Hi,

1st time posting. Great info on this website. Just wanted to see if folks could clarify my understandings.

I'm American and over 50. Retired with wife and two kids to Chiang Mai, arrived August 2009. Wife and I are here on multiple entry non-imm OA visas. Our visas were issued in the U.S. on 27 July 2009. We did not arrive in Thailand until August 2009. When I arrived I received a visa stamp that indicated an entry of 29 Aug 2009 and a handwritten until "28 Aug 2010". Since this was a date beyond my one year visa, I assumed it was the "permission to stay"?

Last week we visited Vietnam for a week. When I returned from Vietnam, the new passport stamp indicated an entry of 23 Oct 2009 and had "until 26 July 2010" filled in on the stamp. It looks like my "permission to stay" has been timed to the expiration of my visa. Is this right? I thought if I left and returned to Thailand on the day before my visa expired, I could get a permission to stay for another year.

Also, I think my 90-day report is based on my entry date, so by visiting Vietnam I've postponed the time to report until 90 days from my most recent entry (23 Oct 2009). Correct?

Thanks in advance!

Correct, with a valid multiple-entry 'O-A' visa you should get a 1 year permission to stay (admitted until) stamp every time you enter Thailand. Your 90 day reporting period starts from your latest entry into Thailand.

Edited October 27, 200916 yr by InterestedObserver

Concur with the above.

Every entry should give yo a 1 year stay counting from the date of entry.

They used to have a special desk for correcting wrongly issued stamps at entry at Soi Suan Plu, so I guess they will have one as well at the new Chaeng Wattana office. You need to get this sorted!

Your 90 day reporting indeed starts counting from your last entry.

They stamped you wrong on your last entry. You should go to Immigration to get the correct date entered if not planning more travel. Every entry while visa is valid should obtain a new one year from date of that entry. For any return after validity of the visa you need to obtain a re-entry permit to keep your last permitted to stay until date alive.

90 day report will be due 90 days from last entry.

Agree with all the above, I would just add that if you intend to travel between now and July then don't worry about it, just make sure they give you the 1 year stamp on your next entry!

Excellent - thanks for the replies. We're planning on heading back to the states at year end, so I'll make sure to get the correct stamps when we come back.

I did have a quick follow up for my kids - I have a 12-year old here on a 1 year non-imm multiple entry "ED" visa and a 20-year old son on a 1 year non-imm mulitple "B" visa. They came with us to Vietnam and upon return received stamps "until 20 Jan 2010". It appears that these visas only get 90-day permissions to stay? This seems odd, but may be a mistake that we can correct when we return from the states at year end? My daughter is enrolled in school here. My son is looking to take some college courses here, but originally got a "B" with the idea that he might take a TESL course and find a teaching job.

I know there's a few issues that might crop up here, but I was most interested in the 90-day stamp received. Also, I wasn't sure if I should start a new post, but while we're all chatting...

The Multi Entry Non Imm Visas get 90 days each entry so that was correct.

As said a non immigrant visa entry is 90 days. Only the special pre-approved one year extension OA visa gets a one year stamp on entry (and is why they often make a mistake).

Seems like my son and daughter will get a new stamp in early January when we return from the states, but then they'll need to do a visa run next April. My wife and I would only need to do a 90-day report in April, but we'll probably do the visa run too.

Thanks again all.

Don't forget that after 27th July 2010 you would need Re Entry Permits if you wanted to leave the country. Otherwise your 12 month permission to stay will be dead.

Newbie Sanatana here:

I want to make sure I understand this.

I'm in Thailand on a Retirement visa O-A. If I pay for the multiple re-entry privilege, I take what I have read here to mean that as long as I leave and re-enter the Kingdom once a year (with dates properly set up of course), that I don't have to go thru the annual renewal process.

Have I got that right?

Thanx so much. All of you are invaluable.

OK, got that, thanks.

I did see this regarding ED visas on the Thaivisa website:

"This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for 1 year subject to one extension within the first 90 days.

Basically this means you can stay in Thailand for one full year without any visa runs whatsoever, after the extension has been made. 90 day reports to the Immigration Office, still have to be made the same way as for any other visa extension."

If there's a way to avoid a visa run for my daughter, that would be great, but I'm unclear on what the above means...

Sanatana . A Re Entry Permit only keeps your stay alive . It does not add time.

When your Visa expires you have to apply for an extension at Immigration or go back to your home country and get another Non O-A Visa

Newbie Sanatana here:

I want to make sure I understand this.

I'm in Thailand on a Retirement visa O-A. If I pay for the multiple re-entry privilege, I take what I have read here to mean that as long as I leave and re-enter the Kingdom once a year (with dates properly set up of course), that I don't have to go thru the annual renewal process.

Have I got that right?

Thanx so much. All of you are invaluable.

First you need to confirm what you are here on. Was your visa issued by a Consulate in your home country using police report and medical and you obtained a one year permitted to stay on arrival? That would be an OA visa and could be single entry or multi entry. If multi entry each return gets a new one year from date of return during validity of visa - but once visa date has passed you must get a re-entry permit and that only keeps your current permitted to stay date alive.

If, on the other hand, you obtained a one year extension of stay for retirement from an Immigration office inside Thailand that is not an OA visa. And any travel requires a re-entry permit and on return that permit provides the same date as you had when you obtained the re-entry permit (just keeps your current permitted to stay alive).

OK, got that, thanks.

I did see this regarding ED visas on the Thaivisa website:

"This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for 1 year subject to one extension within the first 90 days.

Basically this means you can stay in Thailand for one full year without any visa runs whatsoever, after the extension has been made. 90 day reports to the Immigration Office, still have to be made the same way as for any other visa extension."

If there's a way to avoid a visa run for my daughter, that would be great, but I'm unclear on what the above means...

With school documents she can obtain a one year extension of stay for 1,900 baht using a TM.7 form during last 30 days of current (or any) 90 day stay.

Your son must make visa runs until he has a valid reason for extensions - such as employment or study.

Edited October 27, 200916 yr by lopburi3

OK, got that, thanks.

I did see this regarding ED visas on the Thaivisa website:

"This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for 1 year subject to one extension within the first 90 days.

Basically this means you can stay in Thailand for one full year without any visa runs whatsoever, after the extension has been made. 90 day reports to the Immigration Office, still have to be made the same way as for any other visa extension."

If there's a way to avoid a visa run for my daughter, that would be great, but I'm unclear on what the above means...

With school documents she can obtain a one year extension of stay for 1,900 baht using a TM.7 form during last 30 days of current (or any) 90 day stay.

Your son must make visa runs until he has a valid reason for extensions - such as employment or study.

If your daughter obtains 12 month extension of stay, remember she will need a re-entry permit from immigration if travelling abroad to keep her permission to stay alive (1000 baht single entry; 3800 baht multi entry).

Thanks.

So since we plan to return to the states at year end for a visit, when we return my daughter will get a 90 day stamp. Within the last 90 days of that stamped date, she can apply for a one year extension with a TM.7 and its fee. If we were to go to the states next summer, my wife and I would not need a re-entry permit (we have 1 year multiple non-imm OA), but my daughter would need a re-entry permit.

Good, I think I'm understanding (this is the point where newbies become overconfident and screw it up, right?)

My son is hear on a 1 year multiple non-imm B visa. When we return from the states at year end, he'll get a 90 day stamp in his passport. If he enrolls at a local university, he would seem to be in the same position as my daughter. The only question is if he needs to switch to an "ED" visa. He could do so when we return to the states at year end, but is it necessary/advisable? As he plans to return to the states next summer (while the rest of us stay here), it seems easiest to have him do a visa run or TM.7 when needed.

Last 30 days of the 90 day permitted to stay (expect you had a typo). Son can continue to use current visa and if wants to extend later can do so from that.