Absolutely Confused re: Non-Immigrant O-A Multiple Entry 90 Day Rule

[Steevo]

I am a U.S. Citizen with a type O-A Multiple Entry Visa... Good for one year. This is a retirement Visa that was obtained in the U.S. I entered Thailand on the 5th of June 2014 and have a temporary residence in Bangkok in a friends condo.

Through this forum I was led to believe that I have two choices to keep this visa valid. One is to leave Thailand (say Siem Riep Cambodia or Myanmar etc.) and then re-enter Thailand in which the 90-Day period is renewed for another 90 Days. It was mentioned that I did not need to obtain a Re-Entry permit to do this. Just go and come back. (not a border run as I do plan on visiting the neighboring countries using Thailand as a permanent BASE.)

2nd - Through this forum that if I stayed in Thailand for 90 days I would need to go the Division 1 Immigration to renew the Visa. Someone suggested that I wait until roughly 2 weeks before my 1st 90 days is up, and go to Division 1 to renew the Visa.

I just returned from a lengthy and costly trip to the Government Complex on Chaengwattana Road Soi 7, where after waiting in the queue for 45 minutes was told to come back on September 2nd to renew my intent to remain in Thailand over the 1st 90 Days.

Why am I confused? Do I need to report exactly 90 days from my entry (and each subsequent 90 days)? Was the advice I was given wrong? AND... If I do decide to go to Cambodia for a few weeks, DO I NEED TO OBTAIN A RE-ENTRY Application. IF SO? HOW....

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Please try to respond to each question individually if you know what I need to do.

Thanks Stevo

[glegolo]

Yes you are indeed confused. With your kind of VISA you are allowed NOT to have to exit Thailand to stay here. You just report to the immigartion every 90 day and gain another 90 days stay here. If you wish to exit Thailand, than you MUST purchase a so called Re Entry Permit otherwise your VISA will be cancelled as soon as you leave..

Glegolo

[ubonjoe]

If you had a OA visa you would of gotten a one year entry not 90 days. Where did you get your visa?

You apparently have a multiple entry non-o visa that only gives a 90 day entry and you must leave the country every 90 days to get another 90 day entry. You do not have to stay the full 90 days you can leave anytime you wish and get another 90 days when you return no matter how long you stay of the country up to the date your visa expires.

What immigration was telling you was for you to return apply for a one year extension of stay.

[Expattaff1308]

If you have a on OA multi entry visa you should have been stamped in for 12 mths. (check your passport).

If that is your visa you do not need to leave but should you stay in the country you have to report to Immigration every 90 days.

Should you leave each time you come back you will be stamped in for a further 12 mths.

During the last few days of the visa if you leave and come back before the visa exppires will be granted another 12 mths. On this 2nd year if you wish to leave you will need a re-entry permit.

As Joe says it sounds more like you have a Non O and stamped in for 90days...check your passport, theres a lot of difference between the two.

[JDGRUEN]

OP - Steevo .. it would be a good idea to examine your passport and the Visa Sticker and Entry Stamps - record the information and come back to post it ... Examine it closely to see if is says "O" or "O-A". And did you fill out a Departure Card and if so they would have put it in your passport - usually staple it to a page... Also examine the Stamps to see it the first stamp you got in the passport upon entering Thailand says 'Admitted Until _______(date)... If you have a Departure Card - that same stamp and date will appear there too,.

You either have an Non Immigrant "O-A" Visa (Retirement) - one year validity - only report to local immigration every 90 days.

Or you have a Non Imm. Multi-Entry 'O' Visa with a one year duration of validity - which requires you to exit and re-enter Thailand at least every 90 days.

Either of these can be changed to an Extension of Stay based on Retirement at the appropriate time.

I hope this helps.

[Steevo]

My Visa is Non-Immigrant O-A M (multiple). My Visa Stamp and the departure card both say "Admitted Until 04 JUN 2015. My questions remains tho. Do I need to report every 90 days (on the nose, or the button... or the exact Date?) I went today and they told me to return on Sept 2nd...

[Lite Beer]

You have to report every 90 days of continuous stay.

There is a window of 15 days before and 7 days after.

So yes that would be early September.

You are not renewing anything.

You are reporting your address in Thailand.

Leave and enter just before 4th June and you will get another 12 months stay.

[Steevo]

I would like to leave Thailand occasionally to explore the neighboring countries from time to time. If i leave next week... before my first 90 day stay ends #1 do I need a re-entry permit? and #2 If I don't report to Immigration at the end of my 1st 90 day period and then leave the country without a re-entry permit is my 1 year retirement visa cancelled?

Steve

[ubonjoe]

You can also report by mail. See: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=90days

[Lite Beer]

No you do not need a re entry permit.

When you return you will get another 12 months.

Every time you leave and return you get 12 months while the visa is still valid.

You report your address after staying for 90 days.

If you are not here for 90 days you do not report.

[Steevo]

Lite Beer

Thanks for the clarification. BUT, do I need to get a re-entry permit?

Obviously, my visit today was beyond the 15 days before... hence the confusion Ill wait a week or so and then return.

Do you happen to know if I can visit the Division 1 Office in the Chamchuri Square Bldg... It is much closer to home in Sukhamvit?

[ubonjoe]

I would like to leave Thailand occasionally to explore the neighboring countries from time to time. If i leave next week... before my first 90 day stay ends #1 do I need a re-entry permit? and #2 If I don't report to Immigration at the end of my 1st 90 day period and then leave the country without a re-entry permit is my 1 year retirement visa cancelled?

Steve

You don't need a re-entry permit until after your visa expires. Every time you enter the country until then you will get a new one year entry. The 90 day reporting has nothing to do with your permit to stay or visa.

If you leave before the report of staying longer than 90 days is due your next report will be due 90 days from when you enter the country including that date in the count.

[Lite Beer]

You have a Non Imm O-A Visa.

This gives you unlimited entries to Thailand up to the expiry date of the Visa.

Come and go as many times as you like and get 12 months stay every time.

Re Entry Permit is not needed.

After the first year is up you will need a Re Entry Permit when leaving or you will lose you extension of stay.

[Steevo]

So theoretically, I can leave Thailand once every 30 days as an example without an entry permit. Upon re-entering Thailand my Visa is extended for another year?

Sorry about the repetitive questions, I just want to be thourough and understand completely. I'd hate to leave and have to go through this whole process again. It is THAILAND YOU KNOW?

[Lite Beer]

As said, 90 day reporting is nothing to do with the above.

The fine for not reporting is 2,000 Baht

[ubonjoe]

You cannot report to Chamchuri square but you can report at one of the locations mentione here

"From 2nd January, 2014, all foreigners residing in Bangkok will be able to provide their 90 days notification of residence at 2 additional offices, which are Immigration Service Center for 3 national Legalized Labors, Major Hollywood Suksawat and Imperial World Ladprao."

Location info here: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=location

[Lite Beer]

You can leave every week if you want and get 12 months each time.

Once the Visa has expired (12 months after it was given) you need a re entry permit

[partington]

So theoretically, I can leave Thailand once every 30 days as an example without an entry permit. Upon re-entering Thailand my Visa is extended for another year?

Sorry about the repetitive questions, I just want to be thourough and understand completely. I'd hate to leave and have to go through this whole process again. It is THAILAND YOU KNOW?

Look it's very simple. You have a visa (=permission to enter the country) that is valid until June 2015. Therefore you can leave and reenter the country any time you like without needing to make any other arrangements, until Jun 2015.

The nature of your visa is that it gives you one year's permission to stay each time you enter. Therefore if you entered one day before your visa (permission to enter) expires in Jun 2015 you would still be given a year's permission to stay.

But you would no longer have permission to enter because your visa (permission to enter) has just expired. Then and only then, if you are legally inside the country, but without a legal permission to enter (a visa) then when you leave you must buy a "re-entry permit" within Thailand. This substitutes for a visa (permission to enter) which you no longer have, and allows you to enter and stay until the end of your permitted to stay period, instead of being admitted on a visa waiver, which means you would be stamped in for only 30 days, and would cancel your one year permission to stay. It's extremely logical.

The 90-day reports, as others have pointed out are nothing to do with any of this, and do not affect this in any way. There is no 90-day period involved when you have an OA visa. Instead you are merely fulfilling the law that any foreigner in Thailand for 90 consecutive days must report their address. It does not keep your stay alive to do this, it merely fulfils your legal obligation to do the report.

Understanding this also makes it obvious that any time you leave Thailand before you have stayed 90 days consecutively eliminates the need to do the report, since the obligation is triggered only by the act of staying 90 consecutive days in the country.!

[ubonjoe]

Look it's very simple. You have a visa (=permission to enter the country) that is valid until June 2015. Therefore you can leave and reenter the country any time you like without needing to make any other arrangements, until Jun 2015.

This not correct. It is the visas validity date that counts and it is shown as the enter before date on the visa sticker.

That date could be long before June of next year.

[partington]

Look it's very simple. You have a visa (=permission to enter the country) that is valid until June 2015. Therefore you can leave and reenter the country any time you like without needing to make any other arrangements, until Jun 2015.

This not correct. It is the visas validity date that counts and it is shown as the enter before date on the visa sticker.

That date could be long before June of next year.

Fair enough. I read the original too quickly and thought that the June 2015 the OP mentioned WAS the visa validity date. I was wrong, and in fact the probable visa validity date is most likely to be WELL before June 2015, as you point out.

[Suradit69]

My Visa is Non-Immigrant O-A M (multiple). My Visa Stamp and the departure card both say "Admitted Until 04 JUN 2015. My questions remains tho. Do I need to report every 90 days (on the nose, or the button... or the exact Date?) I went today and they told me to return on Sept 2nd...

You have a visa expiration date and a permission to stay expiration date. As long as the O-A visa has not expired you do not need a re-entry permit. Your permission to stay expiration may extend beyond the visa expiration depending on when you last entered the country, but you will need a re-entry permit any time after the "use by" date printed on the visa.

You need to report every 90 uninterrupted days you are in the country. After your first report they will give you a piece of paper telling you when you must do your next 90 day report. You can go in up to 15 days early or up to 7 days late without a problem.

If you exit & re-enter the country at any point, the 90 day count restarts at your latest entry. In that case count 90 days from the most recent entry stamp at an airport or border crossing. The day you enter is day #1.

Anytime you are in the country for 90 uninterrupted days you need to do the address report at Immigrations. Has nothing to do with the visa or the permission to stay. It's just an address report and confirmation that you are still in the country.

After your last entry on the visa before it expires, you need to plan on applying for an annual extension of stay 30 days or so before your permission to stay expires. And, again, any time after the original visa expires, you'll need a re-entry permit to re-enter Thailand.

It's important to understand that the visa is one thing and the permission to stay (or extension of stay) is a separate thing to keep an eye on.

The valid visa or re-entry permit allows you to exit and re-enter the country. The permission to stay or extension of stay shows how long you may remain in the country before getting a new extension. The 90 day report date is the third thing you need to watch.

[Suradit69]

So theoretically, I can leave Thailand once every 30 days as an example without an entry permit. Upon re-entering Thailand my Visa is extended for another year?

Sorry about the repetitive questions, I just want to be thourough and understand completely. I'd hate to leave and have to go through this whole process again. It is THAILAND YOU KNOW?

"Upon re-entering Thailand my Visa is extended for another year?"

As long as the visa has not expired, your PERMISSION TO STAY will be extended, not the visa.

Visa is one thing.

Permission to stay another thing.

The visa cannot be extended. It has an expiration date when it will die regardless of what you do.

Your mission to stay expiration can be extended. This is what governs your legal presence in the country.

[noendtoit]

Now that you are clear that 90 reporting has nothing to do with your visa or permission to stay, you might want a copy of the 90 report form (which you will never need if you leave the country every 30 days as you stated to be your intent). So here it is, along with instructions for reporting by mail, which is a lot easier (for me anyway) than going in and standing in a queue.

New TM47 for 90 day.pdf

90 day report by mail -- published procedure.doc

[moe666]

So theoretically, I can leave Thailand once every 30 days as an example without an entry permit. Upon re-entering Thailand my Visa is extended for another year?

Sorry about the repetitive questions, I just want to be thourough and understand completely. I'd hate to leave and have to go through this whole process again. It is THAILAND YOU KNOW?

Steve good on you for getting clear on what you can do or not do, it has nothing to dowith Thailand from my own experience. Just remember to leave a few days before the visa expires and also come back in before it expires and you will be good to go for one more year but you will need re-entry permit to leave the country and return during the second year.

[Steevo]

Thanks to all for the great advice. After dissecting I feel as though I am comfortable with my status. The only thing that remains a bit unclear is that my Visa is set to expire June 5 2015. If I leave Thailand say... January 3rd 2015, is my visa good for another year? Which then expires on January 3 2016?

[ubonjoe]

Thanks to all for the great advice. After dissecting I feel as though I am comfortable with my status. The only thing that remains a bit unclear is that my Visa is set to expire June 5 2015. If I leave Thailand say... January 3rd 2015, is my visa good for another year? Which then expires on January 3 2016?

You are confusing visa validity with the permit to stay you get from it when you enter the country.

Your visa is valid for one year from the date it was issued by the embassy or consulate. Look at your visa sticker and you will see a enter before date on it. That is last day you can enter the country and get another one year permit to stay,

After the enter before date you will need a re-entry permit if you want to travel to keep your last permit to stay date valid when you re-enter the coutner

[KhunBENQ]

is my visa good for another year

Yes, if you return before/on June 5 2015 you will get one more year permitted to stay from the date of RETURN.

So not Jan 3 2016 but one year from the date of your return. So in the best case June 4 2016.

if you plan to return after June 5 2015 ("2nd year") you should get a reentry permit before leaving to keep your permission to stay (as it was stamped when you left).

Or in other words: if you leave Thailand without a reentry permit and return after June 5 2015 you loose your status and get a 30 day visa exemption stamp (like any ordinary tourist).

[ubonjoe]

is my visa good for another year

Yes, if you return before/on June 5 2015 you will get one more year permitted to stay from the date of RETURN.

So not Jan 3 2016 but one year from the date of your return. So in the best case June 4 2016.

if you plan to return after June 5 2015 ("2nd year") you should get a reentry permit before leaving to keep your permission to stay (as it was stamped when you left)

I think June 5th is the pemit to stay date he got when he entered the country not his visas expiration date. He is calling his permit to stay a visa like many incorrectly do.

[Steevo]

On my Passport it says I need t enter before 24 April 2015 which of course I have already done. If I leave Thailand in February 2015, is my visa renewed for another year?

[ubonjoe]

You can leave and re-enter in February of next year getting another one year permit to stay it will not renew your visa.

You can enter up to April 24th, 2015 and get another one year entry after that date you will need a re-entry permit.