To maintain the visa, a periodic 3 month trip out of the country is (was?)needed, I believe.

Now it is time for a visa run. Is Mae Sai OK? Or do we need to fly or some other little trick...?

Thank you for helping with these questions! God knows why you do it, but it really helps!

Mae Sai is OK for a visa run. What do you mean by "maintain" ?

Edited January 3, 200719 yr by Rhodo

afaiu, the visa is good for 1 year, provided you leave the country every three months. If you don't leave the country, the visa is no longer valid...

Why can't they just let you have a 1 year visa and be done with it?!

Why can't they just let you have a 1 year visa and be done with it?!

Did you read the part about NON-IMMIGRANT ]/u]

As long as you are not an IMMIGRANT anything is reasonable.

Otherwise you have a sitiuation like in the USA with 12 million illegal Mexicans with minimum wage skills at best and almost no language skills.

After living in the middle of a mess caused lack of cajones to enforce immigation laws, I will never criticise a country for any immigration laws they might pass.

Edited January 3, 200719 yr by old wanderer

You have a multi entry non immigrant O visa which is valid for unlimited number of entries into Thailand during the period it is valid. It is not designed to a person to live in Thailand. If you live here you should have an extension of stay for the legal status you have for your stay. If you do not have legal status for an extension of stay you get by with stays of up to 90 days. If you fail to leave after your permitted to stay stamp date you are on overstay.

The visa does not have to be used every 90 days - you can leave and come back the day before it expires and still receive another 90 day permitted to stay stamp.

To obtain a new permitted to stay stamp you have to depart Thailand, enter another country and then return.