Non-O Visa Help

[Hithere619]

Hi BMs,

I hope you are all staying safe and can offer me some advice. I am looking to head back to Thailand permanently from the states. I am married to a Thai National and have children with her. I will be heading to Thailand via a Non-O Visa. After arriving in Thailand I plan to switch my VISA at the immigration office to a Non-O marriage visa. So here are a few questions that I am unsure about.

 

1. I will have a 90 day Non-O Visa. With 2 weeks of quarantine requirement I have to immediately find a thai bank to open to start depositing money from my US bank account to my thai bank account. 

The recommendation is 21 days before my 90 day Non-O visa expires I have to go to immigration to switch my Non-O Visa to Marriage Visa. How will this work because I might not have enough deposits into my Thai bank account before I apply at immigration. 

The Thai consulate here in US says that I also have the option to get a 1 year multi-entry visa. I asked the thai consulate since it requires me to leave and re-enter every 90 days if I still need to quarantine again and they said yes. This is pretty stupid so this is not an option for me.

 

2. Regarding house registration papers, if I am renting a condo directly from property management, how will I get a copy of the ownership and copy of ID of owner from property management to provide immigration as part of the process to apply/renew marriage visa? 

 

 

Thanks in advance for your advice. 

[davidge]

3 minutes ago, Hithere619 said:

Hi BMs,

I hope you are all staying safe and can offer me some advice. I am looking to head back to Thailand permanently from the states. I am married to a Thai National and have children with her. I will be heading to Thailand via a Non-O Visa. After arriving in Thailand I plan to switch my VISA at the immigration office to a Non-O marriage visa. So here are a few questions that I am unsure about.

 

1. I will have a 90 day Non-O Visa. With 2 weeks of quarantine requirement I have to immediately find a thai bank to open to start depositing money from my US bank account to my thai bank account. 

The recommendation is 21 days before my 90 day Non-O visa expires I have to go to immigration to switch my Non-O Visa to Marriage Visa. How will this work because I might not have enough deposits into my Thai bank account before I apply at immigration. 

The Thai consulate here in US says that I also have the option to get a 1 year multi-entry visa. I asked the thai consulate since it requires me to leave and re-enter every 90 days if I still need to quarantine again and they said yes. This is pretty stupid so this is not an option for me.

 

2. Regarding house registration papers, if I am renting a condo directly from property management, how will I get a copy of the ownership and copy of ID of owner from property management to provide immigration as part of the process to apply/renew marriage visa? 

 

 

Thanks in advance for your advice. 

You don’t switch visas. 
You get an Extension of Stay based on your original visa.

As you say, you get 90 days in Thailand on entry. This can be extended once for 30 days or 60 days at Immigration for 1900 baht.

You can also get a 12-month Extension of Stay, either towards the end of 90 days or during the 30 day Extension. You need 400000 baht in a Thai bank account for this.

The property management company should be able to provide any paperwork you need for immigration. Any reputable company is used to doing this. If they won’t then move!

You could pay an agent if you want. You then don’t need to worry about any of the paperwork. A friend entered on a Non O visa a few weeks ago. He went to an agent as soon as he left quarantine and now has an extension until December 2021. It cost 17000 baht.

One more thing, remember to go to Immigration when you get to your condo to register your address (TM30). Again, if you go to an agent they will do this as well as your extension, and probably your 90-day reports when they are due.

[Hithere619]

2 minutes ago, davidge said:

You don’t switch visas. 
You get an Extension of Stay based on your original visa.

As you say, you get 90 days in Thailand on entry. This can be extended once for 30 days or 60 days at Immigration for 1900 baht.

You can also get a 12-month Extension of Stay, either towards the end of 90 days or during the 30 day Extension. You need 400000 baht in a Thai bank account for this.

The property management company should be able to provide any paperwork you need for immigration. Any reputable company is used to doing this. If they won’t then move!

You could pay an agent if you want. You then don’t need to worry about any of the paperwork. A friend entered on a Non O visa a few weeks ago. He went to an agent as soon as he left quarantine and now has an extension until December 2021. It cost 17000 baht.

One more thing, remember to go to Immigration when you get to your condo to register your address (TM30). Again, if you go to an agent they will do this as well as your extension, and probably your 90-day reports when they are due.

Thanks so much for the reply and info.

 

For the 12 month extension it is either 400000 baht in the account or a monthly deposit of 40000 baht from a foreign bank is that correct? Some places say both is needed and some places say its either or. Can you please confirm?

Regarding the agents do I literally pay 17,000 baht and they take care of everything for me and I don't need to provide any paperwork or proof for anything? If so this sounds like a small price to pay to avoid all of the hassle. Will the agent also take care of the TM30 paperwork as well? Would you be able to let me know the contact info for the agent your friend used? I would seriously like to consider this option to avoid all the headache if it works as easy as it sounds. 

[davidge]

1 minute ago, Hithere619 said:

Thanks so much for the reply and info.

 

For the 12 month extension it is either 400000 baht in the account or a monthly deposit of 40000 baht from a foreign bank is that correct? Some places say both is needed and some places say its either or. Can you please confirm?

Regarding the agents do I literally pay 17,000 baht and they take care of everything for me and I don't need to provide any paperwork or proof for anything? If so this sounds like a small price to pay to avoid all of the hassle. Will the agent also take care of the TM30 paperwork as well? Would you be able to let me know the contact info for the agent your friend used? I would seriously like to consider this option to avoid all the headache if it works as easy as it sounds. 

It’s either money in the bank OR monthly deposit in a Thai bank. The deposit would have to be EVERY month without fail.

Yes, the agent is as easy as it sounds. My friend has the funds in the bank, owns his own condo etc and legitimately qualifies for the Extension, he just doesn’t want the hassle of paperwork/immigration etc - and he can afford to pay. Many people in Pattaya use agents. Others don’t want to. It is a typical Thai ‘grey area’. Not strictly legal and legitimate but not actually completely illegal either. I’m not aware of anyone ending up having problems by doing this. He went the day after he got back to Pattaya and they included the TM30. He had the extension within 3 days. They’ll also do the 90-day reports for 500 baht.

There are a number of agents in Pattaya who do this and the cost varies. 
I’ll PM you.

 

 

[Hithere619]

7 minutes ago, davidge said:

It’s either money in the bank OR monthly deposit in a Thai bank. The deposit would have to be EVERY month without fail.

Yes, the agent is as easy as it sounds. My friend has the funds in the bank, owns his own condo etc and legitimately qualifies for the Extension, he just doesn’t want the hassle of paperwork/immigration etc - and he can afford to pay. Many people in Pattaya use agents. Others don’t want to. It is a typical Thai ‘grey area’. Not strictly legal and legitimate but not actually completely illegal either. I’m not aware of anyone ending up having problems by doing this. He went the day after he got back to Pattaya and they included the TM30. He had the extension within 3 days. They’ll also do the 90-day reports for 500 baht.

There are a number of agents in Pattaya who do this and the cost varies. 
I’ll PM you.

 

 

Thank you very much. I appreciate your assistance and providing contact information. I will be staying in bkk. Will the pattaya agents still be able to do this if I am not staying in pattaya?

[davidge]

8 minutes ago, Hithere619 said:

Thank you very much. I appreciate your assistance and providing contact information. I will be staying in bkk. Will the pattaya agents still be able to do this if I am not staying in pattaya?

If you live in Bangkok then you will be dealing with the Immigration office there so need an agent there. There must be plenty but I don’t know them.
I’ve seen one agent in Pattaya say they can deal with anywhere but I don’t know how reliable they are.

[expatdude]

Just a note: in my experience, the immigration offices massage you towards using an agent for some unknown reason. They will use every resource at their disposal to funnel you in that direction, even suggesting you use the 'express' option in their offices (which are usually *more* expensive than using an agent). So if you don't use an agent you might encounter some weird rules and running around collecting strange documents. It might be easier the second year--not sure in your specific situation.

[Hithere619]

8 hours ago, expatdude said:

Just a note: in my experience, the immigration offices massage you towards using an agent for some unknown reason. They will use every resource at their disposal to funnel you in that direction, even suggesting you use the 'express' option in their offices (which are usually *more* expensive than using an agent). So if you don't use an agent you might encounter some weird RULES and running around collecting strange documents. It might be easier the second year--not sure in your specific situation.

Thank you. I think to save the headache I might just go with an agency. It seems like they will handle everything for me and I would be willing to pay the extra price to save the time and headache

[worldpunter]

Anyone know a visa agent in Bangkok they can recommend ?  Even better if along the sukhumvit line , thanks  

[duke main]

Is the non O visa 90 days? The LA consulate website doesn't specify that. If that's the case I guess it's worth it to me to jump through the extra hoops to get the one year non OA.

[expatdude]

Non-O is 90 days I'm 98.79% sure (as is the Non-OA). Retirement visas are misnamed. You get a 90-day O or OA and then get a one-year extension of stay at the end of the visa.

[jetdoc]

Last extension converted my OA to O due to insurance requirements. At the time (pre covid) required a boarder run (get visa on arrival) so quite expensive. Recently a friend converted his visa on arrival (I think) to O and no boarder run required. Not sure what your best option, as each immigration experience seems different.

[expatdude]

In my experience from the last couple years, converting a 'visa on arrival' (which is actually called something else as it's not a visa) to a retirement using an agent is the easiest way. I saw two friends go through the painless process.

However, this was pre covid in addition to the fact that things change at immigration on whims and a dime, so best to head over to thaivisa.com and wade through their intermidable bullshit to find the latest and greatest best methods.

[duke main]

29 minutes ago, expatdude said:

Non-O is 90 days I'm 98.79% sure (as is the Non-OA). Retirement visas are misnamed. You get a 90-day O or OA and then get a one-year extension of stay at the end of the visa.

You might want to recheck your assumptions. The non OA is clearly shown as a one year visa on the consulate site.

[expatdude]

Ah, so the O visa is 90 days and the OA is one year? Thanks for clarifying. I shouldn't have assumed anything having no experience with the non OA.

The non O given to my friends mentioned above was for 3 months, giving them 15 months after the year extension when they went through an agent. The first guy paid 25,000 right inside immigration, the second guy paid less to an agent. Maybe 17,000? Can't recall exactly.

[jetdoc]

When I converted mine, charges varied on the time immigration held the passport.  Used agency and fast track, more expensive. We had the 800,000bt in the bank for required amount of time and and agency seemed happy about that, but think they have a way of getting around the requirement if necessary. My friend that converted also had the bank deposit as he had a condo in PI and visited Thailand frequently and he did imm fast track himself bout 25k.

[sudsy]

I was looking into getting an OA Visa.  But it appears the O is simpler.  However I'm not sure I qualify.  I'm over 50, retired and I'm a citizen of the US.   Here is what it says on the website as one of the conditions of getting this Visa. I'm not sure what it means. Thanks

1. to stay after retirement for the elderly (aged 50 years or above) (allowed from 11 November 2020 - single entry only)

[expatdude]

The main difference as I understand it is that for the purposes of retirement the OA visa is issued only in the originating country and the O visa only in Thailand. I again shall yield to others more knowledgeable if I am wrong here.

[jetdoc]

1 hour ago, sudsy said:

(allowed from 11 November 2020 - single entry only)

I know folks that have O and also have multiple entry stamp too, but maybe changing?

[davidge]

I’m not going to quote everyone I’m replying to, but to clarify the Non O-A/Non O confusion...

Non O-A (for Retirement only). Only available in your home country not in Thailand. Requires funds, police check, medical form, insurance etc etc. It is valid for 12 months from issue and you get a 12-month stay in Thailand each time you enter. Always issued as a multiple-entry now. Pre-Covid, if you left Thailand and re-entered just before the original visa expired you could effectively ‘stretch’ the visa to almost 2 years. Regardless, when your Permission to Stay from your last entry expires you can the get annual Extensions of Stay from IO in Thailand. Requires 800k in bank for 5 or 6 months of the year and Health Insurance from one of the approved Thai companies. You can get a multiple re-entry permit if you plan on travelling out of Thailand. As long as you get a new Extension of Stay each year you can stay in Thailand permanently.

Non O (for Retirement - but other types of Non O also available eg for marriage). Available in many countries (but not all) and also available within Thailand by converting from a Tourist Visa or Visa Exempt entry (usually through an agent). If obtained outside Thailand then requires either monthly pension or a relatively modest sum in bank. Up to now no Health Insurance was required but it has been added since it was included in ‘Covid entry rules’. Usually valid for either 3 months or 12 months from issue (depending on Embassy/Consulate) and usually single entry. You get a 3 month stay in Thailand on entry and you can buy a re-entry permit if you want to leave and return. You can get an annual Extension of Stay at the end of 3 months and keep on doing this every year. It requires 800k in Thai bank but there is no Health Insurance requirement (as things stand).

In both cases, you can pay an agent for an Extension of Stay if you don’t meet all the requirements.

[Rodewayinn]

just checking....is the NON-O i have now good to go?

[Rodewayinn]

Financial requirement of 500,000 Thai Baht for six months reportedly dropped for sixty day Thailand single entry tourist visa.

this is headline in pattaya news email alert i got today.

[davidge]

4 minutes ago, Rodewayinn said:

just checking....is the NON-O i have now good to go?

Yes, it was added to the RTE Washington website a couple of days ago (assuming you are still within your Permission to Stay). You can even apply for a new one if necessary.

1 minute ago, Rodewayinn said:

Financial requirement of 500,000 Thai Baht for six months reportedly dropped for sixty day Thailand single entry tourist visa.

this is headline in pattaya news email alert i got today.

There are a few posts on the forum. It’s been dropped by some RTEs but not others yet. U.K. & USA no longer have the requirement.

[duke main]

@davidge first of all I can't thank you enough for the information you're providing here. I hope I'll have the chance to buy you a few beers someday.

For the non O the LA consulate specifies it's for applicants with Thai family or who wish to volunteer. The DC embassy site says simply it's for over age 50, and both specify no more than 90 days.

1. should one read into it that for all intents and purposes these are separate entities with different requirements and I should "shop" between the 2 for the one that best suits my purposes? (I'm over 50 with no Thai family so I'd go with DC)

2. If I were to get the non O in the US might I be able to extend it for a year while I'm in Thailand without having to leave the country? That seems like the most desirable outcome for me since the non O is simpler to get from the start.

 

[davidge]

8 minutes ago, duke main said:

@davidge first of all I can't thank you enough for the information you're providing here. I hope I'll have the chance to buy you a few beers someday.

For the non O the LA consulate specifies it's for applicants with Thai family or who wish to volunteer. The DC embassy site says simply it's for over age 50, and both specify no more than 90 days.

1. should one read into it that for all intents and purposes these are separate entities with different requirements and I should "shop" between the 2 for the one that best suits my purposes? (I'm over 50 with no Thai family so I'd go with DC)

2. If I were to get the non O in the US might I be able to extend it for a year while I'm in Thailand without having to leave the country? That seems like the most desirable outcome for me since the non O is simpler to get from the start.

 

As I said, the Non O is available in different categories - there are 7 different ones listed on RTE London website.

The Non O ‘for Retirement’ has not been available in the USA for some years. That’s the main reason that US BMs aren’t familiar with it. 

It was (surprisingly) added to the RTE Washington website earlier this week under the Covid visa rules. It sounds as if the LA Consulate hasn’t updated yet.

You can get a 12-month Extension of Stay based on the Non O at Immigration in Thailand. You’ll need to have 800k baht in a Thai bank account for 2 months before applying (and 3 months after) as well as proof of address. You can do this within 15 or 30 days of the end of your initial stay (depending on IO). If you use an agent they can do it earlier - cost will depend on if you have the cash in bank or not. Friend had the money and paid 17000 to an agent last month (he didn’t want the hassle of immigration). They’ll likely charge more if you don’t have the cash in bank.

The big advantage of the Non O over the Non O-A is you don’t need Health Insurance for the annual Extension - unless Thai Immigration change the rules in the future - and there’s less paperwork to get the visa in the first place.