The O (M) versus the OA - the rationale from the Thais point of view?

[Craig krup]

My pal has just got himself an OM. He says, "...it is no retirement visa. You get 90 days each time you enter, than you have to leave. And you only have to show 5.000 Euro...you have to be 50 or older..[and] for the O A you need the police record to show that you have no criminal record. For the O M which I have you don't need that".  He actually had it issued in Germany. I thought it would have to have been an OA. 

 

This all looks like a <deleted>' nightmare. Trailing in and out is stressful, expensive and time-consuming. Leaving all that to one side, though, what's the rationale from the Thai's point of view? Is it that they'll keep an eye on you, and if you prove to be a pain they only have to wait three months maximum before you put yourself the wrong side of a border, so that they can deny you entry without the hassle of actually chucking you out?

[lopburi3]

It is a normal multi entry visa and provides up to 90 day stay for each entry so a good fit for people who travel a lot.  It is not used just for those on retirement but the "O" stands for "other reasons" so it can be issued to many people and there is no set financial requirement in most cases (only the normal 20k in cash on entry).

 

The O-A is a special visa allowing a one year stay and has age/financial/police check/medical paperwork requirements everywhere.  This is a relatively new method of entry designed to allow applicant to do normal extension of stay type paperwork/financials in home country prior to travel and when arriving be allowed a full year stay. (rather than the normal O visa extension after 60 days in Thailand at immigration with financials required in Thailand).

Edited April 8, 2017 by lopburi3

[Maestro]

I have never heard of the O (M) visa, but there is the non-immigrant visa category "M" and there is no minimum age for it:

 

Quote - to work as a film-producer, journalist or reporter (Category "M") Source: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

[BritTim]

I am not sure all Thais would agree with the rationale I present, but this might be the logic ...

I think the idea of the multiple entry Non O is that it can be used by people who make frequent trips to Thailand, but are not living there. The Non O-A (actually referred to as a long stay visa) is for people who will stay long periods in Thailand, but want the flexibility to be able to leave and re-enter when need arises. To complete the list, the one-year extension of stay is for people who will be living in Thailand for some period of time.

[lopburi3]

Actually the O-A and extension of stay for retirement are just different paths to same one year stay.  Originally the O-A was setup as a pre-approved one year extension of stay (and called that) and was available in both single and multi entry versions.

[little mary sunshine]

My O-A Visa was issued at The Royal Thai Embassy in my

home Country 7 years ago, each year I just apply for my

extension....very simple, letter of financial means from my

Embassy, and B1900 + my multiple entry.

 

if you don't have the B65,000/ month in income, and you 

can't a criminal background check, stay in your home

Country,  Thailand will Be much nicer and safer place!!

 

Edited April 9, 2017 by little mary sunshine

[IMA_FARANG]

What you are talking about is a Non immigrant  O multi entry visa to give it is full name.

It is often used as a first visa to get a "work permit" for employment in Thailand with a Thai company.

However that is not the only use.

I entered Thailand on my first "retirement' visa on a non  immigrant O visa in 2011 from Hull in England.

You can extend a Non immigrant O visa annually if you meet the financial requirements each year by having 800K Baht in a Thai Bank account or having a pension of at least 65K baht monthly.

I did that renewal process yearly from 2011 to 2016 and lived in Thailand legally on such a retirement visa/extension for those 5 years.

 

 

 

 

 

[micmichd]

12 hours ago, Maestro said:

I have never heard of the O (M) visa, but there is the non-immigrant visa category "M" and there is no minimum age for it:

 

Source: http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/4908/15398-Issuance-of-Visa.html

Guess here the "M" stands for "Media", while it stands for "multiple entry" in the O (M) visa.

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, micmichd said:

Guess here the "M" stands for "Media", while it stands for "multiple entry" in the O (M) visa.

 

The latter is generally referred to as multiple-entry non-O visa on this forum, never as O (M) visa, just like the single-entry non-O visa is never referred to as O (S) visa.

 

It is preferable not to add to the already existing confusion about visa terminology.
 

[dotpoom]

At certain times I am especially grateful for some simple advice I received  early on in life....."Keep it simple."

[lopburi3]

From my passports (with computer printed visas)::

 

The single entry visa is "S"

The multi entry visa is  "M"

The specific number of entries is "2" etc

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the replies to it.

[Suradit69]

17 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

The O-A is a special visa allowing a one year stay 

Allowing you a new full year permission to stay each time you use the visa (up to the "use by" date on the visa) so that you can easily manage to stay in Thailand for nearly two years before you need to apply for an extension.

 

Since the O-A is a multiple entry visa, using the O/P's strange labels, it would be an non immigrant O-A (M) visa ... although hopefully people will not start using his terms.

 

19 hours ago, Craig krup said:

This all looks like a <deleted>' nightmare.

Not to worry. Many people have stayed here for years while managing to remain clueless (and become unglued when anyone suggests that they're confused).

 

Some still haven't figured out the difference between a visa issued at an embassy or consulate versus a permission to stay or extension of stay issued at Thai immigrations (and go ballistic if anyone explains that there are significant differences between a visa and an extension).

[Bogbrush]

I'm on an OA but rather fancy the idea of a revolving 90 day visa, particularly if it means (which I suppose by definition it does) no 90 reporting and no 800 000 baht commitment. Of course, its cost is important to take into account (I didn't pick this up on any post) but by leaving every 90 days - which personally I feel is often necessary, just to get a break - presumably one avoids the cost of re-entry visas? All in all, not a visa to be summarily dismissed; if it works.

[lopburi3]

But it is not normally issued for retirement in home countries as they will require use of long stay O-A for retirements.  It can also be very problematic when you are due to make a 90 day run and there is a medical emergency or death in family.  The price will be about the same as a one year extension of stay and multi re-entry permit so nothing being saved there.  You would not have to make 90 day address reports (but that can be quite easy) and you will have to leave country and return (and that may not be a pleasant experience in all cases).  

 

Did that for many years - it does get old (but then again - so do we).  

[Saradoc1972]

Just now, Bogbrush said:

I'm on an OA but rather fancy the idea of a revolving 90 day visa, particularly if it means (which I suppose by definition it does) no 90 reporting and no 800 000 baht commitment. Of course, its cost is important to take into account (I didn't pick this up on any post) but by leaving every 90 days - which personally I feel is often necessary, just to get a break - presumably one avoids the cost of re-entry visas? All in all, not a visa to be summarily dismissed; if it works.

The usual (non-retirement) multiple-entry Non-O might be harder to come by than you think. You cannot get it in the region (i.e. Malaysia or Cambo) unless you are married to a Thai or have kids. They will still require proof of finance, albeit there is no fixed amount of income or assets stipulated. You will be dependent on the discretion of the civil-servant here, who might as well deny you and refer you to the Non-OA. I, personally, am a bit of a special case, which is why I fly under the radar without hassle. You would have to abide by fixed exit-requirements all the time and make all the arrangements for that whether you feel like it at a given time or not.

 

I don't actually quite get your point, because on the Non-OA you are *allowed* to just do 90-reporting, even online, instead of having to leave the country, you *can* still leave the country holding that Non-OA (I have no experience whether you need a re-entry permit, but the cost for that is not really prohibitive) in which case you don't need 90-day reporting on top. It's easier with your Non-OA, I wish I had that, could skip the visa-run if I am not feeling like I want to do travelling.

 

Cost for a single-entry Non-O was 80 USD one week ago in Phnom Penh (and you have to go to the embassy or pay for a visa service), cost for a multiple-entry Non-O in Germany is 150 EUR. That is what I am positively aware of. Cost for doing a back-to-back visa-run on a multiple-entry Non-O from Pattaya is between 2,500 and 2,800 Baht including the visa-on-arrival into Cambo (which you would only enter in spirit, it's all handled in no-man's-land), might be preferable to get an e-visa for Cambo instead, keeps the passport clutter-free.

[Maestro]

Removed some more off-topic posts and the replies to them.

 

As the OP has got his answer, this topic is now closed.