Penang Non-imm O Multi-entry Renew Success

[markwhite]

I can't find another live thread on this right now, so here's yet another Penang update:

I previously held a one year multi-entry obtained on the basis of visiting family (recently married) obtained in Jun 2007, I'd done 4 border runs each without overstay and entered for the last time just before expiry of the visa. So I'd got about 15 months out of the visa.

My usual agents in Penang confirmed that if I held a previous one year multi-entry that had not expired and could provide my marriage certificate, wife's ID card and tabien bahn, and a copy of the house rental agreement as we don't own, then there would be no requirement to prove any funds held anywhere. So no Thai bank book required.

Sure enough, I got it. Agents fee was 50 ringgit, and I paid an extra 50 for the express service so I could get back home a day quicker with my visa ready at the agents before 11:30am. Non-express service gets the visa back after 2:30pm. And the visa fee is now 550 ringgit.

I hope this is good news for some who would prefer to use Penang rather than the others, though I suppose it is possible that other agents might have different outcomes.

The agents used were Banana New Guesthouse on Chulia Street.

[jchen]

This IS very good news. Congratulations.

An excellent update markwhite, much appreciated, thank you.

[Marcati]

I can't find another live thread on this right now, so here's yet another Penang update:

I previously held a one year multi-entry obtained on the basis of visiting family (recently married) obtained in Jun 2007, I'd done 4 border runs each without overstay and entered for the last time just before expiry of the visa. So I'd got about 15 months out of the visa.

My usual agents in Penang confirmed that if I held a previous one year multi-entry that had not expired and could provide my marriage certificate, wife's ID card and tabien bahn, and a copy of the house rental agreement as we don't own, then there would be no requirement to prove any funds held anywhere. So no Thai bank book required.

Sure enough, I got it. Agents fee was 50 ringgit, and I paid an extra 50 for the express service so I could get back home a day quicker with my visa ready at the agents before 11:30am. Non-express service gets the visa back after 2:30pm. And the visa fee is now 550 ringgit.

I hope this is good news for some who would prefer to use Penang rather than the others, though I suppose it is possible that other agents might have different outcomes.

The agents used were Banana New Guesthouse on Chulia Street.

Out of curiosity why did you leave the country to get your Non-O Visa renewed? According to Thai Immigration I thought you can renew it in-country once you have it??

"...12 month extension to a non-immigrant visa: If you are holding a non-immigrant visa, you have the option of extending this by 12 months based on either retirement (50 years old or over) or support to a Thai citizen, work, education and such. This may only be accomplished at an immigration office inside the Kingdom and certain criteria have to be met. Such extensions consist of a stamp in your passport detailing “issue date” and “permitted to stay until” date."

Marc

[astral]

Out of curiosity why did you leave the country to get your Non-O Visa renewed?

According to Thai Immigration I thought you can renew it in-country once you have it??

Perhaps the OP does not have the necessary family income to justify the

one year extension from Immigration in Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

Out of curiosity why did you leave the country to get your Non-O Visa renewed? According to Thai Immigration I thought you can renew it in-country once you have it??

"...12 month extension to a non-immigrant visa: If you are holding a non-immigrant visa, you have the option of extending this by 12 months based on either retirement (50 years old or over) or support to a Thai citizen, work, education and such. This may only be accomplished at an immigration office inside the Kingdom and certain criteria have to be met. Such extensions consist of a stamp in your passport detailing "issue date" and "permitted to stay until" date."

Marc

Some people do it because they cannot meet all the requirements for the one year extension or just don't do it for personal reasons.

[torrenova]

Rough (very) costs are:

Pay tax on some 40k a month or remit 40k a month and prove where it comes from (approx 2k per month I think)

Whatever the annual fee is to renew (say 2k)

Total 26k per year

versus

Trip to Penang (taxis and flight say 7000)

Hotel (1000)

Agents (1000 rough)

Visa fee (5000 rough)

3 border runs (I know you can do 4 but only 3 required to complete 12 months) (7000 rough)

Total 21k for 12 months

So not much in it I reckon. Depends on the individual I think and how much they like visa runs.

[Maestro]

Thank you, Torrenova, for this calculation. I have bookmarked your post and will take the liberty of linking to it when the occasion arises, in fact have already done so today in this post.

--

Maestro

[ubonjoe]

I am inclined to disagree with Torrenova's figures.

He is basing it on the assumption of paying taxes to prove income. If you obtain an income certification from a consulate the figure can be easily reduced to the cost of going to the consulate and getting the certification and then 1900 for the extension. In my case it gets reduced to about 6000 baht for me because I have to travel to BKK for the certification. If in bkk already its only 1900 for the application, pictures, transportation and whatever the consulate charges.

The tax side then depends on the individual whether they pay any tax or not. If its coming from outside Thailand then you don't technically have to pay tax on it.

Also if you use 480,000 as gross income for the year and use the standard deductions plus other allowable decuctions you can end up with zero tax due.

The visa run to Penang costs also can go up by as much as 5000 baht or more dependent on where you live.

Me I don't like visa runs because they pin you down to a certain time frame and waste a lot of time. I would rather spend the money for a trip somewhere at my leasure than spend it on on visa runs.

Also for an individual that is thinking about applying for permanent residency you have to have one year extensions. And in this case if you can get the income certification you only have to show a gross income of 360,000 per year to meet income requirements.

Edited September 23, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Maestro]

I am inclined to disagree with Torrenova's figures.

He is basing it on the assumption of paying taxes to prove income. If you obtain an income certification from a consulate the figure can be easily reduced to the cost of going to the consulate and getting the certification and then 1900 for the extension. ...

You have to take Torrnova’s post in the context of this topic, ie it applies to a foreigner married to a Thai wife who has no income of his own to get the embassy certification and thus qualify for the marriage extension. In such situation, it is a valid alternative to getting back-to-back multiple-entry non-O visas, hence the cost comparison with this.

--

Maestro

[blam]

I severely dislike dealing with Thai immigration here in Phuket. They are far too interested in what I do, and further, what I can do for them. (None of your business, heh) Been dealing with this in Chiang Mai for 20 years previous as well. Therefore: I have found lately that yearly trips on down to Penang with Firefly, then up to Langkawi for a couple of days, then back again, are actually quite nice really and the visa agents on Cheula St. could not be more helpful and genuinely friendly. Very much nicer than dealing with Thai toothy grins accompanied by brain spinning smoke out of ears burning gears that I always get in Phuket Town.

To each his own.

Thanks for the update here markwhite.

[astral]

Everyone to their own.

I must say I do like a change of scene once in awhile.

[PoorSucker]

Rough (very) costs are:...

You forgot renewal stamps in the WP, one per year vs 4 per year.

[RandyWhite]

Rough (very) costs are:...

By comparison a cheap and cheerful tourist visa run works out roughly as follows for me:

Indian agent - 20 ringgit *(or thereabouts)

Tourist 60 day - 110 R*

Pin Seng Hotel - 20R./day X 3*

Air Asia - 5,500Bt.*

Watch out for the van to the border: last time it took over 4 hours just to get off the island (No shit!)

BTW next week I will see whether I can get a 60-day TR after my previous Vientianne TR run and my Penang TR run before that where I got the red "may not be granted a visa next time" stamp.

Anyway, with Nongkhai likely to be flooded peneng seems the best bet.

RAW.

Edited October 22, 2008 by Maestro
Reduced quoted text - Maestro

[fred2007]

Congratulations Mark to your new visa I did get mine in Kl I used no agent I just took my wife along as I normally do on every border run I did not even have to pay her a fee (just a nice meal in an indian restaurant ) I guess she knows more then all the agents do