Non Imm O-A, one year on arrival

[luckyfarang]

I just spoke with the LA consulate and they say they have approved my non-imm O-A, and will mail it out by tomorrow.

I asked them about getting a full one year on arrival, and they said it was within the power of the immigration agent at Don Muang to grant.  

I really don't want to hassle with applying for extension in three months, and even moreso, I don't want to have to transfer 800K baht to thailand, even though my annual income is far more than that, and my monthly transfers will exceed that.  It is far better for me not to liquidate any investments.

Any recommendations?  Should I slip some cash to the agent on arrival?  Should I ask nicely and politely in fluent Thai and butter up the agent?

Has anyone been granted the full one year on arrival with an O-A?

BTW, I was granted the O-A with no hassle from the LA consulate which has a bad reputation on these things.  Their requirements seem to be more stringent than other consulates, requiring everything in triplicate, and to be notarized.  I even had the bank statements notarized by a friend, and it is not proper to notarize bank statements as required by the LA consulate website (since they have no signature to notarize).  I did submit a letter of equity (website asked for a letter of guarantee, but brokerages don't give those), but sent only copies of the brokerage statements, even though the website asked for original and copies.

[Indo-Siam]

Luckyfarang -  I do NOT know conclusively the answer to your question.  So I am merely providing a couple of data points.

Having gone in and out with "regular" Class O  visa on numerous occasions (one year, multiple entry, issued by Thai Embassy in Washington),I was never granted longer than a 90 day entry at a "border" immigration point (Don Muang Airport).  I did have a couple of chances to ask questions and talk to an immigration agent - on occasions where I was the only incoming traveler in that area of the terminal.   I was specifically told on one occasion (either late 2000 or early 2001) that border checkpoints could not issue loinger than 90 day entries against ANY visa - that was their limit.  Any longer stay had to be approved by an "inland" Immigration office.  But this was an agent talking - and not showing me a written regulation.  And this conversation was at least 2.5 years ago.

In practice, I have never personally encountered anyone who ever received longer than a 90 day entry permit upon arrival.  I know many scores of folks with one-year extensions - but all issued by Immigration at Suan Phlu, or Chiang Mai, Pattaya, or Phukhet Immigration offices.

Obtaining an extension once you are here is not a big deal - my firm handles these for roughly US $100, plus roughly US $50 in Thai government fees.  You can also navigate through the process all by yourself.  You will have to physically show up at Immigration one time, even if we handle the process - just smile (you don't even have to talk - they just want to match your face to your passport).    Just bring along copies of the bank and income documents.  The process is very fast and painless if you have a Thai bank account with > 800,000 baht in it.  We have never tried processing a package without at least half the required amount in a Thai bank account - that is my criteria for accepting clients.

So - no conclusive reply to your inquiry here - just info on what has happened, and what is normal practice.

Good Luck!

Steve

Indo-Siam

www.indo-siam.com

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Get the Consulate to write you a letter advising you that the officer has the power to grant a one year stay on arrival at BKK International Airport. ( and he does ) hand your passport arrival card and the letter to the officer, smile a lot and all might be well. Good luck.

[luckyfarang]

"Just bring along copies of the bank and income documents.  The process is very fast and painless if you have a Thai bank account with > 800,000 baht in it.  We have never tried processing a package without at least half the required amount in a Thai bank account - that is my criteria for accepting clients."

Thanks, Steve, but the point is that I don't want to transfer 800K to thailand, I want to qualify by income alone, as stated in the regulations.  But I have read here that the immigration department is not honoring that totally legally method of qualifying by income alone.  I could easily navigate soi suan phlu by myself, or pattaya immigration, or anywhere else, but why waste a day, and be forced to transfer funds, when I am already approved for up to one year, at the discretion of the immigration officer at Don Muang.

Dr Patpong -

Are you serious?  What would motivate the LA consulate, well known to be the most difficult to deal with, to write such a letter?  And what purpose would the letter serve?  Assumably, the immigration officer at the airport already knows what power and discretion he has.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Up to you. It has worked for others, are you fearful that your powers of persuasion aren't up to it ?  It won't be the end of the world if you have to go to Suan Plu.

[Indo-Siam]

Hi LF _

I understand your thoughts.

I have hard first hand experience that - at a minimum - some airport immigration officers at least say they believe that they can issue no longer than a 90 day entry (in the context of my discussion with her, I think the lady I was speaking with at the time was sincere - albeit possibly just ignorant).  Perhaps it just takes supervisor approval ???

It sounds as if your choice is between wasting a day getting to/at LA consulate, or at Soi Suan Phlu!

I will also add that if it does come down to having to get approval here inside Thailand, I do not believe there is a snowball's chance in #### that they will grant approval to someone who does not demonstrate having brought money into a Thai bank account.  Otherwise, every vagrant would be claiming to be a millionaire "over there."  They have no "reach" to check overseas banks (and I have never seen any indication that they even check with local Thai banks).  But - the checklist mentality here includes a blank for "checking applicant's Thai bank account" - and I believe a goose egg here kills your chances.

I'm sorry that I cannot pinpoint the minimum "in-bank" threshhold - I only know that 400,000 works, if combined with about a US $900 monthly pension.

I will retire from the discussion, because I have nothing else to add.

Best of luck to you!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[luckyfarang]

Dr Patpong -

I don't know if I could persuade the already overworked consulate in LA or not to give me a letter that is not part of their normal duties, and earns them no revenue.

But it just seems plain ridiculous to get a letter from the LA consulate telling a Don Muang officer what his power and discretion is, when that information is already well known to him, and comes direct from Suan Phlu, not from LA.

Steve -

If I don't get the one year on arrival, I will show a thai bankbook with over 100K in it, as well as american brokerage statements showing much greater income than needed to qualify, and a letter from the us embassy verifying income.  I may also slip some spare change to the immigration officer, for "expedited service".  

Only if that fails will I transfer a large sum from the usa.

[george]

Has anyone been granted the full one year on arrival with an O-A?

Congratulations! The O-A is a one year visa, so you will be stamped in for a full year. Don't forget to write '365 days' on the TM card on your arrival. No ploblems!

What you should do is to visit Immigration to have a Multiple re-entry permit stamped in your passport, so you can travel out of Thailand if you want without loosing the visa.

[luckyfarang]

George -

I think you are right.  If memory serves, the people posting that they only got ninty days were given an O visa when applying for O-A, because LA consulate likes to be a pain.

I made sure that my application was totally clean and complete, and exceeded minimum requirements, even those that are unique to the LA consulate.

But if you read the LA consulate website, it says that they only grant single entry for up to ninty days on O-A, hence my confusion.

"If the applicant qualifies for the "O-A" Visa, the Consulate will issue a Non-Immigrant "O-A" Visa for a single journey into Thailand for a period up to 90 days (the Consulate is no longer required to forward the required documentation to Thailand for approval before issuing the visa)

With the Non-Immigrant "O-A" Visa, the applicant may request a one-year stay (not more than one year) through Thai Immigration at the Bangkok Airport upon arrival in Thailand."

[KenUdon]

Congratulations! The O-A is a one year visa, so you will be stamped in for a full year. Don't forget to write '365 days' on the TM card on your arrival. No ploblems!

Don't quite understand that George. Always understood the O-A is valid for one year with visa runs only. Otherwise why would people go for the retirement element? Am I missing something?

[george]

With the Non-Immigrant "O-A" Visa, the applicant may request a one-year stay (not more than one year) through Thai Immigration at the Bangkok Airport upon arrival in Thailand."

So when you write 365 on your TM card on arrival, you are just doing that, requestiing a 365 days stay which the visa allows you.

LA is are just complicating things here. A "Non-O" is a 90 days visa. A "NON O-A" is a year. Period.

[george]

Congratulations! The O-A is a one year visa, so you will be stamped in for a full year. Don't forget to write '365 days' on the TM card on your arrival. No ploblems!

Don't quite understand that George. Always understood the O-A is valid for one year with visa runs only. Otherwise why would people go for the retirement element? Am I missing something?

The multiple "O"  visa is valid for one year, but requires a border run at least every 90 days. Initial stay given at Don Muang is 90 days.

The "O-A" visa is a single entry visa valid for one year (hence you need to apply for a multiple re-entry permit if you plan to travel). The "A" in O-A means "approved one year". The Immigration will stamp you in for a full year at Don Muang.

[redwood13]

I've corresponded with 3 guys who've received O-A visas within the last 3 months.  One said he only received a 3 month entry, which he thought at the time was correct.  BUT, when he went to Pattaya immigration to get the stay extended to a full year he was told that the official at Don Muang had made an error in only giving him 90 days and that he would have to go to Suan Plu in Bangkok to get the proper entry made as Bangkok was responsible for the actions of Don Muang immigration.  Pattaya then said given the circumstances they would forward his passport to Suan Plu and he wouldn't have to deal with it personally  :-)

The second guy said that on presenting his passport with the O-A visa at Don Muang the official called over a supervisor and after a discussion he was given a full year.  The 3rd was given a year without incident.

I'd think they don't see all that many O-A visas and some of the less experienced immigration officials simply don't know how to deal with them.

BTW, the first guy tells me he does not have to transfer funds (800,00 baht) into a Thai bank until shortly before he applies for the 1st extention of his O-A visa at the one year mark.  If you were meeting the financial requirments by a combination of income + money in a Thai bank account you'd likely have to show money being deposited into the account from outside Thailand on a regular basis during the year prior to requesting the 1st annual extention.  

-redwood

[hml367]

Hello.

I was given one year at Don Muang.  I believe if you have the "A" already that is for the one year.  The way I understand it, if you apply for a type "O" visa, then it is decided upon entry how long it would be for... since you would have to then explain the reason for the type "O".  I was told that the "A" indicates "APPROVED" meaning you have already submitted the proof required for the one year stay.

You are still required to report to Immigration every 90 days to report your address on form TM47.

I am not absolutely sure it is required, but there is also a form to be filed with Immigration if you initally stay in the country longer than a short time.  I forget the exact name or number of the form. However, they put a copy of their receipt for the form in my passport.

I was confused coming in and getting the one year at the airport since the consul in US had told me (even though they gave me the "A") I would only have the initial 90 days.

Hope that is some help.

[elation]

LuckyFarang:

I went through the exact process about a year and a half ago and am happily retired in Thailand now.  The LA consulate grants you an O-A visa that is good for limited time - 90 days.  In this 90 day period, you must enter Thailand or it will expire.  Upon arrival, this visa is stamped "used" and the immigration office will stamp your passport with a "Stay until date" of one year from the date of entry.  There is no verification of bank account transfer, etc for the first year.  When you want to extend your stay for the second year, that is when you must show documentation that you have either transfered the 800K or provide very good evidence about your income, along with all the other paperwork.  This renewal process takes about 1 day and is done locally (in Bangkok anyway).

Lastly, you should register every 90 days with the local authorities to report your address.    

[dr_Pat_Pong]

An O visa needs extending for a year in Thailand, whereas the O / A  permits an automatic 12 month stamp at the airport. The A only means Approved, and enables the Immigration officer at the airport to grant a 12 month stay.