Immigration Promenada One Stop Service 2016-2017

[Lizard2010]

^^^^ I read your post and understand you used a single re-entry permit. If you have a valid O-A visa you didn't need a re-entry permit. Never mind, carry on.

WOW

So why did Assist Thai Visa Agents

Get me one

They could have told me i did not need one

Am I Wrong Here

Some One Please Correct me

Otherwise

Someone will read this and believe it

I don't know if your visa is a multiple entry or not ( can't be bothered researching non O A visas ), but your question is easily answered. If you were willing to pay for something you did not need, they would have been happy to take the money for doing something you did not need. welcome to LOS.

I always understood if my O A 1 year visa i had is to stay in Thailand with out leaving

if you leave the country you loose all the time left of your visa

That is what you have to get the re entry permit

I do not believe the Agent would do that

otherwise the agents would get a bad name

i actually did ask someone here in a private message what i need plus what to look for when i returned

All of the regulars have not commented

I will wait for there opinion

Hopefully a moderator can clarifie

After all they know more than most of us

[Diplomatico]

I always understood if my O A 1 year visa i had is to stay in Thailand with out leaving

if you leave the country you loose all the time left of your visa

That is what you have to get the re entry permit

I do not believe the Agent would do that

otherwise the agents would get a bad name

i actually did ask someone here in a private message what i need plus what to look for when i returned

All of the regulars have not commented

I will wait for there opinion

Hopefully a moderator can clarifie

After all they know more than most of us

All non-Immigrant O-A visas are issued as multiple entry. For the first year (up until the "enter before date" on your visa), you can leave and re-enter the country as many times as you wish without obtaining a separate re-entry permit.

On the visa itself, there is a space where it says "No. of entry".....under that is the letter M. That stands for "multiple".

Edited May 30, 2016 by Diplomatico

[Lizard2010]

I always understood if my O A 1 year visa i had is to stay in Thailand with out leaving

if you leave the country you loose all the time left of your visa

That is what you have to get the re entry permit

I do not believe the Agent would do that

otherwise the agents would get a bad name

i actually did ask someone here in a private message what i need plus what to look for when i returned

All of the regulars have not commented

I will wait for there opinion

Hopefully a moderator can clarifie

After all they know more than most of us

All non-Immigrant O-A visas are issued as multiple entry. For the first year (up until the "enter before date" on your visa), you can leave and re-enter the country as many times as you wish without obtaining a separate re-entry permit.

On the visa itself, there is a space where it says "No. of entry".....under that is the letter M. That stands for "multiple".

Well it looks as thought The Assist Thai Visa Company Has stuffed this up

A friend has something else stuffed up by them

I will talk to To Rhys about this

I have just looked at this

Thank you for clarifying this

[true blue]

feel sorry for a few posters on here there getting overloaded with dodgy and wrong information, By people just rushing to post anything about visas,as they think after a few visits to immigration they are experts,be ideal if all questions on important visa matters be dealt with by a moderater.

[Liquorice]

The O-A Visa is a 1 year multiple entry Visa.

Each time you leave and enter during the first year, you are granted another 1 year stay.

So if you leave and enter just before the 'enter before' date you practically get 2 years stay.

The multiple entry part is only valid for the first year, until the 'enter before' date.

Alternatively you can do 90 day reports at Immigration if you don't want to leave.

If you exit and enter just before the 'enter before' date you get another 1 year stay but you need either a single or multiple re entry permit to allow travel outside of Thailand. If you exit within this period without a re entry permit, the Visa is dead.

Alternatively you can continue to do 90 day reports if you don't plan to leave.

[scooterboy]

The dates of your travel plans are not mandatory when applying for the permit. If you have firm plans you could enter them; if they change later it doesn't matter.

Or just leave it blank: if the I/O insists you should enter something make it up. When you exit/entry the I/O just needs to see a valid stamp in your passport.

Sounds reasonable - thanks for the info. The form definitely isn't self-explanatory and would be better if they kept the "Single" and "Multi" requirements apart from each other to avoid any confusion.

Still, what am I saying?! TIT.......

[NancyL]

Lizard2010, If Assist Thai Visa obtained the visa for you then it isn't an O-A visa -- it's an O visa and they didn't steer you wrong to get a multi-entry re-entry permit. You can obtain 1-year O-A visas only in your home country or, in some cases a foreign country where you've established residence, but not within Thailand or a neighboring country that you visit for a short time.

If it's tuly an O-A visa trhat you obtained in your home country, then you wouldn't have needed a re-entry permit during the one-year life of the visa itself, but if you'd left the country and re-entered shortly before the expiration of the visa, you would have received a "1 year permission to stay" stay in your passport and you'd need a re-entry permit to leave the country during that year to keep your "permission to stay" alive.

I seriously doubt that Assist Thai Visa would sell you something you didn't need, although I've known the Imm. office itself to sell re-entry permits to people who don't need them, but kept insisting they did just because the Imm. officers lacked either the English language skills and/or motivation to explain why no sale was needed.

[Lizard2010]

Lizard2010, If Assist Thai Visa obtained the visa for you then it isn't an O-A visa -- it's an O visa and they didn't steer you wrong to get a multi-entry re-entry permit. You can obtain 1-year O-A visas only in your home country or, in some cases a foreign country where you've established residence, but not within Thailand or a neighboring country that you visit for a short time.

If it's tuly an O-A visa trhat you obtained in your home country, then you wouldn't have needed a re-entry permit during the one-year life of the visa itself, but if you'd left the country and re-entered shortly before the expiration of the visa, you would have received a "1 year permission to stay" stay in your passport and you'd need a re-entry permit to leave the country during that year to keep your "permission to stay" alive.

I seriously doubt that Assist Thai Visa would sell you something you didn't need, although I've known the Imm. office itself to sell re-entry permits to people who don't need them, but kept insisting they did just because the Imm. officers lacked either the English language skills and/or motivation to explain why no sale was needed.

Nancy

I received my O A Visa in Australia before i left

I looked yesterday it had the M

I was not sure on the multi part

i thought it had to do with the 90 day reporting

Assist Thai Visa had my passport in front of them

They should have seen it and said you do not need a re entry permit

As i got them to do my 90 reporting the same time

I will advise then when i get them to do my next 90 day report

I am not happy as they did stuff up

[NancyL]

Lizard2010, If Assist Thai Visa obtained the visa for you then it isn't an O-A visa -- it's an O visa and they didn't steer you wrong to get a multi-entry re-entry permit. You can obtain 1-year O-A visas only in your home country or, in some cases a foreign country where you've established residence, but not within Thailand or a neighboring country that you visit for a short time.

If it's tuly an O-A visa trhat you obtained in your home country, then you wouldn't have needed a re-entry permit during the one-year life of the visa itself, but if you'd left the country and re-entered shortly before the expiration of the visa, you would have received a "1 year permission to stay" stay in your passport and you'd need a re-entry permit to leave the country during that year to keep your "permission to stay" alive.

I seriously doubt that Assist Thai Visa would sell you something you didn't need, although I've known the Imm. office itself to sell re-entry permits to people who don't need them, but kept insisting they did just because the Imm. officers lacked either the English language skills and/or motivation to explain why no sale was needed.

Nancy

I received my O A Visa in Australia before i left

I looked yesterday it had the M

I was not sure on the multi part

i thought it had to do with the 90 day reporting

Assist Thai Visa had my passport in front of them

They should have seen it and said you do not need a re entry permit

As i got them to do my 90 reporting the same time

I will advise then when i get them to do my next 90 day report

I am not happy as they did stuff up

Wow, they obtained a multi-entry re-entry permit (3800 baht plus their fee) for you BEFORE the date of expiration of your one-year O-A visa. (Not the date of expiration of the stamp that was put in your passport when you came in the county, but the visa that was pasted into your passport in your home country.) I'd really like to be clear about this because if it's true, then yes they really did "stuff up".

[evenstevens]

done the O/M visa heaps of times from bris thai consulate

from my experiences

the rules were , the visa lasted one year from date of issue,

but

you had to leave thailand within 90days of entering it

perfect example a crossing at Maesai border is sufficient, to receive a furher 90 days

and a crossing just before expirary date of visa will give you a extra 90 days (one year 3 months in total) then start the ball rolling again with a new O/M visa

No need for agents at all, the onus is on you to leave thailand to get another 90 days

that was in operation ,until i did my ret /visa with my super duper agent Pom of O.S VISA around 3 yrs back

things may have changed now,

its a no nonsense , high noon to all

[moe666]

He needs to post a photo ofhis visa here people keep making commits and do not know what they are saying because they have not seen his visa.

[Lizard2010]

He needs to post a photo ofhis visa here people keep making commits and do not know what they are saying because they have not seen his visa.

If i make a statement and it is true

i stand by it

if i make a mistake

I will admit

here is the visa

personal information deleted

End of storey

Sorry Thai Visa had a hiccup

attached visa

Edited May 31, 2016 by Lizard2010

[NancyL]

done the O/M visa heaps of times from bris thai consulate

from my experiences

the rules were , the visa lasted one year from date of issue,

but

you had to leave thailand within 90days of entering it

perfect example a crossing at Maesai border is sufficient, to receive a furher 90 days

and a crossing just before expirary date of visa will give you a extra 90 days (one year 3 months in total) then start the ball rolling again with a new O/M visa

No need for agents at all, the onus is on you to leave thailand to get another 90 days

that was in operation ,until i did my ret /visa with my super duper agent Pom of O.S VISA around 3 yrs back

things may have changed now,

its a no nonsense , high noon to all:)

If you look at the photo of his visa you'll see it's an O-A, not an O and it does appear the the visa agent was in error to sell him a re-entry permit.

[evenstevens]

no doubt about that, absoulately correct ,

they have fluffed up

the pic certainly cleared the air

[northernjohn]

done the O/M visa heaps of times from bris thai consulate

from my experiences

the rules were , the visa lasted one year from date of issue,

but

you had to leave thailand within 90days of entering it

perfect example a crossing at Maesai border is sufficient, to receive a furher 90 days

and a crossing just before expirary date of visa will give you a extra 90 days (one year 3 months in total) then start the ball rolling again with a new O/M visa

No need for agents at all, the onus is on you to leave thailand to get another 90 days

that was in operation ,until i did my ret /visa with my super duper agent Pom of O.S VISA around 3 yrs back

things may have changed now,

its a no nonsense , high noon to all:)

If you look at the photo of his visa you'll see it's an O-A, not an O and it does appear the the visa agent was in error to sell him a re-entry permit.

Nancy what is the O/M visa ES is referring to and is it done at the airport or the Promenada?

Just wondering if there was any advantage in one.

Edited May 31, 2016 by northernjohn

[NancyL]

Here is an explanation of when a one-year multi-entry O visa is granted: http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/non-immigrant-visas/non-immigrant-visa-category-o/

In short, they're used primarily by volunteers and also by people who are "visiting" Thai family, i.e. their wives. The advantage is that you don't have to be over age 50 and don't have to have vast sums of money in the bank to get one. The disadvantage is that you have to leave the country every 90 day to do a visa run and you have to leave the country every year and return to your home country to apply for a new one.

Perhaps you can apply for one in a neighboring country; I'm not sure. UbonJoe of the Visa subforum would be the one to ask.

[Liquorice]

In brief;

Type of Visa Category No. of Entries.

1. Non Imm O S (Single) Issued by Thai Embassy, but can be obtained within Thailand when converting for retirement purposes.

2. Non Imm O M (Multiple) Issued by Thai Embassy.

3 Non Imm O-A M (Multiple) Issued by Thai Embassy.

1. Single entry Non Imm O Visa valid for 90 days.

2. Multiple entry Non Imm O Visa valid for 1 year. (Must exit/re-enter every 90 days)

3. Multiple entry Non Imm O-A Visa. Each entry up until 'enter before' date, gives another 1 year.

See post #335 for fuller explanation.

[rawhod]

I did my retirement extension at Promenada Immigration yesterday...no agent used.

We (my wife, myself and little grandson) arrived at about 0645 hrs. There appeared to be about 14 or 15 people before me.

At 0830 they started issuing queue numbers, I got no. 14. They said that they were issuing 20 a day, 10 for the morning and 10 for the afternoon. So I was in the afternoon batch.

Yesterday there were a total of 17 blue Retirement extension numbers issued.

We live near enough to go home, have lunch and return after 1300 hrs.

Back for 1315 hrs, No. 11 was just starting.

I was seen at about 1350 hrs, completed by 1410 and asked to return at 1530 for my passport.

We had a wander around Promenada, returned at 1530 and got my passport back.

It was a quite painless process and no need whatsoever for the use of an agent.

I got a set of 6 blue background photos done at the photo/copy shop for 200 baht.

The officers that I spoke to, including the one processing the Retirement extension, spoke sufficient English for the job.

[ttkeric]

Ahh..... love rainy days.

This morning I went to do my 90 days report. My initial plan was to pop in after 9.30am, after the early morning / we-camped-out-last-night mob and hopefully procure a number which the lovely ladies would inform me would be an "afternoon" number. Go to work, lunch and pop in to report, that be my plan.

Suprise, suprise. Narry a crowd to be seen. Came, got my number, got called within 15 minutes (including a brief power outage) and off I went.

Cool beans

[Lizard2010]

Ahh..... love rainy days.

This morning I went to do my 90 days report. My initial plan was to pop in after 9.30am, after the early morning / we-camped-out-last-night mob and hopefully procure a number which the lovely ladies would inform me would be an "afternoon" number. Go to work, lunch and pop in to report, that be my plan.

Suprise, suprise. Narry a crowd to be seen. Came, got my number, got called within 15 minutes (including a brief power outage) and off I went.

Cool beans

AS many have stated on previous posts

I t all depends on the Day plus The Month

Go between December to February that will be a different storey

180 slots issues many told to come back to tommorow

plus there are many who actually prey on the girls to get there's done

Many have had to come back the next day unless you get there early

[CantSpell]

Immigration is on the ground floor, easy to find

Go there either mid morning or afternoon, the re-entry queue is small

You should do it yourself

Print out the form from Thai Immigration website

You'll also need 4 x 6 cm photo, blue background

Cost 1000B Single, 3800B Multiple

White color background is also ok, except if officer is in a bad mood, been doing re-entry all over Thailand and never used a blue background....

Went there this morning for re-rentry.

Form downloaded and filled in directly from computer:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/631223-immigration-templates/

Form filled in, copies attached of passport pages that included the usual:

- Last arrival stamp

- Visa

- TM card

- Main page of passport and signature

- Last 90 days if applicable.

Little tip, I always use highlighter pen and highlight all the required info on the copies I give to them: they like it, makes their job easier and they are usually less picky on other things.

Arrived at 09:00 in carpark....

Desk outside to get numbers manned with many students, no real queue, just a "free for all give the paper to the student".. 10 people at the desk. 6-7 students.

Student check the paper: thank you yellow highlighter, she just tick-tick-tick, ask for 3800 THB, attaches number 8 and the cash to the copies, give it back to me and sent me in.

Re-entry desk empty just the boss sipping coffee, no customer, i sit nearby in view but not at his desk (thai style kind of respecting the big guy and also I do not know if other people are waiting).

2 mins, calls me to sit, checks the highlighted docs, tick tick, tick, check form: address is wrong (I did write the same address as the Visa that has been done in another province where I also live), he wants Chiang Mai address, give him business card, he changes for me manually on the form.

Photo and computer handled by trainee .

09:20 I am sitting in the car already and set for a year with Multiple re-rentry...

20 mins in-out of the car

--------------------------------------

Ref to visa extension and 90 days tho, I can fully understand paying agent for the extension, even if that shouldn't be the case but apparently Chiang Mai is special...

But the 90 days... Queuing at 04:00 am... or paying 3000 THB to get that paper...?

For me it would be too much of an hassle..

I would rather make a multiple re-entry permit for the year: done in 20 mins sharp this morning

Before the 90 days expire, I would go spend a week end in Vientiane then re-enter after the week-end.

Spend a nice week-end abroad, drink some Lao beer, relax and all set for 90 more days as there is no need to report for 90 days when you go out and back in the country: new entry stamp gives 90 more days...

Been in Thailand for nearly 10 years now and I must have made about five 90 days reporting in total: I just go on vacation or week-end in another country every 3 months: new stamp, 90 more days, no hassle, no paperwork, no waking up in the morning

Edited cos CantSpell

Edited June 10, 2016 by CantSpell

[RPCVguy]

I went in for my retirement extension and for my first (and maybe last ) trip to Promenada it all went well. Yes, living in a remote corner of Lampang Province, I came in the prior day and got my bank statement certifying sufficient deposit, then arrived in the pitch dark of 4 AM to assure being in the morning group of processing (and I was 4th in line.)
Thanks to an earlier post I knew the roadway gate needed to be rounded, then it was a matter of following arrival #3 to the waiting area.

One huge improvement that I had not noticed in prior posts is that the "signing-off/ authorization by the senior officer was done withing 15-20 minutes of the interview, so no waiting for batch processing and collection at either 1PM or 4:30 PM. That alleviated a lot more waiting or another trip back. Good improvement from the early posts about process at Promenada.

So here is the rumor - as I was having my passport stamped, the officer said that next time I would be getting my extension in Lampang. No details, only that one sentence. It DOES mean that the workload of the Chiang Mai office is scheduled to be lessened, at least by reshuffling which people will be processed where. That should help all of us (immigration workers and expats alike) though timing and details are even less clear than the intended direction of how Immigration is considering a "fix." Chiang Mai has more than enough expats to process on its own. Now to see how staffing and facilities are done in expanding what is now a limited hours/ limited services office in Lampang.

If people hear more details of this story, I hope they will share what they learn.

[Caspersfriend]

I went in for my retirement extension and for my first (and maybe last ) trip to Promenada it all went well. Yes, living in a remote corner of Lampang Province, I came in the prior day and got my bank statement certifying sufficient deposit, then arrived in the pitch dark of 4 AM to assure being in the morning group of processing (and I was 4th in line.)

Thanks to an earlier post I knew the roadway gate needed to be rounded, then it was a matter of following arrival #3 to the waiting area.

One huge improvement that I had not noticed in prior posts is that the "signing-off/ authorization by the senior officer was done withing 15-20 minutes of the interview, so no waiting for batch processing and collection at either 1PM or 4:30 PM. That alleviated a lot more waiting or another trip back. Good improvement from the early posts about process at Promenada.

So here is the rumor - as I was having my passport stamped, the officer said that next time I would be getting my extension in Lampang. No details, only that one sentence. It DOES mean that the workload of the Chiang Mai office is scheduled to be lessened, at least by reshuffling which people will be processed where. That should help all of us (immigration workers and expats alike) though timing and details are even less clear than the intended direction of how Immigration is considering a "fix." Chiang Mai has more than enough expats to process on its own. Now to see how staffing and facilities are done in expanding what is now a limited hours/ limited services office in Lampang.

If people hear more details of this story, I hope they will share what they learn.

Many thanks for your feedback.

I am by nature an optimist [otherwise I would not have moved here] but I strive not to be delusional; not suggesting you are.

The optimist in me hopes this will happen, and equally that it will not be at the expense of staff from the CM offices simply being moved to cover the new office in Lampang.

To arrive at 4am and still be fourth in the queue !!!!! without doubt true but still beggars belief.

[ThaiPauly]

Went to do 90 days and re-entry permit today.

I was there at 5.45, 2nd in line for 90 days. Out with everything done by 9.15.

Not complaining, there must have been 30 people in the 90 day line by 8am.

Also noticed that a van was set up to sell breakfasts and burgers, was open at 7am, not one person had ordered anything by 8.30am, just an observation.

Another observation was that when I was done I wanted to go to Rim Ping to get a few supplies and they now do not open for shopping till 10am, the resto is still open early but not the shop...shame

[stament]

Went to do 90 days and re-entry permit today.

I was there at 5.45, 2nd in line for 90 days. Out with everything done by 9.15.

Not complaining, there must have been 30 people in the 90 day line by 8am.

Also noticed that a van was set up to sell breakfasts and burgers, was open at 7am, not one person had ordered anything by 8.30am, just an observation.

Another observation was that when I was done I wanted to go to Rim Ping to get a few supplies and they now do not open for shopping till 10am, the resto is still open early but not the shop...shame

Paully, I know you were up before the crack of dawn and it might have seened like you were waiting ages but I think you meant 90mins not 90 days lol. ?

[NancyL]

Went to do 90 days and re-entry permit today.

I was there at 5.45, 2nd in line for 90 days. Out with everything done by 9.15.

Not complaining, there must have been 30 people in the 90 day line by 8am.

Also noticed that a van was set up to sell breakfasts and burgers, was open at 7am, not one person had ordered anything by 8.30am, just an observation.

Another observation was that when I was done I wanted to go to Rim Ping to get a few supplies and they now do not open for shopping till 10am, the resto is still open early but not the shop...shame

Did you have to complete the dreaded and much-rumored personal information form that they say will soon be introduced to all provinces?

[ThaiPauly]

No Nancy, they did not ask me to do anything

[Lizard2010]

No Nancy, they did not ask me to do anything

I think this new form that was circulated at CM Airport as test experiment

To gauge what information that can be collected on us

May be a future form to fill in

We all wait for this to happen

Its all speculating at this time As Always

[NancyL]

Hmm, several other sources say that they've started using it at both locations in CM, plus at the airport when you apply for a re-entry permit. That's the real value of this forum, to secure first-hand accounts -- not simply to speculate. Especially now that they don't permit "observers" to come out and watch what's going on at the office while sitting a distance away on mall property.

[cyberfarang]

Hmm, several other sources say that they've started using it at both locations in CM, plus at the airport when you apply for a re-entry permit. That's the real value of this forum, to secure first-hand accounts -- not simply to speculate. Especially now that they don't permit "observers" to come out and watch what's going on at the office while sitting a distance away on mall property.

How would immigration know that people hanging around in the mall are specifically there to spy on them? Do they have specially trained sniffer dogs or radar? And for that matter, who would want to? I could have more fun watching wet paint dry on a plank.

I was there only a few days ago to do my 90 day report, whole progress told 3 minutes, didn`t even bother collecting a number. This was at 2.30 in afternoon time, must have just got lucky I guess. If there would have been queues I would have - gone next door to the G4t, where for only 300 baht I`ve never waited more then 10 minutes before - cyberfarang rapper version.

Don`t know who or what your sources are but all I did was handed over my completed photo copies and passport, was not handed a dreaded how many times do I make love a week and who with or what bars do I drink at form.