Report: O-A Visa from Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C.

[Dynalmadman]

Hi guys,

Just a report on my experience, applied for my retirement visa (Non-Imm O-A), and I decided to use the embassy in DC instead of the Consulate in LA. My main reason was because LA requires all forms to be notarized, DC does not.

Requirements and documentation from their website:

http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-category-o/

They require 3 sets of paperwork, one original and 2 copies.

As far as documents, I did the following:

1. Sent passport and 2 color copies of the main page.

2. Printed form and filled out, made 2 copies.

3. Same as #2 above.

4.Medical. Printed out form from website. This took me the longest, as I made an appointment with a doctor that decided to be a hardass.

$80 for the initial visit

$156 for drug test

$12 for a leprosy test

$32 for TB skin test

When complete, made sure he signed it and had all the blanks filled in. Made 2 copies.

5. Walgreens passport photos, $30 ( got 4 made, only needed 3)

6. Printed out page one of my latest online bank statement (shows balance), went into bank had them print out an account verification letter. Made 2 copies of each.

7. Went to my local police department and got a criminal background check (no fingerprints, just a computer check). $9, they notarized it. Made 2 copies.

8. $200 postal money order.

Bought 2 $20 express mail envelopes, addressed one to the embassy, self addressed the other one back to me.

Put everything into the send envelope and mailed it Wednesday, July 8th. They got it Thursday afternoon. The dropped it in the mail the following Monday, I got it Wednesday, July 15th, Visa in the passport. Houston, we are GOOD TO GO!!!

Smooth as you could want, no problems.

Hope this helps some of you. I think the choice of using the Embassy vice the Consulate was a good one for me.

Michael

[Jingthing]

Leprosy test.

Pretty absurd.

[Dynalmadman]

Leprosy test.

Pretty absurd.

Heh heh. Yah, I agree.

We was magnanimous enough to just give me a visual check, then stated, looks like you don't have elephantiasis.....gee....really?

Michael

[NeverSure]

OP, When I need a notary I go to any title company. Their escrow closers and secretaries are notaries due to needing notarized documents to record at the courthouse. In other words, many of the closing documents must be notarized.

I've always gotten great service and never a fee.

Sounds like you did great, congratulations.

[Dynalmadman]

OP, When I need a notary I go to any title company. Their escrow closers and secretaries are notaries due to needing notarized documents to record at the courthouse. In other words, many of the closing documents must be notarized.

I don't disagree, but the problem, I have heard, is related to notarizing forms that are already signed.

For example, the medical form. No way the doctor was going to accompany me to a notary to have it notarized. So I would have to bring an already signed form to the notary and ask for it to be stamped. Some notaries have a problem with certifying forms that are already signed.

Now, we both know I only want them to certify that these are originals, I don't need them to certify the signatures, but again, some are hesitant to do it.

I just avoided the issue by sending somewhere that doesn't require notarization.

Michael

[TheAppletons]

OP, When I need a notary I go to any title company. Their escrow closers and secretaries are notaries due to needing notarized documents to record at the courthouse. In other words, many of the closing documents must be notarized.

I don't disagree, but the problem, I have heard, is related to notarizing forms that are already signed.

For example, the medical form. No way the doctor was going to accompany me to a notary to have it notarized. So I would have to bring an already signed form to the notary and ask for it to be stamped. Some notaries have a problem with certifying forms that are already signed.

Now, we both know I only want them to certify that these are originals, I don't need them to certify the signatures, but again, some are hesitant to do it.

I just avoided the issue by sending somewhere that doesn't require notarization.

Michael

Yeah that is the problem and the Thai consulates that require it obviously don't understand the concept of notarization.

Took mine to a Postal Annex shop - they thought I was crazy but watched me sign the bottom of each form myself and then notarized my signature. It worked.

[Langsuan Man]

Overkill , IMHO, after 3 OA's from DC and 4 from New York, my primary physician has never balked at signing the medical form; even he realizes that the diseases that they ask about are no longer a threat to world health

And any way a drug test does not prove that you are not a drug additct, it only proves that your are clean on the day of the test. I could be a cocaine addict and after three days it would be out of my system and not show up in a "drug" test any way

[Jingthing]

You have a doctor who knows you in the U.S.

Many of us don't.

If you go into a U.S. doctor cold they have an ethical issue and also a ca-ching issue with signing a form when they don't even know you.

[Dynalmadman]

You have a doctor who knows you in the U.S.

Many of us don't.

If you go into a U.S. doctor cold they have an ethical issue and also a ca-ching issue with signing a form when they don't even know you.

This. Exactly. We don't all have family physicians that will help us out when we need it. (Notice in my OP, I said the doc was being a hardass).

[claynlr]

Michael- A few of questions on the 2 forms to be filled out please.

Visa Application Form....#4

1. What did you enter on "Purpose of Visit"?

2. What did you enter on "Place to Stay in Thailand"? Hotel or residence?

Extra Form to be Filled Out

1.What did you enter under "Occupation"? Retired?

2.Did you enter something under "Monthly Income" and "Amount of Savings"? I will not have monthly income but will have over B800,000 in my bank account. In my case would I leave Monthly Income blank?

[Dynalmadman]

1. What did you enter on "Purpose of Visit"?

2. What did you enter on "Place to Stay in Thailand"? Hotel or residence?

1.What did you enter under "Occupation"? Retired?

2.Did you enter something under "Monthly Income" and "Amount of Savings"? I will not have monthly income but will have over B800,000 in my bank account. In my case would I leave Monthly Income blank?

For purpose of visit I put Retire

Place to stay, my wife is Thai, I put her home address. If I didn't have that, I would just put a city.

Occupation I put my last job title.

Monthly income I left blank, for savings, I put amount from my bank statement.

Michael