Retirement Visa Good For Two Years?

[john33t]

I obtained a retirement visa from the Thai Embassy in Washington DC in March 2009. The visa stated it was good to enter before April 2010.

I flew to Thailand in May 2009 and was stamped in for one year. Then later I did the 90 day reporting in Chiang Mai. The Chaing Mai immigration office told me that since the visa indicated entry before April 2010, I could exit and return and would be given another year.

This action would be done instead of doing an extension of the visa in May.

I am thinking of going to Cambodia and go out and then in and see if my passport would then be stamped in for one year.

Any advice from the forum experts? I am not sure if this method would work.

Posting about visa advice are sure appreciated and many thanks to previous posters who anwered questions and dilemas.

[kenk3z]

Is there anything about the visa that indicates "multiple entry" anywhere?

Has the Visa been marked through or written on in any way?

Single-entry visas are often marked through in some way when they have been "used up" for an entry. That shows other people examining the passport and visa that it has been "used" for its purpose.

kenk3z

[fiddlehead]

Yes, you can get almost 2 years on the one year visa.

But you do need a reentry stamp (that costs 1900 baht I believe) Or the multiple entry one (3500 baht???)

I was pleasantly surprised when they gave me that extra year my 2nd year here.

[Mario2008]

Above is correct. Just check if it is a multiple or single entry O-A visa. if it is a multiple entry you will get permission to stay for 1 yer each time you enter Thailand before the visa expires. So if you leave Thailand 1 day before it expires and come back, you get another permission to stay for 1 year.

Check the date till when the visa is valid. It is valid for 1 year from the date it is issued, that would mean March 2010 in your case! Don't confuse it with the permission to stay you got at the border. Look at the visa, you got from the embassy. It should say something like: Use before **-03-2010! That is the date before you have to leave and re-enter to get an extra year (if it is a multiple visa and not a single. Again look at the visa itself)

Note that after you visa is expired you need to have a re-entry permit if you leave Thailand and want to keep your permission to stay alive. Without a re-entry permit you would need a new visa.

[InterestedObserver]

Yes, you can get almost 2 years on the one year visa.

But you do need a reentry stamp (that costs 1900 baht I believe) Or the multiple entry one (3500 baht???)

I was pleasantly surprised when they gave me that extra year my 2nd year here.

If the visa is a single-entry "O-A" you can only get 1 year no matter how many re-entry permits you purchase. Once a single-entry visa has been used for entry into Thailand, it's no longer valid.

[JimGant]

I obtained a retirement visa from the Thai Embassy in Washington DC in March 2009. The visa stated it was good to enter before April 2010.

I flew to Thailand in May 2009

Dates are a little funky (a specific day of the month is normally shown), but this appears to be a multi entry Non Imm O-A. A single entry visa would have expired in the June-July 2009 timeframe.

[john33t]

Thank you all for the feedback. I checked the visa closer and it is marked M, so I assume multiple entry. It has not been marked or stamped previously. It states enter before 1 April 2010, so I think I can leave the end of March and then reenter the same day and obtain another year stamp. I would assume I do not need to buy a exit/reenty form at immigration.

[Lite Beer]

Thank you all for the feedback. I checked the visa closer and it is marked M, so I assume multiple entry. It has not been marked or stamped previously. It states enter before 1 April 2010, so I think I can leave the end of March and then reenter the same day and obtain another year stamp. I would assume I do not need to buy a exit/reenty form at immigration.

Correct. Exit and enter at the end of March to get another 12 months.

After that you will need a Re Entry Permit if you wish to leave.

[sim]

Thank you all for the feedback. I checked the visa closer and it is marked M, so I assume multiple entry. It has not been marked or stamped previously. It states enter before 1 April 2010, so I think I can leave the end of March and then reenter the same day and obtain another year stamp. I would assume I do not need to buy a exit/reenty form at immigration.

Correct. Exit and enter at the end of March to get another 12 months.

After that you will need a Re Entry Permit if you wish to leave.

Hi LITE BEER, same quiry here, please enlighten how where and when is appropriate to get this m visa renew? can we get back a multiple entry visa if we renew it here in thailand?

thks

[Lite Beer]

A Non O-A Multi Entry Visa can only be applied for in your home country.

[TerryLH]

"Dates are a little funky (a specific day of the month is normally shown), but this appears to be a multi entry Non Imm O-A. A single entry visa would have expired in the June-July 2009 timeframe."

A single entry would be good for 1 year, not 90 days.

I think the OP established he has a multiple entry visa and has the answer he needs.

[thaiphoon]

One post and response removed.

sim: you have raised your question in this thread to which Lopburi3 has already replied. Please do not duplicate posts across multiple threads as can lead to confusion.

[JimGant]

"Dates are a little funky (a specific day of the month is normally shown), but this appears to be a multi entry Non Imm O-A. A single entry visa would have expired in the June-July 2009 timeframe."

A single entry would be good for 1 year, not 90 days.

Wrong! A single entry Non Imm O-A visa is VALID for only 3-months (multiple-entry is VALID for one-year). VALID meaning: It can't be used after the "use by" date. (DUH) Which, again, is 3-months from issue date for a single entry Non Imm O-A visa.

Yes, both a single entry and a multiple entry Non Imm O-A will get you a "one year permission to stay" stamp -- as long as entry is made before the visa expires.

Again, if OP had a single entry visa, it would have a "use by" date sometime in June-July.

I think the OP established he has a multiple entry visa and has the answer he needs.

He established that *after* my post, so I wasn't piling on -- if that was your drift

[TerryLH]

"Wrong! A single entry Non Imm O-A visa is VALID for only 3-months (multiple-entry is VALID for one-year). VALID meaning: It can't be used after the "use by" date. (DUH) Which, again, is 3-months from issue date for a single entry Non Imm O-A visa."

Oops! Color me red faced.