I am currently on the second entry of my tourist visa obtained in Perth. I wish to fly to Perth in one months time when my tourist visa expires. In the mean time can I apply in Bangkok, for a Non Immigrant O Visa, and still leave the country in a month.

You can apply for an extension of stay (not a visa) if you have the requisites, one of which is that you have a non-imm visa. You can obtain the visa by conversion in bangkok. If approved, then to travel you would need a re-entry permit.

So the other probably better choice is that you get a non-imm viaa in your country, and then apply for the extension later with that.

Edited October 16, 201411 yr by paz

You can apply at any time for the conversion up to the last 15 days of you current 60 day entry, You will have a 2 week wait before they do the visa and entry stamps. You will get a 90 day entry from the date you apply.

You can get a re-entry permit for the 90 day permit to stay you get if you want to leave. When your return you can apply for the one year extension.

OP, I assume you are eventually seeking an annual extension based on RETIREMENT, correct? Because isn't that the only reason possible for converting an entry stamp or tourist visa to an O in Thailand?

It might be hard in Australia to get a single entry O based on later retirement extension in Thailand; I don't have current info on that.

Of course you can certainly apply for an O-A visa there (if you're Australian).

You could easy get a single entry O based on later retirement extension though in Malaysia, Laos, or I think Cambodia now though.

Edited October 16, 201411 yr by Jingthing

I would apply for a Non Imm. O visa, based on retirement in Australa. Unfortunately Perth Thai Consol only issues tourist visas now. You have to send away to Canberra. The only problem is you have to get a police clearance, can take up to 2 weeks, and maybe 10 days for visa from Canberra. I am only in Perth for 3 weeks, so better if I can get everything sorted out in Thailand.

I live in Na Jomtien so went to Jomtien Immigration. I was told they do not do the conversions from tourist visas to Non Imm. O, I have to go to BKK.

I would apply for a Non Imm. O visa, based on retirement in Australa. Unfortunately Perth Thai Consol only issues tourist visas now. You have to send away to Canberra. The only problem is you have to get a police clearance, can take up to 2 weeks, and maybe 10 days for visa from Canberra. I am only in Perth for 3 weeks, so better if I can get everything sorted out in Thailand.

I live in Na Jomtien so went to Jomtien Immigration. I was told they do not do the conversions from tourist visas to Non Imm. O, I have to go to BKK.

Yes you have to go to Bangkok now for that. Jomtien recently lost their authority to do that.

You don't even need a tourist visa.

You can also do the conversion from just a 30 day entry stamp to the O in Bangkok (no visa needed).

Be ready to show financial qualification for the later (at Jomtien) retirement extension though at Bangkok and if using bank funds, you must also prove the funds came from abroad.

Edited October 16, 201411 yr by Jingthing

On the conversion of visa exempt to non-O with the plan to get extension based on retirement at the appropiate time....what will I enter on" Purpose"
or "Reason" for visa on the TM.87 form? (don't know the exact lingo as I don't have the TM.87 in front of me.) Just "retirement" OK? Or "investigating retirement"?

To apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

But if you have a tourist visa you will need to use a TM86 change of visa status form. A TM87 form is used for a conversion from a visa exempt entry,

I would apply for a Non Imm. O visa, based on retirement in Australa. Unfortunately Perth Thai Consol only issues tourist visas now. You have to send away to Canberra. The only problem is you have to get a police clearance, can take up to 2 weeks, and maybe 10 days for visa from Canberra. I am only in Perth for 3 weeks, so better if I can get everything sorted out in Thailand.

I live in Na Jomtien so went to Jomtien Immigration. I was told they do not do

I'm in exactly same boat.....was in Melbourne recently only to find out that they like Perth don't do non imm o.

As others have advised you can post the Canberra. About 10 days including post time.

I have decided to do the non imm O-A ....When recently in AU got the police check. Takes about a week. You can do it online.

Also if you want a non imm o then try ringing Brisbane. They issue non imm o based on retirement. Doesn't require financial or police check. You can then get your extension when back in Thailand. I'm no expert do double check. But I did personally did all the above mentioned.

I panicked in melb when they told me they didn't do non imm o. ( well they do based on spouse or family) anyway I accepted their suggestion of double entry tourist visa. Then I later discovered Brisbane gig

Edited October 17, 201411 yr by ubonjoe
fixed broken quote

OP, sounds like the problem you have is about the limited time you have to do anything.

If you struggle to get an Imm O Visa in Australia, get another Tourist Visa then do the conversion to a Non Imm O at Bangkok as Joe advised in #3.

Once you have the Non Imm O Visa, you can later get an 'Extension of Stay' provided you meet the conditions.

This option would allow you to manage your time more efficiently and prepare documentation without rushing and worrying.

All the above suggestions will work, but since your travelling to Perth. When your there stick passport with application and $90 in registered post and include a return express post envelop.

Go play golf drink booze and your passport with non imm O will be in your hands in couple of days. Job done.

No police check no financial.

A post suggesting an illegitimate activity has been removed.

life might be a great deal easier, if some of the people posting, read over what they had written and corrected, improved or clarified it.....

perdido, on 17 Oct 2014 - 12:30, said:

life might be a great deal easier, if some of the people posting, read over what they had written and corrected, improved or clarified it.....

OP = Original Post or Poster........................OK.

I'm sure all the posters understand the information including the OP.

Options and procedures are all that have been suggested.

It might make our life easier, if you explained exactly what you are confused about, don't understand, or, if you have a question............please ask.

life might be a great deal easier, if some of the people posting, read over what they had written and corrected, improved or clarified it.....

This post gives me a flash back to recent forum, in which I was suggesting HCM for a visa option.

Only to have a member go to the trouble of stating "unless you are referring to HCMC, I have no idea where you mean" ......lots of people with idle time.....

You could easy get a single entry O based on later retirement extension though in Malaysia, Laos, or I think Cambodia now though.

This would probably be a better course of action for the OP than endeavouring to seek a non-O conversion at Chaengwattana Immigration, who place all manner of roadblocks in the way of obtaining such conversions if recent reports on other threads are to be believed. Based on other recent reports I gather that obtaining a single-entry non-O is a particularly stress-free experience at the Thai Consulate in Savannakhet, Laos.

Return to Perth and apply for a non- Immigrant "O" Visa where you obtained the other Visas. Some Thai consulates worldwide cannot issue non-Immigrant " O " Visas. All Thai Embassies can. You cannot apply for a non_Immigrant " O " Visa in Thailand.

...

You cannot apply for a non_Immigrant " O " Visa in Thailand.

Yes you can for this special circumstance. CONVERSION of entry stamp or tourist visa to O visa done in Thailand as part of two step retirement process (second step -- the extension). Very common in fact.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/768944-conversion-from-tourist-visa-to-non-imm-o-visa/?p=8542789

Edited October 17, 201411 yr by Jingthing

Thanks guys for your kind help. I drove yesterday from Na Jomtien to Chaeng Wattanana. I got to the immigration dept. around 2 PM. The first 10 people with applications in front of me took around 2 hours to process. The last 10 applications only took around 1 hour. They speeded up when the time for closing was nearing. They only wanted 1 copy of the TM 87, copy of the stat dec, showing financials from Australian Embassy, I copy of passport main page, and 1 copy of the tourist visa.

They gave me a receipt for 2,000 baht and told me to return on the 31 October.

I don't know if things would had been different, requiring to show more documentation if I had got there earlier. Anyway everything went OK except for the horror (bumper to bumper traffic) drive back on the motorway.

Thanks Again.