Can You Do 3 Consecutive 30 Day Visas For Americans

[lopburi3]

LA is an official Consulate so will push non immigrant O-A for retirement. Portland and other Honorary Consulates can not provide that visa so will be more open to providing non immigrant O visas. It is not being issued for tourism but for checking on retirement as you can extend directly from that entry if you decide to stay.

[Lite Beer]

Non immigrant visa-O. For other purposes, visiting family in Thailand, pension, etc.

New York

To visit family (Category “O”)

Other activities (Category “O”)

Los Angeles

[Ajaan]

Walk and turn in Subvarnabhumi? A dazzling thought ! If it wasn t for the air-ticket check at the entrance to the immigration area for exiting or at the immigration officer's booth , I guess you could actually do a walk-and-turn-around in Subvarnabhumi ! Nobody says you have to touch soil of another country - just assumed it was your home country, there would be no visa or stamp revealing you had been abroad. When you are past the immigration, you are already on exterritorial grounds, or am i wrong on this ?

A walk-and-turn at Suvannabhumi (or any int'l airport) is physically impossible...the immigration entrance booths are in a completely different location than the exit booths, and you can't get from one area to another unless you've exited a plane...

[lopburi3]

That unfortunately is totally false - not only is it possible at many airports it used to be so common here that immigration had to resort to checking boarding pass of incoming pax. In many cases the transit area has direct connections to both sides of arrivals and departures.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Am confused about Non-Immigrant 'O' visas (for US citizens). The Los Angeles Consulate's webpage specifically says "Non-immigrant visas will NOT be issued for such purposes as tourism". That seems to rule out anything except a retirement visa (O-A), 30d visa-exempt status, or tourist visas (60-d) for US tourists. Have I missed something? I'm eligible for the retirement visa (over 50, have the financial means, etc.), just don't want to get involved with what seems like a huge document hassle, and don't really intend to "retire to Thailand". I'd just like to be able to stay for more than 30-d at a time.

For someone from the L.A. area, both the Portland and Houston honorary consulates are probably easier to deal with, and will handle their business by express mail. Portland also has its own website, although I don't believe Houston does, but they're easy to contact by email or phone.

For someone wanting to stay longer than 30 days, there is of course a double entry tourist visa with the ability to extend an additional 30 days while in country.

Even with just 30-day visa exempt entries, assuming you're not looking to live in Thailand full time but just wanting an extended stay, there's the ability to combine the Thailand stay with tourism sidetrips by air to nearby countries at reasonable expense via AirAsia... And each such sidetrip of course earns an additional 30 day visa exempt entry. So take some long weekends or weeks in Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Phnom Penh, etc etc.

BTW, for some who's eligible for a retirement visa, you can enter Thailand originally on a visa exempt entry or tourist visa, and then go thru a conversion process to an annual retirement extension at BKK Immigration at Chaeng Wattana.

Very little paperwork involved, other than proving your retirement eligible financial status either by consulate income letter or Thai bank letter and bankbook copies showing required seasoning of funds. As I recall, it's a bit simpler to convert from a tourist visa compared to a visa exempt entry, but either can be done in BKK with the payment of some associated, modest fees.

Edited March 25, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[4evermaat]

As mentioned earlier Portland has a very fast turn around, though you donot mention how much time you have.

Am confused about Non-Immigrant 'O' visas (for US citizens). The Los Angeles Consulate's webpage specifically says "Non-immigrant visas will NOT be issued for such purposes as tourism". That seems to rule out anything except a retirement visa (O-A), 30d visa-exempt status, or tourist visas (60-d) for US tourists. Have I missed something? I'm eligible for the retirement visa (over 50, have the financial means, etc.), just don't want to get involved with what seems like a huge document hassle, and don't really intend to "retire to Thailand". I'd just like to be able to stay for more than 30-d at a time.

Non Immigrant O Visa.

O means Other.

This could be visiting family, Doing voluntary work, Looking to retire, Visiting Thai Spouse. etc.

For someone from the L.A. area, both the Portland and Houston honorary consulates are probably easier to deal with, and will handle their business by express mail. Portland also has its own website, although I don't believe Houston does, but they're easy to contact by email or phone.

.........

I can confirm houston office is active. There is no website exclusively for thaivisas, but ryan law firm's website shows forrrest as the thai honorary consulate. He answers emails usually within hours. Same day visa turnaround, especially if you include an express return envelope. He is familiar with all the major express carriers. Very straightforward and professional.

There are plenty of reasons to get a non-immi visa besides tourism. Paperwork shouldnt be too difficult for any invite letter. I think he also does tourist visas, but might as well go for the non-imm if you are shooting for double/triple entry visa.

"2nd best time to plant a tree is today." Sent from TV android app.

[notmyself]

That unfortunately is totally false - not only is it possible at many airports it used to be so common here that immigration had to resort to checking boarding pass of incoming pax. In many cases the transit area has direct connections to both sides of arrivals and departures.

When Swampy first opened in 06 you could do it via L4 (food court) but now only transit or departing passangers are allowed to visit L4. You could still do it in theory at Sydney last time I was there along with LHR T5. You can also do it in Dubai via the lift in the passanger assistance (disabled) area. You can do it in Rarotonga and could in Samui before the refit.

[ScubaBuddha]

For someone wanting to stay longer than 30 days, there is of course a double entry tourist visa with the ability to extend an additional 30 days while in country.

I recently emailed the Thai embassy in LA asking if it was possible to get a triple entry tourist visa with a 6mo. validity since I saw triple entry mentioned on their website. (validity means you have to use all 3 entry's before that date). The response: "Yes, you can request up to 3 entries tourist visa and validity of visa may be within 6 months. However, you have to make a request to Thai Consulate General, LA for consideration. Consular, Thai Embassy"

So that's 9 months if you time your visa runs correctly. $40 an entry.