Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

I'm a bit confused with all these new regulations. I am due to extend my Non O

visa for another year on November 15th. My money has been in Thailand all year,

so do I just go to immigration as usual 2 weeks before and apply with all the relevant documents

as before. Or is there anything else I should know about?

Thanks for your help.

Posted

A non O could be for several reason with different requirements. But do not believe you will see any major change if you have had money in your account. The big change for extensions seems to be the 3 month in account prior requirement but even that has not been a problem for anyone yet. If extension for retirement you do not need a medical now.

Posted

Great news then. You don't have to support her anymore. Just put her to work making 40k per month and live happily ever after. (don't try that at home). :o

Posted (edited)
A non O could be for several reason with different requirements. But do not believe you will see any major change if you have had money in your account. The big change for extensions seems to be the 3 month in account prior requirement but even that has not been a problem for anyone yet. If extension for retirement you do not need a medical now.

Lopburi, you mention that the 3 month requirement has not been a problem for anyone yet. Sunbelt has suggested that it will begin to be enforced November 15. Do you agree? I am in a situation where my funds will not be 3 months old when applying for a first one year extension (retirement) using a single entry O visa, and it would be after Nov 15.

Edited by Thaiquila
Posted

Key word "yet". I must have missed that post or read it wrong. But even if true I suspect a temp extension would be logical. I don't believe anyone is out to punish the innocent - but if the balance just went from zero to requirement you might have a more difficult experience.

Posted
Key word "yet". I must have missed that post or read it wrong. But even if true I suspect a temp extension would be logical. I don't believe anyone is out to punish the innocent - but if the balance just went from zero to requirement you might have a more difficult experience.

Thanks Lop, by WHY would anyone logically send almost a million baht into their Thai bank account much in ADVANCE (before knowing about the rule) if applying for a retirement extension for the FIRST TIME?

Posted
im in manilla at the moment anyone know what the embassy here is like for getting visa's?

Most reports on Thaivisa seem to say 'forget it' :o

Let us know how you get on.

Posted

Went into Imm. today and applied for my first O visa(marriage) with 22 days remaining on my 18th VOA.Was given the O visa only not even having to produce any evidence of savings,bank statements etc.Luck of the chook raffle!

Posted
Was given the O visa only not even having to produce any evidence of savings,bank statements etc.

If it was your first extension ( after Oct 1st), these documents of showing savings or bank acct are worthless with most all Immigration officers in Bangkok. It’s all about the income you and your wife makes, if its more than 40K per month.

Lopburi, you mention that the 3 month requirement has not been a problem for anyone yet. Sunbelt has suggested that it will begin to be enforced November 15. Do you agree? .

Just to clarify, what was said, was new rules would be coming out on the "changing of the visa from a 30 day tourist visa exemption or tourist visa to a non -O visa. That these rules would be the same as the extension of stay. Will they start enforcing the 3 month rule of $ being in the bank for marriage then, don't know.

But this will not affect the extension of stay based on marriage anyway on Nov 15th, because if you had to change your visa then, you don't qualify under the 3 month rule. The three month bank account is only for current extension of stay based on marriage not new ones after Oct 1st. The new applicants need to show the income only.

However on NEW extension of stay based on retirement, they are enforcing the 3 month rule. On previous retirement extensions they are using discretion on a case by case.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Posted
im in manilla at the moment anyone know what the embassy here is like for getting visa's?

I have a friend who's just left Manila yesterday in disgust, after giving up on his effort to get a non-immigrant O - had all the required documentation, and they kept asking for more that was not on the list of required docs (he'd been back repeatedly).

Word on Manila is to avoid it like the plague.

Posted
Went into Imm. today and applied for my first O visa(marriage) with 22 days remaining on my 18th VOA.Was given the O visa only not even having to produce any evidence of savings,bank statements etc.Luck of the chook raffle!

You lucky bahstad!

I tried that in Jomtien two weeks ago, only to be given short shrift by the official I dealt with, who told me I must leave Thailand to get my O visa.

I did get a nice trip to Singapore out of it though - as well as a one year, multi-entry O visa. . . .

Posted (edited)
Was given the O visa only not even having to produce any evidence of savings,bank statements etc.

If it was your first extension ( after Oct 1st), these documents of showing savings or bank acct are worthless with most all Immigration officers in Bangkok. It’s all about the income you and your wife makes, if its more than 40K per month.

Lopburi, you mention that the 3 month requirement has not been a problem for anyone yet. Sunbelt has suggested that it will begin to be enforced November 15. Do you agree? .

Just to clarify, what was said, was new rules would be coming out on the "changing of the visa from a 30 day tourist visa exemption or tourist visa to a non -O visa. That these rules would be the same as the extension of stay. Will they start enforcing the 3 month rule of $ being in the bank for marriage then, don't know.

But this will not affect the extension of stay based on marriage anyway on Nov 15th, because if you had to change your visa then, you don't qualify under the 3 month rule. The three month bank account is only for current extension of stay based on marriage not new ones after Oct 1st. The new applicants need to show the income only.

However on NEW extension of stay based on retirement, they are enforcing the 3 month rule. On previous retirement extensions they are using discretion on a case by case.

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Thanks again, Sunbelt, but I am still confused!

You say they will be enforcing the 3 months money seasoning for NEW extensions of stay for retirement. Can you explain this logic to me because I don't get it.

If a new retiree came to Thailand on an O visa, alot of them wouldn't even have a bank account yet! So they arrive in Thailand, open a Thai bank account, transfer the money, and then after 60 days, apply for their extension. They can't possibly meet the 90 day rule on a single entry! In my case, I already had a bank account and I could have met the rule had I KNOWN about it, but this money seasoning rule was announced too late for me to comply. To my logic, it would be the NEW applicants (first time) that would seemingly be entitled to some flexibility on this money seasoning requirement. Also, I still don't get that there isn't a GRACE PERIOD for people who are falling in the cracks of changing rules that require months of planning to comply with.

That whining, aside, Sunbelt can you please answer this question, and SOON (I AM FLYING VERY SOON), as I still don't know what to do.

Do you think this scenario will work:

Arrive in Thailand holding a single entry O visa, and ask officer to stamp me in on a 30 day instead (NOT using the O visa right away).

If that works, leave Thailand for a few days before 30 days.

Re-enter Thailand and then use my (still valid) single entry O visa.

After 60 days on the O visa, apply for the retirement extension based on retirement. For me, by that time, my 800K will have been in Thailand more than 90 days.

My critical decision curve is whether to ask for immigration to NOT use my O visa on arrival at airport (or not). If he does effect that visa, I will not be able to meet the 90 day requirement at the 60 day point of use of the 90 day O visa. In that case, I would be at the mercy of any potential flexibility, or possibly forced to leave the country and get another O visa (which I certainly do NOT want to hassle with).

Please advise soon.

Thanks very much!

Edited by Thaiquila

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...