Questioner: Ben
I am in Thailand (Udon Thani) with a visa O.A. multiple entry since May 2023. I have heard that I can extend my visa for an additional year for free if I meet the insurance conditions.
My question is, do I have to leave Thailand by plane or can I, for example, just cross the border into Laos?
Thanks for your answer
Reaction RonnyLatYa
As has been said several times, you cannot extend that visa. Your Non-immigrant O-A Multiple visa has a validity period of one year. You can never extend that validity period. If you enter with the visa within the one-year validity period, it will depend on how long your insurance still runs. Your period of stay will then depend on the end date of your health insurance. Suppose this is the end of April, then you will only receive 24 until the end of April.
If you now extend your health insurance for one year, you will also receive longer with a maximum of one year. Please ensure that you have new proof of insurance upon arrival.
To obtain a new period of residence with that visa, you will have to leave Thailand. When the validity period of that visa expires (check your visa for when this is), you can no longer enter, even if your health insurance lasts longer.
If you want to stay longer, you will have to extend your stay in Thailand and then there are also the financial requirements that count and you will also have to have new health insurance if you want to stay for a year. Instead of that border run to obtain a new period of residence, you can now request a one-year extension in Thailand at the end of your current period of residence, provided that you meet those requirements again.
You don't have to make a border run and then paying 1900 Baht for that year's extension might be cheaper and easier than making a border run. But that's something you have to decide for yourself.
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