Obtaining a Retirement Visa Questions

[khun2700]

Greetings,

Hope someone can advise me here. I've tried to be as clear and concise as possible--hope it shows.

I have a first-time retiree visa O-A with Multiple entry obtained in the US last year. It is the full page colored/seal visa. Date of issue: 13 Aug 2013.

Enter before:12 August 2014. I arrived in Thailand in early September 2013 and have been here since except for a week-long jaunt to Vientiane last month.

I returned from Lao on the 6th of July. The departure was marked "Admitted until 5 July 2015" with Non OA written over it in pen.

When I went to immigration today, the officer put a separate but identical stamp on the facing page with the date 5 July 2015 and non OA penned over it too. They never asked for the Embassy-notarised financial documents required for retiree extension. No forms, nothing.

I was confused. She said that first-time full-page visa from US could be used until 12 August 2014 but that I could stay in Thailand until July 2015.

I tried very briefly to get clarification but then decided to clear out of there while the good karma lasted.

It is my assumption that my Multiple Entry visa expires on 12th of August coming and that after that I am good to stay until July 2015 but will not have the multiple entry.

If this is correct, how do I proceed when I want to leave the country for a trip and how do I proceed with 90-day reports? The current Receipt of Notification card requires me to report 26 August 2014.

Many thanks in advance for any help or feedback.

[moto77]

OK, FYI, you cannot convert from a 30 day visa waiver to a Non-O visa in the last 15 days of the visa waver at Chang Wattana. The lady seemed to want to do it, but she asked around and told me to go out and come back again. She said that if I get questioned at the airport to show all of the documentation that I had to apply for the non-O visa and I should not have a problem as I am clearly eligible.

[ubonjoe]

Greetings,

Hope someone can advise me here. I've tried to be as clear and concise as possible--hope it shows.

I have a first-time retiree visa O-A with Multiple entry obtained in the US last year. It is the full page colored/seal visa. Date of issue: 13 Aug 2013.

Enter before:12 August 2014. I arrived in Thailand in early September 2013 and have been here since except for a week-long jaunt to Vientiane last month.

I returned from Lao on the 6th of July. The departure was marked "Admitted until 5 July 2015" with Non OA written over it in pen.

When I went to immigration today, the officer put a separate but identical stamp on the facing page with the date 5 July 2015 and non OA penned over it too. They never asked for the Embassy-notarised financial documents required for retiree extension. No forms, nothing.

I was confused. She said that first-time full-page visa from US could be used until 12 August 2014 but that I could stay in Thailand until July 2015.

I tried very briefly to get clarification but then decided to clear out of there while the good karma lasted.

It is my assumption that my Multiple Entry visa expires on 12th of August coming and that after that I am good to stay until July 2015 but will not have the multiple entry.

If this is correct, how do I proceed when I want to leave the country for a trip and how do I proceed with 90-day reports? The current Receipt of Notification card requires me to report 26 August 2014.

Many thanks in advance for any help or feedback.

Not sure why they put another stamp in your passport at immigration.

After the the 12th of August you will need a re-entry permit from immigration that will keep the July 5, 2015 permitted to stay date valid if you want to travel. A single re-entry permit costs 1000 baht and a multiple 3800 baht.

You will not need to make the report of staying longer than 90 day in the country on the 28th of August because you left the country before you reached 90 days. Your next report will be due 90 days from the date you entered the country counting that date (Oct.2 by my count).

[SooKee]

OK, FYI, you cannot convert from a 30 day visa waiver to a Non-O visa in the last 15 days of the visa waver at Chang Wattana. The lady seemed to want to do it, but she asked around and told me to go out and come back again. She said that if I get questioned at the airport to show all of the documentation that I had to apply for the non-O visa and I should not have a problem as I am clearly eligible.

I thought if you were doing an 'O' conversion from a 30 day exempt stamp you had to do it within the first 15 days, not the last 15. Could that have been the reason?

[SooKee]

Penang consulate (and the ThaiVisa FAQ) says that in order to apply for a non-OA visa in Penang that a police certificate from the home country and a medical check is required. (ThaiVisa also says that these are required when applying from outside Thailand.)

http://www.thaiembassy.org/penang/contents/files/services-20140508-110623-169095.pdf

Is this being enforced? I doubt I can get police clearance from the USA that quickly.

I went to the Penang Consulate today and discussed the O-A visa. The guy at the desk basically said forget the website info etc. Penang will not / cannot issue a 12 month Non Imm O-A any longer. The only option is a straight Non O which will be valid for 90 days on entering Thailand, from which I can then convert / extend on the basis of retirement in Thailand. As I am ultimately going for retirement extension I will have to prove I have the funds required but this can be in a Thai or local bank and that a bank statement only is required, no certification or affidavits necessary. Police and medical checks also not needed. So for me it's:

Copy Passport

2 passport photos

Bank statement (no certification or affidavit needed)

Application

Police Check - Not needed

Medical Cert - Not needed

Then convert in LOS with the proof of funds (in a Thai bank) or with a pension letter from the embassy and apply for multi re-entry permit once the extension is granted.

What has changed at the Penang Consulate and why I've no idea but the guy insisted Penang can no longer issue Non Imm O-A.

Edited July 25, 2014 by Pick of Penang

[boike]

@ ubonjoe & lopburi3, I applaud you for your patience because there is a search button on TV

Sent from my Galaxy S4 4G LTE