Retirement Visa in Thailand

[DepDavid]

OK, color me silly, but I have a question about the visa stamps. On the bottom right of the PP photo there is a stamp with issue date of April 9, self explanatory. Length of stay until Feb 2014, again, self explanatory. The "used" blue stamp and the date 4 May....does this mean it was a single re-entry and was used on 4 May 2013, and then on the next page there would be another stamp upon return, or is that all there is? Have never done it, nothing to compare it to, but will be getting Non Imm O-A and will extend based on retirement although married to Thai. Just trying to get it all straight in my head first. Thanks for the help.

[ubonjoe]

OK, color me silly, but I have a question about the visa stamps. On the bottom right of the PP photo there is a stamp with issue date of April 9, self explanatory. Length of stay until Feb 2014, again, self explanatory. The "used" blue stamp and the date 4 May....does this mean it was a single re-entry and was used on 4 May 2013, and then on the next page there would be another stamp upon return, or is that all there is? Have never done it, nothing to compare it to, but will be getting Non Imm O-A and will extend based on retirement although married to Thai. Just trying to get it all straight in my head first. Thanks for the help.

What type of visa is it. It appears to be a OA visa.

Does your visa sticker have next to entries a M or S?

[DepDavid]

I do not have one at all, I was going off the photo previously posted. I am just observing and trying to get it straight before I make this adventure myself.

[ubonjoe]

There are 4 different stamps. The ones on the left is the non immigrant visa and beside it is a entry/permit to stay stamp. On the right on top of the page is the extension of stay stamp.

The one on bottom of page is a single re-entry permit that was used on 4 may when he entered the country.

[DepDavid]

There are 4 different stamps. The ones on the left is the non immigrant visa and beside it is a entry/permit to stay stamp. On the right on top of the page is the extension of stay stamp. The one on bottom of page is a single re-entry permit that was used on 4 may when he entered the country.

That explains it. Thank you.

[DogNo1]

DepDavid: It seems that some immigration offices allow the conversion to nonimmigrant "O" and the year-long extension for retirement on the same visit. Immigration at Cheng Wattana (Bangkok) did not allow me to do that. I had to pay two visits to immigration: one for the conversion and one for the extension.

To septicit11: Although the "O" visa is indeed canceled within seconds of being stamped into your passport, it is what gives you permission to stay in the country for ninety days after it is granted.

[Jingthing]

Another common factor involves applicants using the 800K in Thai bank requiring two months seasoning for the first retirement extension. Such people often need more time for the seasoning, so they would do the conversion to Non Immigrant O first and NEED to come back LATER for the retirement extension application. The beauty part in that is that the money doesn't require seasoning for the first step, the conversion to Non Immigrant O. On the same day thing if you don't need more time for seasoning, I reckon you just have to ask at the time of your conversion to Non Immigrant O application.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[loumaripol]

Report on obtaining 10th extension of Non-O (retirement) permission to stay Yesterday, Tuesday January 7th, 2014

I am a US citizen and received extension for one year as usual

Arrived 09:15

Recieved low que number C2-44

US Consulate affidvait accepted as proof of income with no comment.

NOTE -US ACS now requires on-line apppointment for all services except emergencies.

One set of documents consisting of:

Income affidavit

Copies of Pasport main page, most recent entry, previous extension and, if applicable, re-entry permit

The officer was friendly and efficent

After approval I got a que number for re-entry permit and had a photo copy made of the new extension

Completed re-entry at 11:15

Edited January 8, 2014 by loumaripol

[JimGant]

Look again !

Did your "visa" have to be used immediately ?

Look carefully !

Look for the significant differences all there for those who wish to see

Gee whiz, it does indeed say "Non Immigrant Visa." But, if you want to call it a banana, go for it.

Yeah, my Non Immigrant visa was used immediately -- and stamped accordingly by Immigration (it was a single entry variant). And, yeah, it immediately became a " dead visa," but it, like your example, gave me the utility of 90 days of stay, upon which an extension could be piggybacked on at the end of the 90 days. (Dead parrot, British humor -- no wonder you guys lost).

The only "significant difference" seen is that your example has visa issuance, visa cancellation ("Used"), and extension award all occuring same day vice three different days. But the mechanics are the same, including a 90 day permission of stay upon the visa being "Used." And this 90 day stay fully plays out before the one-year extension becomes effective. If not for the same date for all occurences, this stamp sequence would be identical to obtaining a Non Imm O visa abroad, entering Thailand and receiving a 90 day stay, then applying for a one-year extension, to begin at the end of the 90 day stay afforded from the Non Imm O visa.

No rocket science here. Years ago, MFA granted Immigration the authority to issue Non Immigrant visas -- because, as Jingthing points out, all extensions of stay have to be "hooked" to a Non Immigrant visa source. Yes, subsequent extensions are hooked to expiring extensions -- but that initial extension was hooked to a valid visa (for many here, a long ago expired visa -- rotten banana, dead parrot, whatever).

The irony in MFA granting Immigration visa issuance authority for the purpose of long stay permissions is that MFA believes Immigration issues Non Immigrant O-A visas, samo samo as MFA does for the purpose of one-year retirement stays. It says so right on their website -- and is why this forum gets the periodic query about 'obtaining a Non Imm O-A within Thailand.' Immigration, of course, conducts the MFA authority granted them in the manner we've been discussing.

Some Thai legal sites aren't very helpful either. This from Siam Legal:

“Extension of Stay” is the time period you are allowed to remain after your initial entry into the Kingdom of Thailand. This is typically the date stamp in your passport by the Immigration Officer when you make an application for "Extension of Stay" at the Thai Immigration office. For example, if you arrive in Thailand on a 90 day non-immigrant "O" visa and you wish to extend it to one year, the Thai Immigration office will extend it an additional nine months as category "O-A" to complete a one year period for retirement in Thailand..

No help they. Of course Siam Legal specializes in obtaining visas, so their ear is tuned towards MFA misinformation, not what actually transpires at Immigration. (Now 'category "O-A"' might just be jargon for 'one year extension, not the actual issuance of a "O-A" stamp -- but in any event, such jargon is not very helpful.) Note also the dated info on just when the one-year extension begins -- years ago the initial 90 days *was* counted toward the one-year duration.

(above info found here: http://www.siam-legal.com/Thailand_Service/thailand-retirement.php )

So, Jingthing would appear to be correct.

Oh, remember Immigration can't extend your banana -- that's in another part of town. (Ok, Yank humor is no better than Brit humour )