Can some one PLEASE tell me the difference between an O and a OA Visa, if any.

I am totally confused by what people tell me.

Thanks.

I just did this to a post you made in another topic.

A non-o visa can be single or multiple entry visa that allows a 90 day entry.

A OA long stay visa is a multiple entry visa that gives a one year entry for a one year. You can get almost 2 years of stay from it by doing an entry just before the visa expires and getting another one year entry. The you must get a re-entry permit to keep that last year valid if you want to travel.

You must be 50 or over to apply, show financial proof, have a medical and a criminal back ground check to get the OA visa. You can only apply for it in your home country or country of legal residence at a embassy or official consulate.

It is possible to extend the permission to stay for a O visa for 12 months due to retirement if you are over age 50 and meet the financial qualifications of having either a suitably aged 800,000 baht bank account in Thailand or a regular income of 65,000 baht/month (you don't have to spend that much each month -- just have that as income.) Or a combination.

So you can get a the same long-term permission to stay due to retirement with either an O or an O-A visa.

I think this is what's so confusing for people. There are several paths to obtaining this 12-month permission to stay due to retirement. The reasons that someone selects one and not the other should be strategic, but often just turn out to be whatever website advice someone reads or who they talk with at the time they decide they want to retire in Thailand.

Edited December 5, 201411 yr by NancyL

I just did this to a post you made in another topic.

A non-o visa can be single or multiple entry visa that allows a 90 day entry.

A OA long stay visa is a multiple entry visa that gives a one year entry for a one year. You can get almost 2 years of stay from it by doing an entry just before the visa expires and getting another one year entry. The you must get a re-entry permit to keep that last year valid if you want to travel.

You must be 50 or over to apply, show financial proof, have a medical and a criminal back ground check to get the OA visa. You can only apply for it in your home country or country of legal residence at a embassy or official consulate.

Hi Joe.

Yes sorry about that, i put it in another post, before i realised to start a new post.

So they are virtually the same thing, but done different ways.

Thanks again Joe.

Edited December 6, 201411 yr by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

It is possible to extend the permission to stay for a O visa for 12 months due to retirement if you are over age 50 and meet the financial qualifications of having either a suitably aged 800,000 baht bank account in Thailand or a regular income of 65,000 baht/month (you don't have to spend that much each month -- just have that as income.) Or a combination.

So you can get a the same long-term permission to stay due to retirement with either an O or an O-A visa.

I think this is what's so confusing for people. There are several paths to obtaining this 12-month permission to stay due to retirement. The reasons that someone selects one and not the other should be strategic, but often just turn out to be whatever website advice someone reads or who they talk with at the time they decide they want to retire in Thailand.

Thank you NancyL. for your time.

I just did this to a post you made in another topic.

A non-o visa can be single or multiple entry visa that allows a 90 day entry.

A OA long stay visa is a multiple entry visa that gives a one year entry for a one year. You can get almost 2 years of stay from it by doing an entry just before the visa expires and getting another one year entry. The you must get a re-entry permit to keep that last year valid if you want to travel.

You must be 50 or over to apply, show financial proof, have a medical and a criminal back ground check to get the OA visa. You can only apply for it in your home country or country of legal residence at a embassy or official consulate.

A OA long stay visa is a multiple entry visa

Can be single entry also. Mine was.

A few years ago they stopped dong single entries at the majority of embassies and official consulates. I guess there might be some that will still do a single entry.

The MFA rules only mention a multiple entry. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-(Long-Stay).html

A few years ago they stopped dong single entries at the majority of embassies and official consulates. I guess there might be some that will still do a single entry.

The MFA rules only mention a multiple entry. http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-(Long-Stay).html

Thanks. I should've suspected that the rules have changed.