Non Immigrant Visa O -90 days visa run trouble at Aranyaprathet

[jeppeborn]

I have a question on the "Non-Immigrant visa type O", one year multiple entry. She got 90 days stay when she arrived in March.

 

I have visa and work permit here in Thailand. My partner got a "Non-immigrant visa type-O" visa.

 

We just had  a baby 4 weeks ago, therefore we didnt want to do a visa run and went to immigration office in Bangkok. They told us we had to leave the country to get a new 90 days, and gave us a 7 day extension. We were told we could go to any border crossing and do it. Yesterday we tried to go overland to Cambodia. But my partner was told at Aranyaprathet by Thai immigration before leaving, that should would possibly not be able to re-enter again. She was told she has to fly out and fly back in.

 

Now we are super confused about the different messages we are getting. We are considering to fly to cambodia for one day, but we are worried that this will not work either. And that we will be told something different again.

 

The other problem would be that, we will have to bring our new born. And he will then only get the 30 days tourist stamp in Visa, and then we have to deal with getting visa for him after. <Which I understand is equally difficult.

[tonray]

When you went to BKK Immigration what did y attempt to do ? You have left a few details out of the picture.

[ubonjoe]

That only happens at the Aranyaprathet crossing. You can do it at any other crossing to Cambodia without a problem. I suggest you go to the Ban Laem crossing next time.

By partner I assume you are not married.

If you are on an extension of stay issued by immigration she could get an extension as your dependent if you were married. You child could get one now after getting a non-o visa which can be done at some immigration office as a conversion to it from a tourist visa or visa exempt entry.

[jeppeborn]

@Tonray. We were trying to get a 90 days extension of the permit to stay without leaving the country.

 

@ubonjoe. Correct we are not married.  So there should be no problems for her to enter again through an airport, right?

 

The issue is also now that we will have to leave with my son. He is born here in Thailand 4 weeks ago. I am told does not need a visa until he leaves the country for the first time. However, if he goes with us to Cambodia and then come back, can he enter on a tourist visa, eventhough my partner and I have Non-immigrant visas? And can we then later convert the tourist visa here in Thailand?

[jeppeborn]

Sorry not being very clear:

 

Since baby needs to be breastfed my partner cannot travel alone. The baby will have to come.

 

The plan is to travel by air to Cambodia, either go one day, return next. Or return same day.

The baby is born in Thailand. Have thai and translated certified birth certificate and a Danish Passport. Would there be any risk that the baby will not get a 30 day tourist visa and my partner and the baby will be stranded and have to leave again? If the baby does get a 30 day stamp, can this be converted to a 90 day stay, at an immigration office in Thailand?

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, jeppeborn said:

So there should be no problems for her to enter again through an airport, right?

It can be done overland at any border crossing other that the one at Aranyaprathet.

Your child will get a 30 day visa exempt entry when entering the country your visa status makes no difference. A tourist visa has to be applied for at a embassy or consulate.

If they were born here and it is the first trip out of the country you will need their birth certificate when leaving.

Do you have a multiple entry non-b visa issued by and embassy or consulate or an extension of stay issued at an immigration office?

If you are on an extension of stay you child could do a conversion to a 90 day non immigrant visa  category O) entry and the during the last 30 day of that entry a extension of stay as you dependent could be applied for. To apply for the visa your child would need at least 15 days remaining on their entry.

Not all immigration offices will do the conversion.

 

[4evermaat]

What nationality is the baby?

If he is non-Thai, there is no problem with Under 15 years old getting overstay fines or blacklisting (under 15 years old exempt from overstay fines).

 

Also, do you have a non-imm O multiple entry visa?

[jeppeborn]

Thanks Ubonjoe.

 

I came in on a Mulitiple entry "Official Category F" Visa. I am working for a humanitarian organisation. My passport and visa was submitted to immigration and I have a stamp saying I am "permitted to stay in Thailand under section 15 not later then 24th September" . So not sure exactly what that is.

 

@4evermaat: the baby is danish citizen (as am I), mother is German. So baby is non-Thai. I have read what you are saying elsewhere also, it just sounds a bit risky to come in with a baby and overstay for a month. I have a feeling that rules are applied differently and are also changed frequently.

 

My work told me that I will have to go through a longer process of up to 15 days to apply for visa for my baby. And that it will have to be at an embassy abroad and not through immigration here in Thailand. But if I understand @Ubonjoe  correctly (and if I am on an extension visa) I would be able to do a conversion while in Thailand through an immigration office. Would the one in Bangkok be able to that?

 

thanks very much to all for commenting.

[ubonjoe]

41 minutes ago, jeppeborn said:

My work told me that I will have to go through a longer process of up to 15 days to apply for visa for my baby. And that it will have to be at an embassy abroad and not through immigration here in Thailand. But if I understand @Ubonjoe  correctly (and if I am on an extension visa) I would be able to do a conversion while in Thailand through an immigration office. Would the one in Bangkok be able to that?

 

Category F is a bit different and is issued by the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

If your child gets a visa exempt entry  immigration in Bangkok should accept the application for a non immigrant visa. I think it falls under this category for type of visa you have that is on the immigration website here. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_77

[arminbkk]

OP, you probably have an extension of stay.

A visa, Non Imm F, and any other visa obtained, is a sticker in the passport, whereas an 'extension of stay' is a stamp that includes the words "EXTENSION OF STAY PERMITTED UP TO.....<date stamp>...".

I think you should post a picture of the last stamps you got in your passport to clear all doubt.

And OP, if you indeed have an 'extension of stay', do know that you need to get a re-entry permit, which is also a stamp, before you leave Thailand. This re-entry permit can be obtained at the airport or at immigration inside Thailand (in your case apparently Immigration Chaeng Wathana Bangkok) 

 

As Ubonjoe has advised, your baby will get a 30-day visa exempt when entering Thailand with you and your partner. Your partner will get another 90 days permission to stay upon entering. After entering, you can go to immigration in Thailand to get a non immigrant O visa for your baby, if you yourself are indeed on an 'extension of stay'. He also mentioned that, alternatively, you can get a tourist visa for your baby at a consulate or embassy of Thailand outside Thailand. But you can also get a 30-day visa exempt entry for the baby when you re-enter with the baby, without going to any consulate or embassy outside Thailand.

 

As he said, you can go overland at any border crossing other that the one at Aranyaprathet. You can also go by air.

 

[jeppeborn]

Thanks Ubonjoe

 

And you are confident that if we drive to Ban Laem my partner will have no problem in crossing and coming back? We are considering doing it today. We spend 8 hours in the car yesterday to no avail, so if we are going to drive again today for 8-9 hours we want to be pretty sure it we will get the result we hope for.

[ubonjoe]

Just now, jeppeborn said:

And you are confident that if we drive to Ban Laem my partner will have no problem in crossing and coming back?

Yes

The only reports of people having problems is at Aran/Poi Pet

Or you could go the the crossing to Myanmar at Ban Phu Nam Ron in Kanchanaburi province that is closer to Bangkok. No visa sticker in her passport there. A border pass for Myanmar is included in the 950 baht fee for transport across no man's land. Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/YfNYPqaKePM2

[geriatrickid]

The Class F is for  sanctioned activities aka  Official duties and you work for a humanitarian organization. Your domestic partner was given an O visa  which is used for family unification on a temporary basis. 

I suggest that you  discuss this issue with the  human resources administrator at your organization. If you are Danish and the partner  German, and this  NGO is EU regulated, then you should be able to apply some of the EU provisions in respect to family leave and family unification.  That's what the HR department is there for- to help you.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

If you are Danish and the partner  German, and this  NGO is EU regulated, then you should be able to apply some of the EU provisions in respect to family leave and family unification.

Thailand does not have to follow rules set by the EU. Marriage is the only way she can get an extension of stay as his dependent.

[jeppeborn]

Thanks. Do you know opening hours of the Ban Laem border crossing?

 

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, jeppeborn said:

Thanks. Do you know opening hours of the Ban Laem border crossing?

 

As far as I know or can find it open 0:700 to 20:00

[ubonjoe]

A off topic post meant to derail the topic has been removed.

[ThaiWai]

36 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Yes

The only reports of people having problems is at Aran/Poi Pet

Or you could go the the crossing to Myanmar at Ban Phu Nam Ron in Kanchanaburi province that is closer to Bangkok. No visa sticker in her passport there. A border pass for Myanmar is included in the 950 baht fee for transport across no man's land. Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/YfNYPqaKePM2

FYI, Last week I went in/out at Ban Phu Nam Ron and they charged me 1260 at the office behind the Immigration exit station for the drive in and out of no man's land.  Not sure if the price went up or I was in the VIP pickup or they just charged me extra.  Smooth border hop.

[RayD]

Daung (Cambodian side of Ban Leam) expect a tip if you come and go the same day. I don't know about Ban Packard.

[tonray]

14 minutes ago, RayD said:

Daung (Cambodian side of Ban Leam) expect a tip if you come and go the same day. I don't know about Ban Packard.

You mean like "hey buddy,  buy IBM stock just before earnings" ?

[RayD]

Just warning the O/P in advance. I said I was staying the night and was told I couldn't go back the same day. Other commenters have reported having to pay a couple of hundred baht to get out the same day.

[Monkeyrobot]

Can you drive to the crossing and wait on the Thai side with your baby while your partner crosses over to do the re- entry?

I am not sure how long it would take maybe 2 hours, saves doing paperwork for the baby.

[jeppeborn]

2 hours ago, Monkeyrobot said:

Can you drive to the crossing and wait on the Thai side with your baby while your partner crosses over to do the re- entry?

I am not sure how long it would take maybe 2 hours, saves doing paperwork for the baby.

Yes, that is the plan and that is what we tried to do at Aran/Poi Pet yesterday, but failed. So hopefully tomorrow we have more luck.

[RayD]

No queues at all either way when I crossed at 3pm, so minutes, not hours. Very busy Cambodia -> Thai first thing in the morning and farangs have to queue with Khmers, unlike Poipet.

[BritTim]

8 hours ago, jeppeborn said:

Thanks. Do you know opening hours of the Ban Laem border crossing?

 

My recollection is that it is 6:00 am until 8:00 pm. I was last there a couple of years ago, though, so it could have changed. All significant border posts are open at least between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. Note that you can save a few baht by having US$ for the Cambodian visa on arrival.

[JackThompson]

10 hours ago, RayD said:

Just warning the O/P in advance. I said I was staying the night and was told I couldn't go back the same day. Other commenters have reported having to pay a couple of hundred baht to get out the same day.

Usually, it is 300 Baht extra for a same-day return.  Pay in US Dollars for your Cambodian Visa, and you will save about 300-Baht on the rip-off exchange rate they use - so it's a wash.

 

16 hours ago, jeppeborn said:

my partner was told at Aranyaprathet by Thai immigration before leaving, that should would possibly not be able to re-enter again. She was told she has to fly out and fly back in.

They often tell people that LIE at that crossing.  You can use any other border-point to re-enter Thailand with a Multi-Entry Non-O.

[geriatrickid]

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Thailand does not have to follow rules set by the EU. Marriage is the only way she can get an extension of stay as his dependent.

No Thailand does not, nor did I  write that Thailand had to follow the EU rules.

However, if the organization is funded by an EU government or a member state/crown agency, or if the  employer has its governing office in the EU, multiple core labour principles must be respected. Even private employers do this. The days of  saying  the rules in a foreign country  are different as a means of circumventing public policy  are over.  The governance regulations say that and  NGOs will no longer get funding from most western nations unless they sign off on the code of conduct. 

[PeCeDe]

I too went to the Poipet/Aranyaphratet border yesterday in order to get the second entry on an METV.  On exiting Thailand was told (I think) by the IO I may only get a one month entry on the way back, the IO's English was as incomplete as my Thai, so I think that's what she said. Anyway, coming back into Thailand, the IO gave me a 2 month stamp as I expected with no problems, however, in the Van I took for the round trip a lady was working as a Volunteer for an NGO, and only received a 1 month leave to stay stamp instead of the 2 months she expected, I don't know what visa she had.

[DLang]

Go to another land crossing at for Cambodia.

 

You stay at the border with the baby, Partner crosses, returns with another 90 day PoS. 

[jeppeborn]

So we did go to Ban Laem yesterday and my partner got another 90 days. It was not without a little bit of hassle though and she had the following experience:

 

1) No issue on the Thai side when leaving (unlike at Aranya Prathet)

2) IO on Cambodia only wanted THB and wanted 1500 THB for the visa

3) IO told her she could not go back the same day, and wouldnt stamp her out at first. One of the "agent" assisted and he asked for 300 THB to sort it out. She paid him and got the stamp needed.

4) No issues coming back in to Thailand