Sixteen questions about visas (follow-up 2)
On October 13, Ronny Mergits answered sixteen questions about visas in the posting 'Sixteen questions and answers about visas and everything related to them'. Some readers had additional questions. In this follow-up the questions and a response from Ronny. Follow-up 1 was released on October 15. Comments and questions to [email protected]. Those will be answered in the next follow-up.
Antonio di Lupardi
thank you very much for your explanation, I have the following question: Am in possession of a non-immigrant O visa multiple entries – my visa expires on Sept 9, 2014 if I fly to Thailand now in July will I get a stamp with 90 days or until the end date of my visa?
love to see your answer on thailandblog.
mvg
Dear Antonio
The expiry date of the visa does not affect the length of stay. The length of stay depends on the type of visa someone has. You have a Non Immigrant O Multiple Entry, which is valid until September 9, 2014. So if you come in July, you will get 90 days from the date of entry, even if the validity period of the visa expires during the stay.
Remark
I hope it's just an example that you're using, and you're going to use it before July 2014 as well. If not, you have purchased an expensive visa and it could have been much cheaper with a Single Entry, but this is of course your decision.
Mark Groenen
Good afternoon Ronny, good afternoon Dick,
In response to the information found on Thailandblog.nl, I still have a specific question about the situation I am in regarding visa application for Thailand. I intend to go to Asia for about 3 months, with a flight to BKK and also return from BKK. (probably from mid Nov 2013 to Feb 2014) Now my plan is to do that without applying for a 60 day or other visa. My plan is as follows and actually my question is whether this is feasible according to legal rules?
- Arrival Thailand: 16.11.2013 where I will stay for 30 days.
- Departure to neighboring Cambodia: 14.12.2013 at the latest (I receive visa on arrival for about USD 20 for 30 days)
- Return Thailand via a flight and arrival airport BKK: approx 21.12.2013 (I suppose I will receive another 30 days stay)
- Departure to Bali or Singapore: ca 14.01.2014 (where I can receive visa on arrival in both cases)
- Return Thailand via a flight and arrival at BKK airport: approx 21.01.2014 (I will receive another 30 days stay)
- In the end I will then have to leave before 19.02.2014 as I see it.
Can the above be done without any problems? What also plays a role is that I will certainly not book my flight ticket to Cambodia in advance (so I have no proof on my 1st arrival that I will leave again). I want to keep my freedom to perhaps choose another city in Cambodia, or to go to Bali/Singapore first.
I am very curious about my possibilities. Of course I read your information very carefully. There is also an awful lot to be found via Google, but that does not always make it clearer, unfortunately.
Thank you in advance for your answer. Mark Groenen
Ps
maybe it still matters, but I've also been in Thailand for over 3 weeks last June/July
Dear Marc,
As far as the periods are concerned, I don't immediately see a problem. You can stay in Thailand on the basis of Visa Exemption. Since you enter Thailand with a flight for each period, you always get 30 days.
1st period – Nov 16 – Dec 14: 29 days
2nd period – Dec 21 – Jan 14: 25 days
3rd period – Jan 21 – Feb 19: 30 days
There are restrictions on the use of a Visa Exemption. On that basis you can only stay in Thailand for 90 days out of a total period of 180 days. You are now staying for 84 days out of a total of 92 days so this is definitely within the 180 day period.
I don't know when exactly you went in June/July but I think this is just outside the 180 days. The question is, of course, whether Immigration will calculate all this precisely. Perhaps there is a program somewhere in the database that does this for them.
What can happen is that on the third entry you can get the comment that this is the last time, and you will then have to wait three months before you can get a Visa Exemption again. However, if you still want to return earlier, you can always do so on the basis of a visa.
Of course, I can only answer with what appears on the various official websites. The extent to which they strictly comply with this is another matter. Some officials are more flexible than others. Same with the airline. Some will require proof that you will leave Thailand within 30 days. One is strict in that, the other less so.
From Europe it will be a bit stricter, from Cambodia or Bali / Singapore it may be a bit more flexible, but you will still have to take it into account.
It is best to contact the relevant companies and ask whether proof is required and, if so, which proofs they accept. Perhaps a hotel booking will suffice for some, others will require a ticket or visa.
Booked a flight and did not pay attention that I exceeded 30 days, now I have to apply for a visa for 30 euros, I also had to pay an extra 10 euros for return shipping, living in Germany.
The 90 out of 180 days rule is not checked.
Regarding a one-way trip to Thailand, you will run into problems at the airport of departure. They demand a return flight. You can solve this by booking a flight to another country on day 30. If you don't know where you want to go, simply book the cheapest flight with Airasia.
How strange! In Thailand this is never asked. So this is a commercial trick by the airline.
I have seen people being refused at the check-in desk. They booked a cheap ticket and they were taken.
I have a visa-O. Complete all requirements for a retirement visa. Have income statement from employer. What should I do with that document , to immigration ?
No, you must first go to the embassy.
Ronny Lad Prao
According to other forums you can only get the Visa Oa long stay in Thailand at
the Immigration, of course to meet the conditions.
see e.g. http://www.thai-services.com
The embassy only issues the Visa O short stay. Once you have exchanged it for OA longstay, you can also get a new one every year at Immigration, without having to leave the country.
If you leave the country, you must have re-entry, otherwise the OA will expire.
Louise if I were you I would just go to Immigration and ask what is needed, it remains unclear this way.
I'm going mid Nov. to Thailand and I don't think I have the papers ready in time for an O short but according to them I can even convert the tourist visa to an OA
with payment of 2000 thb.
Let us know the outcome.
Regards HansK
Hans-K
I can tell you that an OA visa is also issued in an embassy or consulate.
This definitely bothered me, not only because it is on the official BZ website, but also because I had applied for and received an OA myself in Antwerp.
At the moment it is the case that since January 1, 2013 the OA is no longer issued (for the time being?) in the consulate in Antwerp, because the requirements to obtain it have become stricter.
This has been personally confirmed to me by the Consul.
This does not mean that you can no longer apply for and obtain it via the embassy (although it will take longer now)
Others claim that, despite what the Consul told me, they still received an OA in Antwerp, but so far I have not received any evidence that they received an OA in Antwerp THIS year.
However, I would like to see that proof because that means that they will be issued back in Antwerp.
In addition to various websites, suggest that you also read the official website below
http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-(Long-Stay).html
Read point 3 in particular.
An OA can only be applied for abroad in the country where you officially reside. (point 1.4 of the Ref)
A Dutch person who lives in the Netherlands cannot apply for an OA in Belgium. If a Dutch person lives in Belgium, this is possible.
A visa OA costs 130 Euro. (same as a visa O multiple entry)
It is valid for one year. In Thailand the OA costs 5000 Baht
You get a year upon entry. You don't have to go outside so after 90 days.
Since an OA visa automatically has a multiple entry, you do not need to apply for re-entry.
In fact, you can stay as long as you want within the year and you can also go in and out whenever you want (within the validity period).
Every time you enter you get a year's residence. (is actually not according to the rules because it should be a year from the first entry, but from my own experience I know that you always get a year)
But you don't even have to convert your visa O into an OA in Thailand to get a year extension.
That is nonsense and will cost you useless money.
You can also get a one-year extension on a Non-Immigrant O visa.
If you want to leave the country in that case, you must apply for a re-entry.
The latter is the way most of the 50+ stay here and not on the basis of an OA visa.
Cost of the extension is 1900 Baht.
If you go to Thailand in mid-November, you still have plenty of time to apply for an O visa. What else you mean by that is a mystery.
Finally
It is not because another site says otherwise that that website is correct and complete and that this website is not correct.
Well, you believe what you want.
Perhaps in your case it is indeed better to also go to immigration.