Hi,

While in Australia in May this year, I was issued with a Non-Immigrant O multiple entry Visa, valid for one year, on the basis of my marriage to a Thai national. I understand from Thai Immigration staff that I have to:

1. complete a residency statement each 3 months and hand this into an Immigration Office, in my case this would be Chiang Mai

2. each 3 months leave Thailand and return as a kind of renewal procedure.

I do wish to get the procedures around this visa sorted out as I screwed up rather badly last year, when with my wife I obtained a similar visa and while I completed the residency documentation each 3 months, I was unaware, (and so was my wife) that I had to make trips out of Thailand every 90 days.

In the end, on leaving Thailand for Australia in April this year I was fined 20,000 baht for overstaying. A bit of a shock to the system, for sure, so I would like to avoid this problem this time around.

Any advice or comments would be very much appreciated

Cheers

You do not have to report to Immigration every 90 days.

You do have to leave the country at least every 90 days. Each entry gives up to 90 days.

Do the last border run the day before the Visa expires and you get another 90 days. Giving a total of 15 months.

You could choose for a one year extension of stay if you can show either an income of 40,000 THB (can be from abroad) OR a THai bank account in your name with 400,000 baht in it for at least 2 months. Then you would not have to leave Thailand every 90 days, but would have to do the 90 day reports.

As said above you do not make 90 day reports when you do not stay here more than 90 days. You just leave and return for another 90 day permitted to stay stamp. If you do this one day before it expires you get almost 15 months of use from the visa.

Thanks for all the help, it has clarified things for me.

I do have another query tho. Can I just go over the border at Mae Sae or visit Vientiane for the day or is an overnight stay or whatever required. What I'm wondering about is what is acceptable to Thai Immigration in this matter. Basically, I'm trying to find out what the best and quickest (and cheapest, of course) way to go about this.

Cheers

You cross the border, enter another country , turn round and come back again. You can stay 1 minute or as long as you want.

Yes you can go out and in the same day. When I had the same visa as you my trips to Cambodia lasted about 20 mins

You have to leave the country and enter another country, but can return 1 minute later. No overnight stay is required.

However, some crossings will try to charge you a 'fee' if they know you are doing this. Cambodia comes to mind. Do not believe it is an issue in Laos.

Hi guys,

All this has been really helpful. I think I might try the day trip to Mae Sae. It's a lot closer to Lampang, where I live, than Vientiane tho I may go there for a couple of days next time around. It's a much nicer place to stay.

BTW this forum is fantastic, I'm very impressed and happy to have joined it. It's an information lifeline for at least one falang.

Cheers

I forgot to mention that I think Mae Sae is one of the crossings that does charge a so-called 'fee'. From my earlier days in Thailand I used to renew my tourist visa there and had to pay $US 5 (I think, around 250 baht anyway) for the brief privilege of walking into and out of Myanmar. And you had to have some visible means of support to come back into Thailand too, like 10,000 baht in your wallet.

Cheers

I believe that is a normal fee for entry without visa. You have to pay for visas at Laos or Cambodia - but some ask an extra 'pocket fee' for same day return. The 10k baht show is not normally asked at any crossings presently.

Edited July 20, 200916 yr by lopburi3

The OP states:

"...obtained a similar visa and while I completed the residency documentation each 3 months, I was unaware, (and so was my wife) that I had to make trips out of Thailand every 90 days..."

My question:

If he had a Non-Imm-O multi entry but did the 90 days address report anyway, how come that IMM accepted the report in the first place and did not point out that the permit to stay had expired???????

opalhort

Edited July 20, 200916 yr by opalhort

Because they did not look at that - his reporting was on time.

The OP states:

"...obtained a similar visa and while I completed the residency documentation each 3 months, I was unaware, (and so was my wife) that I had to make trips out of Thailand every 90 days..."

My question:

If he had a Non-Imm-O multi entry but did the 90 days address report anyway, how come that IMM accepted the report in the first place and did not point out that the permit to stay had expired???????

opalhort

They simply not always check and accept the 90 day report face value. This isn't the only case I have heard about.

You do not have to report to Immigration every 90 days.

You do have to leave the country at least every 90 days. Each entry gives up to 90 days.

Do the last border run the day before the Visa expires and you get another 90 days. Giving a total of 15 months.

Does it have to be the last day or can you do the last run a few days before and do you get the extra 90 days when you leave or on re-entry?

You can exit/return any time before expiry and get another 90 days on entry.

However, some crossings will try to charge you a 'fee' if they know you are doing this. Cambodia comes to mind. Do not believe it is an issue in Laos.

I'm not aware of this. I use the border crossing at Poipet every 90 days. No problems.

That crossing has a reason for day crossing, your gambling money, so should not matter - especially if you look like you know what is going on. It is not a legal charge but is quite common from a number of reports at other crossings. That is one of the advantages of going in an organized group - they do not get hit up with that stuff (although probably they pay for it in there business expenses).

Post giving wrong information and the reply to it deleted.

I believe that is a normal fee for entry without visa. You have to pay for visas at Laos or Cambodia - but some ask an extra 'pocket fee' for same day return. The 10k baht show is not normally asked at any crossings presently.

Hi Lopburi3,

are you saying that you can do a border run without getting a cambodian tourist visa?

No I am not saying that - I am saying some crossings will try to hit you up for extra payment for same day return.

No I am not saying that - I am saying some crossings will try to hit you up for extra payment for same day return.

OK Thanks for the clarification. I am planning to go to Poipet for a border run when my 90 days are up and that looks OK according to an earlier post by thaiphoon.