Tourist visa to nonimm-O

[bwh]

I'm from the US living on Koh Phangan by Koh Samui. I want to get the non-O and then a one-year retirement visa. One of the requirements is to apply from your country of residence. I was told I could ,however, do it at Kuala Lumpur. They wouldn't let me. Is it possible to get the non-O and later the retirement visas with having to return to the US???

[bwh]

Sorry I meant WITHOUT having to return to the US.

[ubonjoe]

You can get a single entry non-o visa in Penang or Vientiane by showing the same financial proof needed for an extension. If money in the bank option it only has to be in the bank on the date you apply.

Choosing KL for your visa was a mistake. They have been reported before as not doing them.

You could also do a change of visa status in Bangkok to get a non immigrant visa. It requires 2 trips 15 days apart to get the visa/entry stamps. You also need at least 15 days remaining on your current entry.

[tonray]

You can get a single entry non-o visa in Penang or Vientiane by showing the same financial proof needed for an extension. If money in the bank option it only has to be in the bank on the date you apply.

Choosing KL for your visa was a mistake. They have been reported before as not doing them.

You could also do a change of visa status in Bangkok to get a non immigrant visa. It requires 2 trips 15 days apart to get the visa/entry stamps. You also need at least 15 days remaining on your current entry.

For the change of Visa status one needs to visit once to fill out and file TM 86 form and then return 15 days later to get stamped ?

[ubonjoe]

You can get a single entry non-o visa in Penang or Vientiane by showing the same financial proof needed for an extension. If money in the bank option it only has to be in the bank on the date you apply.

Choosing KL for your visa was a mistake. They have been reported before as not doing them.

You could also do a change of visa status in Bangkok to get a non immigrant visa. It requires 2 trips 15 days apart to get the visa/entry stamps. You also need at least 15 days remaining on your current entry.

For the change of Visa status one needs to visit once to fill out and file TM 86 form and then return 15 days later to get stamped ?

Yes

That started doing it that way in mid to late 2014. It takes a higher ranking officer to approve them than before.

[bwh]

Thanks all that was amazingly fast, like two hours, Wow, didn't expect that. So, I'm on a 90 day that I'm about to extend for another 30 days. Are you saying I need to apply for the non-imm-O with at least 15 days left on my current visa or 15 days left on my non-O to apply for the retirement visa?

[sunnyjim5]

Thanks all that was amazingly fast, like two hours, Wow, didn't expect that. So, I'm on a 90 day that I'm about to extend for another 30 days. Are you saying I need to apply for the non-imm-O with at least 15 days left on my current visa or 15 days left on my non-O to apply for the retirement visa?

You are on a 90 day what ?

Visas which allow a ninety day stay cannot be extended except under very specific conditions.

[ubonjoe]

Thanks all that was amazingly fast, like two hours, Wow, didn't expect that. So, I'm on a 90 day that I'm about to extend for another 30 days. Are you saying I need to apply for the non-imm-O with at least 15 days left on my current visa or 15 days left on my non-O to apply for the retirement visa?

It is 15 days left on your current entry or the 30 day extension of it if you apply at immigration in Bangkok. You can leave on the last day of your entry or the 30 day extension and apply for the non-o visa in Penang or Vientiane.

You will be able to apply for the extension at any time during the last 30 days of the 90 day entry you will get from the visa.

[bwh]

Sorry, guess I'm leaving things out left and right. I have a 60 day tourist visa now.

It just dawned on me that you're saying I need the 15 days if I'm renewing in Bangkok and have the 15 day wait interval. If I go to Penang, which is my plan, I've heard I can apply one day and get it the next day; so is the 15 days still necessary in my case?

[sunnyjim5]

Sorry, guess I'm leaving things out left and right. I have a 60 day tourist visa now.

It just dawned on me that you're saying I need the 15 days if I'm renewing in Bangkok and have the 15 day wait interval. If I go to Penang, which is my plan, I've heard I can apply one day and get it the next day; so is the 15 days still necessary in my case?

If you apply in Penang the 15 days is irrelevant because any "permission to stay" is effectively cancelled as soon as you leave the country.

[ubonjoe]

Sorry, guess I'm leaving things out left and right. I have a 60 day tourist visa now.

It just dawned on me that you're saying I need the 15 days if I'm renewing in Bangkok and have the 15 day wait interval. If I go to Penang, which is my plan, I've heard I can apply one day and get it the next day; so is the 15 days still necessary in my case?

There would be no 15 days if you go to Penang. Whatever you have left on your entry will go away as soon as you leave the country.

You apply the morning of one day and get your visa back the next afternoon in Penang.

[bwh]

Thanks guys, I'm feeling tons more secure about this trip after the whole Kuala Lumpur debacle........ really appreciate it. I'm scheduling my flight tomorrow. Thanks again,

Bryan

[seeker108]

I'm on my third replay of getting my retirement visa because of again being out of the country beyond the validity of both my previous retirement visa and of my re-entry permit. No big deal, just an unfortunate fact of life sometimes when I go out of country that life events out there keep me out of The Land of Smiles longer than I could wish.

But something always different with immigration. As previously mentioned you now need at least 15 days on your current visa or 30 day entry, so when I waltzed in as usual to Chiang Mai immigration (airport office which is the correct branch to get the 90 day non-O) with 2 days remaining on my 30 day entry I received the sad news that I would now need to sashay on over to the new office at Promenada to get a 30 day extension for 1900 baht and then come back to the airport branch with 20 days left on it to be safe to get the 90 day non-O which is required before one can convert to the retirement visa. Then go to the Promenada branch after at least 60 days but before 90 days to apply for the retirement visa

But now more to the point for you bwh. Why, if you have the 15 days remaining, are you bothering with the expense and hassle of flying to Penang, unless you really want to have a holiday and see Penang or are in some rush to get your retirement visa sooner? Just go to your local immigration any time before you hit the 15 day remaining limit and apply (and better sooner if this is your first time as you might run into some hitch). Easy if you have all needed paperwork.

On a side note, after reading horror stories a couple of months ago about huge lines at the Promenada office since the move, I am happy to report that at both offices I experienced no lines and just a 1 hour wait for the processing to be completed for the 30 day extension.

[ubonjoe]

But now more to the point for you bwh. Why, if you have the 15 days remaining, are you bothering with the expense and hassle of flying to Penang, unless you really want to have a holiday and see Penang or are in some rush to get your retirement visa sooner? Just go to your local immigration any time before you hit the 15 day remaining limit and apply (and better sooner if this is your first time as you might run into some hitch). Easy if you have all needed paperwork.

Because not all immigration offices can do the the change to a non immigrant visa. You are fortunate that Chiang Mai has started doing them again or you would be making 2 trips to Bangkok to do it or a trip out of the country to get a non-o visa.

[jacksam]

One small difference between doing a conversion of say setv to a non imm O based on retirement inside thailand and obtaining the non O outside los is that the conversion requires you to prove that the money in bank came from outside of thailand. For some that's an issue.