Retirement Visa, 12 Months Or 15?

[PostmanPat]

Hi All,

Have had a retirement type visa for 3 years now, no problems re income levels, and know all the documents you have to produce to get it.

Just one point, though, in these hard times of financial restraint, someone told me that if you go to a border, in my case Mae Sai, as I live in Ch Mai, just a few days before the visa expires, they will in effect stamp you for another 90 days.

In my case my last date is 30 April, so if I go, say, 25 April, will they stamp me until 25 July?? Really trying to find out if this is fact or a myth. Thanks a lot.

[ubonjoe]

I assume you have a multiple entry non-o visa.

If that is the case yes you can leave and re-enter the day before it expires and get another 90 day permit to stay.

[Guest]

I assume you have a multiple entry non-o visa.

If that is the case yes you can leave and re-enter the day before it expires and get another 90 day permit to stay.

Surely, your retirement extension has a date stamped on it. Is it not the case that you must re-new (or leave) on or before that date? Don't the rules state that renewing is every 12 months?

[Lite Beer]

I assume you have a multiple entry non-o visa.

If that is the case yes you can leave and re-enter the day before it expires and get another 90 day permit to stay.

Surely, your retirement extension has a date stamped on it. Is it not the case that you must re-new (or leave) on or before that date? Don't the rules state that renewing is every 12 months?

It all depends on whether he has A Non O Visa or An Extension of stay. He does not say which.

[ubonjoe]

I assume you have a multiple entry non-o visa.

If that is the case yes you can leave and re-enter the day before it expires and get another 90 day permit to stay.

Surely, your retirement extension has a date stamped on it. Is it not the case that you must re-new (or leave) on or before that date? Don't the rules state that renewing is every 12 months?

If he has a 1 year extension of stay based upon retirement it has to be renewed before the permit to stay date at immigration. If you don't get an extension you have to leave on or before the date that the permit to stay ends.

But it sounds like he has a multiple entry visa not an extension.

[WilliamIV]

From what he wrote

maybe he is getting a NEW Visa each year

then as you say with a current Multiple entry he can do it.

But if he is on extension then when he leaves that extension will be invalid.

To re-enter he has to have obtained before leaving a Re-entry Permit

which will have the same expiry date as the Extension had.

Bill

[Lite Beer]

name='WilliamIV' date='2008-12-28 12:05:34' post='2433591'

From what he wrote

maybe he is getting a NEW Visa each year

then as you say with a current Multiple entry he can do it.

Not clear, but that is the way it looks. So yes he can stretch it out to 15 months.

[Maestro]

And it is not clear at all what the OP means with “retirement type visa”. Until he posts here what it exactly says on his visa about the visa classification we can speculate endlessly what he may or may not have.

--

Maestro

[Pib]

Ubonjoe,

Question from me since I have very similar question to the OP. First the situation: A person is on a Multiple Entry O-A Retirement Visa issued from a Thai Consulate in the U.S. The visa stamp states the Visa must be Ultilized Before 10 Aug 09 and this O-A Visa was issued on 11 Aug 08; and the airport immigration arrival stamp (i.e., the person arrived Thailand to utilized the visa) says arrival on 6 Oct 08 and admitted to 5 Oct 09. (Yea, this is my situation but I've adjusted each date by a "constant day factor of X" for a little bit info protection).

The Question: Using above dates, when must a person get an "Extension of Stay" on the O-A Visa to prevent having to reapply/start from scratch for a O-A Retirement Visa (or other long stay visa) in order to get permission to stay/extend another year based on the original O-A Retirement Visa? Is it "before the Utilized Before 10 Aug 09 date on the O-A Visa" OR "is it no later than the Admitted Until 2 Oct 09 date/stamp?" I'm confused on on which date my O-A Visa officially dies "in order to get an extension of stay." I'm thinking it must be before the visa Utilized Before 10 Aug 09 date. Then again....

Big thanks for any clarification you may be able to give. As FYI, I was stationed at Ubon AB many years ago--Ubon was a great duty location.

Cheers, Pib

[Lite Beer]

Ubonjoe,

Question from me since I have very similar question to the OP. First the situation: A person is on a Multiple Entry O-A Retirement Visa issued from a Thai Consulate in the U.S. The visa stamp states the Visa must be Ultilized Before 10 Aug 09 and this O-A Visa was issued on 11 Aug 08; and the airport immigration arrival stamp (i.e., the person arrived Thailand to utilized the visa) says arrival on 6 Oct 08 and admitted to 5 Oct 09. (Yea, this is my situation but I've adjusted each date by a "constant day factor of X" for a little bit info protection).

The Question: Using above dates, when must a person get an "Extension of Stay" on the O-A Visa to prevent having to reapply/start from scratch for a O-A Retirement Visa (or other long stay visa) in order to get permission to stay/extend another year based on the original O-A Retirement Visa? Is it "before the Utilized Before 10 Aug 09 date on the O-A Visa" OR "is it no later than the Admitted Until 2 Oct 09 date/stamp?" I'm confused on on which date my O-A Visa officially dies "in order to get an extension of stay." I'm thinking it must be before the visa Utilized Before 10 Aug 09 date. Then again....

Big thanks for any clarification you may be able to give. As FYI, I was stationed at Ubon AB many years ago--Ubon was a great duty location.

Cheers, Pib

If it is a Multi Entry you must exit and return before 10th August 2009 to get another 12 month stamp.

[WilliamIV]

Extensions are given to Admitted Until stamps

NOT to Visas

[Pib]

[

If it is a Multi Entry you must exit and return before 10th August 2009 to get another 12 month stamp.

You mean I don't have to apply for an Extension of Stay in Aug 09 of my one year O-A retirement visa which expires in Aug 09. Instead, I would only need exit and return (say Aug 09) to get a 12 month stamp/extension. Seems usng this approach a person would never need to Apply for Extension of stay; instead, just exit and return at least once a year. Are you sure? Or maybe, I'm misunderstanding what you are trying to say. Big thanks

[Pib]

Extensions are given to Admitted Until stamps

NOT to Visas

I've heard stories that in order to get an Extension of Stay on a O-A Visa a person must apply/recieve the extension of stay before the 12 Month O-A Visa Utilize Before date. In fact, in a conversation today with another person using a O-A Visa this is what I was told. I will do some more checking to confirm. I did my 90 day reporting at the Bangkok Immigration Bureau and had planned to ask the question, but it was such a mad house (but I was in and out in about 1 hour and 15 minutes) I decided I will ask later plus see what type of responses I get here. Big thanks for the reply and Happy Holidays.

[astral]

Ubonjoe,

Question from me since I have very similar question to the OP. First the situation: A person is on a Multiple Entry O-A Retirement Visa issued from a Thai Consulate in the U.S. The visa stamp states the Visa must be Ultilized Before 10 Aug 09

If it is a Multi Entry you must exit and return before 10th August 2009 to get another 12 month stamp.

You mean I don't have to apply for an Extension of Stay in Aug 09 of my one year O-A retirement visa which expires in Aug 09. Instead, I would only need exit and return (say Aug 09) to get a 12 month stamp/extension. Seems usng this approach a person would never need to Apply for Extension of stay; instead, just exit and return at least once a year. Are you sure? Or maybe, I'm misunderstanding what you are trying to say. Big thanks

It means that you can enter Thailand as many times as you wish, getting a 12 month stamp

each time, UNTIL Aug 09.

If you leave and re-enter just before the date in Aug 09 you will get a further 1 year stamp.

When that expires you will need to apply for an Extension of Stay if you wish to remain in LOS

[Pib]

Thanks. These visas/extensions/etc., can get very confusing. I was looking at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site a few minutes ago regarding O-A visas (link/partial quot below) and the way I read it, a person is allowed to stay in Thailand 1 year from date of "first" entry. Doesn't this indicate additional exits/entries on a person's O-A visa would not give you another 12 months? Not trying to be a pain here; just trying to understand. Big Thanks and Happy Holidays.

***********

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493

5.1 Upon arrival, holder of this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of first entry.

***********

[ubonjoe]

Thanks. These visas/extensions/etc., can get very confusing. I was looking at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site a few minutes ago regarding O-A visas (link/partial quot below) and the way I read it, a person is allowed to stay in Thailand 1 year from date of "first" entry. Doesn't this indicate additional exits/entries on a person's O-A visa would not give you another 12 months? Not trying to be a pain here; just trying to understand. Big Thanks and Happy Holidays.

***********

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493

5.1 Upon arrival, holder of this type of visa will be permitted to stay in Thailand for 1 year from the date of first entry.

***********

5.1 is referring to single entry visa.

If its a multiple entry visa you can leave and re-enter as many times as want until the day before it expires and get one year every entry.

[astral]

Most O-A visa are single entry and valid for one year.

At the end of the year you apply for a further one year extension.

This does not mean that you are trapped in Thailand.

You can apply for a Re-entry permit, single or multiple

to allow you to leave and re-enter whilst maintaining you current visa status.

[Pib]

Most O-A visa are single entry and valid for one year.

At the end of the year you apply for a further one year extension.

This does not mean that you are trapped in Thailand.

You can apply for a Re-entry permit, single or multiple

to allow you to leave and re-enter whilst maintaining you current visa status.

Thanks. I just want to ensure I fully understand the date I must get and extension of stay "to keep my O-A Retirement status alive and well (i.e., can stay 1 year without the need to do 90 day visa runs) without having to start all over to get O-A status."

So, if I'm understanding this right, since I entered on a Multiple Entry O-A Visa, my Extension of Stay application/need date will be Oct 09 (i.e., based on my early Oct 08 entry which generated a Admitted Until Oct 09 date) assuming I "do not" exit/enter Thailand again until Oct 09. But if for example I exit/re-enter in early Aug 09 on my "Multiple Entry O-A Visa with a Utilized Before Aug 09" I can effectively stretch out the need to accomplish the 12 month Extension of Stay until Aug 10 since I would get another 12 month stamp till Aug 10?

Basically, if a person manages entries/exits dates right (trips) and based on his initial entry, it could be up to 24 months before he would need to get and extension of stay on his "initial" O-A status/visa? Repeat, on this "initial" O-A status before he has to apply for a 1 year extension of stay.

I just want to make sure I apply at the right time to prevent having to start over in getting O-A Retirement status OR applying to early and just to waste still valid O-A visa/stay time. I've read stories on this forum when O-A status folks missed a magic date by a few days or months due to date confusion and had to start all over...and it always seemed to stem from a misunderstanding of the O-A Visa's Utilized Before date and actual entry date. Big Thanks and Happy Holidays.

[ubonjoe]

As long as you visa says multiple entry.and as long as you leave and re-enter before the use before date of your visa you get anonther one year entry. That means that in Aug. 2010 you would then need to do an extension.

Yes you can get almost 24 months from your visa.

After you do your last entry in Aug. 09 you will then need to get a re-entry permit at immigration if you want to leave the country.

[Mario2008]

Don't forget to do your 90 day reports when you stay in Thailand for 90 days or longer.

[Lite Beer]

Yes Pib. On the information you have given us you are ok until Aug. 2010. Providing you exit/enter Aug 2009.

[Pib]

Good news indeed...thanks for the info. Sorry if my question(s) which I felt was so closely related to the OP's question may have hijacked the OP's tread. I'll be quiet now and return to concentrating on my Chang Beer. Happy Holidays to All.

[Lite Beer]

Good news indeed...thanks for the info. Sorry if my question(s) which I felt was so closely related to the OP's question may have hijacked the OP's tread. I'll be quiet now and return to concentrating on my Chang Beer. Happy Holidays to All.

You now have another 20 months to enjoy Chang.

[WilliamIV]

I would just add my Usual Caution>

The POTENTIAL Disadvantage of an O-A>

That during the Two Year period the 800k requirement could be increased.

Whereas doing your First Extension EARLY will GrandFather you at 800K

(if previous practise is followed)

Bill

[astral]

Given the currency swings 800K is already onerous for Europeans.

Let's hope there are no more changes.

The Grandfathering is a useful point to consider.

[Jingthing]

Given the currency swings 800K is already onerous for Europeans.

Let's hope there are no more changes.

The Grandfathering is a useful point to consider.

Just Europeans? I think not.