Does a One Year Non-Immigrant Type B Visa require 3 month visa runs?

[buddhaland]

Help! Before moving to Thailand from the United States recently, I applied for and obtained a Non-Immigrant Type B visa, which I thought allowed me to stay in Thailand for one year without having to leave the country every three months to renew the visa. On my arrival at the airport in Bankok on 5 November, the immigration officer stamped my passport with a stamp admitting me until 2 February 2014 - three months, roughly. I didn't notice this until I went yesterday to open a bank account at Siam Commercial Bank - and was told that I can't open an account because I am only authorized to stay in Thailand for three months. Did I get the wrong stamp in my passport? And if so, can this be remedied? This is of great concern to me, as I do plan to stay for the full year and really do need a local bank account! Any help in this matter would be much appreciated.

[zeichen]

You most likely got a multiple entry non B visa. Most visas are for 90 days. There are only a few that are one year visas. You will need to do border runs every 90 days or get an extension at immigration.

[Lite Beer]

You have a Multi Entry Non Imm B Visa.

This gives you unlimited entries while the Visa is still valid.

Each entry gives a stay of 90 days.

You have to leave and return to get another 90 days.

You can open a bank account with this Visa but might have to try more than one branch.

[ubonjoe]

You must leave the country every 90 days to get a new 90 entry. The one year is how long you can use the visa to enter. That is why your visa sticker or stamp has a enter before date that is 1 year from the date of issue.

Just go to another bank to open an account. You may have to try at a few before you find one that will do it.

[overherebc]

Try Kasikorn Bank.

Ref your visa don't forget that if you leave, ie do a border run a couple of days before the enter by or use by date you will still get another 90 days making a total of 15 months on your one year visa.

[PoorSucker]

If you don't want to leave every 90 days, you can apply for extension of stay at immigrations.

Extension of Thai Business Visa

The Thai "B" or Business Visa can be extended to a one year visa in country as follows.

The extension of the visa is normally based on employment and as such there are certain regulations governing the company who is employing you.

These are the regulations for the extension of the "B" Business Visa:

1. The business must be registered in Thailand.

2. The company must be capitalized to at least Baht 2 Million while operating fund must be at least Baht 1 Million.

3. The company must have a ration of at least 4 : 1 - Four Thais for every foreigner.

4. You must earn at least in accordance with the level specified for each nationality by the Labour Department.

Duration of the Extension

- One year at a time.

Documents required for the extension:

1. Application form (T.M. 7 )

2. Passport or document used in lien of passport and its copies .

3. The applicants 4 x 6 cm. photograph .

4. Extension fee Baht 1,900.-

5. The company letters certifying as follows ;

- Nature of business

- Reason or necessity in employing the applicant his / her position, salary and education background.

- Number of Thai and foreign employees.

6. Copies of work permit or receipt of work permit application.

7. Company's annual balance sheets.

8. The juristic persons Annual Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.50) of the latest year and its receipt of payment.

9. Thai employees Monthly Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.1 ) of the latest month and its receipt of payment.

10. The applicants Annual Income Tax Declaration Form (Form No.91) of the latest year and its receipt of payment.

11. The official letter that certify the registration of such juristic person.

12. Business Registration or Business License.

13. Value Added Tax Registration and list of share holders.

14. A map that indicate location of the Company.

15. For those who operate export business, the documentary evidence clarifying its export activities is needed.

16. For those who operate tourism business, the documentary evidence clarifying its total number of tourist that brought in by the company is needed.

Some Immigrations offices.

17. Picture of all the company's employees at work

18. Picture of all company's employees in front of the office with clear name of the company showing

[mimi9000]

You won't have to leave Thailand every 3 months, as long as you do the "major" paperwork

Immigration wants from you. Probably do it by mid-January. Thereafter, will need to "stop by"

Immigration every 3 months to Report that you are still in Thailand. In one year, you will

have to do the "major" paperwork again.

I have Non-Immigrant "O" visa. "O" means Other; can be obtained by either Retirement,

Marriage, or Work Permit. I just finished my 2nd annual "O" visa application.

Every 3 months to stop at the Immigration was a simple matter of bringing passport

and TM 47 Form.

[mimi9000]

BANKs: Most bank employees who open accounts erroneously, by knee-jerk reaction, think and ask for a "work permit" from you.

I have had to kindly tell them that what their bank requires is a non-tourist visa (i.e., "O" visa, or B visa, for examples), and that

a Work Permit is only one of several ways to get such a visa, and that the other ways are blah blah (marriage, retirement, etc.).

Then the employee looks for a manager, who then tells them to open the account. However, not all managers know this, either.

Easist bank to open: Krungsri.

Most difficult: Bangkok Bank.

Medium: SCB, Kasikorn.

Generally, much depends on who the employee is on any particular day. Some days it's too frustrating at a particular bank,

so either come back another day or go to another bank or branch. But, i suggest you get your visa extension first, so that

your passport has a stamp that allows you the possiblilty to be in thailand for 1 year. Then you should be fine, as long

as you know about the issues in the first paragraph here.

[bitcoinbob]

try bangkok bank best choice for americans. what type of business are you attempting to start in thailand?

[overherebc]

You won't have to leave Thailand every 3 months, as long as you do the "major" paperwork

Immigration wants from you. Probably do it by mid-January. Thereafter, will need to "stop by"

Immigration every 3 months to Report that you are still in Thailand. In one year, you will

have to do the "major" paperwork again.

I have Non-Immigrant "O" visa. "O" means Other; can be obtained by either Retirement,

Marriage, or Work Permit. I just finished my 2nd annual "O" visa application.

Every 3 months to stop at the Immigration was a simple matter of bringing passport

and TM 47 Form.

Surely if you are reporting to Imm' every three months and not doing border runs you are on an extension of a single entry visa. It's called an extension of stay

If you have a multi entry you need to, must , leave and come back in every 90 days. It's called a multi-entry visa.

[Porthmadog]

if you have a non B visa, will you be getting a work permit?

with a work permit you can open a bank account.

if you have both of the above you just need to declare every 3 months at your local imigration for a slip of paper saying you have delcared your location.

only non imB then you must leave every 3 months, unless your work permit is done in Time

[lopburi3]

A work permit changes nothing as far as having to leave every 90 days if on visa entry and is not required to open a bank account. To avoid leaving an extension of stay from immigration using TM.7 would be required.

[Rorri]

Well, I have the same visa, as you have already been told, you do need to do a visa run every 90 days, the visa is for 12 months, BUT, if you do a "visa run" on the last day, then you get 90 days more, this gives you a total of 15 months, give or take a few days.

Question. Why are some people going on about "O" visas,? The OP clearly states he has a "B" visa.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Rorri

[lopburi3]

One post containing false information removed. Replies also removed,

[TheNativeSon]

Go to Thai Immigration and apply for the 1-year, Non-Immigrant "O" Retirement Visa (if you are 50+ years). But first get a (notorized) income statement from the US Embassy or Consolate (Citizen services) for $2,400. /mo minimum.

Take that document to Thai Immigration, together w/ two passport-size photos. Also get the multiple entry stamp w/ your visa.

ALL foreigner visas require that you either leave the Kingdom every 90-days, or report to Immigration to update your status.

Do not listen to what other American expats have to say about the "realities" of visas. Three different Americans will give you 3-different opinions on the topic. Go to Thai Immigration (also online website), get the printed guideline (for U.S. citizens), and then follow those instructions "to the letter".

Good luck.

[ubonjoe]

Go to Thai Immigration and apply for the 1-year, Non-Immigrant "O" Retirement Visa (if you are 50+ years). But first get a (notorized) income statement from the US Embassy or Consolate (Citizen services) for $2,400. /mo minimum.

 

Take that document to Thai Immigration, together w/ two passport-size photos. Also get the multiple entry stamp w/ your visa.

 

ALL foreigner visas require that you either leave the Kingdom every 90-days, or report to Immigration to update your status.

 

Do not listen to what other American expats have to say about the "realities" of visas. Three different Americans will give you 3-different  opinions on the topic. Go to Thai Immigration (also online website), get the printed guideline (for U.S. citizens), and then follow those instructions "to the letter".

 

Good luck.

You don't apply for a visa you apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Immigration only does non immigrant visas associated with meeting the requirements for an extension of stay.

There are no rules or requirements for extensions of stay that vary country to country.

I never heard of a visa that was not for a foreigner.

There are certain non immigrant visas that allow a one year entry such as the non-oa visa. Tourist visas only allow 60 day entries.

A multiple entry non immigrant visa requires you to leave after after the allowed entry runs out which in most cases is 90 days.

An extension of stay requires you to make a report if you remain in the country more than 90 days. For a visa that allows an entry of greater than 90 days you also have to report.

Would you be so kind and supply a link to the webpage on immigrations website that provides special requirements for American.

[lopburi3]

Income requirement is 65k baht per month so varies as to what is required if paid in foreign currency. But if pension is short you can combine with bank deposit here to meet the 800k per year requirement.

You apply for an extension of stay for retirement from a non immigrant visa entry at immigration - or if you do not have that entry you must get as an extra step or obtain outside Thailand from a Consulate. You will need more than passport photos (but only one of those if Bangkok). Copies of passport/entry visa/stamps/arrival card and proof of address are normal requirements.

Visas allow entry up to one year per time (non immigrant O-A) but one year extensions from immigration are not visas. Reports to immigration every 90 days is for address reporting and has nothing to do with visas.

The requirements for extension is the same for Americans as any other nationality so you do not have to search in vain for "US Citizens" on immigration web sites.