1-year extension (Type-OA visa) initially denied (Phuket) (both marriage & retirement)

[oldcpu 84]

My initial attempt today to go for a 1-year extension on my permission to stay in Thailand was denied in Phuket. I tried for an extension based on Marriage (initially denied) and Retirement (also initially denied).

 

I last entered Thailand on 29-Feb-2020 on a Type-OA visa. I am married with a Thai wife. I have excellent Health Insurance (exceeds the coverage of that on the Thai approved insurance company list) that covers both myself and my wife, is VERY inexpensive as it comes with my pension,  ... but my Health Insurance is not on Thai approved insurance list.

 

Failed 'Marriage' extension attempt: My Thai wife and I went to room 204 of Phuket Immigration for a 1-year extension based on marriage. I had all paper work, but the Phuket Immigration officials looked at the Visa, stated my permission to stay was based on a Type-OA and they said they would NOT grant an extension based on marriage, and for a Type-OA my extension could ONLY could be done in Phuket based on ‘retirement’. They referred me to room 103 of Phuket immigration where they stated I must ask for an extension based on ‘retirement’. The Immigration Office was very crowded and they immediately gave their attention to the next person in line. 

 

I have in excess of 80k Thai baht in the bank, so funds already in the bank for retirement extension is not an issue financially for me.

 

Failed 'Retirement extension Attempt': I went to room 103 of Phuket Immigration. They looked at my permission to stay stamp (entering Phuket on 29-February-2020, with a permission to stay until 27-February-2021) and noted I could only get a retirement extension if I had Health Insurance from the Thai approved list.

 

When my wife and I noted to this Immigration official (who had more time) we were married and asked why we were then sent to the ‘retirement’ section, the Immigration Official noted in Phuket one can only get an 1-year extension (based on marriage) on their permission to stay in Thailand (if Visa is Type-OA) if this is one’s 2nd extension on a Type-OA Visa. If it is one’s 1st extension (on a Type-OA), as is the case for me, one MUST go for a ‘retirement’ extension’. I did not know that.

 

Phuket Immigration Type-OA health insurance requirements: Also, in my case, the date of my entry to Thailand (on my Type-OA visa) means for Phuket Immigration I must get Health Insurance from the Thai approved list for a ‘retirement extension’.

 

This Health Insurance requirement for Phuket immigration (for retirement) is not a surprise to me, as the Phuket Immigration Volunteer site clearly states:

– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued in 2018 or later but the last entry date is AFTER 1 October 2019 then the health insurance is IS required for your extension.

 

From that Phuket Immigration Volunteer site, those with Type-OA Visas who do not require Health Insurance fall under these categories:

– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued In or BEFORE 2017 then the health insurance is NOT required for your extension.
– If the Non-OA visa from your home country is issued in 2018 or later but the last entry date is before 1 October 2019 then the health insurance is NOT required for your extension.

 

I had mistakenly believed I could obtain an extension based on Marriage with my Type-OA as a 1st extension. Turns out I was not correct wrt how Phuket Immigration implements the requirements.

 

Leaving Thailand and returning (on a different visa), in this pandemic time, is not something I am keen to do at present. So it now appears I will need to purchase Health Insurance for 1-year from the Thai approved list. I have paid no attention to the posts on this, so it appears I have my work cut out ahead of my to research and find an inexpensive (mostly useless) Health Insurance for duplicate health coverage (myself being 67-years old).  I do NOT plan to throw away my current excellent insurance coverage.

 

This was a surprise. Fortunately my permission to stay is until 27-February-2021 so I have a few weeks to sort this (and purchase throw-away insurance to meet Phuket immigration implementation of Thai requirements).

 

.

[foreverlomsak 874]

47 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

stated my permission to stay was based on a Type-OA and they said they would NOT grant an extension based on marriage, and for a Type-OA my extension could ONLY could be done in Phuket based on ‘retirement’.

A type Non-OA is issued by your home country on the basis of retirement only, you need to be currently on a Non-O to apply for marriage extension a Non-O is also acceptable as the basis for a retirement extension. This is not particular to Phuket Immigration.

[Kenny202 2,489]

I was initially on  non O received back home. Extended after 2 years to retirement for a few years. I then converted it to an extension for parent of a thai child

[ubonjoe 48,666]

36 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

A type Non-OA is issued by your home country on the basis of retirement only, you need to be currently on a Non-O to apply for marriage extension a Non-O is also acceptable as the basis for a retirement extension. This is not particular to Phuket Immigration.

That is not correct. Many people have applied for extension of stay based upon marriage that had a entry from a OA visa.

Just a few odd offices say otherwise. In fact any non immigrant visa entry can be extended based upon marriage.

[foreverlomsak 874]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

That is not correct. Many people have applied for extension of stay based upon marriage that had a entry from a OA visa.

Just a few odd offices say otherwise. In fact any non immigrant visa entry can be extended based upon marriage.

I stand corrected, as they are issued as retirement only, I assumed (based on some comments in here re needing to have Thai Insurance for extension) that they had to remain so.

So after your first years OA extension, they become the equivalent of a Non-O with regards to marriage extension, but not for retirement as still require Insurance?

 

[oldcpu 84]

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is not correct. Many people have applied for extension of stay based upon marriage that had a entry from a OA visa.

Just a few odd offices say otherwise. In fact any non immigrant visa entry can be extended based upon marriage.

Indeed - That was my understanding.   I had watched this forum (and watched a facebook page on Thai Visa) reasonably carefully and there were various cases of those on OA Visas who obtained an extension based on marriage (and not on retirement). I did not thou, pay attention if this was their 1st or 2nd (or subsequent extension). The Phuket Immigration official (in the 'retirement section') advised my wife and I that Phuket Immigration would process my application for an extension on my permission to stay (on my Type-OA) based on marriage if it was my 2nd or a subsequent extension. But they would not do so given this was my 1st extension. 

Edited January 28 by oldcpu

[Tanoshi 4,457]

3 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

I stand corrected, as they are issued as retirement only, I assumed (based on some comments in here re needing to have Thai Insurance for extension) that they had to remain so.

So after your first years OA extension, they become the equivalent of a Non-O with regards to marriage extension, but not for retirement as still require Insurance?

Just to confirm UJ comment.

The Police Orders state you must have a Non Imm type Visa to apply for an extension.

No mention of the category, i.e. Non O, Non O-A, Non B.

Phuket are making up their own requirements.

[Tanoshi 4,457]

13 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Indeed - That was my understanding.   I had watched this forum (and watched a facebook page on Thai Visa) reasonably carefully and there were various cases of those on OA Visas who obtained an extension based on marriage (and not on retirement). I did not thou, pay attention if this was their 1st or 2nd (or subsequent extension). The Phuket Immigration official (in the 'retirement section') advised my wife and I that Phuket Immigration would process my application for an extension on my permission to stay (on my Type-OA) based on marriage if it was my 2nd or a subsequent extension. But they would not do so given this was my 1st extension. 

As you have the required 800K already in a Thai bank account, the easy solution is to obtain a Health Insurance policy from one of the Thai approved Insurers, then reapply based on retirement this year.

The following year you can change to marriage.

 

@Peter Denishas done extensive research on this issue. The LMG Thai approved policy meets the Health Insurance requirements, very cheap, but essentially useless for cover as it has a 200,000 exclusion on claims.

If Peter doesn't reply shortly, send him a PM.

[foreverlomsak 874]

7 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Just to confirm UJ comment.

The Police Orders state you must have a Non Imm type Visa to apply for an extension.

No mention of the category, i.e. Non O, Non O-A, Non B.

Phuket are making up their own requirements.

Was it not the case that when they brought out the Insurance requirement for O-A they stated something along the lines of "and subsequent extensions" or is my memory defective again.

[Tanoshi 4,457]

14 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Was it not the case that when they brought out the Insurance requirement for O-A they stated something along the lines of "and subsequent extensions" or is my memory defective again.

Correct, but the Health Insurance only applies to extensions based on retirement, not marriage/family.

Edited January 28 by Tanoshi

[timendres 6,780]

The list of approved insurance companies:
https://longstay.tgia.org/home/companiesoa

 

The document immigration wishes to see:
https://longstay.tgia.org/document/overseas_insurance_certificate.pdf

 

Another good post on this topic that points out that you want to be sure to get both in-patient and out-patient coverage:

 

[OJAS 3,094]

2 hours ago, oldcpu said:

So it now appears I will need to purchase Health Insurance for 1-year from the Thai approved list. I have paid no attention to the posts on this, so it appears I have my work cut out ahead of my to research and find an inexpensive (mostly useless) Health Insurance for duplicate health coverage (myself being 67-years old).  I do NOT plan to throw away my current excellent insurance coverage.

@Peter Denisis probably best placed on here to advise you on the insurance issue. As I recall there is a particular LMG policy which he has been recommending to others in your position to take out, and which meets Immigration requirements.

 

But, unless I am mistaken, Phuket had previously been reported on here as not enforcing the mandatory health insurance requirement for those seeking retirement extensions on the basis of original OA visas. If so, then they have clearly now had a change of heart.

 

Moreover, the fact that they are apparently not permitting retirees with original OA visas to switch to marriage as the reason for their annual extensions marks them out as a rogue office par excellence in my book.

 

Edited January 28 by OJAS

[Tanoshi 4,457]

8 minutes ago, OJAS said:

But, unless I am mistaken, Phuket had previously been reported on here as not enforcing the mandatory health insurance requirement for those seeking retirement extensions on the basis of original OA visas. If so, then they have clearly now had a change of heart.

I wouldn't swear to it, but I thought that was only for those that had already entered Thailand and obtained extensions based on retirement prior to the Health Insurance becoming a requirement.

 

 

10 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Moreover, the fact that they are apparently not permitting retirees with original OA visas to switch to marriage as the reason for their annual extensions marks them out as a rogue office per excellence as far as I am concerned.

There logic appears to be if you applied for the Visa (O-A) on the basis of retirement, then they will only issue an extension on the same basis, but in the OP's case he doesn't have an acceptable Health Insurance policy.

That can be quickly resolved.

 

[Kenny202 2,489]

I remember before the medical insurance thing, I saw it quoted here ad nauseum that your original O or OA visa, after expiry was dead, gone, null and void after it had expired. You were only on an extension. Turns out to be, very much not the case.

[oldcpu 84]

21 minutes ago, OJAS said:

But, unless I am mistaken, Phuket had previously been reported on here as not enforcing the mandatory health insurance requirement for those seeking retirement extensions on the basis of original OA visas. If so, then they have clearly now had a change of heart.

Based on what I read on the Phuket Immigration Volunteer website, and consistent with what the Thai Immigration official noted, Phuket do not require Health Insurance for some extensions (on Type-OA visas) dependent on the date of the OA-Visa issue and also on the last date of entry of one into Thailand.  In my case, I did NOT qualify for the Phuket Immigration "Health Insurance" exemption for selected type OA-Visas. ....    I suspect there was no policy change in Phuket immigration, rather those who had obtained extensions (with Type-OA visas) were in a different 'timing' situation wrt their Visa/entry to Thailand - than what I am in. 

Edited January 28 by oldcpu