Advice please... Visa O, marriage...Visa Run every 3 months....

[AP7100]

Hey there....

I admit I hardly ever post in here, but I do read the Thai Visa newsletters and see what is going on and what people is talking about. I guess I kind of have the status as a "observing" user more than being active haha.......

Anyways.....there is a lot of experienced foreigners in here who has been living in Thailand LONG time and know very well about the Visa rules and what is most beneficial to do according to those. I would like to get some advices please........

Im 42 years old and married to a Thai and have been staying in Thailand for several years by now. The last few years I have been going to Laos....Savannakhet...to get a Multiple 1 year Visa based on my marriage with a Thai (Visa O). The Visa costs 5000 Thai Baht but I do NOT have to show any financial proof for my incomes or any bank statements at all...which is one of the reasons I go there. I do NOT have a income, not even NEARLY, the 40.000 Thai Baht per month or anything what so ever of 400.000 Thai Baht in the Bank and therefore I can NOT get a 1 year Visa at a immigration office inside Thailand.

Therefore Im forced to look for other ways to secure my Visa situation, year by year.

Last year I went to my home country and there I got a 1 year Multiple Entry Visa as well (April 2013) and last entry date, valid, to is April 24 2014 !! As they willl NOT allow me to have a 1 year Visa, because I cannot show the finances asked for, they will ONLY give me 90 days (3 months) at a time and Im forced to go to the border, Laos, to leave Thailand and enter again with the fee of 35 US Dollars (I always pay in Dollars so that I say about 350 Thai Baht :-) .

I did this again yesterday and got another 90 days until 7 May 2014....which actually is AFTER the 1 year multiple Visa expires.... April 24...and THAT surprised me !! So now im playing with this thought.....WHAT if I go out on the 23 April 2014, leave Thailand and go in again.....do I get another 90 days ???? OR do they only give me until the 1 year multiple Visa O expires.....24 April 2014 ???

IF I could do this in April and get another 90 days would really be awesome.....that would save me some money and time ! Going to Savannakhet is not exactly my favourite and on top of the 35 US Dollars is the Visa it self on the 5000 Thai Baht, Hotel and living costs there, so a tour to the border is preferable as well as much cheaper. The Visa is about 1150 Thai Baht (35 US Dollars) and then comes of course transportation.

I appreciate your thoughts / advices :-)

Best greetings from Isaan !!

[olddoc]

No

Once the visa has expired no further entries can be had.

You will need to obtain another visa!

[AP7100]

Correct ! BUT I was taking about taking a entry BEFORE my Visa expires....the day before.....and wondering if that would still give me 90 days, even though last entry date will be past at that time..... ? Maybe I didnt write it clear enough....................

[olddoc]

if you have a multiple entry visa any entry made before the visa expires will result in a 90 day stay being granted.

[IMA_FARANG]

if you have a multiple entry visa any entry made before the visa expires will result in a 90 day stay being granted.

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Correct.

Therefore if you make your exit from Thailand and reenter just before your visa expires you will get a 90 day "permitted to stay" entry stamp.

Thus, even though your multi entry visa expires the next day, you can still legally stay until the "permitted to stay" entry stamp expires.

That's how you can legally get 15 months stay out of a one year multi entry visa. (called "milking" your visa dry).

Make your final run one day before or even on the day your multi entry visa expires .... and "milk" your visa for it's last 90 day "milk".

After that, your visa is finished, no further entries on that "milked dry" visa are possible.

[fredob43]

if you have a multiple entry visa any entry made before the visa expires will result in a 90 day stay being granted.

---------------

Correct.

Therefore if you make your exit from Thailand and reenter just before your visa expires you will get a 90 day "permitted to stay" entry stamp.

Thus, even though your multi entry visa expires the next day, you can still legally stay until the "permitted to stay" entry stamp expires.

That's how you can legally get 15 months stay out of a one year multi entry visa. (called "milking" your visa dry).

Make your final run one day before or even on the day your multi entry visa expires .... and "milk" your visa for it's last 90 day "milk".

After that, your visa is finished, no further entries on that "milked dry" visa are possible.

Friend of mine has done just that, he was told by the Thai border peep's at Mai Sot go a week before and all would be ok 1 day and it might be refused.

[ubonjoe]

The enter before date on your visa is just that. Enter before that date an you get another 90 day entry. It does not limit the amount of time you can be in the country.

[AP7100]

olddoc - IM-A-FARANG and ubonjoe.....THANKS A LOT I appreciate your answers, very clear and precise answers so even a half-old man like me can understand it. I might go the day before "last entry date" then. Thx!!

[Petey]

Regarding the possibility of "milking" the visa for another 90 days, does this only apply to multiple-entry visas or would it work with a re-entry permit on a single-entry visa? My single-entry non-imm "O" visa allows stay until 21 March. If I apply for a re-entry permit and depart/return via a border checkpoint on say 14 March would I be granted a further 90-day stay?

[Mario2008]

It only goes for multiple non-immigrant visas, not for multiple re-entry permits.

[olddoc]

Regarding the possibility of "milking" the visa for another 90 days, does this only apply to multiple-entry visas or would it work with a re-entry permit on a single-entry visa? My single-entry non-imm "O" visa allows stay until 21 March. If I apply for a re-entry permit and depart/return via a border checkpoint on say 14 March would I be granted a further 90-day stay?

A re-entry permit simply protects an existing "permission to stay". In this case 21 March.

Nothing will be added.