Missed first year deadline for extension of O-A multiple entry retirement visa

[kolah]

Here is a question about the O-A multiple entry retirement visa.

In Sept 2013, I applied for and got my Thai O-A multiple entry retirement visa from the Los Angeles Thai consulate for $200. It required a bunch of the usual bureaucratic forms. On the visa which was glued into my USA passport it said issued Oct 14, 2013 and must enter Kingdom of Thailand before Oct 14, 2014.
I visited Thailand for 6 months starting on Nov 13, 2013. Then I went back to the USA for 5 months for medical reasons.
Now it is Oct 26, 2014 and I returned to Thailand thinking that I would get almost another year on my visa since I have returned before the one year anniversary of my first entry which is Nov 13, 2014. I am informed by airport immigration that the deadline was the Oct 14, 2014 “must enter by date” and not the anniversary of my first visit.

It would not have mattered in that I could not have returned any sooner than I did. My question is, was this the correct interpretation by Thai immigration? If so, since I only missed the deadline by 12 days, is there some sort of fine I could pay and thus avoid jumping through all the bureaucratic form submissions again? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance to those knowledgeable in such matters here on the forum.

[Mario2008]

The immigration officer was correct. You could only use the visa to enter Thailand till the end of the expiry date of the visa itself.

There is a difference between a visa and a persmission to stay, that is why you cna stay longer than the validity of the visa itself.

There is no way to rectify this, but you can go to immigration in BKK and apply for a change to a non-immigrant via if you still have at least 15 days left on your curent permission to stay.

You will need proof of an income of 65,000 a month (embassy letter) or proof of having 800,000 baht in a bank account in Thailand in your name, which requires a bankbook and bank letter plus proof that the money came from abroad. You can also use a combination of money in the bank and yearly income, totaling 800,000 baht.

Also take some proof of adress with you.

Cost is 2,000 baht. You apply and come back after 2 weeks to get the conversion.

[OJAS]

Or alternatively leg it to Savannakhet and obtain a single-entry non-O at least there. Plenty of useful info on this thread: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/697299-worry-free-non-o-visa-savannakhet/

[kolah]

Thank you for the good answers. I was informed by the Thai immigration that in order to use one's Thai bank account as evidence of the 800,000 baht , the account needs to have been in existence for at least one year and the money in the account for at least 3 months.

Is this true? My account is 6 months old as is the existence of the requisite funds.

My problem is that I don't have the time to see the US embassy for a finance letter in that I leave the country in 3 weeks under my tourist visa.

If I cannot use my social security statement or my Bangkok Bank book and statement then I think I am stuck going through the Thai consulate in Los Angeles once I return home.

Again thanks in advance for those knowledgeable in these matters.

[ubonjoe]

There is no one year retirement. To do a change to a non immigrant visa visa there the money only has to be in the bank.

And for the first extension it only needs to be in the bank for 2 months.

It only takes a few minutes to do an income affidavit at the embassy. I just looked at the appointment page and there plenty of available times from Tuesday to Friday of next week. https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=BNK&appcode=1

You could get the 90 day day non immigrant visa entry and then get a re-entry permit for it. Then do the extension when you come back.

[wayned]

The Income affidavit from the US Embassy is a sworn statement and no proof is required. You need to make an appointment. I did mine on Tuesday morning. I had a 0730 appointment, was there when they opened and was gone before 0800, letter in hand. It doesn't take long. There are 15 still available for next Tuesday starting at 0815. Here's the link:http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/acsappointment.html