My wife and I from UK are both 67 and on State and Private Retirement pensions. We come to Khao Lak every year from the end of November to beginning or mid-April. Usually we obtain Non-Imm multiple B visas (staying on State Pension category). This has required one exit and re-entry before 90 days to activate the second re-entry Visa. For our return this November I believe we have two, possibly three, options which I would value advice on.
Our dates are: Arrive Thailand 20th November 2014, Depart Thailand to Australia 19th February 2015 (92 days - made a wrong calculation of flight dates!), Return to Thailand 5th March 2015, Depart Thailand 4th April 2015 (32 days). Total stay 136 days.

Option 1: Non-Imm B Multi as previously - cost in UK 2 x £125 = £250 - requires one exit/re-entry before 17th February 2015. Plan to go up to Ranong and over to Andaman Club Resort for a couple of nights.
Or
Option 2: 3 entry Tourist Visa - cost in UK = £25 per entry each = £150. Could get 2 entry plus apply for extension at Phang Nga immigration but costs less and less trouble to get a 3 entry in UK. This would require one exit/re-entry before 18th January 2015. Plan to go up to Ranong and over to Andaman Club Resort for a couple of nights.
Or

Does a third option for a Non-Imm O Long Stay Visa apply to us or is that only for people who "mostly" live in Thailand? If it does, do you think it is worth it and what are the procedures?
Thanks in advance.

First of all it's weird you got 'B' visa as you do not do any Business in Thailand. But with certaing consulates, anything is possible.

 

Anyway, you can come in on visa exempt  at zero cost. Within first 15 days, convert to Non-Imm 'O' visa, and subsequent 1 year extension of stay. Total cost, Bt. 3,800. Plus re-entry permit if you intend to travel during the year.

 

The other worthwhile  alternative is Non-imm. O-A visa in your home  country (not O). That lets you stay two years with a single border hop.

 

Of course with both options you will need to show 800,000 bt in bank, or 65,000 Bt income.

Edited August 14, 201411 yr by paz

First of all it's weird you got 'B' visa as you do not do any Business in Thailand. But with certaing consulates, anything is possible.

 

Anyway, you can come in on visa exempt  at zero cost. Within first 15 days, convert to Non-Imm 'O' visa, and subsequent 1 year extension of stay. Total cost, Bt. 3,800. Plus re-entry permit if you intend to travel during the year.

 

The other worthwhile  alternative is Non-imm. O-A visa in your home  country (not O). That lets you stay two years with a single border hop.

 

Of course with both options you will need to show 800,000 bt in bank, or 65,000 Bt income.

 Not weird about B visa!  Just my stupid typing mistake! We usesd a Non-Imm O "Visiting Thailand as UK pensioner receiving a UK State Pension."

As for your suggestions, as I understand it if we enter on a Visa Exempt we need proof of exit by Air from Thailand within 30 days or we risk being denied boarding from the UK by the airline. Our flights to Australia and back to UK are beyond that.

To obtain O-A we would have to go to London for that. Is the 65,000 baht annual income?

You can use a fully refundable ticket, a cheap ticket out or even printed reservation to board to Thailand without a visa.

 

 

For applying O-A visa in London better check with them directly:

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/4

 

 

"Is the 65,000 baht annual income?"

Monthly.

Unless you intend to live in Thailand, or spend more time than currently planned, I would just use the double entry "O" Visas again. The other option would be to get double entry Tourist Visas, but I would be concerned about the length of validity, (to be used by date). If 90 days, you wouldn't have enough time to do the second entry as planned, if 180 days, then no problem.

First of all it's weird you got 'B' visa as you do not do any Business in Thailand. But with certaing consulates, anything is possible.
 
Anyway, you can come in on visa exempt  at zero cost. Within first 15 days, convert to Non-Imm 'O' visa, and subsequent 1 year extension of stay. Total cost, Bt. 3,800. Plus re-entry permit if you intend to travel during the year.
 
The other worthwhile  alternative is Non-imm. O-A visa in your home  country (not O). That lets you stay two years with a single border hop.
 
Of course with both options you will need to show 800,000 bt in bank, or 65,000 Bt income.

I've lived in Thailand for many years on various visas, but I'm now intending to go the retirement route. I'm currently in the UK, returning in a couple of weeks. If I come in on a visa exempt and convert to an 'O' visa, how long will that give me and when would I have to transfer the 800K into my Thai bank account? I got a return airline ticket starting my journey from LOS so I won't have an onward ticket when I get back. Will that be a problem. Can I explain to airport immigration what I intend to do or should I book a cheap ticket out at the 30 day expiry. I only intend to do what Phuket Immigration advised me to do after all. The other option is to get a tourist visa, but why bother if I can start the retirement process with a visa exempt?

The problem is not Thai immigration but the airline personnel doing the check-in. You can use any of the methods above to satisfy them.

 

Conversion to non-imm O visa give you 90 days in country. Money transfer should be done so that you have it settled before you apply.

The problem is not Thai immigration but the airline personnel doing the check-in. You can use any of the methods above to satisfy them.
 
Conversion to non-imm O visa give you 90 days in country. Money transfer should be done so that you have it settled before you apply.

Thanks Paz. In all the years, I've been asked just once for an onward ticket when I was departing from Heathrow one time, but showed a tourist visa and that was accepted.

It appears to me you best opition is to get a multiple entry non-o visas again. Being over 65 and getting a government pension makes it easy to get them at one of the consulates in the UK.

The 92 day stay could be fixed by a 7 day extension at immigratio. Or paying 1000 baht each overstay.  Or just do a border crossing any time during your 90 days to get a new entry.

It appears to me you best opition is to get a multiple entry non-o visas again. Being over 65 and getting a government pension makes it easy to get them at one of the consulates in the UK.

The 92 day stay could be fixed by a 7 day extension at immigratio. Or paying 1000 baht each overstay.  Or just do a border crossing any time during your 90 days to get a new entry.

Belated thanks to all for suggestions. Just for clarification taking into account Beechguy's comments in Reply #6, wouldn't a triple entryTourist Visa plus a border crossing work as well as the multiple Non-Imm O with a border crossing or extension option?

 

It appears to me you best opition is to get a multiple entry non-o visas again. Being over 65 and getting a government pension makes it easy to get them at one of the consulates in the UK.

The 92 day stay could be fixed by a 7 day extension at immigratio. Or paying 1000 baht each overstay.  Or just do a border crossing any time during your 90 days to get a new entry.

Belated thanks to all for suggestions. Just for clarification taking into account Beechguy's comments in Reply #6, wouldn't a triple entryTourist Visa plus a border crossing work as well as the multiple Non-Imm O with a border crossing or extension option?

 

Not really. To begin with, entries on tourist visa are 60 days that can be extended for other 30, fee is 1,900 bath. Entries on non-Imm visa are 90 days.

 

If you do not want to travel and worry every two or three months the only choices are either non-imm O-A visa, or yearly extension at immigration.  The latter is all all means also the cheapest.

 

 

It appears to me you best opition is to get a multiple entry non-o visas again. Being over 65 and getting a government pension makes it easy to get them at one of the consulates in the UK.

The 92 day stay could be fixed by a 7 day extension at immigratio. Or paying 1000 baht each overstay.  Or just do a border crossing any time during your 90 days to get a new entry.

Belated thanks to all for suggestions. Just for clarification taking into account Beechguy's comments in Reply #6, wouldn't a triple entryTourist Visa plus a border crossing work as well as the multiple Non-Imm O with a border crossing or extension option?

 

Not really. To begin with, entries on tourist visa are 60 days that can be extended for other 30, fee is 1,900 bath. Entries on non-Imm visa are 90 days.

 

If you do not want to travel and worry every two or three months the only choices are either non-imm O-A visa, or yearly extension at immigration.  The latter is all all means also the cheapest.

 

Sorry, I'm still confused. Our first entry is 92 days, so we enter on first of 3 entry Tourist Visa. Before the 60 days we do a border crossing (Ranong/Andaman Club) which uses our second entry on return into Thailand and gives us upto a further 60 days until we leave for Australia. When we return from Australia two weeks later we activate the third entry which covers us until our return to UK 32 days later. Wouldn't this avoid the need for any extensions and achieve the same objext as a multi Non-Imm O.

Sorry if I'm missing something.

No, you're not missing anything. My only concern about Tourist Visas is validity date. I would ask the Consulate when you apply, that the validity is 3 months or 6 months, my guess for a Triple Entry is 6 months. My concern is that all three entrees would have to be made while the visas are still valid.

 

Even with the double entry "O" Visa, you would still have the issue with 92 day stay, yes you could do a border run to activate the second entry, but you would need a re-entry permit to keep that permission to stay valid when departing for Australia.

 

 

It appears to me you best opition is to get a multiple entry non-o visas again. Being over 65 and getting a government pension makes it easy to get them at one of the consulates in the UK.

The 92 day stay could be fixed by a 7 day extension at immigratio. Or paying 1000 baht each overstay.  Or just do a border crossing any time during your 90 days to get a new entry.

Belated thanks to all for suggestions. Just for clarification taking into account Beechguy's comments in Reply #6, wouldn't a triple entryTourist Visa plus a border crossing work as well as the multiple Non-Imm O with a border crossing or extension option?

 

Not really. To begin with, entries on tourist visa are 60 days that can be extended for other 30, fee is 1,900 bath. Entries on non-Imm visa are 90 days.

 

If you do not want to travel and worry every two or three months the only choices are either non-imm O-A visa, or yearly extension at immigration.  The latter is all all means also the cheapest.

 

 

And he already made it clear, that it is not his intention to live in Thailand. Why would he pay for 2 Police Clearance Checks, and 2 Medicals, etc. for an "O-A".

Or, why would he go through the trouble to transfer money to Thailand, or go to the UK Embassy for income paperwork, for a Retirement Extension?

No, you're not missing anything. My only concern about Tourist Visas is validity date. I would ask the Consulate when you apply, that the validity is 3 months or 6 months, my guess for a Triple Entry is 6 months. My concern is that all three entrees would have to be made while the visas are still valid.

 

Even with the double entry "O" Visa, you would still have the issue with 92 day stay, yes you could do a border run to activate the second entry, but you would need a re-entry permit to keep that permission to stay valid when departing for Australia.

As per information on Royal Thai Consulate website in Hull. "With a TWO or THREE entry Tourist Visa you must ensure you enter Thailand on your FINAL visit before expiry of the visa which is 6 months from the date of issue" which it will be.

The alternative is a Multi entry Non-Imm O and, yes, we would need a border run but no permission to stay as we will get a new entry after the border crossing to cover us until we leave for Australia and another one on returning from Australia to cover us until our return to UK, won't it?

 

No, you're not missing anything. My only concern about Tourist Visas is validity date. I would ask the Consulate when you apply, that the validity is 3 months or 6 months, my guess for a Triple Entry is 6 months. My concern is that all three entrees would have to be made while the visas are still valid.

 

Even with the double entry "O" Visa, you would still have the issue with 92 day stay, yes you could do a border run to activate the second entry, but you would need a re-entry permit to keep that permission to stay valid when departing for Australia.

As per information on Royal Thai Consulate website in Hull. "With a TWO or THREE entry Tourist Visa you must ensure you enter Thailand on your FINAL visit before expiry of the visa which is 6 months from the date of issue" which it will be.

The alternative is a Multi entry Non-Imm O and, yes, we would need a border run but no permission to stay as we will get a new entry after the border crossing to cover us until we leave for Australia and another one on returning from Australia to cover us until our return to UK, won't it?

 

 

Yes, that answered my concern, your plan for the Tourist Visas should work fine. My concern with the "O" Visas, is if it was double entry( I don't think very common), not the normal multi-entry that is good for one year.

Edited August 16, 201411 yr by beechguy

Thanks. Sorry to prolong it but in these days of changes in Visa rues and interpretation thereof, I did not want to assume anything.