My Trip to Vientiane to get an O Visa

[billsmart 697]

33 minutes ago, justin case said:

 

do you mean a paper on bank heading that talks about the money

 

or a copy of a bankbook with recent deposit like immigration asks ?

 

 

The requirements just say "bank statement." It's a copy like Immigrations wants, except it doesn't have to be done on the same day. Mine was about three days old by the time I presented in in Vientiane. I went down to my bank (Ayudhya) and they just printed out the last six months of my transactions, like you see in your bank book. It was not on their letterhead, but it was "official looking," and they stamped every page with some kind of bank logo and the bank agent's initials on every page. That seemed to do the trick.

 

[Peter Denis 1,455]

12 hours ago, worgeordie said:

... i was explaining to him he would not require insurance if he had O visa ,you only need insurance if

you have an O-A visa.

It's more nuanced than that...

A Certificate confirming that you have thai-approved health-insurance is now required by the majority of IOs when you apply for an extension of stay based on an original OA Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.

However, if you are married you can simply apply for an extension of stay based on that original OA Visa for reason of MARRIAGE.  The requirements for that are different.  Obviously you need to prove that you are married to a thai national.  The bonus for doing that, is that the financials you need to prove are lower, but also that NO health-insurance is required if you are extending your stay based on MARRIAGE.

Bill (who is married) and the OP of this thread, unfortunately needed to extend his permission of stay at a rogue IO (Phetchabun), that also enforces the health-insurance requirement even when the reason for your extension is not retirement but marriage.  They are blatantly wrong in their interpretation as the PoliceOrder is crystal clear on this matter that it is only required when applying for an extension based on retirement.  

But his local IO has the last word, so Bill had no choice but to make the 800 km journey to Vientiane to apply there for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa based on marriage.  And in the last month of that 90-day Non Imm O - marriage Visa he will go to this local IO to apply for an extension based on marriage.

Crazy, sad, outrageous, but true.

   

Edited December 15, 2019 by Peter Denis

[Doubting Tom 4]

Wow imm the only thais u can't bribe for couple hundred baht how dare they do it by the book

[sfokevin 3,783]

The OP got a Non O based on marriage.... What would be the needed paperwork for a Non O based on retirement?... If they are still offering that as an option?

[ubonjoe 37,295]

43 minutes ago, sfokevin said:

The OP got a Non O based on marriage.... What would be the needed paperwork for a Non O based on retirement?... If they are still offering that as an option?

They want 800k baht a bank or proof of 65k baht income, a medical certificate and a police clearance certificate (it can be one for here).

[Vyhod 3]

21 hours ago, billsmart said:

ot back from Vientiane, Laos where I got a new, 90-day, Non-Immigrant Type O visa based on Marriage to replace my 12-year-old Type O-A visa with which I was recently denied a one-year extension because I did not have health insurance even though I was asking for an extension based on Marriage. I promised I’d give a brief account of my experience in case anyone out there is thinking about doing the same.

First of all, if you are thinking about getting a new visa in Vientiane, you should check out at least two websites:

• https://bbqboy.net/can-expect-applying-thai-visa-vientiane-laos/ tells a good account

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

[Suradit69 14,680]

18 hours ago, baansgr said:

Annual extensions are an extension of your original visa so

No, annual extensions are extensions of your permission to stay.  The reason you need a re-entry permit to re-enter Thailand while on an extension of stay is because you no longer have a visa.

 

The issue with insurance arises if you originally entered on an O-A visa even though it has since expired.

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by Suradit69

[ubonjoe 37,295]

38 minutes ago, Vyhod said:

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

That is what is shown on the appointment website but it does not appear on the actual embassy website.

No sure they are asking for it when a non-o visa application is done. They would accept the proof even if was not required,

 

[Momofarang 1,166]

21 hours ago, notrub said:

At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.

Got the same info from the same office this Friday. So they haven't changed their mind (yet?).

 

In case they did by the time you get your yearly extension, they can issue a 60 days one, so plenty of time to get organized.

My wife was doing the talking, and with a bit of hindsight I get the feeling they came to understand that forcing people to convert to non-O would only give them more work.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Momofarang

[billsmart 697]

2 hours ago, Vyhod said:

What? Do they they really require 100K in the bank for 6 months even for single entry based on marriage now?

They did for me. I marked "Single Entry" on my application form, and when they asked me for my bank statements, I pointed out that I just wanted a single-entry, not multiple-entry, and they said they need them for either. Luckily, I had them because I wasn't sure because of the way the requirements were worded on their website, so I got them before I left.

[billsmart 697]

1 minute ago, religious monga said:

last i went it cost 15 baht on the cross bridge bus and 8000 kip on the bus into vientiane.

or 30 baht tuktuk to train station or 70 baht tuktuk into nong kai on the thai side

Yes, you can do that all yourself and don't NEED a "handler." You could probably walk all the way if you wanted for free. I just found his services very useful and worth the THB 800 (THB 1,000 with tip).

[Dumbastheycome 3,056]

23 hours ago, notrub said:

14 12 2019

 

Your introduction stated that you were refused retirement visa renewal because you did not have health insurance.  At the immigration office in Buriram they told me a few weeks ago that I would not need health insurance to renew my ret. visa in January.  Was the decision to require you to have health insurance a local one or has something changed nationally that will affect us all? 

 

I get a bit nervous when I read about experiences such as yours.  I have learned that 'be prepared' only works when they don't change the rules which, as we all know, they do from time to time.   

 

Thanks in advance for any comments you may have.

Is your renewal to from an  original O or O. A Visa? I am also up in January for ext/ret at Buriram and original visa was  O.A .

Edited December 15, 2019 by Dumbastheycome

[moe666 4,817]

Bill thanks for the info could you give us a rundown on the remainder of requirements copies of marriage and other such info they wanted, thanks

[MeePeeMai 1,545]

On 12/14/2019 at 4:27 PM, billsmart said:

I hired a “handler” when I got out of my car and was glad I did.

Where did you leave your car? 

How much did they charge you for parking and was it a safe area to leave your vehicle? 

 

Thanks in advance Bill.

[ireckonso 148]

Spending 20000 baht on a 2000 baht visa and people wonder why the immigration visa services are so messed up now.