New Arrival Has (Probably) Silly Question....About Visas

[anon456]

OK, five days here from America (total newbie) after securing a one-year non-immigrant visa. I naively thought that the "multiple entry" aspect meant I didn't have to do a visa run every 90 days, but that seems not to be the case. My quick, albeit silly question is, is there a grace period before or after the 90 days to do a visa run or do I need to return to Thailand on the exact day (90 days after issue)? I'm a Virgo and details like this cause me unnecessary angst....

[Lite Beer]

Do you have a Multi Entry Non Imm O Visa

OR

A Multi Entry Non Imm O-A Visa?

Moved to Visa forum

[Lite Beer]

If Non O Visa each entry gives a stay of 90 days maximum.

If Non O-A Visa each entry gives a stay of 12 months and you have to report to Immigration every 90 days.

The stamp in your passport will tell you when yo have to get out of town.

[partington]

You MUST leave on the 90th day or before (unless you go to immigration and apply for an extension of your "permitted to stay until" period, for various validating reasons ( as in posts above, this refers to a Non-Immigrant O visa, not a Non-Immigrant OA visa which gives you one year "permitted to stay until" periods each time you use it to enter.)

Once you leave you can return at any time from one hour after you leave right up until the "use by" date on your visa, which will be almost a year from now I'm guessing.

Each time you enter you will get a 90-day permission to stay ( a visa is a "permission to enter", a "permission to stay until" is separate but attached to your visa entry). If you enter the day before the "use by" or "use before" date on your visa, you will get a 90-day permission to stay as well, but during that period your visa (permission to enter) is expired.

Therefore if you want to leave and re-enter during this period you must go to immigration and purchase a "re-entry permit". This substitutes for your expired visa and allows you to enter the country with the remaining portion of your 90 days permission to stay intact. If you do not get a re-entry permit they will just give you a 30-day permission to stay visa waiver entry.

Edited August 29, 2015 by partington

[Lite Beer]

It really is impossible to answer unless we know what Visa you have in your passport.

[KhunBENQ]

(EDIT: post overlapped with the next one)

Its easy: look into your passport and look for the entry stamp.

It shows the "ADMITTED UNTIL" date.

Thats the latest date that you have to leave the country (border run if you like).

What does it say?

Typical stamp for an ordinary Non O visa:

(admitted to stay for 90 days, day of arrival and departure included)

Edited August 29, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[IMA_FARANG]

When you entered Thailand were you stamped (in your passport) with a "permitted to stay' stamp for 90 days on arrival.....or did you get a one year "permitted to stay" stamp?

If you have a 90 day "permitted to stay" stamp that is a Non immigrant O visa and you need to exit before that "permitted to stay" stamped there.

You can exit Thailand and then return to Thailand immediately and you will then get another 90 day "permitted to stay" stamp.

You can choose to leave before that date, but if you leave after that "permitted to stay" date there will be a 500 Baht fine for "overstay" you must pay.

If, on the other hand, you received a one year "permitted to stay" stamp on arrival...then you have an O-A retirement visa and can stay one year without leaving if you wish.

However in that 2nd case you will be required to do 90 day reporting at your local immigration office.

That's why to answer the question correctly we need to know specifically what type of visa you entered with..... because that makes a big difference in what you should do next.

Edited August 29, 2015 by IMA_FARANG

[anon456]

OK, I have a Type B 1-year non-immigrant visa and have until Nov. 21. So if I leave like on the 18th and come back, say, the 23rd, am I still OK, or do I need to return on the Nov. 21? Then does anyone know what I do after four of these visa runs and I've ended my one-year expiration?

[Lite Beer]

You can come and go any time you want as long as you stay no longer than 90 days and the Visa is still valid.

Do a border run a couple of days before the Visa expires and you get another 90 days.

Making a total of almost 15 months.

[elviajero]

OK, I have a Type B 1-year non-immigrant visa and have until Nov. 21. So if I leave like on the 18th and come back, say, the 23rd, am I still OK, or do I need to return on the Nov. 21? Then does anyone know what I do after four of these visa runs and I've ended my one-year expiration?

There are two dates you need to be concerned with.

First is the 'enter before date' that you'll find on the Visa. This is the expiry date of the visa. It should be dated for sometime next year and will be 1 year from the date the visa was issued.

Second is the 'admitted until date' which is the date on the stamp the Immigration Officer put in your passport.

When you entered recently you were given a 90 day stay taking you to 21st November. All thats important is that you must exit on or before that date.

After you've exited and entered another country you can turn around and come straight back in or stay out as long as you want. So if you leave on the 18th you can return on the 18th, 19th or any other date you like.

The last date that you can enter using this visa is the 'enter before date', which as said, should be sometime next year. If you enter the day before the 'enter before date' you'll be given another 90 day stay. After that you'll need to organise another visa.

[Alotoftravel]

Can i please have a follow up question to this thread. Many thanks

I just arrived with O-A visa 1 year retirement visa (with multiple entries)

My enter before date is April 15 th 2016.

If I leave Thailand next year in March 15 2016 and return April 14, 2016 , I know my admitted until date will be updated to April 13, 2017 on my passport stamp. I have been traveling lately and I noticed my admitted date has been pushed a year whenever I return back to Thailand .

Do I then just apply for the re- entry visit multiple (3800 baht ) when I return April 14th 2016?

My goal is to continue staying in Thailand after my first retirement visa o-a 1 year visa expires April 15, 2016. Thanks for your response

[elviajero]

Can i please have a follow up question to this thread. Many thanks

I just arrived with O-A visa 1 year retirement visa (with multiple entries)

My enter before date is April 15 th 2016.

If I leave Thailand next year in March 15 2016 and return April 14, 2016 , I know my admitted until date will be updated to April 13, 2017 on my passport stamp. I have been traveling lately and I noticed my admitted date has been pushed a year whenever I return back to Thailand .

Do I then just apply for the re- entry visit multiple (3800 baht ) when I return April 14th 2016?

My goal is to continue staying in Thailand after my first retirement visa o-a 1 year visa expires April 15, 2016. Thanks for your response

Yes.

If you want to exit and re-enter after April 15 2016 you will need a re-entry permit.

[partington]

Can i please have a follow up question to this thread. Many thanks

I just arrived with O-A visa 1 year retirement visa (with multiple entries)

My enter before date is April 15 th 2016.

If I leave Thailand next year in March 15 2016 and return April 14, 2016 , I know my admitted until date will be updated to April 13, 2017 on my passport stamp. I have been traveling lately and I noticed my admitted date has been pushed a year whenever I return back to Thailand .

Do I then just apply for the re- entry visit multiple (3800 baht ) when I return April 14th 2016?

My goal is to continue staying in Thailand after my first retirement visa o-a 1 year visa expires April 15, 2016. Thanks for your response

You do not need a re-entry permit unless you intend to leave and return after April 15th 2016.

You can purchase a re-entry permit at any time before you leave.

If you intend to leave and return just once after April 15th 2016 you can buy a single re-entry permit for 1000B. Only if you need to make more than three trips is it cheaper to buy a multi-entry re-entry permit, which costs 3800B.

Edited August 30, 2015 by partington

[Alotoftravel]

Great so I do NOT need to apply for the extension o-a 1 year till April 14 2017 ,is that correct?

(I need the multiple re entry as I travel in and out of Thailand a lot)

[elviajero]

Great so I do NOT need to apply for the extension o-a 1 year till April 14 2017 ,is that correct?

(I need the multiple re entry as I travel in and out of Thailand a lot)

Correct.

Most offices will let you apply 30 days before your permission to stay expires. Others 45 days. Applying early doesn't lose you any time as the extension will start from the date your stay expires.

[Alotoftravel]

Thanks for your responses . You are all great help.