Non-Immigrant O-A multiple entry question

[Nowisee]

I came here on 3/14/13 for the first time on my Non-Immigrant O-A multiple entry visa.

I have done my 90 day check in.

On 7/18/13 I am going to the US until 9/24/13.

A friend told me that I would need to get a reentry permit from immigration for 1000 baht.

This is news to me. I thought I could come and go.

What do I need to do before I leave?

What do I need to do when I return?

Thank you.

[Langsuan Man]

Your friend is incorrect. So long as you come back to Thailand before 3/13/14 (or earlier depending upon the USE BY DATE on your O-A Multiple) you will not need a re-entry permit from Immigration. Once you return to Thailand on 9/14/13 you will be stamped in with "Permission to Stay" until 9/13/14. Just make sure that you check it before leaving the Immigration Counter. If you want to insure that you obtain a full two years out of your O-A Multiple you can do a border run one day prior to the expiration of your visa (USE BY DATE)

Your friend probably does not have experience with O-A Multiple Visas, since he would be correct if you were on an "O" Visa or your O-A Multiple was expired, then you would need to get a re-entry permit to keep your permission to stay alive

[Mario2008]

Per above, no re-entry permit needed.

Your next 90 day report will be 90 days after you return to Thailand, (if not before you leave next month).

[monty]

As per above.

The majority of retirees have arrived on a regular non immigrant O visa and subsequently extend it based on retirement.

In their case they indeed need a re-entry permit so as not to lose their extension.

In your case, the only important thing to check, is that you return before the "enter before", date stamped/written on your visa.

Once past the "enter before" date, you will have to apply for a re-entry permit if you wish to travel, so as not to lose your current stay (which will be 1 year counting from your last entry).

[Lite Beer]

What they all said.

[Nowisee]

Some points and questions for clarification.

My initial entry was 14 Mar 2013, good until 13 Mar 2014. I did a 90 day check in on 13 Jun 2013.

My enter before date is 24 Jan 2014.

1. I can leave and come back as frequently as I want as long as my last return "entry" is prior to 24 Jan 2014?

2. Once I have returned on 14 Sep 2013 I will receive permission to stay until 13 Sep 2014.

3. IF I were to return on 15 Jan 2014 (prior to 24 Jan 2014),

I must go to immigration prior to any further travel and obtain a reentry permit?

4. This is mandatory regardless if I intend to do any further travel?

5. Is my visa and ability to stay in Thailand still intact at this point?

6. Does my visa expire on the Enter Before date of 24 Jan 2014?

7. Is so, where do I need to go to renew it and when do I need to do it buy?

8. If I'm in Thailand during the month of January 2014, on what date would I need to leave the country (say to Laos) and on what date would I need to return by to take advantage of the "Border Run" extending my visa that Langsuan Man is referring to?

9. Would I need to obtain a reentry permit prior to leaving?

10. Permission to stay until date, enter before date and needing a reentry permit before the enter before date is all very confusing.

I feel like a complete idiot for not knowing and fulling understanding this.

AND, I am greatly appreciative to all of you guys for providing the answers.

[wayned]

1. yes

2. yes

3. If you return on 15 Jan 2014, you will get permission to stay until 14 Jan 2015. If you want to leave and reenter after 24 jan 2013 you need a reentry permit. Single, 1000 baht, multiple 3800 baht. It is wise to purchase at least a single in advance to cover emergencies.

4. Not mandatory. But if you leave the country without one your current permission to stay will be voided.

5. Your visa expires on 24 Jan 2014. Your permission to stay is intact and will be as long as you have a reentry permit if yoy leave and reenter.

6. yes

7. If you leave and reenter on 23 Jan 2014, you will get permission to stay until 22 Jan2014. During the last 30 days of the permission to stay you go to immigration and apply for a 1 year retirement extension. Current cost 1900 baht.

8. On or before 24 Jan 2013.

9. No, as long as your reenter on or before 24 Jan It's always best to do uit a day earlier.

10. With your visa, on each entry that you make before the"enter before date" you will be given 1 year permission to stay. The 'enter before date' is the expiration date of your visa. Look at it as a bus pass, it expires on 24 Jan 2014, but is you're on the bus (in Thailand), you can stay until the permission to stay date in your passport even though your visa has expired on 24 Jan 2014. A rentry permit is only required if you wish to leave and renter after your visa has expired. It keeps your current permission to stay date valid.

If this confuses you, wait until you get here and assimilate into Thai culture, a real eye opener!

[Nowisee]

1. Every time I reenter Thailand I get a permission to stay, valid for one year?

2. Essentially perpetual if I leave and reenter prior to the expiration of the previous one? Never a need to buy the one year retirement extension?

2a. This is what the border run does?

3. 30 days prior to enter before date of 24 Jan (whether it's 24 Jan 2014, 2015, 2016, etc) it is mandatory to obtain a reentry permit?

3a. Only if I'm reentering after 24 Jan?

3b. These are valid for one year, 24 Jan - 23 Jan.

3c. And have nothing to do with border runs?

3d. Because I have a multiple entry visa I would want to keep that up buy purchasing the multiple reentry permit?

Just when I thought I figured it out the above answers have me confused.

There's the reentry permit. Single and multiple.

Valid for one year

Can be obtained how?

There's the permission to stay.

Valid for one year.

Can be obtained how?

There's the enter before date.

Things need to be done prior to and after that date... Not 100% sure what.

Is there a specific place that outlines all this that I can read?

I hate asking all these retarded questions.

[Mario2008]

No, you only get a new permission to stay for 1 year as long as you enter Thailand while the visa itself is still valid (for 1 year from date it was issued at the embassy).

Once the visa is no longer valid on the day you return, you need to have a re-entry permit to return to Thailand and keep your permission to stay.

Example: You have a permission to stay till 1st of June 2014, (your visa has already expired). On 1st of Sept 2013 you want to leave for 2 months til 1st of Nov 2013. Now you need a re-entry permit, before you leave. Upon return to Thailand on 1st of Nov. you get stamped in by immigration till 1st of June 2014.

A single re-entry permit is good for 1 time leaving and entering Thailand, a multiple for unlimited times. But a re-entry permit is only valid for the duration of your permission to stay.

So a permission to stay till 1st of June 2014 makes the re-entry permit also valid till that date, even if you buy it on 1st of Sept 2013. And you must be back before or on 1st of June 2014 at the latest, or you will need to get a new visa.

[lopburi3]

1. During the one year validity of the O-A visa only - once visa expires no more entries can be made.

2. See above - one year only.

2a. Border run/return can only be done during validity of the visa and provides a new 1 year permitted to stay (not a new visa).

3. No. But any travel after that date will end your permitted to stay and not allow a return on retirement. If you want to return to continue your last permitted to stay time you need the re-entry permit prior to travel. It allows return with the same permitted to stay date you already have.

[Tafia]

You are getting yourself confused.

You have a Multi Entry OA with an expiry (use by) date of 24 Jan 2014.

Any exit and return upto that date you will recieve a further 12 months permitted to stay stamp.

An exit and return just prior to the expiry date 24th Jan 2014 will give you a further 12 month permitted to stay stamp.

It is in this second year that should you wish to leave the country you will require a re -entry permit.

Available at Imm office near you 1000 Baht for a single, 3800 Baht for a multi entry.

The re-entry permit will be valid upto your permission to stay date.

[MichaelSong]

I have the same type of visa, it is not expired yet (this visa must be utilized before...) and I have entered Thailand at Suvarnabumi 3 times, but never got a pemission to stay stamp for 1 year, only 60 days. Or is that the same ?

[Mario2008]

60 days is a tourist visa, not an O-A-visa or even a non-O visa.

[MichaelSong]

Sorry , it is 90 days ofcourse

[lopburi3]

And what type of visa? Multi entry non immigrant O? The one year stays from from a non immigrant O-A visa.

[Mario2008]

Per above, don't confuse a multiple non-O visa (90 days on entry) with a multiple O-A visa (1 year on entry)

[MichaelSong]

It is a non-immigrant "O" Visa, ok now I understand, Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

It is a non-immigrant "O" Visa, ok now I understand, Thanks.

If you don't want to keep doing border runs you could get a one year extension of stay if you are over 50 or married to a Thai lady if you meet the financial requirements.

[technologybytes]

At this stage I guess a lot of people are thinking "Wow.. why didn't I get a O-A Visa?"

An O-A Visa is issued in some countries by a Thai consulate/embassy for some persons expecting to retire to Thailand, all the checks that would be done when you apply for an extension are done prior to leaving your home country.. with the addition of a criminal records check.

The criminal records check is not conducted for a O visa, nor is it conducted when extending a O visa for retirement, so many people choose to skip the O-A Visa for that very reason, and because if you qualify for O-A you will have no difficulty getting the extension for retirement anyway.

[lopburi3]

Money does not have to be in Thailand if using bank account method for the O-A visa but would for an extension of stay inside Thailand. Also the medical can be a very expensive additional factor for some getting the O-A visa in countries where doctors face legal action at every turn so faced with that form order every test in the book.

[Andre0720]

" 1. Every time I reenter Thailand I get a permission to stay, valid for one year?
2. Essentially perpetual if I leave and reenter prior to the expiration of the previous one? Never a need to buy the one year retirement extension? "

Not perpetual.

As an immigration officer told me when looking at my one year Non-Immigrant O-A multiple entry visa:

"Do you know this visa is good for two years?"

The maximum 'permission to stay" length that one can get with such a visa is when re-entering Thailand one day prior to the expiration of the visa.

So good for residing in Thailand for two years minus one day.

[stoli]

Please check the "enter on or before date" on your O-A visa. If you leave and come back the day before this date, you will get an "Extension to Stay" of one year. This only works on your first year. Don't ever try to do it after your first year.. Another thing to remember. Your "multiple entries" will expire at the end of the first year on your visa. They will no longer be any good after one year from your "enter on or before date". You will then start to buy re-entry permits, even though you will have another year "extension of stay".

[Nowisee]

I understand now the difference between reentry permit and permission to stay... I think.

My initial entry was 14 March 2013 valid permission to stay until 13 March 2014.

My use by date 24 January 2014.

1. Ideally, I would want to leave Thailand and return prior to January 23, 2014.

Obtaining a permission to stay until January 23, 2015. (my understanding of the above posts).

2. At this point I'm good to go as far as staying in Thailand until January 23, 2015 with no travel outside of Thailand. If I did, I would need a reentry permit.

3. Now.... Ideally I would want to obtain a reentry permit (multiple) on January 22, 2014, travel outside of Thailand, return by January 23, 2014, thus obtaining another year permission to stay and now able to travel in and out until January 23, 2015?

Assuming one purchases each.

4. The permission to stay is valid for one year and the reentry permit is valid for one year from date of purchase?

5. Does one cancel the other if obtained say 6 months apart?

6. Is it best to purchase both around the same date, give or take a day or two so they expire around same time?

7. Or does not matter?

[lopburi3]

1. Yes.

2. Only return travel after expiration of visa (Jan 25, 2014 or later).

3. No you do not want a re-entry permit - you return using your still valid visa for a new one year stay. A re-entry permit only after this new stay stamp.

4-7. Re-entry is only valid for current permitted to stay time - you can obtain anytime prior to travel and if you do not travel you do not need.