I recently obtained a Non-Imm O-A Visa and it looks like I won't be able to arrive in Thailand for at least another 30 to 60 days.  Would this a problem with Immigration at BKK airport?  The visa does indicate I have up to one year from the date issuance to enter Thailand.  

No problem to enter the country. You have a year from the date of issue to use the visa for entry to the country.

And you will still receive a one year permitted to stay from arrival date as long as you enter before the visa itself expires.

OP - I was in a similar situation myself since I needed a couple of months to wind up my affairs in the UK before moving out here on an OA visa. My passport was stamped with a permission to stay which expired 12 months after my arrival at BKK without any fuss.

Yes, but this is instructive to others that wish to use their O-A for about two years (by exiting and reentering before the original visa expires). For the full use of it, try to get it as close to possible as your arrival in Thailand. By arriving later, you shorten your potential almost two years stay. 

Thanks for the replies.  My mind is at ease now.  I thought I could get everything closed out in 30 days but it will take a little longer.

14 hours ago, sqwakvfr said:

Thanks for the replies.  My mind is at ease now.  I thought I could get everything closed out in 30 days but it will take a little longer.

OP - but do make sure that the immigration officer at BKK stamps your passport correctly for the full year upon your eventual arrival before leaving his/her booth. Although I was stamped in correctly upon my initial arrival, I was only stamped in for 90 days at first upon my return from a trip back to the UK just before the visa expired to activate a further year. Fortunately, the immigration officer corrected the error without any fuss - it would appear that he had been under the mistaken impression that mine was only a multi-entry non-"O" visa thanks to the London Embassy having helpfully obliterated the "A" letter on the visa with 1 of their stamps!

 

You should, however, be warned that not all immigration officers will willingly correct errors without any fuss since the overriding priority might, in their eyes, be to save face. If you do have the misfortune to encounter such an officer upon your arrival at BKK, you should immediately summon his/her supervisor.

A quick follow up to this question is:  What is my actual Visa Expiration date?  If the IO at BKK stamps me to stay until March 25, 2018 then is this my Visa expiration date?  Also, if I leave Thailand and return before my Enter before date on my Visa then does my expiration date change?  I'm new to this and still trying to figure out how to maximize the benefits of the O-A Visa.  All replies are greatly appreciated.

5 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

A quick follow up to this question is:  What is my actual Visa Expiration date?  If the IO at BKK stamps me to stay until March 25, 2018 then is this my Visa expiration date?  Also, if I leave Thailand and return before my Enter before date on my Visa then does my expiration date change?  I'm new to this and still trying to figure out how to maximize the benefits of the O-A Visa.  All replies are greatly appreciated.

Your visa expiration date is the Enter Before date on the visa. The expiry of your permission to stay is the permitted to stay until date stamped in your passport by immigration on your arrival.

Any time your arrive in Thailand up to and including the Enter Before date stamped on your visa, you will be granted the appropriate length permission to stay, depending on the type of visa. For instance, your Non O-A visa's expiry date is 25 June 2017, and you enter Thailand on 12 May 2017, you will be granted a permission to stay until 11 May 2018.

BritTim, thanks for the reply.  Therefore, in your hypothetical the O-A visa holder would have to apply for an extension before 11 May 2018.  Otherwise the visa holder would be in the country with an expired visa anytime after 11 May 2018?  Or the person could just leave the country before 11 May 2018 without any adverse consequences.  

15 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

BritTim, thanks for the reply.  Therefore, in your hypothetical the O-A visa holder would have to apply for an extension before 11 May 2018.  Otherwise the visa holder would be in the country with an expired visa anytime after 11 May 2018?  Or the person could just leave the country before 11 May 2018 without any adverse consequences.  

Yes

But if you wanted to travel after the enter before date on your visa you would need a re-entry permit to keep that one year entry valid. You can do an entry on or before the enter before date and get a new one year entry.

If your visa was issued in March of this year your visa will have an enter before date in March of 2018. If you did an entry just before that date you would get a permit to stay until some time in March 2019.

Ubonjoe, as always you provide solid information on Visa matters.  I was somewhat unclear about the meaning of the "Enter Before Date" and the "Admitted Until Date" which is stamped by the IO at the airport.  Now I know when I would need a Re-Entry Permit.  Once again thanks for the information and clarification.  

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

But if you wanted to travel after the enter before date on your visa you would need a re-entry permit to keep that one year entry valid. You can do an entry on or before the enter before date and get a new one year entry.

If your visa was issued in March of this year your visa will have an enter before date in March of 2018. If you did an entry just before that date you would get a permit to stay until some time in March 2019.

Would you need a re-entry permit if you have multi entry A-0 ? And in the second year of the extension of stay can you again get a multi entry therefore not need to keep doing re-entry permit ?

7 hours ago, berybert said:

Would you need a re-entry permit if you have multi entry A-0 ? And in the second year of the extension of stay can you again get a multi entry therefore not need to keep doing re-entry permit ?

I assume you mean a OA visa not A-O.  

The OA visa allows unlimited on year entries for one year from the date of issue. After that year a re-entry permit is need to keep the last entry valid. If a person wanted to they could obtain a new OA visa at an embassy or consulate instead of getting a re-entry permit to keep the last entry valid.

An extension is issued at immigration and would require a re-entry permit to keep it valid.

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I assume you mean a OA visa not A-O.  

The OA visa allows unlimited on year entries for one year from the date of issue. After that year a re-entry permit is need to keep the last entry valid. If a person wanted to they could obtain a new OA visa at an embassy or consulate instead of getting a re-entry permit to keep the last entry valid.

An extension is issued at immigration and would require a re-entry permit to keep it valid.

I don't get  this post. Yes I meant OA.

 Once your almost 2 years is up you apply for an extension to stay for another year. You prove you have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank and a few other bits and pieces.

You get a yearly extension year on year from Bangkok immigration centre as long as your money and documents are in order ?

I thought you could get a multi entry re-entry permit after the first year.

 

1 hour ago, berybert said:

I don't get  this post. Yes I meant OA.

 Once your almost 2 years is up you apply for an extension to stay for another year. You prove you have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank and a few other bits and pieces.

You get a yearly extension year on year from Bangkok immigration centre as long as your money and documents are in order ?

I thought you could get a multi entry re-entry permit after the first year.

 

 

Or 400k for wife or family member.  Good thing I looked at mine because enter before date is July 19 2017 so I'll go to Vietnam for a few days to extend my stay another year from the July date.  I was planning on going at the end of July.  That would have been an unwelcome surprise on my return to Thailand.

1 hour ago, berybert said:

I thought you could get a multi entry re-entry permit after the first year.

 

 

Yes, it is possible to choose between re-entry permit valid either for a single entry or for multiple entries.

3 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

Yes, it is possible to choose between re-entry permit valid either for a single entry or for multiple entries.

 

Right, but the admitted until will only reflect 1 year past the last entry date.  

14 minutes ago, Maestro said:

 

Yes, it is possible to choose between re-entry permit valid either for a single entry or for multiple entries.

Thanks.

7 hours ago, berybert said:

I thought you could get a multi entry re-entry permit after the first year.

You did not write re-entry permit.

On 4/11/2017 at 11:57 PM, berybert said:

And in the second year of the extension of stay can you again get a multi entry therefore not need to keep doing re-entry permit ?

It appeared you were writing about another visa.

Sorry to be a pain but I literally just got my O-A from the UK yesterday and although a little way off I am not clear around the re entry permit necessity and timings etc.
I understand that if I enter near to expiration I can get almost 2 years. But what point do I need a re entry and how do you go about getting one.
Would appreciate a timelines of events or if the info is already available on the site point me in the right direction.
It's been an emotional rollercoaster getting the O-A so
I want to ensure that I get everything right in the future and don't mess up.
Thank you in advance.


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Any entry after the expiration date on the actual multi entry O-A visa will require a re-entry permit 

 

So if your visa expires 12 April 2018 you would have to return on or prior to that date to get one more year permitted to stay.  If you plan travel and can not be sure of your return before visa expires you would want to obtain re-entry permit prior to departure.  But if you plan a last minute to obtain the extra year you will not need re-entry permit until your next travel after visa has expired.  

 

You obtain from local immigration office - and most international airports can also provide.  But good to obtain once visa expires just in case you need to make emergency travel regardless of plans.  

Any entry after the expiration date on the actual multi entry O-A visa will require a re-entry permit 
 
So if your visa expires 12 April 2018 you would have to return on or prior to that date to get one more year permitted to stay.  If you plan travel and can not be sure of your return before visa expires you would want to obtain re-entry permit prior to departure.  But if you plan a last minute to obtain the extra year you will not need re-entry permit until your next travel after visa has expired.  
 
You obtain from local immigration office - and most international airports can also provide.  But good to obtain once visa expires just in case you need to make emergency travel regardless of plans.  

many thanks for your help. Much appreciated.
I will be coming to and fro the UK quite a bit so will be no problem entering close to 12th April 2018 to get my one more year permitted to stay.
Am I right in thinking from what you say that after that date when I return I will require a re entry permit (or a multiple one in my case as I will be entering a few times ). Therefore I would need to obtain one in Thailand prior to the visa expiry date to have available for my next entry.

Apologies if I sound confused. I appreciate you taking the time to explain.


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You can obtain at any time - visa does not need to be valid - only your permitted to stay needs to be current.  The re-entry permit will be for the same time as that permitted to stay stamp.  So after your close to 12 April trip you will probably want to obtain a multi re-entry permit to allow travel during that extra year - but you do not have to do it before the actual visa expiration date.

You can obtain at any time - visa does not need to be valid - only your permitted to stay needs to be current.  The re-entry permit will be for the same time as that permitted to stay stamp.  So after your close to 12 April trip you will probably want to obtain a multi re-entry permit to allow travel during that extra year - but you do not have to do it before the actual visa expiration date.

That's excellent. I'm clear now as to what I need to do.
Is it a case of just a form filling exercise to obtain the re entry permit or do you require to show further paperwork at the office?
And cost?

Thanks.


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Fee (1k single or 3.8k multi)/photo/TM.8 and copies of your passport/visa/permitted to stay stamps.

 

((you are not held to dates of travel entered on form - it is good until used (S) or end of permitted to stay (M).

Thank you for all your help.


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I need clarification of the re-entry permit.  My O-A use until is mid-July.  Assuming I leave the first week of July, stay a few days in Vietnam for example and return before my use before date, I can expect a permitted to stay stamp for 1 more year from that date.

 

What if I get a re-entry permit but don't use it because I come back before the O-A visa expiration date, can I keep that re-entry to be used for anytime in the next year up to the end of my admitted for stay date which would be July 2018?

 

If not used, does the re-entry expire?

 

 

No.  Re-entry permit is only valid for the current permitted to stay stamp - once changed by a new visa entry you would have to obtain a new re-entry permit for that new permitted to stay.

13 minutes ago, TonyClifton said:

I need clarification of the re-entry permit.  My O-A use until is mid-July.  Assuming I leave the first week of July, stay a few days in Vietnam for example and return before my use before date, I can expect a permitted to stay stamp for 1 more year from that date.

 

What if I get a re-entry permit but don't use it because I come back before the O-A visa expiration date, can I keep that re-entry to be used for anytime in the next year up to the end of my admitted for stay date which would be July 2018?

 

If not used, does the re-entry expire?

 

 

A re-entry permit is issued for a permit to stay. It is valid until the date that permit to stay ends. If you got one before the enter before date on your visa and used your visa for entry it would no longer be valid because you would get a new permit to stay date on entry.