3 Month O Visa From Loas.

[Prasat Poser]

I've just been told that it is not possible to get a 3 month O visa(marraige not retirement) from the consulate at Savanhaket anymore. For moral reasons I don't want to get a 1 year visa and am quite happy to travel to Loas every 3 months. This is the first time I've heard that they are now stopping giving O visas from neighbouring countries and think that this can not be the case. I was also told that you can only apply for an O visa in the country of your Passport the apply for the visa in. Again I find this hard to believe, but then again nothing suprises me any more. Can any one varify this?

[lopburi3]

I am not sure why a multi entry non immigrant O visa would be immoral? You are married? We have heard that they will no longer issue them but had not heard they would not issue a single entry. As for only apply in the country of your passport that may be true for some nationalities but not for most (unless it is a change nobody else has heard about). Would you care to share your source for this information? That would help people determine how true or untrue it might be.

[Prasat Poser]

I am not sure why a multi entry non immigrant O visa would be immoral? You are married? We have heard that they will no longer issue them but had not heard they would not issue a single entry. As for only apply in the country of your passport that may be true for some nationalities but not for most (unless it is a change nobody else has heard about). Would you care to share your source for this information? That would help people determine how true or untrue it might be.

The source came from a friend who went to the immigration in Surin, and was told this by one of the officers.

I never said that the multi entry was immoral. I said I don't want the 1 year extension on my O visa due to moral reasons. If you want to know why then its simple. I believe that visa in question is restrictive in ways that the 3 month one is not. Things like having to travel over 400 Km for a re-entry permit if I want to cross the Thai Border to Cambodia when I live 30km away seems a tad to far, when there is a immigration office 20 Km from my house. I just loose what ever I have on my 3 month O visa and get another one in Phnom Pehn. Although I have sufficient funds and can understand the reasons why they want to see my bank records, I feel uncomfortable with this. I run a small business with my wife, where cash flow is king. If there are circumstances where I must spend some of this money, and then the immigration decides to investigate my bank records, then this may lead to an uncomfortable situation. So the 3 month O is for me personally the better option at the moment. Who knows in the future I might change this reasoning, but please don't think I bitter about any of it.

Yes I am married (9 years) and have 4 kids.

[lopburi3]

Actually what you said was "For moral reasons I don't want to get a 1 year visa" (rather than an extension of stay you seem to have meant), which is what you obtain from a Consulate that allows you up to 90 day stay on each visit with no need for any re-entry permit. That is normally the best type to have if you do not or can not extend your stay for one year at a time.

If this is the same source who posted of his experience here (trying to convert a tourist or 30 day stamp to a non immigrant visa and run to Savannakhet) it seemed that there was some miscommunication involved so would not take that as policy.

[Prasat Poser]

Actually what you said was "For moral reasons I don't want to get a 1 year visa" (rather than an extension of stay you seem to have meant), which is what you obtain from a Consulate that allows you up to 90 day stay on each visit with no need for any re-entry permit. That is normally the best type to have if you do not or can not extend your stay for one year at a time.

If this is the same source who posted of his experience here (trying to convert a tourist or 30 day stamp to a non immigrant visa and run to Savannakhet) it seemed that there was some miscommunication involved so would not take that as policy.

Yes your right about the visa, but noit is not the source you say, just my friend who has probably got confused. Thanks for your help. I'll go to Savannakhet with no trepidation.