Can I apply for a Thai OA visa from the US if I don't have permanent residency there?

OA visa Thai consulate US passport visa application process permanent residency Thai visa types visa extension Non-O visa insurance requirements

Feb 22, 2020

5 years ago

Joyce *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I am an American citizen living in Micronesia for the past four years. There are no Thai consulates in Micronesia to which I can apply for an OA visa. However, the information that I have seen says that I must have a permanent residence in the country where I am applying for the visa. I do not have a permanent residence in the US but would like to submit my application to the consulate in Wash DC or NYC. Will this be a problem?  (I just found this: *If applicant applies for a visa at the Embassy/Consulate in the country where the applicant does not have permanent residency, the visa approval. process may take at least 1 month.)*

*Does anyone have experience with this? *

969

views

likes

all likes

replies

images

users

TLDR : Answer Summary

The original poster questions whether they can apply for a Thai OA visa at a consulate in the US while currently living in Micronesia without permanent residency in the US. Commenters clarify that it is possible to apply at any US embassy with a US passport, suggesting alternatives such as applying for an O visa instead of an OA visa due to insurance requirements. They also mention visa extension strategies once in Thailand.

NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES

Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
Explore recent discussions by using the Non-O Retirement Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.

Siddhartha *********

5 years ago

Joyce *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Siddhartha ********

Indeed. The Thai government doesn't make it easy.

5 years ago

Reply to

Joyce *********

Mark ********

The beauty of an O-A visa obtained in your home country before you come to Thailand is that you can get 2 years stay off that one visa.

5 years ago

Werner *******

If you can come to Thailand on a US passport, you will get a 30-day exemption, which you can then extend for another 30 days. You can then travel to nearby Laos or Vietnam to get a proper Non-O visa. This is often considered easier for foreigners because you don't need to show insurance, as you do with the OA version of this visa.

5 years ago

Joyce *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

The only qualification that I fit for the O is "to stay in Thailand after retirement for the elderly." But that infers that I've been working in Thailand...which I haven't. But if it applies to my situation regardless of that, I guess the required proof of my retirement would be my US Social Security payment. ??

5 years ago

Reply to

Joyce *********

Rick ***********

You do not want an OA visa. Google about insurance requirements. Just get an O visa and extend it in Thailand.

5 years ago

Garrett ***********

Hello, if you have a US passport you can apply at any Thai embassy in the US. The Embassy in NYC is very easy to deal with. Non-OA and multiple entry tourist visas can only be issued in your home country or a country you hold permanent residencey in.

As for Microasia, this is my first time ever hearing of this country lol.

5 years ago

Joyce *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

IM me if you have questions.

5 years ago

Joyce *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Thank you. So I don't need to have a permanent residence in the US to apply for an OA there? Regarding Micronesia (not Microasia), it's the Federated States of Micronesia, a former US Territory that became an independent country in the early 1980s. I live in Yap which is 500 miles southwest of Guam. It's one of four island states that are situated throughout more than 1 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean and was a major staging ground for the American military during the final year of WWII.

5 years ago

Reply to

Joyce *********

Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else

... members · 60% approval rate

The Thai Visa Advice And Everything Else group allows for a broad range of discussions on life in Thailand, beyond just visa inquiries.

Join the Group

Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else

View the Conversation

Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else

Can I apply for a long-stay OA visa from a country other than where I have permanent residence?

3 comments