O Visa Question, Could Expiration Date Be Changed?

[John13]

My friend is retired, age 60 married to a Thai woman for about five years, they have three kids, one of which is his. They own their own house and car and live in Pattaya. He was granted a O-visa on March 26, 2006 and applies for an extension every year. He is a buddhist and has an elderly mother living in San Francisco. He returns to San Francisco every year for a couple of months. His father had passed away a couple of years ago, he would like to accompany his mother to the grave site to place food and inscense around the April 6 to 10 time period every year. He says he is unable to because of the March 26 visa expiration date, and his need to apply for extension of stay every year. If possible he would like to have his visa expire a month or so later, so he could go with his mother to visit the grave of his father and family each year (it's like a Chinese Easter). Does anyone know if this is possible and how to do it? Thanks

[lopburi3]

You don't say what kind of extension he applies for - there are three he could use. But if the timing is a problem will assume he is probably using family with proof of 40k monthly income, which requires a return about 30 days later for stamp.

1. He can apply for new extension up to 30 days early (and with an air ticket) probably earlier would be allowed - just ask. That would allow time to get the final extension and a re-entry permit before needing to make the trip.

2. He can use retirement as reason for extension of stay with proof of 65k monthly income (which can be supplemented by bank deposit if income is low). This results in immediate issue of new one year stamp.

3. He can use living with child option without financial requirements (section 7.17(5)) of police order 606/2006.

[marshbags]

I,m not sure if the O.P. is thinking along lines similar to me.

I have a a renewal date determined as the second of July each year according to my entry to the country on my initial application for my annual retirement 'O' visa.

I can apply up to one month prior to this, and indeed i have delayed going back to the U.K. to do so this time.

Ideally i would prefer a later date rather than an earlier one to enable me more flexability, in case of unscheduled delays in getting back before the cut off date that is stamped on the renewals.

I,m inclined to think there isn,t, but if there is, i,d appreciate the way to go to achieve this without having to start from scratch again.

Anytime after the official start of the summer hols in the U.K. would be great in my case ( the last week in July. ) and yes, it,s only 3 weeks later, i know.

If only there was a bit of flexability on this re after the expiry date.

Anyway i for one am not complaining, but it would be nice.

marshbags

[lopburi3]

To start from scratch is not that much work for retirement - you need financial proof and a photo. 1,900 baht for application fee and if you do not have a non immigrant visa 2,000 baht for conversion (and apply for extension about 10 weeks later).

[marshbags]

To start from scratch is not that much work for retirement - you need financial proof and a photo. 1,900 baht for application fee and if you do not have a non immigrant visa 2,000 baht for conversion (and apply for extension about 10 weeks later).

Thanks Lopburi as always and yes it is a way to go and takes the worry out of things, should it happen to any of us, including the O.P. of course.

I was also thinking about keeping my 400k side of things as they are, now, assuming we can revert to this, should the 800k route become difficult somewhere down the road re the bank requirements.

Thanks again

marshbags

[jstumbo]

That really seems like the biggest issue with doing this. If you have to provide all the paperwork for an extension, then you can just not get the extension, and get a non-O visa. Come back and then file the extension 3 months later instead. Only reason this would be an issue would be if you are on an annual extension that allowed you to take care of some grandfathered condition.

[John13]

That really seems like the biggest issue with doing this. If you have to provide all the paperwork for an extension, then you can just not get the extension, and get a non-O visa. Come back and then file the extension 3 months later instead. Only reason this would be an issue would be if you are on an annual extension that allowed you to take care of some grandfathered condition.

i don't quite understand this. it's the slow guy, and this info is for my buddy. he is on an "O" visa given to him when arrived, further details on my initial posting, i reread his email, and he stated that for his extension of stay, which i believe is based on marriage. he needs to show his copies of his marriage certificate and show that he has a pension of 400,000 balt or money in the bank. he wants to know what steps he could take to enable him to move his renewal date back a month or two. please make it simple, because we are slow and old, step by step. thanks.

[jstumbo]

When they changed the rules for an extension of stay based on marriage a couple of years ago, they eliminated the option to have 400K baht in the bank for new people. If you were already getting an extension of stay based on marriage, then you could continue to use the 400K baht in the bank option. But any new people that were applying for an extension of stay could not use that, and instead were limited to the 40K baht per month family income in order to qualify.

So if your friend is using the 400K baht in the bank option, then he would not want to do this, because he would not be able to use that in the future.

If he is using the 40K baht per month family income and does not care about the 400K baht in the bank option, then he could do the following:

1) Do not get an extension of stay next year. Instead just leave before his extension of stay expires and go to SF.

2) While in SF, go to the Thai consulate and apply for a non-O visa based on Thai family. Take all needed documents, (ie: marriage cert, wife id card, etc...)

3) Enjoy his stay in SF.

3) Return to Thailand using the visa (allows a 90 day stay)

4) Go to immigration with about 30 days left on the permission to stay stamp and apply for an extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai.

So if his current extension of stay says he can stay until March 26, 2009, he could just leave without getting a new extension. During his stay he gets a visa from the Thai consulate in SF. And returns to Thailand somewhere around the 1st of June. He will get a stay of 90 days. So after 60 days, he goes to immigration and gets an extension of stay based on marriage and having a family income of 40K baht per month. This will take effect at the end of his 90 day stay on his visa. So it will begin around 1st of September. This will be his new date for getting the extensions of stay.

[lopburi3]

As he wants to continue the family extension my answer in post 2 question 1 is the way to do it. Apply about 30 days prior to expiration - get new extension about March 26th and then get re-entry permit and travel for April visit. If he wants to travel a bit earlier go to Immigration with flight ticket and explanin the reason - they will likely allow him to process a little earlier in that case.

[John13]

When they changed the rules for an extension of stay based on marriage a couple of years ago, they eliminated the option to have 400K baht in the bank for new people. If you were already getting an extension of stay based on marriage, then you could continue to use the 400K baht in the bank option. But any new people that were applying for an extension of stay could not use that, and instead were limited to the 40K baht per month family income in order to qualify.

So if your friend is using the 400K baht in the bank option, then he would not want to do this, because he would not be able to use that in the future.

If he is using the 40K baht per month family income and does not care about the 400K baht in the bank option, then he could do the following:

1) Do not get an extension of stay next year. Instead just leave before his extension of stay expires and go to SF.

2) While in SF, go to the Thai consulate and apply for a non-O visa based on Thai family. Take all needed documents, (ie: marriage cert, wife id card, etc...)

3) Enjoy his stay in SF.

3) Return to Thailand using the visa (allows a 90 day stay)

4) Go to immigration with about 30 days left on the permission to stay stamp and apply for an extension of stay based on marriage to a Thai.

So if his current extension of stay says he can stay until March 26, 2009, he could just leave without getting a new extension. During his stay he gets a visa from the Thai consulate in SF. And returns to Thailand somewhere around the 1st of June. He will get a stay of 90 days. So after 60 days, he goes to immigration and gets an extension of stay based on marriage and having a family income of 40K baht per month. This will take effect at the end of his 90 day stay on his visa. So it will begin around 1st of September. This will be his new date for getting the extensions of stay.

great, i shall forward this information to him. thank you for your help. by the way, i was able to get my O-A retirement multi-entry visa from honolulu this week. thanks, for all that info...as you may recall, i am the slow and old guy, and will be leaving for thailand in sept. returning to kauai in feb, and may not have time to return by next sept. so, you suggested that i do a border run before i leave in feb, then get a reentry permit. do you have suggestion for a border town that would stamp my passport so i could get another year extension on my original visa?

[John13]

As he wants to continue the family extension my answer in post 2 question 1 is the way to do it. Apply about 30 days prior to expiration - get new extension about March 26th and then get re-entry permit and travel for April visit. If he wants to travel a bit earlier go to Immigration with flight ticket and explanin the reason - they will likely allow him to process a little earlier in that case.

thank you for taking time out to reply to my questions. i shall forward it to my friend in pattaya.

[lopburi3]

There are organized trips from both Pattaya and Bangkok in the 2,000 baht range for stamps at the Cambodia border. If you are in another location another border might be better.

[John13]

There are organized trips from both Pattaya and Bangkok in the 2,000 baht range for stamps at the Cambodia border. If you are in another location another border might be better.

thanks, i just wanted to be sure what border or town issued it. because it seems like in thailand and at the border crossing there seem to be no standardized method of many things. i was looking for a proven border which they will give me a one year stamp, so if i can not return by next sept, i will still be good if i return in january. years ago, i wasn't making a border run, but was visiting my then wife's family outisde of ubon, it was around songkran and they had wanted to make a run across the border to laos to do some shopping. the thais at the border didn't know what to do with my passport and didn't bother to stamp it, the same applied with the lao. i had made it a point to ask the border and went as far as going into the office. they didn't want to have anything to do with it. i was a little afraid that since i was entering a communist country, without a visa or stamp that i could have been shot as a spyor put in jail. that is why i am concern. i am sure i would not have that problem on an organized trip, and had only wanted to find out which town i should cross at. i would probably just take the local bus myself to cross the border. thank you for your kindness, i am sorry that i am old and kind of slow.

[jstumbo]

If you are going to Laos before, it sounds like you are in the NE? If so, you could go to Nongkhai and go across there. That is a popular border run. Probably can find border run services in the NE that go there.

[John13]

If you are going to Laos before, it sounds like you are in the NE? If so, you could go to Nongkhai and go across there. That is a popular border run. Probably can find border run services in the NE that go there.

thanks for your help. i have friends in pattaya and will begin make that my home base for the first month and the last month before i return to hawaii. the three months in between, i shall probably check out chiang mai, ko samui, and generally travel around the country and decide where i would like to stay long term.

i like kamala on phuket, but it's probably too expensive for a long term stay.

[JimGant]

i was able to get my O-A retirement multi-entry visa from honolulu this week

Was that from the honorary consulate in Honolulu? (Your previous posts had indicated you were dealing with the Thai Embassy in DC.)

[John13]

i was able to get my O-A retirement multi-entry visa from honolulu this week

Was that from the honorary consulate in Honolulu? (Your previous posts had indicated you were dealing with the Thai Embassy in DC.)

sorry abut my delay to reply, i don't have internet services at home, i stop by the coffee shop early in the mornings for my fix. i don't know if it is a honorary consulate or not, i am on a different island and will stop by next week to pick up my visa, his title is Royal Thailand Consulate General. the lady emailed me that my visa was ready, she was very helpful. i found their site on the web somewhere and emailed him. she replied a couple of weeks later, and i asked her some questions, she brought it up with her supervisors (timing when the police records to be filed/date of application of visa/length of time before using it), i was just a few days off on my entry date to thailand, and quoted an exception which was a little flexable. i have their info listed below:

Royal Thailand Consulate

866 Iwilai Center

Suite 201

Iwilai Road

Honolulu, Hawaii

808 524-7787

[WilliamIV]

There are organized trips from both Pattaya and Bangkok in the 2,000 baht range for stamps at the Cambodia border. If you are in another location another border might be better.

thanks, i just wanted to be sure what border or town issued it. because it seems like in thailand and at the border crossing there seem to be no standardized method of many things. i was looking for a proven border which they will give me a one year stamp, so if i can not return by next sept, i will still be good if i return in january. years ago, i wasn't making a border run, but was visiting my then wife's family outisde of ubon, it was around songkran and they had wanted to make a run across the border to laos to do some shopping. the thais at the border didn't know what to do with my passport and didn't bother to stamp it, the same applied with the lao. i had made it a point to ask the border and went as far as going into the office. they didn't want to have anything to do with it. i was a little afraid that since i was entering a communist country, without a visa or stamp that i could have been shot as a spyor put in jail. that is why i am concern. i am sure i would not have that problem on an organized trip, and had only wanted to find out which town i should cross at. i would probably just take the local bus myself to cross the border. thank you for your kindness, i am sorry that i am old and kind of slow.

i was looking for a proven border which they will give me a one year stamp, so if i can not return by next sept, i will still be good if i return in january.

surely that is not possible ????

[JimGant]

i don't know if it is a honorary consulate or not,

Yes, that's an honorary consulate. Glad to see it remains an issuer of multi entry O-A visas.

How did they deal with the "notarized" requirement for police, medical, and financial documents?

[lopburi3]

There are organized trips from both Pattaya and Bangkok in the 2,000 baht range for stamps at the Cambodia border. If you are in another location another border might be better.

thanks, i just wanted to be sure what border or town issued it. because it seems like in thailand and at the border crossing there seem to be no standardized method of many things. i was looking for a proven border which they will give me a one year stamp, so if i can not return by next sept, i will still be good if i return in january. years ago, i wasn't making a border run, but was visiting my then wife's family outisde of ubon, it was around songkran and they had wanted to make a run across the border to laos to do some shopping. the thais at the border didn't know what to do with my passport and didn't bother to stamp it, the same applied with the lao. i had made it a point to ask the border and went as far as going into the office. they didn't want to have anything to do with it. i was a little afraid that since i was entering a communist country, without a visa or stamp that i could have been shot as a spyor put in jail. that is why i am concern. i am sure i would not have that problem on an organized trip, and had only wanted to find out which town i should cross at. i would probably just take the local bus myself to cross the border. thank you for your kindness, i am sorry that i am old and kind of slow.

i was looking for a proven border which they will give me a one year stamp, so if i can not return by next sept, i will still be good if i return in january.

surely that is not possible ????

What is not possible? He received a multi entry non Immigrant OA visa this past week so you can entry at any point in Thailand and receive a one year permitted to stay stamp next January. He can entr up until May xx, 2009 and receive a one year permitted to stay stamp from whatever date he enters.

[John13]

i don't know if it is a honorary consulate or not,

Yes, that's an honorary consulate. Glad to see it remains an issuer of multi entry O-A visas.

How did they deal with the "notarized" requirement for police, medical, and financial documents?

i had received email from that lady at the consulate at the time, and she said that i need not notarized my documents, i guess she made a exception for me? i did have my police record stamped by the police clerk when i received it. i had also included the original of my pension statement from my HR, a copy of my e-ticket, a copy of my marriage and divorce from my wife in thailand for their information. i was prepared for an interview, and was surprised when she called me to imform me that my visa was approved, and that i did not included an return envelope. i'll stop by next week to pick it up. by the way, she said her hours were from 10 am to 2 pm.

[L&J]

I get so confused on this expiration issue. We got the Retirement Visa in May 2007 and entered Thailand in July, 2007.

We have been in/out of Thailand several times with the multi-entry visa, the latest two weeks ago. When we came back they stamped in the passport

saying we could stay until May 2009. Is it necessary to renew the visa before July 2008, when we first entered the Kingdom or are we somehow

extended until May, 2009? _Thanks-JOHN

[lopburi3]

You are permitted to remain until May 2009 because you entered again before your visa expiration date - so you received a new one year permitted to stay stamp. For any future travel out of Thailand you must obtain a re-entry permit first to keep that May 2009 date alive. In April 2009 visit Immigration to make your first extension of stay.