Renewing Non Immigrant "0" Visa

[Asmerom]

Can you renew the non-immigrant "0" Visa in Chiang Mai for another year as one poster on the Chiang Mai Forum Board says he has done? Would he have had to prove his income ? He doesn't say he transferred to A Retirement Visa when I know you do.

My multiple entry non -immigrant "0" Visa gives me entry till 15th December 2008 and the Visa itself expires January 15th 2009. Could I go now to Chiang Mai Immigration and ask for my Visa to be renewed for one year as the poster says he has done, and in the process skip the imminent Visa run? Sounds unlikely , but I'm confused by this poster.

[Jingthing]

Yes, you can get an annual extension (each year you want) based on retirement if you are currently in Thailand on an O visa. You can even convert a 30 day stamp or tourist visa to an O visa IN Thailand and then get an annual extension based on retirement. You do, however, need to QUALIFY for this. Be over 50, have pension letter from your embassy or 800K in a Thai bank for at least three months, or a combo of both. Good luck.

[ubonjoe]

If you are asking about getting an extension for retirement you can do it now if you wish. Of course you need to be at least 50 years old.

You will need 800,000 baht in the bank for 3 months or a letter from your embassy/consulate proving income of 65,000 baht per month or a combination of the two that totals to 800,000 baht (in this case it does not need to be in bank 3 months). For both types of bank deposit your will need a letter from bank confirming the balance.

[Jingthing]

Another implied question from the OP is about the validity of the O visa. If you get annual extensions while on your current O visa, and keep getting these extensions, you NEVER need to apply for another O visa, never, ever.

[hansnl]

Yes, you can get an annual extension (each year you want) based on retirement if you are currently in Thailand on an O visa. You can even convert a 30 day stamp or tourist visa to an O visa IN Thailand and then get an annual extension based on retirement. You do, however, need to QUALIFY for this. Be over 50, have pension letter from your embassy or 800K in a Thai bank for at least three months, or a combo of both. Good luck.

And!!!!!!!

In the case of a 30-day stamp, only 9 days old, 21 days to go.

If you do this the first time the 21 days are, or might be, important.

Next time, not so important any more.

[Jingthing]

True that, hansnl. I only intended to provide a general overview, but you are correct.

[Asmerom]

Another implied question from the OP is about the validity of the O visa. If you get annual extensions while on your current O visa, and keep getting these extensions, you NEVER need to apply for another O visa, never, ever.

I'm sorry but I'm still not clear. NO, NO, about getting an extension based on retirement. I believe I am absolutely clear about the rules for that.

But I was specifically asking, Can you get an extension of your 0 Visa NOT BASED ON RETIREMENT, when the necessity to prove income clearly applies?

Can you get one year's extension of the multiple entry 0 Visa here in Chiang Mai WITHOUT HAVING TO PROVE INCOME? I was under the impression that having to prove income applied only to a RETIREMENT VISA and NOT simply getting a one year extension of your present 0 Visa. Are these two different things OR NOT?

And I simply don't understand this post by Jingthing. Are you saying I CAN get an extension of my 0 Visa here in Chiang Mai WITHOUT HAVING TO PROVE INCOME ? The form they gave me was TM7 and a leaflet telling me to produce INCOME STATEMENTS. Isn't that a RETIREMENT VISA?

[ubonjoe]

No you cannot renew your non-o visa. You have to go to a Thai consulate for that.

You can only get a 1 year extension that requires proof of income or money in bank.

Remember that you can gain some more time if you make a border run on the 14th of January and get another 90 days.

Edited December 4, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Jingthing]

I was speaking of extensions based on retirement only. You do not need to show income if you can show the needed bank account monies (if over 50).

Edited December 4, 2008 by Jingthing

[scorpio1945]

Totally confused SNOW BIRD FARANG. I am coming to CM for 4 months 12 days on a non Imm O single entry (if airport open). Previous postings lead me to believe I simply needed to report to Immigration before 90 days to recieve a 90 day extention and there were no income or asset requirements. Is this incorrect? If this is incorrect would I go to the US Embassy to provide proof of income or assets. I am confused about the use of the word "extention" and how it applys to the 90 day and annual requirements. Another issue is thati can show monthly pension income of about 58K/mo income the majority of my assets are in IRA investment accounts (stocks,bonds and mutual funds) I simply draw out what I need. Thus there is no static income (other than the bonds) but rather variable dividends. Is that an issue? do I need to do some kind of transfer before the 90 days. I thouht I had this wrapped up until I started reading the "new regulations" postings.

[Jingthing]

scorpio, assuming this is just one trip and you are not planning to move to Thailand and already have the single entry O visa, if I were you near the end of the 90 days go to the Thai embassy in Vientiane Laos and get a single entry tourist visa good for 60 additional days. Using your O plus the tourist visa will see you through the trip. Maybe someone else has a better idea, but I don't understand why you are concerned about annual extensions and financial requirements for such a short trip.

If you don't already have an O visa, you can also manage this trip using a double entry tourist visa (they can be extended 30 days in Thailand) but this still would require a quick trip to Laos or another country.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

Totally confused SNOW BIRD FARANG. I am coming to CM for 4 months 12 days on a non Imm O single entry (if airport open). Previous postings lead me to believe I simply needed to report to Immigration before 90 days to recieve a 90 day extention and there were no income or asset requirements. Is this incorrect? If this is incorrect would I go to the US Embassy to provide proof of income or assets. I am confused about the use of the word "extention" and how it applys to the 90 day and annual requirements. Another issue is thati can show monthly pension income of about 58K/mo income the majority of my assets are in IRA investment accounts (stocks,bonds and mutual funds) I simply draw out what I need. Thus there is no static income (other than the bonds) but rather variable dividends. Is that an issue? do I need to do some kind of transfer before the 90 days. I thouht I had this wrapped up until I started reading the "new regulations" postings.

You will not get a 90 day extention. Only 1 year extentions are possible.

I don't know where you got your information about a 90 day extention. There has never been one.

If you had a multiple entry visa you would have to leave the country and re-enter to get an additional 90 days.

If you aready have a single entry non-o. With the recent change to the visa exempt entry rules if you make a border run now you will only get a 15 day permit to stay.

It seems like the best thing for you to do is to make a trip to Vientiane Laos and get a single entry tourist visa before the end of your 90 days or earlier if you wish.

Edited December 4, 2008 by ubonjoe

[Asmerom]

I was speaking of extensions based on retirement only. You do not need to show income if you can show the needed bank account monies (if over 50).

Thankyou for these replies which were most helpful, ubonjoe and jingthing. I am now asbsolutely clear that I CANNOT get an extension of my non-imm "O" Visa in Chiang Mai without resorting to the money rules just as if I was transferring to a Retirement Visa. They seem to be identical things.

I was going to go to Mae Sai border (to extend my O Visa for 90 days) and now another poster on the Chiang Mai Forum thinks you can only get a one month stamp there ! Is that correct?

To apply for a non imm "O" Visa you do have to be in another country and go to a Thai Consulate ,say Vientiene. Is that correct?

You cannot get this Visa at Mae Sai because there is no Thai consulate there. Is that correct?

[Lite Beer]

I was going to go to Mae Sai border (to extend my O Visa for 90 days) and now another poster on the Chiang Mai Forum thinks you can only get a one month stamp there ! Is that correct?

You will get 90 days.

To apply for a non imm "O" Visa you do have to be in another country and go to a Thai Consulate ,say Vientiene. Is that correct?

Correct

You cannot get this Visa at Mae Sai because there is no Thai consulate there. Is that correct?

Correct.

[Asmerom]

I was going to go to Mae Sai border (to extend my O Visa for 90 days) and now another poster on the Chiang Mai Forum thinks you can only get a one month stamp there ! Is that correct?

You will get 90 days.

To apply for a non imm "O" Visa you do have to be in another country and go to a Thai Consulate ,say Vientiene. Is that correct?

Correct

You cannot get this Visa at Mae Sai because there is no Thai consulate there. Is that correct?

Correct.

Once again, I simply must record my gratitude and thanks for the reliable, responsive, patient, knowledgeable, and understanding members of this board whose ability to answer complicated questions seems infinite. Such unusual competence is a real and comforting pleasure to behold.