InterestedObserver Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Most people can not differentiate between a visa and an extension of stay, and the various dates associated with each. Therein lies the problem. It would help if people kept them separated in their minds, they are two different things serving two different purposes. A visa allows entry into Thailand, while an extension of stay extends the time you are permitted to stay in Thailand. It's like talking about mangoes and oranges in the same sentence, they are both fruit but not quite the same fruit. If your wife sends you out to buy some mangoes, you certainly don't want to bring home oranges. Not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 You actually have to do a border run before Aug 12th to get another 12 months. Then you can leave and use the Re Entry Permit. I may have missed this in all the dialogue....but by already getting a re-entry permit, he has effectively cancelled his visa. So, the option to leave and enter Thailand before Aug 12th -- and get a new one-year permitted to stay stamp -- is, I believe, dead. As pointed out, where it calls for 'visa number' on your arrival card, you instead write your re-entry permit number, which has effectively replaced your visa. Yes, you could write your visa number -- and hope Immigration doesn't see the glaring re-entry permit. But this is questionable. My understanding is, now your re-entry permit has cemented in place your last valid permitted to stay stamp -- and cancelled your multiple entry Non Imm O-A visa. This discussion came up a year or so ago when discussing multiple entry Non Imm O-A visas. This is moot, of course, if he hadn't planned to leave and return to Thailand before Aug 12th..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Moot is the operative word: I will be leaving Thailand on April 2, 2009 (with re-entry document) and coming back to Thailand 'around' September 3rd, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Moot, indeed, for the OP. But just pointing out the hazard of getting a re-entry permit too early in the lifetime of one's multi entry Non Imm O-A visa -- as I remember a few years back one poster's amazement at not getting another 12-month stamp on his still-valid O-A visa. He had read this forum and took to heart the advice about re-entry permits -- he just hadn't read the fine print about its first use being 'after your visa expires.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpcoe Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) I may have missed this in all the dialogue....but by already getting a re-entry permit, he has effectively cancelled his visa. So, the option to leave and enter Thailand before Aug 12th -- and get a new one-year permitted to stay stamp -- is, I believe, dead.As pointed out, where it calls for 'visa number' on your arrival card, you instead write your re-entry permit number, which has effectively replaced your visa. Yes, you could write your visa number -- and hope Immigration doesn't see the glaring re-entry permit. But this is questionable. My understanding is, now your re-entry permit has cemented in place your last valid permitted to stay stamp -- and cancelled your multiple entry Non Imm O-A visa. This discussion came up a year or so ago when discussing multiple entry Non Imm O-A visas. This is moot, of course, if he hadn't planned to leave and return to Thailand before Aug 12th..... Moot in this case, but still interesting (to me.) I hadn't realized that the re-entry permit effectively cancelled the visa. I had thought (never ever assume <slap!>) that if you did use the visa after you (prematurely) got a re-entry permit, that you'd simply need to get a new re-entry permit to keep the new permission date alive, but I can see now where there could be tons of confusion with conflicting dates to sort through. And, as if things weren't confusing enough, for the eagle-eyed followers of this thread, I mentioned that he had already applied for a B3800 multiple-entry re-entry permit. That was my misunderstanding. Thanks in part to the above dialogue, he was planning to apply for a B1000 single-entry permit yesterday (Monday) at Hua Hin Immigrations, which suits his current needs properly. Edited March 23, 2009 by wpcoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 A re-entry permit does not cancel a visa. You should not have any problem using a valid visa to enter the country with or without a re-entry permit stamp in your passport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 So to complete that thought, a person entering Thailand with and/or possessing a still valid multi entry visa would not need/never need to obtain/use a re-entry permit for additional international travel. But, a person who has already arrived in Thailand on the basis of a single entry visa and wants additional international travel.....? And, a person who is already in Thailand on the basis of a extension of permission to stay and wants additional international travel.....? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 1. Correct. Unless, as in this case, there was a need to return after visa expiration. Then the re-entry permit would keep the current permitted to stay alive to its original date. 2. A re-entry permit if his permitted to stay time justifies it - otherwise a new visa. 3. This is where the re-entry permit is a must (if they do not hold a valid multi entry visa). It keeps the permitted to stay alive as entry using it will get the same permitted to stay date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 A re-entry permit does not cancel a visa. You should not have any problem using a valid visa to enter the country with or without a re-entry permit stamp in your passport. Ok, I've never seen a definitive ruling one way or the other on this. I guess the example I remember was just another case of an Immigration officer not knowing the rules -- and upon seeing a valid re-entry stamp and a valid permitted to stay stamp, stamped the person in as he always had done, with the same permitted to stay period. The example was on this forum, but my searching can't find it. Apparently, had the poster pushed the issue high enough, he could have had the correct stamp issued, as having to correct the wrong stamp, for various reasons, seems to occur not infrequently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Normally Immigration will do as you request when they have the ability. Many people come with a visa but enter on visa exempt so they can use the visa later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimGant Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) I had thought (never ever assume <slap!>) that if you did use the visa after you (prematurely) got a re-entry permit, that you'd simply need to get a new re-entry permit to keep the new permission date alive... As Lopburi points out, you can now forget the slap. But you do bring up an interesting question -- would the re-entry permit be invalidated if you re-enter on a valid visa? I would imagine so, since normally its expiration date is the same as the permitted period it's issued to protect. With a new permitted period, the dates don't line up..... In any event, if the two dates didn't align (but both had not expired), Immigration would definitely be forced into their creative mode. I guess a good rule of thumb would be, don't get your re-entry permit until before your last travel period before visa expiration -- and you'll be out of Thailand when it expires. Edited March 24, 2009 by JimGant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmysj Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I'm a bit confused here. In this, and other, threads ppl says that it is a difference between retirement visas and one year extensions, due to pension, from an NON-IMM O. That it what it says on my latest multiple entry. Non-imm o, issued in 2004. Not non-imm o a. I had the latter, multiple entry, before I became 50. The one where you have to leave the country every 90 days. After 50 I got a one year extension when you have to show 800 000 on the bank or 65 000/month in income, and have to report to the immigration every 90 day. If this isn't a retirement visa, how come my immigration entry stamp, after any trip abroad, says "NON-RE"? I'm using the TM.7 to renew it every year and on it it isn't any option for "re entry". I have to get a separate "RE-ENTRY PERMIT". Is there any difference if one apply for a "retirement visa" in ones home country? If so, do one have to start from scratch, as I'm under the impression that one can't apply for these one year extensions outside Thailand? And, what would be the practical difference? Jimmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 (edited) I am not sure I understand your question but there are two ways you may start a long stay (retirement) here: 1. You enter on or convert to a non immigrant O visa. During the 90 days that is allows you to stay you file a TM.7 to extend your stay (this is not a visa). Any travel would require a re-entry permit to keep that extended stay alive. 2. You obtain a non immigrant OA visa in your home country which allows a one year permitted to stay stamp on arrival. Before stay ends you do as above and file TM.7 to extend your one year stay for a year at a time. Another method to stay would be a multi entry non immigrant O visa which allows 90 day stays which you do not extend - you just leave and return for a new 90 day stay. This suits some people who are employed in foreign countries and travel frequently. Your non-re means you are here on a non immigrant visa entry and using a re-entry permit to enter. Edited March 24, 2009 by lopburi3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpcoe Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 I had thought (never ever assume <slap!>) that if you did use the visa after you (prematurely) got a re-entry permit, that you'd simply need to get a new re-entry permit to keep the new permission date alive... As Lopburi points out, you can now forget the slap. But you do bring up an interesting question -- would the re-entry permit be invalidated if you re-enter on a valid visa? I would imagine so, since normally its expiration date is the same as the permitted period it's issued to protect. With a new permitted period, the dates don't line up..... In any event, if the two dates didn't align (but both had not expired), Immigration would definitely be forced into their creative mode. I guess a good rule of thumb would be, don't get your re-entry permit until before your last travel period before visa expiration -- and you'll be out of Thailand when it expires. If it's okay with everybody, I'll simply go back into denial mode when I never considered such a situation, please. There are simply too many "what if" permutations to wrap my mind around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I have a Non-Immirgant B. I want to change to Retirement. Is it basically the same procedure as for a Non-O ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 You just go to immigration and apply for an extension based on retirement and show an income of 65,000 OR 800,000 in the bank for 3 months OR a combination of both totaling 800,000. It is that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Thanks ... that's what I wanted to hear ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 If someone is applying for their FIRST retirement extension of stay, isn't the required deposit period for funds in a Thai bank now TWO months prior to application, and then THREE months prior for all subsequent renewals (assuming one is relying on the 800,000 baht or portion thereof approach)??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Correct - this allows the first time applicant time to meet the requirement in a single entry of 90 days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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