Lost passport with my non-immigrant O A visa urgent!

[bealus]

Hello to TV members; need your help and/or advise:

While on holiday in my home-country in Europe, I lost my Passport containing my non-immigrant visa O A; valid

till December 2013.

I applied for a new passport and will receive it soon; this new passport of course does NOT have my orginal and one time extended Thai visa non-immigrant O A.

Luckily(?) I always keep a copy of that visa on my pc and email; so I could produce "evidence" I indeed owned

the mentioned visa.

But of course these are mere copies and could/would not be recognized when re-entering Thailand.(I suppose)

Planning to go back to Thailand midst October.

Should I enter without a visa and can "handle" this case within 30 days with immigration?(Can a specialised visa/law company "fix" it in this short period?)

Do I need to get a tourist-visa for 90 days and act likewise or can convert this to my orginal owned visa?

Renewing the original visa in my country is a bureaucratic nightmare at the domestic Thai Embassy; with many documents to be signed, counter-signed, health-declaration, birthcertificate etc and affirmations(several)from different departments/ministeries in my country.

Advice how to get out of this "catch 22" situation is highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!!

[wayned]

I doubt that immigration will accept copies to allow you to reenter. If you fly in without a visa they will give you a visa exempt entry good for 30 days. The problem is that the airline might not let you board the aircraft without a ticket exiting Thailand within 30 days.

When you get your new passport your options are:

1. Apply for a new O-A visa and go through all of the BS that you did before.

2. Apply for a single entry Non-O visa and during the last 30 days apply for a 1 year extension for retirement.

3. Apply for a Tourist visa, convert the tourist visa to a Non-O in Thailand and then apply for the 1 year extension

4. Enter on a 30 day visa exempt entry , convert that to a Non-O and apply for the 1 year extension.

IMHO your best option is number 2, You do not need a medical or police check. However you must meet the financial requirements which are either 800000 baht in a Thai bank in your name only seasoned for 2 months (first time), a letter from you embassy stating the you are receiving at least 65000 baht/month from overseas, or a combination of both that meets the 800000 baht requirement. If you do not have funds in place in Thailand, the 90 day entry will give you time to set up the proper account, transfer funds and have them seasoned for 2 months before you apply for the extension.

[ubonjoe]

You state that you extended it once. Does that mean you made an entry getting another one year permit to stay (this is not extending it) or did you get an extension from immigration here?

If your visa ( not permit to stay date) is still valid and you got it in London they might be able to help you. You should contact them. In some cases they might be able to stamp in your visa with original validity date.

Having copies is a big help.

[simple1]

OP: I had a similar situation but with a stolen passport. I reentered Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt on my emergency passport and went to see Immigration in Jomtien when I received my full replacement passport. They advised that as my O visa was orginally provided offshore I would need to obtain a new O visa with retirement extention. I supplied proof of funds and the police report, then given the O visa plus the 12 month extention, so 90 days + 12 months for the usual fee. The elapsed time at immigration was about 30 minutes. No need for medical or police clearence certificate.

[lopburi3]

First check with issuing office of the O-A visa - they might be able to issues a replacement (but expect unlikely with computer stamps now used).

The copies are almost surly not going to be accepted so failing above I would get a new visa (or at least non immigrant O single entry to start extensions in Thailand and insure ability to get on flight).

If you enter without such you will need to have proof of funds in Thailand/income to obtain visa for 90 days inside Thailand and then extend (2k baht for visa and 1.9k for extension plus cost of paperwork and likely several trips to immigration (and need for bank money to be in Thailand 2 months prior to actual extension).

[bealus]

I doubt that immigration will accept copies to allow you to reenter. If you fly in without a visa they will give you a visa exempt entry good for 30 days. The problem is that the airline might not let you board the aircraft without a ticket exiting Thailand within 30 days.

When you get your new passport your options are:

1. Apply for a new O-A visa and go through all of the BS that you did before.

2. Apply for a single entry Non-O visa and during the last 30 days apply for a 1 year extension for retirement.

3. Apply for a Tourist visa, convert the tourist visa to a Non-O in Thailand and then apply for the 1 year extension

4. Enter on a 30 day visa exempt entry , convert that to a Non-O and apply for the 1 year extension.

IMHO your best option is number 2, You do not need a medical or police check. However you must meet the financial requirements which are either 800000 baht in a Thai bank in your name only seasoned for 2 months (first time), a letter from you embassy stating the you are receiving at least 65000 baht/month from overseas, or a combination of both that meets the 800000 baht requirement. If you do not have funds in place in Thailand, the 90 day entry will give you time to set up the proper account, transfer funds and have them seasoned for 2 months before you apply for the extension.

Thank you so much for your useful analysis of my situation and the alternatives to solve it. Let my

Thai gf already enquire about the validity of saved copies, and the answer(as probably expected)

is a definitive no no.

I do however have the required funds already in the bank in Thailand, so I can prove I have the appropiate

financial means to stay here.

Overlooking my problem I am inclined to agrree with you that option 2 would be the best way to act and without being submitted to the horrendous bureaucratic horror I described before for renewing the original

visa at the Thai embassy in my homecountry.

[bealus]

You state that you extended it once. Does that mean you made an entry getting another one year permit to stay (this is not extending it) or did you get an extension from immigration here? If your visa ( not permit to stay date) is still valid and you got it in London they might be able to help you. You should contact them. In some cases they might be able to stamp in your visa with original validity date. Having copies is a big help.

The original non immigrant visa was issued at the Thai embassy in my homecountry in Europe(not being UK); and was once extended by immigration office in Thailand. Thanks for your help, but as I don't orginate

from UK, this road will be cloes for me I suppose.

[bealus]

OP: I had a similar situation but with a stolen passport. I reentered Thailand on a 30 day visa exempt on my emergency passport and went to see Immigration in Jomtien when I received my full replacement passport. They advised that as my O visa was orginally provided offshore I would need to obtain a new O visa with retirement extention. I supplied proof of funds and the police report, then given the O visa plus the 12 month extention, so 90 days + 12 months for the usual fee. The elapsed time at immigration was about 30 minutes. No need for medical or police clearence certificate.

I did had to file a report to the local police about losing my passport; with the report I went to the

authority that issues new ones in my country and I will get a "regular" new one. I don't know about the visa

exempt but will ask Thai embassy if such is possible with a copy of the file from the police and proof of funds in Thailand.

[bealus]

First check with issuing office of the O-A visa - they might be able to issues a replacement (but expect unlikely with computer stamps now used).

The copies are almost surly not going to be accepted so failing above I would get a new visa (or at least non immigrant O single entry to start extensions in Thailand and insure ability to get on flight).

If you enter without such you will need to have proof of funds in Thailand/income to obtain visa for 90 days inside Thailand and then extend (2k baht for visa and 1.9k for extension plus cost of paperwork and likely several trips to immigration (and need for bank money to be in Thailand 2 months prior to actual extension).

The extension of the O-A visa was done at an immigration-office that still used ordinary stamps(2X)and a

signature. So I will let my GF give their office a ring if they might be able to issue a replacement, but if so

how would it be "validated" by immigration at Suvarnabhumi, as it's not in my new passport?

Like stated before proof of funds is no problem as I have the required money in a Thai bank.

As other TV member mentioned and you support that view here too, the non-immgrant O visa would

be the most suitable way to go then. Thanks for your advice too:)

[ubonjoe]

You state that you extended it once. Does that mean you made an entry getting another one year permit to stay (this is not extending it) or did you get an extension from immigration here? If your visa ( not permit to stay date) is still valid and you got it in London they might be able to help you. You should contact them. In some cases they might be able to stamp in your visa with original validity date. Having copies is a big help.

The original non immigrant visa was issued at the Thai embassy in my homecountry in Europe(not being UK); and was once extended by immigration office in Thailand. Thanks for your help, but as I don't orginate

from UK, this road will be cloes for me I suppose.

From this and later post you never had a OA visa. You apparently obtained a non-o visa and extended your entry from it at immigration which is not a OA visa.

Your only choices are to obtain a non-o visa before returning and then extend that entry.

Or enter getting a 30 day entry and going through conversion process to obtain a non immigrant visa entry and then extend it.

[bealus]

You state that you extended it once. Does that mean you made an entry getting another one year permit to stay (this is not extending it) or did you get an extension from immigration here? If your visa ( not permit to stay date) is still valid and you got it in London they might be able to help you. You should contact them. In some cases they might be able to stamp in your visa with original validity date. Having copies is a big help.

The original non immigrant visa was issued at the Thai embassy in my homecountry in Europe(not being UK); and was once extended by immigration office in Thailand. Thanks for your help, but as I don't orginate

from UK, this road will be cloes for me I suppose.

From this and later post you never had a OA visa. You apparently obtained a non-o visa and extended your entry from it at immigration which is not a OA visa.

Your only choices are to obtain a non-o visa before returning and then extend that entry.

Or enter getting a 30 day entry and going through conversion process to obtain a non immigrant visa entry and then extend it.

Somehow I must have screwed up the explanations I gave; The original visa issued by the Thai embassy

in my European homecountry DID state non-immigrant O A and was extended for one year at the local

immigration office in LOS. Maybe I don't understand the difference you mentioned about getting an entry

for staying another year, whereas you say this is not the same as extending it. And I believed it was; could you be more explanetory about the difference? Thx!!!

[jrtmedic]

If you "extended" your ? O/A visa at a local Thai immigration office you would have had to provide evidence of adequate finance either by way of a Thai bank deposit or a letter from your Embassy certifying an adequate income.

If on the other hand you had a multi entry O/A visa and secured another years stay by leaving and re-entering Thailand (whilst the visa was valid) you would have received a "permit to stay " date and not an "extension"

However, all this would seem to be academic. You have lost your passport and it is unlikely that you will get whatever stamp(s) were in the old passport reinstated.

Best begin again as stated in previous posts

[bealus]

If you "extended" your ? O/A visa at a local Thai immigration office you would have had to provide evidence of adequate finance either by way of a Thai bank deposit or a letter from your Embassy certifying an adequate income.

If on the other hand you had a multi entry O/A visa and secured another years stay by leaving and re-entering Thailand (whilst the visa was valid) you would have received a "permit to stay " date and not an "extension"

However, all this would seem to be academic. You have lost your passport and it is unlikely that you will get whatever stamp(s) were in the old passport reinstated.

Best begin again as stated in previous posts

Thanks for youe explanation; I had to provide evidence of adequate finance so that would make my visa an extended one. I will wait to soon receive my new passport and act as recommended in previous post, as you mnetioned as well.