You need to front up at Immigration each year with a very simple medical certificate, and a current letter from a bank in Thailand confirming funds in the bank. The annual fee is 1900 baht. No more ' runs ' after you are in the system. 

Sorry to jump in on this thread like this doc. Just a quick question. What constitutes a very simple medical cert.? I'm not called Old Croc for nothing, I've a few aches and limps to contend with. Do they expect you to be 100% fit or just not infected with ebola fever? Who supplies the cert., an official or any Doc.? Does money talk? (Stupid question)

You need to front up at Immigration each year with a very simple medical certificate, and a current letter from a bank in Thailand confirming funds in the bank. The annual fee is 1900 baht. No more ' runs ' after you are in the system. 

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Music to my ears! You have made my day Doc! 'runs' were one of the only discomforts for me previously in the LOS.

Any Thai hopital Croc. Around 100 baht so the Mayo clinic medical it ain't

That is how it works for O-A visa's.

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Is an "O-A visa" an "on arrival" visa?

Sorry to jump in on this thread like this doc. Just a quick question. What constitutes a very simple medical cert.? I'm not called Old Croc for nothing, I've a few aches and limps to contend with. Do they expect you to be 100% fit or just not infected with ebola fever? Who supplies the cert., an official or any Doc.? Does money talk? (Stupid question)

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And here is the disease deal:

1.5 Not having prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535) (Leprosy, Tuberculosis (T.B.), Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, Third step of Syphilis)

O means other and the A means approved, and it is only for retirement. It must be applied for in your home country and requires a medical and a police clearance. In my view an O extended in Thailand is the easier option.

Sorry to jump in on this thread like this doc. Just a quick question. What constitutes a very simple medical cert.? I'm not called Old Croc for nothing, I've a few aches and limps to contend with. Do they expect you to be 100% fit or just not infected with ebola fever? Who supplies the cert., an official or any Doc.? Does money talk? (Stupid question)

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And here is the disease deal:

1.5 Not having prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535) (Leprosy, Tuberculosis (T.B.), Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, Third step of Syphilis)

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The pricipal test is to establish whether you can singlehandedly lift the hundred baht note ouf your pocket to pay 'em for the look over

O means other and the A means approved, and it is only for retirement. It must be applied for in your home country and requires a medical and a police clearance. In my view an O extended in Thailand is the easier option.

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By this do you mean that it is easier to get the normal non-immigrant O visa and then after 1 year, when u extend, convert it to an O-A retirement visa? (I guess because of the expense and hassle of getting medical and police clearance in USA?)

Can O be converted to O-A like this in Thailand?

There's no differerence other tah on first arrival into Thailand the O-A holder gets a one year stay. Thereafter they are both simply extended each year in Thailand

Go to the Loi Kroh Clinic. Ask for a medical certificate and pay 100 baht. The nurse will take your blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate. The doctor will press on your stomach and ask you if it hurts. If you say no that will clearly show that you don't have Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism or Syphilis. He will give you your certificate and send you on your merry way.

jeezzzz that's a bit over thorough

And here is the disease deal:

1.5  Not having prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535) (Leprosy, Tuberculosis (T.B.), Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism, Third step of Syphilis)

And if you use the download form from Consulate LA "alcoholism" is not listed so an even better chance.

It amazes me that they now have falang honorary consuls general and the process seems logical and relatively easy.

They've had farang honourary consuls for decades, maybe longer. In the early 80s I used to get my Thai non-immigrant visas from an American honourary consul in Sausalito, CA, then in the early 90s from an Australian dentist in Melbourne.

It amazes me that they now have falang honorary consuls general and the process seems logical and relatively easy.

They've had farang honourary consuls for decades, maybe longer. In the early 80s I used to get my Thai non-immigrant visas from an American honourary consul in Sausalito, CA, then in the early 90s from an Australian dentist in Melbourne.

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Aha. Each time I came in for long stay was coming in from India (Delhi) and was always a beurocratic nightmare to try to get anything other than tourist visa through CG there. If there was farang consul there, never found it or heard of it.

That is one of the great things about Thaivisa forums. Lots of good info sharing and lots of good knowledge easily available.

There's no differerence other tah on first arrival into Thailand the O-A holder gets a one year stay. Thereafter they are both simply extended each year in Thailand

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And how much time does the O holder get on first entering Thailand? I think Jimmy said his was good for 15 months, which would be better. But seems to me you are implying it is less than a year for O (or am I assuming the wrong thing by what you say).

What exactly is an O visa if not retirement and does it have the same medical and financial requirements as O-A for yearly extension? Same work restrictions?

Thanks.

I just got off the phone with Jen.

Now I understand the O visa. You can only stay in the country for 90 days with that. With the multiple entry O it is good for 1 year, so you can keep popping in and out every 90 days. And if your last visa run is 1 day before the visa expires then you have another 90 days, hence the 15 month total.

Here is what she could not answer:

If you come in on an O visa (single entry) can you then go to immigration within that first 90 days and extend it as an O-A visa (assuming you meet all of the requirements)?

If not, then I would certainly want to get the O-A here in USA as doing visa runs every 90 days is not my idea of a good time.

If it is possible to get the O-A there after entering, can this also be done if you come in with a tourist visa (or even if you come in with a 30 day entry stamp)? I would think probably not, but would love to hear from the voices of experience.

Here again is the contact info for Colorado consulate. Note the updated email address.

ROYAL THAI CONSULATE-GENERAL

1123 AURARIA PKWY, SUITE 200

DENVER, CO 80204

Tel : (303) 892-0118

Fax : (303) 892-0119

E-mail : [email protected]

Honorary Consul-General, Mr. Donald W. Ringby

Jen is the contact and she is very helpful.

Or can an O visa gain a similar status of being able to be renewed annually without the need of making 90 day visa runs (without being married to a Thai)?

O/A is simply an O visa for retirement that has been "approved". You do not need or get such a thing in Thailand.

What you do if you enter with an O visa is report to immigration during the last 30 days of your 90 day stay with the retirement criteria (bank account/letter, Embassy pension letter, medical and copies of your passport, bank book and photo 4x6 cm) and fill out a TM.7 form asking for 365 day extension of stay for "retirement". Cost is 1,900 baht to file. You go to office and paperwork is examined and a file started and you immediately receive a stamp allowing you to remain in Thailand until the day before your current entry stamp. This is not an O/A visa and you do not need an O/A visa. This is an extension of stay from an O visa.

Go to the Loi Kroh Clinic. Ask for a medical certificate and pay 100 baht. The nurse will take your blood pressure, temperature and pulse rate. The doctor will press on your stomach and ask you if it hurts. If you say no that will clearly show that you don't have Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism or Syphilis. He will give you your certificate and send you on your merry way.

Only 50 baht in Rama 1 believe it or not

An O-A is ONLY for retirement and no work. An O can be based on retirement ( also no work ) or support of a Thai wife or child. In the case of support a work permit can be obtained.

An O-A is ONLY for retirement and no work. An O can be based on retirement ( also no work ) or support of a Thai wife or child. In the case of support a work permit can be obtained.

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Bumping this thread because I just spoke to the Denver consulate office and wanted to provide some up-to-date information.

The lady I spoke to (not Jen) said they would turn around a non-immigrant visa application the same day they recieved it. Here is what you need to send them:

The application

$125 money order, made out to "DW Ringsby"

Passport

2 passport-sized photographs

Self-addressed stamped envelope

They won't do FedEx or UPS, only USPS. Whatever kind of postage you include on your self-addressed stamped envelope is how fast you'll get it back. For instance, you can include an Express Mail envelope with Express postage (usually about $15 bucks) and in theory, you'll get it back the day after they mail it.