O-a Visa (retirement Visa) Renewal

[Rob5060]

I am coming towards the end of a 12 month O-A visa (retirement visa) with multi-entry

Two questions if I leave the country and re-enter before the visa expires I realise I will have a futher 12 months on entry until it needs renewing. Does that mean the I cannot go outside Thailand for the second 12 months because the visa will have expired

Second question when I come to get a new visa in 12 months will it be treated as an extension or will it be a new visa requiring more information eg police clearance

Cheers

[Jingthing]

I believe you will be able to preserve your new permission to stay date by obtaining reentry permits from immigration.

When you have finished with the new permission to stay, you will then be applying for extensions based on retirement, and will not require a new visa as long as you make the extension application in a timely manner.

[lopburi3]

1. You can travel but you first must obtain a re-entry permit - so after your last visa entry go to an immigration office and obtain a re-entry permit - it will have the same valid until date as your then current permitted to stay stamp. Better to pay 1k than lose the stay because you had to make a fast trip and did not have time to obtain.

2. You will do the normal extension of stay. So be sure to have money in a bank account here a couple of months before the time comes if that is what you will be using.