrit]

So once I arrive in Thailand with my 1 year non immigrant type O visa I can go to the immigration people to get it extended (say if I was renting a house and my daughter was in school or I was still staying with my friends who I originally came over to see) to a one year extension and then won't have to leave the country just report to immigration every 90 days??

*trying to wrap head around all this new info*

To be pedantic there isn't a 1 year non immigrant O visa only a multi entry visa valid for 1 year.

You will have to get the Non Imm ED for your daughter (with all the necessary evidence from the school) and the Non Imm O for yourself based on supporting your daughter. Once in Thailand you apply for the extensions to 1 year for both of you based on the same reasons and having funds in a Thai bank account. You then will not need to leave the country only report to immigration

[Mahout Angrit]

On what grounds will you be applying for your "O" visa? If it's anything other than RETIREMENT (in which case it's an OA) you're on 90 day border runs.

If you meet the requirements for the 1 year extension (usually marriage to a Thai, possibly as the supporter of a child with an ED visa) then you only have to do the address reporting (can do by post).

We need to know exactly what your situation will be, do you intend working, how are you going to finance your stay, are you married (nationality of spouse), your nationality etc etc etc.

Background in this thread

[Savanna]

I am South African (34) my husband is South African (34) my daughter is South African (4).

My husband works offshore and he will be putting money into my account every month to live off. I will not be working. My daughter will be attending pre-school.

"The Non-immigrant Visa can be granted for the following purposes of visit:-

Category "B" - conduct business as employee of non Thai company OR to work for a Thai company.

Category "ED" - study, attend/participate in seminar/conference/exhibition, attend as official at recognised event, attend training course (teaching English, scuba diving, Thai boxing, etc) OR study a Buddhist monk. This category does not allow paid employment

Category "O" - visit friends/family, for extended stay in Thailand, visit as UK pensioner, to work as a volunteer, and to seek work/employment. This category does not alloow paid or unpaid employment without a work permit."

[lopburi3]

The Official normal use of O visa as outlined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is:

other activities (Category "O") as follows:

to stay with the family, to perfrom duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to stay after retirement for the elderly, to receive medical treatment, to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process.

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2489

[dr_Pat_Pong]

So once I arrive in Thailand with my 1 year non immigrant type O visa I can go to the immigration people to get it extended (say if I was renting a house and my daughter was in school or I was still staying with my friends who I originally came over to see) to a one year extension and then won't have to leave the country just report to immigration every 90 days??

On what grounds will you be applying for your "O" visa? If it's anything other than RETIREMENT (in which case it's an OA) you're on 90 day border runs.

If you meet the requirements for the 1 year extension (usually marriage to a Thai, possibly as the supporter of a child with an ED visa) then you only have to do the address reporting (can do by post).

We need to know exactly what your situation will be, do you intend working, how are you going to finance your stay, are you married (nationality of spouse), your nationality etc etc etc.

A retirement visa can be an O-A if applied for in ones home country, but an O visa can also be granted based on retirement.

[Savanna]

lopburi would my type O visa be questioned? Why does the UK version vary so much then? I am so scared I get deported or something hahahaa

[lopburi3]

As long as acquired in accordance with Consulate regulations it is not normally questioned for entry. Various Consulates will ask different things. But for long term family stay do not believe many would consider it ideal - the source of such a visa or the requirements could change at any time. But basically you should be good for 90 day stays during the year that it is valid.

[Crossy]

A retirement visa can be an O-A if applied for in ones home country, but an O visa can also be granted based on retirement.

I don't want to questsion admin, but are you sure of this??

Surely an O obtained for reason 'retirement' and giving 12 month stays is an OA? or does O obtained for reason 'retirement' actually give only 90 day stays??

[lopburi3]

It gives you 90 day stays the same a multi entry non immigrant O issued for any other reason. Only the specific OA (which is pre-approved for a one year stay) provides that. For that you have to provide police check/medical/financial information.

[Mahout Angrit]

lopburi would my type O visa be questioned? Why does the UK version vary so much then? I am so scared I get deported or something hahahaa

Once the visa is issued it is unlikely to be questioned by immigration on arrival (as they don't know the extent (or otherwise)of the paperwork you provided to get it). So no deportation.

You could stay in Thailand for 15 months on a Non Imm O by leaving every 90 days but as Lopburi emphasised it would not be ideal. As you have already found, different consulates/embassies have different requirements to issue such a visa and if you check this forum you will find that getting such a visa is very difficult from neighbouring consulates.

As it is at present you may be able to fly to UK and get one issued every year but then again requirements there may change. For your own peace of mind you should try to arrange it as suggested and apply for the extension of stay.

If you can't get any kind of Non Imm O from SA then you can arrive on a tourist visa, sort out the education for your daughter and change your visas once in Thailand, it may involve one trip to a nearby consulate or it may be possible to change to a Non Imm in country if you satisfy the requirements, I'm sure Lopburi will confirm this.