O-A visa scare

[oldsailor35]

Today i did my 90 day report at Koh Samui immigration, 18 months into the second term of my  O-A visa.

Imagine the shock and stress which i endured when i was told by the officer i had to leave Thailand tomorrow, but after much discussion that i could have one more week.

I pointed out the stamp which i received on my passport when i came back through immigration from London on 12th Oct 2016, which  said "Valid until 16th July 2017"

After much discussion, mostly among immigration officials, which i did not understand, i was eventually told that i could stay until July 16th.

I tried to find out what the problem was as i have been here for 12 years and never had any problem  with due dates etc., even offered to show all old passports with appropriate stamps. I still do not know for sure what the problem was, but gather from what was said, was that the officer was not sure that i would leave on 16th of July, and had to assure them on several occasions that i would leave on or by the due date.

As a senior person, i can do without this unreasonable stress.

[tgeezer]

What is an O-A visa? I understand that it is a non -Immigrant visa which allows stays up to 90 days, also in order to get a non-Imm visa you must prove to the embassy in your home country that you have a valid reason to be issued one. I presume that this is what O-A indicates. You talk of being "18 months into the second term" so perhaps this is where Immigration got it 'wrong'.


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[Lite Beer]

5 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

What is an O-A visa? I understand that it is a non -Immigrant visa which allows stays up to 90 days, also in order to get a non-Imm visa you must prove to the embassy in your home country that you have a valid reason to be issued one. I presume that this is what O-A indicates. You talk of being "18 months into the second term" so perhaps this is where Immigration got it 'wrong'.


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An O-A Visa allows you to stay up to 12 months.

Do a border run just before the Visa expires to get another 12 months.

Making it 2 years in total.

[dentonian]

An O-A Visa is valid for 1 year and allows multiple entries of 1 year each entry up until the 'enter before' date.

If you leave and re-enter just before the 'enter before' date you will be given another 1 year permission to stay.

The Visa expires after the 'enter before date', so you must obtain a re-entry permit for the 2nd year period if you want to exit/re-enter Thailand again.

 

You can either report to an Immigration office every 90 days, or leave and re-enter which resets your next 90 day report.

O-A Visas can only be obtained from a Country where you hold residency status.

[tgeezer]

Found it at the Thai Embassy site. It is no good for me because I only stay five months. I will have to go for the Non-Imm OA based on retirement again and try to talk Immigration into giving me one year from expiry of my 90 day visa. I am getting a new passport and visa in UK this summer.


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[Lite Beer]

If it is no good for you why would you be applying for one again?

[dentonian]

28 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

Found it at the Thai Embassy site. It is no good for me because I only stay five months. I will have to go for the Non-Imm OA based on retirement again and try to talk Immigration into giving me one year from expiry of my 90 day visa. I am getting a new passport and visa in UK this summer.


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Immigration will only give you an extension of stay for 1 year provided you meet the financial requirements.

Are you married to a Thai?

How old are you?

 

If married to a Thai, or over 65 and in receipt of a state pension you could obtain a Non Imm O ME Visa from London.

Edited January 25, 2017 by dentonian

[tgeezer]

Having read the Immigration Act again I don't think that this is going to be successful because the max allowable stay is one year except for investment.
Plan: Apply for a Non-Imm OA long stay multientry in August 2017.
travel in mid Oct. 2017 for a stay until mid Oct 2018.
Take a trip in Dec. 2017 .
Re-enter in Dec2017 for a stay until Dec. 2018 .
Buy a re-entry permit and leave in Mar. 2018
Return Oct. 2018 for a stay until Dec. 2018
Apply for a retirement extension until Dec. 2019
I can then continue as before Thailand from Mid Oct - Mid Mar. but with a renewal in Dec.
Can anyone see anything wrong with this?
So what reason do I put for the Non-Imm one year stay multi-entry visa?
Does this plan seem like a good enough reason?

Edit: explanation: I am already on a retirement extension but I need a new passport which I shall get this summer in UK . My purpose is to shift my extension renewal to December which was my intention eleven years ago but which was frustrated by Immigration back dating my one year extension. I have put up with being forced to return in Oct all this time and since I now have the opportunity to change that, I want it to be a success.
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[tgeezer]

I have just seen a flaw in the argument. the one year extension will always run from the date of entry so I am back to square one Oct. unless Immigration are giving people more than one year. This would be outside the provisions of the Act so I don't want to rely on it. All I can do is stay is delay my return for the first year of the next cycle.

Or. come in on the 90 day visa, get a re-entry, take a trip in Dec. and extend after that.
I think that the proof for a Non-Imm for retirement will be less than for a multi entry.

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[dentonian]

A one year extension will always run from the date of application, not from the date of entry.

 

Which Immigration office are you reporting to?

There are 2 solutions to your problem.

 

If I'm understanding you correctly, you stay in Thailand from Mid Oct - Mid March each year and you want to obtain a retirement extension renewable annualy in December each year.

Edited January 25, 2017 by dentonian

[Evilbaz]

I went back home to obtain a new OA Visa to get away from renewing extensions in December which is a terrible month at Immigration in Phuket.

Each to his own choice.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Evilbaz

[oldsailor35]

3 hours ago, tgeezer said:

What is an O-A visa? I understand that it is a non -Immigrant visa which allows stays up to 90 days, also in order to get a non-Imm visa you must prove to the embassy in your home country that you have a valid reason to be issued one. I presume that this is what O-A indicates. You talk of being "18 months into the second term" so perhaps this is where Immigration got it 'wrong'.


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Ask Ubon Joe he introduced it to me  originally.

[tgeezer]

Firstly, thanks to everyone. dentonian, correct up to one year but the act clearly states that the maximum stay is one year. Quite possibly Immigration are giving one year in addition to the time spent before applying.


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[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

Firstly, thanks to everyone. dentonian, correct up to one year but the act clearly states that the maximum stay is one year. Quite possibly Immigration are giving one year in addition to the time spent before applying.
Best to ignore that part of the immigration act. There are several ministerial regualtions 

You cannot get a permit to stay longer than a year. That is why you have to apply for a new extension of stay every year or in the case of a OA visa go out for a new entry before the visa expires.

[oldsailor35]

57 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot get a permit to stay longer than a year. That is why you have to apply for a new extension of stay every year or in the case of a OA visa go out for a new entry before the visa expires.

 

57 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot get a permit to stay longer than a year. That is why you have to apply for a new extension of stay every year or in the case of a OA visa go out for a new entry before the visa expires.

Question for Joe.   Is this arrangement only a one off, or can one do it again with the next O-A visa.

[Evilbaz]

You can do this with another(new) OA visa from your home country.

[dentonian]

1 hour ago, tgeezer said:

Firstly, thanks to everyone. dentonian, correct up to one year but the act clearly states that the maximum stay is one year. Quite possibly Immigration are giving one year in addition to the time spent before applying.


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I think your misinterpreting what your reading and confusing yourself.

 

If you obtained just a Non Imm O SE Visa from the UK (based on retirement in Thailand) in September 2017, and enter the same month you will be granted 90 day permission to stay (takes you to December)

Within the last 30 days of that Visa you can apply for an extension of stay based on retirement showing the same documentation and proof of funds you previously submitted.

So you could apply for your extension as early as November, but your extension will be dated from the expiry of your current 90 day permission to stay. (December, not from the date you apply for the extension) Dec 2017 - Dec 2018.

[dentonian]

33 minutes ago, oldsailor35 said:

 

Question for Joe.   Is this arrangement only a one off, or can one do it again with the next O-A visa.

You can repeat this as many times as you like.

Each O-A Visa is a new application and new Visa.

You can only apply for this type of Visa from a Country where you have residency status.

Edited January 25, 2017 by dentonian