Can a 90-day single entry Non-O visa be cancelled upon leaving Thailand, and is it possible to convert it into a multi-entry visa?

October 15, 2023
a year ago
John *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I am on a 90day O type single entry visa. Does it mean that if I leave the country my visa will be canceled? Can I convert it into a multi entry visa?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A 90-day single entry Non-O visa becomes invalid if you leave Thailand unless you obtain a re-entry permit beforehand. The re-entry permit allows you to exit without cancelling your visa, but upon re-entry, you will still only be allowed to stay until the original expiration date. You cannot convert a single entry visa to a multi-entry visa; instead, you must apply for a multi-entry visa from outside Thailand or seek a one-year extension of stay after fulfilling specific conditions, which could then allow for the purchase of a re-entry permit.
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Nongnuch ********
@John ******
a "365-days multi entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa" can only be obtained in the home country where the applicant holds a residence. It cannot be applied for in another country and NOT inside Thailand. . . . . . . . . . The "90-days single entry Non-Imm-O retirement visa" you entered with, cannot be extended, it is already invalid for another use. . . . You can only alter your 90-days stay permit into a "1-year extension of stay permit" by fulfilling the requirements (a minimum of 800,000.-THB in a Thai bank account or proof of monthly income of minimum 65.000.- THB). Once issued, you can buy a multi entry permit for this 1-year stay permit, which will enable you to do unlimited exits and re-entries, as it is leaving your stay permit active. If you choose not to change from the 90 days stay permit to the one-year extension, you will have to LEAVE Thailand before the 90 days are over!
John *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Nongnuch *******
Thank you πŸ™ very much 😊
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
maybe you can help. I entered on 6 month tourist visa with multiple entry on 24 august and it requires that I leave by 22 October. Back in September I applied for non O 90 day (and when allowed I will apply for one year ext and then multiple entry permit). However my 90 day is still not ready. What happens if not sorted this week since 22 Oct is this Sunday?
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
you cannot activate a new visa as long as you are on a still existing, valid visa or valid stay permit. As I understand, by September you have applied for a 90-days Non-Imm-O visa online, and are awaiting the approval? When it gets emailed to you, you need to make you METV invalid if you want to re-entry by the Non-imm-O visa, which is absolutely NOT possible as it is valid for 6 months starting from the date of issue
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
you can get a 30-days extension of your 60 days stay permit which you received when you entered with the multi entry Tourist visa, on immigration for 1900.- THB. Only before the 90 days are up, you need to exit and activate another 60 days upon re-entry.
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
thx. I am just bummed that I applied for NonO weeks ago on 6 sep and immigration office insists I will get it this week but I was not expecting it to take this long when I first applied. I even have the insurance and my 800k thb for 3 months now in Thai bank. Trying to do everything correctly and early but feels slow to me since I am already ready to move to one year extension stage. πŸ˜€
Nongnuch ********
I think something is wrong here. You are the first person I read about who applies for the "change of visa type" from a multi entry TR visa, not normally from a single entry TR visa. Maybe Immigration noticed their error just after you visited?
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
if you have applied for the change, the Non-imm-O will at first get issued for 15 days "under consideration" which is absolutely normal. Do you have a stamp in your passport which says "application under consideration" and a date affixed which tells you when you can pick up the visa stamp?
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
no. Uggg. I had also tried to get NonO while I was in my previous country of residence (which was not my home country). After 13 visits to that embassy, the officer finally admitted she thought it would be better for me to enter on six month tourist visa and sort it out when I got here in Thailand.

Now that I am in Thailand, I have been going to my local immigration office (not online app)

Based on what you are saying, looks like I will be getting a grab ride to go 50mins back to the immigration office to at least get a 30 day extension while this hopefully gets sorted
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
That was a bad advice. They should have issued a single entry Tourist Visa. This is the one which is used for the "change" to the initial 90-days Non-Imm-O visa, before one can apply for the 1-year extension. The problem in itself is, the single entry tourist visa EXPIRES when you enter, so you are free to apply for another visa. However the multi entry Tourist Visa remains VALID during its total 6-months visa validity period, and now probably at Immigration they are scratching their heads over the matter
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
I did obtain it in my country of residence at that time (I had been working out of my home country for over a decade).
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
okay. However I am not sure if this is the correct visa to start a "change" with, on Immigration in Thailand
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
if I told you about my 13 visits to that embassy, you would have many many comments to make. πŸ˜€
Nongnuch ********
as you see, Immigration is NOT allowed to stamp a still valid visa "USED" or "invalid". Only "single entry" visa types become automatically invalid upon entry. Actually you have to wait until the visa validity period expires - which is six months away from the day it got issued in August
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
did Immigration, upon your application for the Non-Imm-O, stamp your passport ? Does it say "application under consideration" and a date when you are supposed to go back and pick up the Non-O visa?
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
my six month visa started 23 May and ends 22 Nov (but I can only stay two months max each visit unless I ask for extension).

Oh…. So 22 Oct is my cancellation date for my two month stamp. This might explain why they are waiting six weeks to process my app.
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
correct. You said you have to leave by October 22, if this is the end of a 60 days stay period, you can extend for 30 days. And when you do a border run with an entry on the last day of the visa validity which is as you say, on 22nd of November, you will receive a 60 days stay permit for the last time with this visa
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
ironically I am not wanting to get the most value for money out of my six month visa. My priority is getting to the one year extension with reentry permit as soon as possible
Nongnuch ********
although it NOWHERE says what type of "Tourist Visa" will be the proper one, I have never heard of a multi entry TR visa being used for the "change"
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
they seemingly missed the difference it makes when you show up with a 6-month multi entry TR visa instead of a single entry TR visa type. It is often a problem that employees of an embassy do not know immigration rules. Embassies are underlings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Immigration employees are members of the Ministry of Interior. They have different rules regarding stay permits in Thailand and the don't communicate with each other. I would NEVER trust what an employee of an embassy tells you about an Immigration rule, and never trust what an Immigration officer tells you about an embassy rule
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
I have been to my immigration office many many times trying to sort this out so I am surprised they could keep missing the type of visa I have. my first entrance to Thailand on my current visa was in july. But in July they could not change my visa on my short time frame because I was going to be flying out for a friend’s wedding in India and officer said I have everything I need but would have to apply when I came back from India when I had more time. I came back in Aug and tried to apply and I was told I needed some additional paperwork and got that sorted and applied on 6 sep. But six weeks seems long to me for getting an answer.
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
go back to Immigration and ask. And BEWARE: you stay permit expires on October 22, after this date you will be on overstay. You should at least buy a 30 days extension, to avoid overstay.
Melissa *********
@Nongnuch *******
yes I am very worried about overstay issue. Looks like I will head back to immigration office this Thursday for update or extension. Thx for helping me to understand why they wait so closely to expiration date of current visa. I was trying to do everything early because I hate to do things close to the wire but now I understand why this can’t be sped up. Have a great day!!
Nongnuch ********
@Melissa ********
sorry but I don't understand what you are doing. Are you trying to apply for the "change of visa type" from a tourist visa to a Non-Imm-O visa? This must be done starting from a single entry tourist visa, as far as I understand the rules. Are you using number 9 of this?
**********************************************
John *******
ORIGINAL POSTER
gents, thank you all! πŸ‘
Will ************
If say you got stamped in until Nov 30 and left with a re-entry permit your next stamp would still only allow you to stay until Nov30
Chris *******
So you are a 90 day non-o visa, if you leave and return in those 90 days WITH a reentry permit you visa remains intact.

If you do a 1 yr extension of stay based on your non-o (in country) you would then purchase a multi reentry permit and you are good to come and go as you like for the duration of the extension.

However it only makes sense if you will leave 4 times or more as has been said.

NOW if you want a multi entry visa (from an embassy outside of Thailand) that requires you to leave every 90 days for the duration of the visa, you just leave and apply at the Embassy without a reentry permit which voids your current visa.

I hope that makes sense as your question is a little on the vague side.
Paul ********
Yes you can go to your immigration office fill out a page of paperwork and sorted in 30 minutes as I did last year
Roberto *********
@Paul *******
You can't convert a visa to Multi-Entry. All you can do is get a re-entry permit which allows you to re-enter on your current entry stamp. This can be done at the airport, takes ten minutes, better than traipsing to an immigration office to do it
Paul ********
@Roberto ********
he wants a multi entry permit not a re entry πŸ†
Frank **********
@Paul *******
please quit giving out incorrect information.
Chris *******
@Paul *******
I'd delete this, you are very wrong.

If he wants a multiple re-entry permit, to leave and return, that would be stupid to do on 90 days.

He should/could get the single re-entry if he want to leave and comeback in the 90 days.

If he in fact wants a multi-entry Visa obtained at an Embassy outside of Thailand, he would them have to leave every 90 days of the duration of the visa.

2 entirely different things.

Although if the terms not used correctly can be very confusing.
Roberto *********
@Paul *******
Oh dear you have no idea do you?
Paul ********
@Roberto ********
airport will only do a single entry
Craig ********
@Paul *******
This is incorrect. You can get a re-entry permit at the airport.
Paul ********
@Craig *******
not a multi entry permit like he wants
Steve ********
@Paul *******
Go back to sleep, it's a RE-ENTRY PERMIT. There's no such thing as an entry permit.
Brandon ************
@Paul *******
you can get multiple re-entry permit at the airport just like you can get it at immigration. There's literally no reason to get a multiple re-entry permit on a 90 day entry stamp though. I doubt op will be re-entering 4 times in 90 days which is how many times you'd need to enter to make a multiple re-entry worth the price.
Chris *******
Craig ********
@Paul *******
They do not issue visas at the airport. He does not know what he needs. He just wants to be able to leave and come back on the same visa, which he can do by getting a re-entry permit at the airport
Paul ********
@Roberto ********
well he can sort it with one piece of paper yes?
Roberto *********
@Paul *******
At the airport no form needed, they will do everything, and you most definitely can get multi re-entry permit
Brandon ************
Your visa is already cancelled, it was "used" when you entered the country and cannot be used again.

You cannot convert a visa to multiple entry if it's single entry. But you can purchase a re-entry permit which means the stamp you have in your passport from when you entered Thailand will not be cancelled by leaving. This does not grant you any additional time though, as when you return you will return based on the same stamp that you received previously and purchased the re-entry permit for.
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