Applying for NonO in-country

[JTXR]

Sorry if this has been discussed a lot before; I've looked but the search function hasn't helped much.

Can I enter Thailand either visa exempt or on an SETV and then apply in-country to convert to a Non-Imm O visa based on retirement (not marriage)? If yes, what are the requirements, other than Bt 800K in a Thai bank account?

 

Thanks.
 

[ubonjoe]

Yes you can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

Info here: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

[gk10002000]

And remind us what happens next?  Must one do a border run every 90 days?  Or can one really stay in country for one year at a time?

[MJKT2014]

28 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

And remind us what happens next?  Must one do a border run every 90 days?  Or can one really stay in country for one year at a time?

Before the Non Imm O expires in 90 days you get a 1 year extension based on retirement and stay another year. I have been here more than 10 years continuously this method.

[ubonjoe]

48 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

And remind us what happens next?  Must one do a border run every 90 days?  Or can one really stay in country for one year at a time?

Immigration issues that single entry visa based upon qualifying for a extension of stay based upon retirement. The visa is only valid for entry on the day it is stamped in your passport.

[gk10002000]

22 minutes ago, MJKT2014 said:

Before the Non Imm O expires in 90 days you get a 1 year extension based on retirement and stay another year. I have been here more than 10 years continuously this method.

got it.  thanks.  is there a multi entry permit option at that time or does one just get re-entry permits as one needs, in case they come and go?

[ProbPossConf]

Have been in Thailand many years on Non-OA visa extension based on retirement.  If I want to change to a Non-O based on retirement, what do I need to do?  Leave the country and enter on a SETV or change visa  type in-country?

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

got it.  thanks.  is there a multi entry permit option at that time or does one just get re-entry permits as one needs, in case they come and go?

After getting the one year extension of stay a multiple re-entry permit can be applied for (3800 baht fee) that is valid up to the day the extension ends.

[ubonjoe]

15 minutes ago, ProbPossConf said:

Have been in Thailand many years on Non-OA visa extension based on retirement.  If I want to change to a Non-O based on retirement, what do I need to do?  Leave the country and enter on a SETV or change visa  type in-country?

You can only leave the country to get a non-o visa. Or you could get a tourist visa or visa exempt entry and then apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

[zaZa9]

21 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can only leave the country to get a non-o visa. Or you could get a tourist visa or visa exempt entry and then apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

So Ive  been on  Retirement Extensions ( from an O-A originally  ) for 11 years , and suddenly I go out of Thailand and return to do as you describe above to request an 'O'.

Is doing that likely to raise the ire of Immigration officials ?

Or considered perfectly normal?

Anyone here actually done this?

[scubascuba3]

2 minutes ago, zaZa9 said:

So Ive  been on  Retirement Extensions ( from an O-A originally  ) for 11 years , and suddenly I go out of Thailand and return to do as you describe above to request an 'O'.

Is doing that likely to raise the ire of Immigration officials ?

Or considered perfectly normal?

Anyone here actually done this?

i imagine a lot of people will be doing the same as you to avoid the compulsory insurance

[Gilltom]

On 11/8/2019 at 10:51 AM, ubonjoe said:

After getting the one year extension of stay a multiple re-entry permit can be applied for (3800 baht fee) that is valid up to the day the extension ends.

You have to do 90 day report but doesn.t take long now for that 

[ThaiBob]

On 11/8/2019 at 11:01 AM, ubonjoe said:

You can only leave the country to get a non-o visa. Or you could get a tourist visa or visa exempt entry and then apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

..... or see a visa agent. Cheaper than travelling outside Thailand. 

[tgeezer]

 

On 11/8/2019 at 10:36 AM, ProbPossConf said:

Have been in Thailand many years on Non-OA visa extension based on retirement.  If I want to change to a Non-O based on retirement, what do I need to do?  Leave the country and enter on a SETV or change visa  type in-country?

 Why would you want to get an O visa when you have been extending on an annual basis for many years? Nothing prevents you extending again. 

[peterbkk2]

On 11/8/2019 at 10:51 AM, ubonjoe said:

After getting the one year extension of stay a multiple re-entry permit can be applied for (3800 baht fee) that is valid up to the day the extension ends.

OK. But can you also get a re-entry permit for the 90-day Non-O before you apply for the extension of stay?

[Max69xl]

15 minutes ago, ThaiBob said:

..... or see a visa agent. Cheaper than travelling outside Thailand. 

Cheaper than going to Laos?

The answer is No. 

[kingofthemountain]

On 11/8/2019 at 9:26 AM, ubonjoe said:

Yes you can apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

Info here: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_80

 

5.1 A guarantee letter from the bank in Thailand in Thai language (Attention: Immigration Commissioner)*
5.2 A copy  of all entries of the applicant’s passbook showing that the applicant has a savings or fixed deposit account  of not less than Baht 800,000* (all documents must be in the Applicant’s name).
5.3 Evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand*
*(Documents under 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 must be issued and updated to be the same date of the Application and all documents must be in the Applicant’s name.)

 

No problem for the points 5.1 and 5.2 but for the 5.3 if the money is already in my thai bank account since a long time and i am not able to give any evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand because i bring it with me in cash in the plane at every travel, it is a problem or they just focalize on point 5.1 and 5.2?

[kingofthemountain]

21 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

 

 Why would you want to get an O visa when you have been extending on an annual basis for many years? Nothing prevents you extending again. 

Except if you do not agree to pay for an expensive and useless insurance

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

No problem for the points 5.1 and 5.2 but for the 5.3 if the money is already in my thai bank account since a long time and i am not able to give any evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand because i bring it with me in cash in the plane at every travel, it is a problem or they just focalize on point 5.1 and 5.2?

They are normally strict for 5.3.

They might wave the requirement if the 800k baht has been in the bank for a long time. The reason for the proof is due to there being no requirement for the money to be in the bank any longer the day the application is done.

[kingofthemountain]

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

They are normally strict for 5.3.

They might wave the requirement if the 800k baht has been in the bank for a long time. The reason for the proof is due to there being no requirement for the money to be in the bank any longer the day the application is done.

Thank you very much for your answer

then it's not going to be easy for me to get an O visa. It was my plan B.

I could do a bank transfer when next year when my extension of stay end

but if the currency exchange rate is still as bad as now, it's a P I T A to do it.

So i have to think seriously at a plan C. 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

Cheaper than going to Laos?

The answer is No. 

Depending where you live, if you add up transport and hotel costs of getting a non imm O, going to an agent instead isn't a lot of difference plus don't forget the consulate could say NO

[david555]

1 hour ago, kingofthemountain said:

 

5.1 A guarantee letter from the bank in Thailand in Thai language (Attention: Immigration Commissioner)*
5.2 A copy  of all entries of the applicant’s passbook showing that the applicant has a savings or fixed deposit account  of not less than Baht 800,000* (all documents must be in the Applicant’s name).
5.3 Evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand*
*(Documents under 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3 must be issued and updated to be the same date of the Application and all documents must be in the Applicant’s name.)

 

No problem for the points 5.1 and 5.2 but for the 5.3 if the money is already in my thai bank account since a long time and i am not able to give any evidence of foreign currency fund transferred to Thailand because i bring it with me in cash in the plane at every travel, it is a problem or they just focalize on point 5.1 and 5.2?

About  5.3 you can bring your money cash in , and even if the amount is not under the rule of declaring …, you can still declare it ,then you receive proof for that and your Thai bank can accept it so in their records (best to get them attention on that to be sure ) as so your money has prove of coming from outside Thailand if needed..

[kingofthemountain]

6 minutes ago, david555 said:

About  5.3 you can bring your money cash in , and even if the amount is not under the rule of declaring …, you can still declare it ,then you receive proof for that and your Thai bank can accept it so in their records (best to get them attention on that to be sure ) as so your money has prove of coming from outside Thailand if needed..

Yes but too late

the money was bring long time ago with amount under the declaring rule

and at that time it was useless for me to have a prove of money come from outside of

Thailand because i was (And i am still) on extension of stay based on an old OA visa and

no prove of money coming from outside Thailand was required.

But now it's maybe time to think to the new possibilities (Cambo\Laos\or Vietnam)

i have some months in front of me for that

[JESSVANPELT]

2 hours ago, tgeezer said:

 

 Why would you want to get an O visa when you have been extending on an annual basis for many years? Nothing prevents you extending again. 

Possibly to avoid paying the mandatory insane for Oa visas?

[david555]

37 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

Yes but too late

the money was bring long time ago with amount under the declaring rule

and at that time it was useless for me to have a prove of money come from outside of

Thailand because i was (And i am still) on extension of stay based on an old OA visa and

no prove of money coming from outside Thailand was required.

But now it's maybe time to think to the new possibilities (Cambo\Laos\or Vietnam)

i have some months in front of me for that

one way or another transferring out and in again loosing some on the exchange rate would be worth maybe ? Bangkok  Super Rich could do that

[Harveyg]

On 11/7/2019 at 8:01 PM, ubonjoe said:

On 11/7/2019 at 7:36 PM, ProbPossConf said:

Have been in Thailand many years on Non-OA visa extension based on retirement.  If I want to change to a Non-O based on retirement, what do I need to do?  Leave the country and enter on a SETV or change visa  type in-country?

You can only leave the country to get a non-o visa. Or you could get a tourist visa or visa exempt entry and then apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category O) entry at immigration.

So I’d expect that many would be doing this. It seems that this method of getting non o to avoid insurance is a loop hole that sooner or later would be closed?

Am I missing something?

[Genericnic]

@JTXR asked "Can I enter Thailand either visa exempt or on an SETV and then apply in-country to convert to a Non-Imm O visa based on retirement (not marriage)? If yes, what are the requirements, other than Bt 800K in a Thai bank account?"

 

Here is the list of requirements to convert from a visa exempt (TM87) to non-O (retirement) that I got a couple of weeks ago from the Bangkok Immigration office on Changwattana. All are pretty self explanatory except for number 8. I asked if a hotel/hostel bill would be sufficient and was told no, that it needed to be a lease/rental agreement. I asked for how long and was told at least 6 months. The requirements may vary somewhat depending on what province you are doing the conversion in, especially Chiang Mai.

 

David

 

TM87-CW.pdf

[PETERHOF]

1 hour ago, Genericnic said:

@JTXR asked "Can I enter Thailand either visa exempt or on an SETV and then apply in-country to convert to a Non-Imm O visa based on retirement (not marriage)? If yes, what are the requirements, other than Bt 800K in a Thai bank account?"

 

Here is the list of requirements to convert from a visa exempt (TM87) to non-O (retirement) that I got a couple of weeks ago from the Bangkok Immigration office on Changwattana. All are pretty self explanatory except for number 8. I asked if a hotel/hostel bill would be sufficient and was told no, that it needed to be a lease/rental agreement. I asked for how long and was told at least 6 months. The requirements may vary somewhat depending on what province you are doing the conversion in, especially Chiang Mai.

 

David

 

TM87-CW.pdf 92.32 kB · 8 downloads

Did you use the 800 00 baht deposit in bank method ?

 

If yes, did they really require proof of international foreign currency fund transfert (point 5.3) ?

 

Thank you...

 

 

[kingofthemountain]

6 hours ago, david555 said:

one way or another transferring out and in again loosing some on the exchange rate would be worth maybe ? Bangkok  Super Rich could do that

It could be an option

i have to calculate the total cost of the double operation and also

be sure to have at the end the good document as a probe for the IO

it's not going to be easy at all but thank you for the idea.

[kingofthemountain]

1 hour ago, PETERHOF said:

Did you use the 800 00 baht deposit in bank method ?

 

If yes, did they really require proof of international foreign currency fund transfert (point 5.3) ?

 

Thank you...

 

 

I am sure this point 5.3 is going to be a major problem for all of us on retirment extension with already the 800 000 in a Thai bank since years (And not evidence of recent transfer to Thailand)

 

I have a bunch of euros not changed yet,

They do not ask the fund transfered by a bank transfer

then i wonder if a certificate from a change desk in Thailand

from euro\bahts can be accepted?

Edited November 9, 2019 by kingofthemountain