Retirement Visa Re- Entry Permit?

[udondreamer]

i rang my local thai consul today.

i had decided to get a one year multi entry retirement visa as i am planing to return to the uk

probably every six months or so.

i checked all the relevant points with the lady.

1.bank statement with enough funds (to be checked once in uk?)

2.two photo's

3.visa application form completed

4.passport

5.visa fee

everything seemed ok until i mentioned my trip home after six months

when she said i might have to get a re-entry permit before leaving thailand??i haven't encounted this term before,

and i could just as easy get a tourist multi entry. if this re-entry permit will cause problems?

if anyone can enlighten me on the procedure/requirements i would be grateful.

[Krub]

When you enter Thailand, you will receive a permit of stay period depending on the type of visa you have.

If you want to go out of Thailand and re-enter within the validity of that period of stay without 'loosing it', you will need to apply for a re-entry permit before your departure from Thailand.

They cost 1,000 baht for single and 3,800 baht for multi.

They are issued on the spot at immigration bureaus

It is also pssible to get a single a the airport in BKK before your flight (allow plenty of time)

If you manage to get a multi-entry visa, you do ot then need a re-entry permit as long as you re-enter within the validity of the visa

Hope this helps

i rang my local thai consul today.

i had decided to get a one year multi entry retirement visa as i am planing to return to the uk

probably every six months or so.

i checked all the relevant points with the lady.

1.bank statement with enough funds (to be checked once in uk?)

2.two photo's

3.visa application form completed

4.passport

5.visa fee

everything seemed ok until i mentioned my trip home after six months

when she said i might have to get a re-entry permit before leaving thailand??i haven't encounted this term before,

and i could just as easy get a tourist multi entry. if this re-entry permit will cause problems?

if anyone can enlighten me on the procedure/requirements i would be grateful.

Edited November 16, 2006 by Krub

[Maestro]

i rang my local thai consul today.

i had decided to get a one year multi entry retirement visa as i am planing to return to the uk

probably every six months or so.

...

everything seemed ok until i mentioned my trip home after six months

when she said i might have to get a re-entry permit before leaving thailand??

You asked the consulate about a “multi entry retirement visa”. Officially, this is a non-immigrant visa, type OA, valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the date of issue of the visa. On each entry, you are given permission to stay for one year.

If any stay in Thailand is longer than 90 days, you must report your current address in Thailand to the local immigration office every 90 days.

You do not need to get a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand to be able to return to Thailand on the same visa as long as the visa remains valid. That part of the information you received from the consulate is wrong.

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

Maestro

[briley]

You asked the consulate about a “multi entry retirement visa”. Officially, this is a non-immigrant visa, type OA, valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the date of issue of the visa. On each entry, you are given permission to stay for one year.

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

Maestro

Permission to stay is for 90 days not 1 year?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

You asked the consulate about a “multi entry retirement visa”. Officially, this is a non-immigrant visa, type OA, valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the date of issue of the visa. On each entry, you are given permission to stay for one year.

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

Maestro

Permission to stay is for 90 days not 1 year?

Sounds like a multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa and not an O-A

[lopburi3]

1. A multi entry retirement obtained in your home country (non immigrant O-A) will always require a police check and medical report so believe Pat Pong is correct - you were to be issued a multi entry non immigrant O visa on the basis of determining if you wish to retire in Thailand.

2. A multi entry non immigrant O visa is valid for one year from date of issue and can be used for unlimited entry/exit during that time for 90 days at each entry. No re entry permits are required.

3. A multi entry non immigrant O-A long stay visa issued in your home country is valid for one year and allows unlimited entry exit during that time for one year at each entry. No re entry permit is required during validity of visa (the Consulate stamp expiration date).

4. A single entry non immigrant O-A long stay visa issued in your home country would be valid for one entry only, for a one year permitted to stay, and re entry permits would be required. Do not believe it is normal to issue such visas anymore.

As no mention of police check it must be a normal multi entry O visa and you do not have to worry about re entry permits.

[udondreamer]

i'm certain she was talking about a retirement multi entry because she

asked two questions.

my age(50+)

my bank acc. ( min aprox 11k uk)

which would sugest a multi entry retirement visa?perhaps as she is not

in the re entry permit business she has limited knowledge of the rules??

cheers

[lopburi3]

Your age and financial status would allow her to issue a multi entry non immigrant O visa but not an O-A type. This would not require re entry permits.

If you wish to obtain the O-A the requirements should be listed either on the Embassy or a Consulate web site and will include a police report and medical report. But if issued in a multi entry version would not require re entry permits during the validity of the visa in any case.

[Mrjlh]

Since I have been reading this board I have at times received a lot of very usufull information. But the majority of the info is confusing and in accurate. Someone that really knows what they are talking about needs to clean up the BS quite frankly!

To help you decide what you should do, here's what I did and by no means is this legal advice:

1. While in the US, I down-loaded all the forms of the Thai Consulates website including the instructions.

2. I followed the insrtuctions to the "letter" for my "O-A Retirement Visa".

3. I did call the Thai consulate an asked about a multiple entry and was told "Single Entry" only would be allowed. I did not argue the point.

4. I filled out all the forms, got the police check, medical, funds, etc. all originals were notorized. made 4 copies plus included the certified bank check. I attached a passport photo to each "original" and sorted all into 4 groups. You might ask why do all this? The more organized you appear the better the presentation.

5. Mailed the completed packaged "certified USPS over night" to the Thai consulate in LA on Thursday with a prepaid return envolope. I recevied my passort and Visa on the following Wednesday! I means they got it Friday, processed it Monday, mailed it back on Tuesday!

6. I recevied a "ONE YEAR visa" from the day I requested AND NOT THE 90 DAY everyone keeps talking about! Note: you must tell them when you "plan" to arrive in Thailand. your Visa starts from the actual day you arrive. You have only 90 days to use your visa after the approval date.

7. I arrived and my Visa was clearly stamped for an exit date one year later.

8. As for my "multiple entry"permit. I was advised by this board to simply go to immigration 3rd floor. WRONG! Fill out a form for each entry. WRONG AGAIN. I simply follow the rules.

9. I went to the information desk first floor, asked for a "multiple entry permit", was hand one, went over the counter filled it out stating "family visit" for reason, used the glue provide to attach the photo, and returned to the officer as requested.

10. He stamped it with a number, gave me a ticket with a number, and told me to go to station 7 and wait.

11. I was number two in the "que" and was called in less than 3 minutes. Gave this officer my form and $3800 baht. 15 minutes later I had my "multiple entry permit" and was out the door.

I'm here living in Phuket, with my "O-A Ret" and a multiple entry. One word of caution as I learned while watching "others" at immigration. DON'T ARGUE WITH THEM! Be calm and show more patience than they do. And "smile"! I saw two fine examples of this while waiting. It would take too long to explain what happened.

[lopburi3]

What you received was a single entry type that is an exception according to all recent reports from the US (because of the re entry permit confusion it created). And indeed it should get a 1 year permitted to stay stamp and require re entry permits. But that is not the subject or the country.

[Mrjlh]

Point well taken! There are so many country's that each has there own set of rules. That's the confusion I speak of. And to add to this there are so many different reasons for applying.

So one (including me) must remember to look at the question from both sides.

[lopburi3]

There is a great deal of confusion about the -A- suffix as it makes all the difference and provides the one year permitted to stay rather than the normal 90 day entry of an -O- visa. When it was first used there were a number of mistakes made.

There was also a serious problem of re entry as many persons took a trip only to return and find they no longer had a valid visa to enter Thailand, which is why the multi entry is common these days. You do not have to worry about re entry permits with that until after you visit immigration for an extension of stay (and can be informed/obtain then).

AFAIK (recent history) re entry permits have always been provided on the ground floor of immigration. 3rd floor was used for a change of visa. But office locations do change over time.

[wpcoe]

3. I did call the Thai consulate an asked about a multiple entry and was told "Single Entry" only would be allowed. I did not argue the point.

That does seem unusual. I wonder why they declined to offer you a multiple-entry O-A visa from the get go? As recently as last month, a friend of mine got the multiple-entry O-A from the Chicago consulate.

[tartempion]

It seems it really depends on the mood of the consulate employees for what they are willing to provide you in your passport: a tourist visa, a single entry non-imm, a multiple, an O-A. add to this the confusion about the re-entry permit and the 90 days reporting and you get a mess created by the thai authorities themselves. Congrats for a job wel done

Edited November 19, 2006 by tartempion

[thaihome]

Since I have been reading this board I have at times received a lot of very usufull information. But the majority of the info is confusing and in accurate. Someone that really knows what they are talking about needs to clean up the BS quite frankly!

To help you decide what you should do, here's what I did and by no means is this legal advice:

1. While in the US, I down-loaded all the forms of the Thai Consulates website including the instructions.

2. I followed the insrtuctions to the "letter" for my "O-A Retirement Visa".

3. I did call the Thai consulate an asked about a multiple entry and was told "Single Entry" only would be allowed. I did not argue the point.

4. I filled out all the forms, got the police check, medical, funds, etc. all originals were notorized. made 4 copies plus included the certified bank check. I attached a passport photo to each "original" and sorted all into 4 groups. You might ask why do all this? The more organized you appear the better the presentation.

5. Mailed the completed packaged "certified USPS over night" to the Thai consulate in LA on Thursday with a prepaid return envolope. I recevied my passort and Visa on the following Wednesday! I means they got it Friday, processed it Monday, mailed it back on Tuesday!

6. I recevied a "ONE YEAR visa" from the day I requested AND NOT THE 90 DAY everyone keeps talking about! Note: you must tell them when you "plan" to arrive in Thailand. your Visa starts from the actual day you arrive. You have only 90 days to use your visa after the approval date.

7. I arrived and my Visa was clearly stamped for an exit date one year later.

8. As for my "multiple entry"permit. I was advised by this board to simply go to immigration 3rd floor. WRONG! Fill out a form for each entry. WRONG AGAIN. I simply follow the rules.

9. I went to the information desk first floor, asked for a "multiple entry permit", was hand one, went over the counter filled it out stating "family visit" for reason, used the glue provide to attach the photo, and returned to the officer as requested.

10. He stamped it with a number, gave me a ticket with a number, and told me to go to station 7 and wait.

11. I was number two in the "que" and was called in less than 3 minutes. Gave this officer my form and $3800 baht. 15 minutes later I had my "multiple entry permit" and was out the door.

I'm here living in Phuket, with my "O-A Ret" and a multiple entry. One word of caution as I learned while watching "others" at immigration. DON'T ARGUE WITH THEM! Be calm and show more patience than they do. And "smile"! I saw two fine examples of this while waiting. It would take too long to explain what happened.

Your problem is you don't understand the difference between a visa and an permission to stay entry stamp.

You could have taken the single entry visa, which would have been valid for 3 months, on entering Thailand within the 3 months, you would have gotten a 90 day stamp. At the end of 60 days, you could have gone to immigration and got a 1 year permission to stay extension (and a multi re-entry permit to keep it valid if you leave) with a lot less paperwork than the O-A.

As stated, you will find that out at the end of your year.

TH

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Ain't that the truth. Well put.

[Mrjlh]

As stated, you will find that out at the end of your year.

TH

OK, what's going to happen at the end of the year? Please enlighten me and anyone else who is in my position.

I'd like to add I didn't find getting the paperwork required that difficult. What I do see, is a lot of people here always trying to take a shortcut which always ends up costing more later.

[Maestro]

What I do see, is a lot of people here always trying to take a shortcut which always ends up costing more later.

Mrjlh, you may be misunderstanding something.

There are two different ways to achieve a long-term stay in Thailand for the purpose of retirement, and both are perfectly straightforward and legal.

One way, the one you chose, was to apply for a non-OA visa in your home country, and you got it for a single-entry. Some prefer this because it means that they need to bring in 800,000 Baht only after 9 months (if it had been a multiple-entry non-OA, only after 21 months). Shortly before the expiration of you permission to stay, you can apply for an annual extension of stay.

The other way is to get a non-O visa, purpose of visit “to investigate retirement possibility”, then after 60-90 days apply in Thailand for an annual extension for the reason of retirement. No police report needed here.

But I agree with you that it is pointless to chide anybody for having chosen one procedure rather than the other.

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

Maestro

[SoiSong]

All O-A visas now say for "multiple journeys"..or should say so.....If get a new O-A and the pay for multiple re-entry permit you got ripped off. I got my 3rd OA n March of this year... MULTIPLE ENTRIES..And, further more when I come back to Thailand I get 1 year from the date of entry NOT the date if issue. The new OA reg could be good for up to 2 years...enter a day before your visa you expires and you'll be good for a year.....I checked with the Major at Patong Beach and he said that was the new thin g... However, If you reenter after the OA expires no 1 year. The Maj said they were not haveing problems with people on OA's just visa runners....

I have on 5 entries gotton 1 year upon entry stamp at BKK & HKT both..so, that is 3 places with the same rule application..WOW, strike one against TIT

[thaihome]

As stated, you will find that out at the end of your year.

TH

OK, what's going to happen at the end of the year? Please enlighten me and anyone else who is in my position.

I'd like to add I didn't find getting the paperwork required that difficult. What I do see, is a lot of people here always trying to take a shortcut which always ends up costing more later.

At the end of the year that your O-A visa and entry stamp allows you stay in Thailand you will have 2 choices. You can go back to your home country and get another O-A or you can go to immigration and apply for the extension to stay based on retirement (which you could have done in the first place on the single entry "O" visa you turned down). Paperwork for extension is easier as there is no requirement for police report and the medical can be done in about 15 minutes for 200 baht at the right clinic. I believe you will need to put 800k baht in Thai bank at least 3 months before you apply, unless you are going the minimum income route.

Not sure why you seem so defensive about this. The route you took worked and that is the important thing. Other posters here are just pointing that there were other routes to the same goal. You will have the option of using these other processes when your current year is up.

TH

[wpcoe]

All O-A visas now say for "multiple journeys"...

Not true. My friend was erroneously issued a single entry O-A visa in Chicago last month, but they immediately corrected it when it was pointed out that he paid for a multiple. They offer both single- AND multiple-entry O-A visas, the single being cheaper (though I don't recall the price any more).

And, I have no doubt that the OP's visa does not say "multiple journeys".

[wpcoe]

Paperwork for extension is easier as there is no requirement for police report and the medical can be done in about 15 minutes for 200 baht at the right clinic.

It's even easier than that: you no longer need a medical certificate.