Hi All,

I'm arriving this week in Bangkok from Canada with my new non-immigrant O-A visa. I'm wondering whether there is any requirement to stay in Thailand for a specific time in order to maintain the visa. I intend to do a fair bit of travelling outside the country. I don't think I've heard of such a requirement so I'm thinking that it should be possible (to take it to an extreme) to enter at first, get permission to stay, then leave and not return until the very end of the 12 month period; re-enter and get the 1 year extension, and then again leave until the end of the year, re-apply ... and so on. I'm really not expecting to push it that far but I'm interested in knowing any relevant rule.

Has anyone looked into this?

Cheers!

TG

If you have a Multi Entry you can come and go as you please and get 12 month when returning.

If you have a Single Entry you need a Re Entry Permit from Immigration

If you have a Multi Entry you can come and go as you please and get 12 month when returning.

If you have a Single Entry you need a Re Entry Permit from Immigration

Thanks - I should have mentioned mine is multi-entry.

You do have a multi entry non immigrant O-A visa? There is no requirement to stay any time period and any entry during the one year validity of a multi entry gets a new one year permitted to stay stamp on return.

An O-A Visa comes with Multiple Entry Permit for the 1st 12 months from issue, therefore you can travel in & out as many times as required until 1 day before it's 1st birthday as to speak. Re enter Thailand 1 day before it's expiry & you will automatically get permission to stay for another 365 days. If you then decide to travel in & out of Thailand then you will be required to purchase a re-entry permit to keep Visa alive

An O-A visa can be single or multi entry. Only a multi entry allows travel and/or return for a new one year permitted to stay.

An O-A visa can be single or multi entry. Only a multi entry allows travel and/or return for a new one year permitted to stay.

Never seen a single O-A issued, obviously excluding the 2nd 12 months

A Non Imm O-A Visa can be either Single or Multi Entry.

The choice is yours.