Question Re: Non-immigrant Type O-a (retirement) Visa

[elektrified]

I received my Non-Immigrant O-A Multiple Entry Visa from Houston, Texas on 14 July 2008. (Thanks to the good advice from lopburi3 and a couple of other members, I might add). It "must be utilized before 13 July 2009".

Now, in order to perform this trick of getting another year from the visa, as I understand it, I must leave and then re-enter Thailand again on or before 12 July 2009. Does this sound right?

I want to get the facts straight early on so I don't have any problems. I am planning on taking a short vacation to either Cambodia or Vietnam around the 7th of July and then re-entering Thailand on the 12th to activate the 2nd year. Earlier this year I went to Padang Basar and into Malaysia for the day and when I re-entered Thailand that evening, the Immigration Officers at Padang Basar were completely unfamiliar with the type O-A visa and only wanted to give me 90 days. I had to insist that they call (presumably Bangkok) and speak with their superiors because they kept saying that it was not possible to give one year because my visa expired 13/07/2009. I told them that it was one year per entry but they did not believe me. It took about thirty minutes to sort it out.

Also while I think of it, I assume that this entry on the 12th of July will be my last allowable entry and the multiple-entry visa becomes invalid after that? In other words I must stay in Thailand for the next year or my visa will expire?

Thanks in advance.

elektrified

[Lite Beer]

Yes. 12th July. After that you will need a Re Entry Permit if you wish to leave the country.

[lopburi3]

I would do a couple of days early just to be safe - you don't lose that much. After your return you will need a re-entry permit for any travel and I would advise getting that as insurance even if you do not plan travel as they can not be obtained on exit as was the case in the past - they must be obtained in advance from your local immigration office. It only costs 1,000 baht for a single entry if you do not plan to travel much. You can put any date down on the form as your planned trip.

[elektrified]

I would do a couple of days early just to be safe - you don't lose that much. After your return you will need a re-entry permit for any travel and I would advise getting that as insurance even if you do not plan travel as they can not be obtained on exit as was the case in the past - they must be obtained in advance from your local immigration office. It only costs 1,000 baht for a single entry if you do not plan to travel much. You can put any date down on the form as your planned trip.

lop, good advice as always. I will plan to return on the 10th. So are you saying that as soon as I return to Chiang Mai on or about the 11th of July with my new one-year stamp in my passport that I should purchase the re-entry permit from CM Immigration and put an arbitrary date on the application? Can the date be changed? I can't predict when I will travel next but based on your advice the insurance of having the permit makes very good sense.

Thanks as always for your invaluable advice.

elektrified

[lopburi3]

The date has no real meaning - you can leave blank if they will accept it - if not just put something. The re-entry permit will still be valid until the expiration date of your current stay.

[elektrified]

I just returned from Mae Sai/Tachileik and getting another year on my Non-Immigrant O-A visa went without a hitch.

But just to follow up on lop's posts above, I understand (I think), that the Multiple Entry portion of my visa has now expired. Correct? So lop recommends I go to CM Immigration ASAP and purchase a Re-Entry Permit as insurance. If I were to buy the Single-Entry Permit for 1000 Baht and lets say I were to use one exit/re-entry but then needed to exit/re-enter again during the next 12 months, could I subsequently buy a 2nd Single-Entry Permit for use at a later date? Is there a limit to Re-Entry Permits or is there a Multiple Re-Entry Permit available? If so, how much does that cost?

And just so I am clear, I am now stamped in until 10 July 2010. If I exit, and when I were to re-enter (whether it be one or more times), would I always be stamped back in until 10 July 2010?

Thanks lop or anyone for clearing this up for me. Much, much appreciated.

[Maestro]

I just returned from Mae Sai/Tachileik and getting another year on my Non-Immigrant O-A visa went without a hitch.

But just to follow up on lop's posts above, I understand (I think), that the Multiple Entry portion of my visa has now expired. Correct? So lop recommends I go to CM Immigration ASAP and purchase a Re-Entry Permit as insurance. If I were to buy the Single-Entry Permit for 1000 Baht and lets say I were to use one exit/re-entry but then needed to exit/re-enter again during the next 12 months, could I subsequently buy a 2nd Single-Entry Permit for use at a later date? Is there a limit to Re-Entry Permits or is there a Multiple Re-Entry Permit available? If so, how much does that cost?

And just so I am clear, I am now stamped in until 10 July 2010. If I exit, and when I were to re-enter (whether it be one or more times), would I always be stamped back in until 10 July 2010?

Thanks lop or anyone for clearing this up for me. Much, much appreciated.

The multiple-entry option of your multiple-entry non-OA visa expired or expires one day before the “enter before” or “must be utilized before” date stamped on the visa issued by the Thai consulate.

You can buy an unlimited number of single-entry re-entry permits during your current permission to stay, which you say is until 10 JUL 2010.

There is a multiple entry re-entry permit available for 3,800 Baht.

Every time you re-enter Thailand during the validity period of your re-entry permit, which will be until 10 JUL 2020, you will again receive permission to stay (arrival stamp) until 10 JUL 2010. Enter the number and other details of the re-entry permit in the space for visa information on the arrival card.

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Maestro