Visa Feedback

[joeyjay]

I have a good buddy (fellow monger, not yet PA member) who is applying for an O-A retirement visa the the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, CA, USA. He has all information including a police (background) report. The police report shows one minor arrest for petty theft back in 1998. (He was pissed drunk and opened a beer and a bottle of aspirin at a 7-11 and forgot to pay, lol)

 

My question is, do you think that is enough to deny his application. Furthermore, if he is denied, will the fact that he provide that information come back to haunt him if he tries to get a 60 day tourist visa and convert that to a retirement visa once in Thailand or tries to get one in an embassy in a neighboring country?

 

What if he simply got married while on a 30 day tourist visa?

 

I thought this was a good question to throw out especially since I'm trying to get my 50 posts and get approve to the advanced membership.

 

Thanks for any and all advice

[jcnbkk]

I'd like to know the answers to this one myself. Every time I'm there I never want to leave, but the visa dance and the return air restrictions send me off

[Edge]

First of all, applying for a Retirement Visa in your own country is more trouble than it's worth.

 

The best way to do it is to come in on a regular Visa, preferably a One Year Multi Entry 'O' Visa, but failing that a Tourist Visa, preferably multi-entry.

 

Once in Thailand, subject to qualifying re' age and income/bank, it's a breeze to apply for a One Year Extension of Stay (Retirement) which is commonly called a Retirement Visa here and is what almost everyone is talking about.

No CRC or Medical is required.

 

I don't know what you mean about getting married. I assume you're joking.

[ricktoronto]

You got that right. Giant PIA to do it outside Thailand as you can avoid all the hassle and translations and just do the bank thing. A Pattaya doctor will issue the medical without even seeing you.

[Wicked Roger]

You got that right. Giant PIA to do it outside Thailand as you can avoid all the hassle and translations and just do the bank thing. A Pattaya doctor will issue the medical without even seeing you.

 

Converting his tourist visa (visa on arrival) is very straightforward and the easiest way to get the retirement visa (extension of stay as it's correctly termed). He will also need to get a multi-entry permit at the same time if he will be leaving during the validity of the visa (15 months first time then annually thereafter) as the annual retirement visa only is valid for a single use and will expire the moment he leaves the country.

He will of course need to meet the retirement requirements of age (50+ and income 800k thb deposit certified by his Thai bank or 65k thb monthly (or combination of both) which will need to be certified by his local consulate

 

I have renewed mine 3 times and have never been asked for a CRC of Medical check!.

 

Under no circumstances should he consider the marriage option just to get a visa!

[Edge]

You got that right. Giant PIA to do it outside Thailand as you can avoid all the hassle and translations and just do the bank thing. A Pattaya doctor will issue the medical without even seeing you.

 

As I said, no Medical required for an Extension of Stay (Retirement) AKA Retirement Visa application in Thailand.

 

Converting his tourist visa (visa on arrival) is very straightforward ..........................

He will also need to get a multi-entry permit ................................(15 months first time then annually thereafter) as the annual retirement visa only is valid for a single use and will expire the moment he leaves the country.................

...................................................

 

If, by "(visa on arrival)" you mean Visa Waiver i.e. the 30 day stamp which is not a Visa at all, he cannot convert that to an Extension of Stay (Retirement). If he came in on Visa Waiver he would have to go back out to get a TV, unless he used a dodgy Agent.

He must come in on a proper Visa to do it simply himself as I said, either One Year Multi Entry or a 60 day Tourist Visa.

 

Re-entry Permit yes, as/if required.

I don't know where the 15 months comes from other than stretching a One Year Multi Entry Non 'O' Visa.

An Extension of Stay (Retirement) is always for 12 months.

 

.

[Wicked Roger]

As I said, no Medical required for an Extension of Stay (Retirement) AKA Retirement Visa application in Thailand.

 

 

 

If, by "(visa on arrival)" you mean Visa Waiver i.e. the 30 day stamp which is not a Visa at all, he cannot convert that to an Extension of Stay (Retirement). If he came in on Visa Waiver he would have to go back out to get a TV, unless he used a dodgy Agent.

He must come in on a proper Visa to do it simply himself as I said, either One Year Multi Entry or a 60 day Tourist Visa.

 

Re-entry Permit yes, as/if required.

I don't know where the 15 months comes from other than stretching a One Year Multi Entry Non 'O' Visa.

An Extension of Stay (Retirement) is always for 12 months.

 

.

 

Yes Edge you are right in that it's a Visa Waiver. I incorrectly called it a Visa on Arrival. However that's all I have ever had. I never had a visa as such, but it's not necessary to leave the country again.

 

At the risk or boring you, I have my passport in front of me. I see I got a conversion to a 'Non O' at Jomtien Immigration which was valid from 19th January 2009 until the 18th April 2010. (15 months!) It is also stamped 'retirement'. The associated Multiple Entry permit is dated 21st January 2009 to 18th April 2010. IIRC the 2 day difference in dates is due to the multi entry permit can only be issued after the 'Non O' retirement visa is issued. Again it was 15 months. The renewals were again around 15 months, 1st June 2010 to 29th August 2011 ('non O' retirement) The multiple entry permit was 2nd June 2010 to 29th August 2011) However, the latest renewals for both 'Non O' and multiple entry permit are 2nd August 2011 to 29th August 2012. Looking at it, my initial issue and first renewal (which may not technically be a renewal as it was non consecutive, as I returned to Thailand after the expiry of the first visa) were valid for 15 months. However the latest one which I renewed before the expiry of the previous had the same 29th August expiry date (2012). It would appear that if you renew the visa and multi-entry permit BEFORE expiry you get 12 months, but for an initial issue or non consecutive renewal, which I guess is classed the same, is around 15 months!

[Edge]

Yes Edge you are right in that it's a Visa Waiver. I incorrectly called it a Visa on Arrival. However that's all I have ever had. I never had a visa as such, but it's not necessary to leave the country again.

...........................

 

Sorry, but that is dangerous advice to give anyone IMO.

In Thailand someone will always quote an exception, but the extension process has to be is supposed to be from a Visa and not from a Visa Waiver stamp. People have definitely been turned away with only Visa Waiver. There are ways to get a Non 'O' without leaving the country...at a cost.

One time I 'killed' my Extension and even down at Immi' they offered me a solution, at the third time of asking and for 12k.

Did you use an agent?

 

...... I got a conversion to a 'Non O' at Jomtien Immigration which was valid from 19th January 2009 until the 18th April 2010. (15 months!) It is also stamped 'retirement'.......................

.....The renewals were again around 15 months, 1st June 2010 to 29th August 2011 ......................

..................It would appear that if you renew the visa and multi-entry permit BEFORE expiry you get 12 months, but for an initial issue or non consecutive renewal, which I guess is classed the same, is around 15 months!

 

I think I know what you mean. Once I came in on a TV and the solution offered by Immi' was that they would give me a 3 month Non 'O' which they would convert to an Extension, giving me 15 months consecutive to my TV. They said I needed the 3 months to seed my money-in-bank, which had only been there 7 days.

In the event, an Agent was cheaper and he somehow got my 'dead' Extension revived, the seeding of money waived and a new 12 months added - TiT.

 

Putting aside the Re-entry permits, which are always aligned to the current period of your Visa, whatever it is, are we getting confused by the fact that 12 Month Extensions (how can they be 15 months?) are always issued to run consecutive to your current Visa?

When I did mine (you can't renew - each application is stand alone) last year, I got 17 months, but that was because I had 5 months still to run on my previous one. This year I'll probably apply about 3 months early, so I'll get 15 months, but the extensions are all for 12 months.

 

Is that it?

 

With respect, I think we are just muddying the waters for this OP, who, doing it for the first time will want it to be hassle free and won't want to duck and dive round the 'rules'.

Therefore I stand by my first post, noting the need for a re-entry permit if he plans to exit during the term of the Extension.

He should come in on a proper Visa and then it will be plain sailing.

 

.

[Wicked Roger]

Sorry, but that is dangerous advice to give anyone IMO.

In Thailand someone will always quote an exception, but the extension process has to be from a Non 'O' Visa and not from a Visa Waiver stamp. People have definitely been turned away with only Visa Waiver. There may be dodgy ways to get a Non 'O' without leaving the country...at a cost.

Did you use an agent?

 

 

 

Sorry, but you lost me.

 

Putting aside the Re-entry permits, which are always aligned to the current period of your Visa, whatever it is, are we getting confused by the fact that 12 Month Extensions (how can they be 15 months?) are always issued to run consecutive to your current Visa?

When I did mine (you can't renew - each application is stand alone) last year, I got 17 months, but that was because I had 5 months still to run on my previous one. This year I'll probably apply about 3 months early, so I'll get 15 months, but the extensions are all for 12 months.

 

Is that it?

.

 

Don't know what you mean by 'dangerous advice" Can you explain further?

 

As for obtaining my retirement visa, extension of stay or whatever it should be called, I just went to the Jomtien Immigration office and filled up their forms! It was all very straightforward. IIRC they just converted my visa waiver into an 'Non O'. For a fee of course! I went into the British consulate previously and got my pension letter authorised and again, from what I recall of the conversation, I had all that was needed!

 

As for losing you, I am certainly no expert on Thai immigration law and procedures. I was merely pointing out exactly what is in my passport. .

 

Perhaps with your greater knowledge of the subject you can explain the significance of the dates in my passport. To me it looks like, on both occasions they were valid for 15 months! Or am I missing something here?

[Edge]

Don't know what you mean by 'dangerous advice" Can you explain further?

.................................................

 

Sorry, something came back to me over breakfast and I just edited that post, but you were too quick for me.

 

Is the Edit any clearer?

[Wicked Roger]

Sorry, something came back to me over breakfast and I just edited that post, but you were too quick for me.

 

Is the Edit any clearer?

 

Hi Edge.

 

I think so!

I agree we might be muddying the waters as far as OP is concerned! Just to be clear though, I have never had a Tourist Visa. Just the Waiver issued at the airport. Looking at my passport more closely I see that there is a smaller stamp incorporated into the 'Non O' visa which is for 3 months, and the main one for 12 months. The three month one must be the one you are referring to in the edit to your previous post, to convert to 'Non O'. These run consecutively not concurrently, hence the 15 months. But I have not required the 800k option so not sure why they gave me the 3 month one on both previous occasions.

 

Thanks for your clarification anyway!

[Edge]

.................

I have never had a Tourist Visa. Just the Waiver issued at the airport. Looking at my passport more closely I see that there is a smaller stamp incorporated into the 'Non O' visa which is for 3 months, and the main one for 12 months. The three month one must be the one you are referring to in the edit to your previous post, to convert to 'Non O'. These run consecutively not concurrently, hence the 15 months. But I have not required the 800k option so not sure why they gave me the 3 month one on both previous occasions.

..........................

 

I think we're on the same page really LOL.

 

I'm not doubting what you're saying about your Passport dates at all.

 

The regulations used to (and still do AFAIK) say that you had to go from Visa waiver or even TV to a 3 month Non 'O' before you could get the 12 month Extension. It so happens that that also allows time for funds to seed (2 months first time) if required, but that wasn't necessarily the reason for it - I think you are just supposed to have a proper Non 'O' Visa first, though lately, since the 12 month Multi Entry non 'O's are much harder to get, extending from a TV seems to be the norm.

 

I've come across exceptions, even in my own case, so nothing different to the above would surprise me, especially if enough Baht changes hands.

Someone on here went straight from Visa waiver to Extension in about 10 days based on money in the bank for about a week, so it doesn't seem to be cast in stone.

[Wicked Roger]

I think we're on the same page really LOL.

 

 

I've come across exceptions, even in my own case, so nothing different to the above would surprise me, especially if enough Baht changes hands.

Someone on here went straight from Visa waiver to Extension in about 10 days based on money in the bank for about a week, so it doesn't seem to be cast in stone.

 

Nothing in Thailand would surprise me! But would we have it any other way?

[jcnbkk]

I think we're on the same page really LOL.

 

I'm not doubting what you're saying about your Passport dates at all.

 

The regulations used to (and still do AFAIK) say that you had to go from Visa waiver or even TV to a 3 month Non 'O' before you could get the 12 month Extension. It so happens that that also allows time for funds to seed (2 months first time) if required, but that wasn't necessarily the reason for it - I think you are just supposed to have a proper Non 'O' Visa first, though lately, since the 12 month Multi Entry non 'O's are much harder to get, extending from a TV seems to be the norm.

 

I've come across exceptions, even in my own case, so nothing different to the above would surprise me, especially if enough Baht changes hands.

Someone on here went straight from Visa waiver to Extension in about 10 days based on money in the bank for about a week, so it doesn't seem to be cast in stone.

 

Thanks, and thanks again for info. I've been following this with interest because I too tried to get a non-immigrant ( O ) visa in the US, because thats what the Thai consulate website said was needed to later get an O-A (retirement) visa, and was told no. They no longer give them out for study, visiting so called fiancé, exploring retirement possibilities, or what ever. Was told to apply directly for O-A, (a big hassle), or a tourist visa good for 60 days. When I asked if I could change that to an O-A in Thailand was told - maybee you can, maybeee not. Gotta love it.

I'm grabbing the TV and taking my chances on staying. Thailand here I come, again.

 

Oh, one last thing, I did see somewhere on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (mfa.go.th) that you needed 18 months validity on your passport to get O-A in Thailand. ??

[Wicked Roger]

 

Oh, one last thing, I did see somewhere on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (mfa.go.th) that you needed 18 months validity on your passport to get O-A in Thailand. ??

 

It wouldn't surprise me that you need 18 months validity so your passport would still be valid after the expiry of your 1 year extension of stay. That said, my US visas are valid for 10 years which was way beyond the validity of my passport at the time. So I have to carry my old expired passport with the visas in whenever I go to the US in addition to my current one. If you have less than 18 months to run on your current passport I think I would probably renew it anyway to avoid that potential pitfall!

[Edge]

................................. Was told to apply directly for O-A, (a big hassle), or a tourist visa good for 60 days. When I asked if I could change that to an O-A in Thailand was told - maybee you can, maybeee not. Gotta love it.

I'm grabbing the TV and taking my chances on staying. Thailand here I come, again.

 

Oh, one last thing, I did see somewhere on the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (mfa.go.th) that you needed 18 months validity on your passport to get O-A in Thailand. ??

 

Since they tightened up on the One Year multis lots of people have been converting from TVs no problem. Sometimes they'll go via a 3 month Non 'O' sometimes not it seems.

 

I've never heard of that 18 month rule. I can't check, but I'm sure at some stage I must have applied with less, as i had to renew my Passport from here when it expired.

 

good luck.

[Houten Kop]

Don't know what you mean by 'dangerous advice" Can you explain further?

 

As for obtaining my retirement visa, extension of stay or whatever it should be called, I just went to the Jomtien Immigration office and filled up their forms! It was all very straightforward. IIRC they just converted my visa waiver into an 'Non O'. For a fee of course! I went into the British consulate previously and got my pension letter authorised and again, from what I recall of the conversation, I had all that was needed!

 

As for losing you, I am certainly no expert on Thai immigration law and procedures. I was merely pointing out exactly what is in my passport. .

 

Perhaps with your greater knowledge of the subject you can explain the significance of the dates in my passport. To me it looks like, on both occasions they were valid for 15 months! Or am I missing something here?

“… For a fee of course! …” TiT

[Wicked Roger]

“… For a fee of course! …” TiT

 

Just to clarify, by 'fee' I mean an official charge! Not a backhander!

[Houten Kop]

Since they tightened up on the One Year multis lots of people have been converting from TVs no problem. Sometimes they'll go via a 3 month Non 'O' sometimes not it seems.

 

I've never heard of that 18 month rule. I can't check, but I'm sure at some stage I must have applied with less, as i had to renew my Passport from here when it expired.

 

good luck.

I got my tourist visa (a real one from a consulate, 60 days), the conversion of my tourist visa to a non-immigrant O visa (“NON-O”, 3 months) and my first retirement extension although my passport was valid for less than 15 months. After I got a new passport, all the stamps were copied into my new passport, for free. In the old passport the retirement extension ended on the expiration date of the passport. In the new passport the retirement extension ended after 12 months, so that I finally got 3 + 12 = 15 months. All following retirement extensions were 12 months.

[Edge]

I got my tourist visa (a real one from a consulate, 60 days), the conversion of my tourist visa to a non-immigrant O visa (“NON-O”, 3 months) and my first retirement extension although my passport was valid for less than 15 months. After I got a new passport, all the stamps were copied into my new passport, for free. In the old passport the retirement extension ended on the expiration date of the passport. In the new passport the retirement extension ended after 12 months, so that I finally got 3 + 12 = 15 months. All following retirement extensions were 12 months.

 

I had much the same experience, firstly after I lost(?) my Passport and got a new one.

Checking the stamps as I walked out, I noticed they hadn't t/f my Multi Re-entry Permit.

I went back, assuming they'd made a mistake but they said they don't t/f those - have to buy new.

It may have been one of those stupid loss of face situations, but they wouldn't do it.

I spat my dummy and, with no immediate plans to exit in the remaining 6 months of the Extension, I didn't buy a new one.

 

When I popped out to Cambodia a month or so later, I forgot and killed my Extension.

To be fair, at Thai Immi' they did take me to one side and point out what I was about to do, but I was committed.

I then had to come back in on a TV and faced the process you've described above, except the Agent somehow got the 'dead' Extension revived and 12 months added on to it.

When I paid for another Multi Re-entry Permit I was pleased to see it was to the end of my new Extension i.e. 17 months...TiT works out OK sometimes.

[pubstud]

I have a good buddy (fellow monger, not yet PA member) who is applying for an O-A retirement visa the the Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, CA, USA. He has all information including a police (background) report. The police report shows one minor arrest for petty theft back in 1998. (He was pissed drunk and opened a beer and a bottle of aspirin at a 7-11 and forgot to pay, lol)

 

My question is, do you think that is enough to deny his application. Furthermore, if he is denied, will the fact that he provide that information come back to haunt him if he tries to get a 60 day tourist visa and convert that to a retirement visa once in Thailand or tries to get one in an embassy in a neighboring country?

 

What if he simply got married while on a 30 day tourist visa?

 

I thought this was a good question to throw out especially since I'm trying to get my 50 posts and get approve to the advanced membership.

 

Thanks for any and all advice

 

Well I see no reason for lol over your friend's criminal record. There's no such thing as a "minor arrest" - he was arrested for stealing. Consuming goods in a store and walking out without paying is called stealing. And 7-11s and other stores around the world lose millions of dollars each year by thieves like your friend who steal their stock.

 

Anyway sermon over. Tell your friend to get a tourist visa (multi entry is better) he can ask for a non-imm O but these seem nigh on impossible to get these days unless one is legally married or has paperwork supporting employment.

 

Then after he has entered Thailand with his tourist visa he can either see immigration personally to get the necessary visa changes and extensions that Edge has told about. Or he can pay a professional visa agent (which is what I did) and everything will be finalized with 24 hours and your friend can sit by the pool with a cool beer while someone else does all the form filling and legwork for him.

[Houten Kop]

Sorry, but that is dangerous advice to give anyone IMO.

In Thailand someone will always quote an exception, but the extension process has to be is supposed to be from a Visa and not from a Visa Waiver stamp. People have definitely been turned away with only Visa Waiver. There are ways to get a Non 'O' without leaving the country...at a cost.

One time I 'killed' my Extension and even down at Immi' they offered me a solution, at the third time of asking and for 12k.

Did you use an agent?

 

 

 

I think I know what you mean. Once I came in on a TV and the solution offered by Immi' was that they would give me a 3 month Non 'O' which they would convert to an Extension, giving me 15 months consecutive to my TV. They said I needed the 3 months to seed my money-in-bank, which had only been there 7 days.

In the event, an Agent was cheaper and he somehow got my 'dead' Extension revived, the seeding of money waived and a new 12 months added - TiT.

 

Putting aside the Re-entry permits, which are always aligned to the current period of your Visa, whatever it is, are we getting confused by the fact that 12 Month Extensions (how can they be 15 months?) are always issued to run consecutive to your current Visa?

When I did mine (you can't renew - each application is stand alone) last year, I got 17 months, but that was because I had 5 months still to run on my previous one. This year I'll probably apply about 3 months early, so I'll get 15 months, but the extensions are all for 12 months.

 

Is that it?

 

With respect, I think we are just muddying the waters for this OP, who, doing it for the first time will want it to be hassle free and won't want to duck and dive round the 'rules'.

Therefore I stand by my first post, noting the need for a re-entry permit if he plans to exit during the term of the Extension.

He should come in on a proper Visa and then it will be plain sailing.

 

.

One thing I find strange in your story: Can you get a retirement extension 5 months in advance ? I always thought it was maximum 1 month in advance with recent proof of income and/or bank account balance.

[Edge]

One thing I find strange in your story: Can you get a retirement extension 5 months in advance ? I always thought it was maximum 1 month in advance with recent proof of income and/or bank account balance.

 

That is what happened and no-one was more surprised than I was when I saw what I had.

I got it with money in the bank for only 7 days too, but I've heard of others doing that. Read HERE

 

No mistake on my part, that is it and every time Immi' looked long and hard at it at airports etc over the first 5 months, I feared the worst.

 

I need to check what, if any, the limit is, so when I find out for sure (is there ever a for sure?) I'll post back.

[jcnbkk]

Even though I had 12 mo. left on my U.S. passport I sent in for a new one early. Just included a cover letter that I needed 18 mo. validity for a thai retirement visa. Cost me another 180 bucks. Figured I just as well apply for my O-A here because I've been in those long lines at Thai embassies and the Bkk immigration offices with those "maybe you can, maybe you can't" results. All the paper work required here has been a pain in the but- literally ( when I went to my doctor for a medical certificate he insisted on checking my prostate). I prefer to be the sticker not the stickee. Now I've got every together so it's off to the L.A. consulate. I'll let the west coast U.S. addicts know how it goes...

Edited April 21, 2012 by jcnbkk

[jcnbkk]

It wouldn't surprise me that you need 18 months validity so your passport would still be valid after the expiry of your 1 year extension of stay. That said, my US visas are valid for 10 years which was way beyond the validity of my passport at the time. So I have to carry my old expired passport with the visas in whenever I go to the US in addition to my current one. If you have less than 18 months to run on your current passport I think I would probably renew it anyway to avoid that potential pitfall!

 

Thanks, did that, got the new passport (the one with 52 pages which will come in handy) but got dinged for $180. Curious though, whats that about US visa for 10 years and needing your old passport?