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Can one renew their OA Retirement Visa within Thailand and what is the process?
OA VisaRetirement VisaVisa ExtensionVisa RenewalThailand ImmigrationHealth Insurance RequirementRe-entry PermitFinancial Requirements for Visa90-Day Reporting
Feb 6, 2022
4 years ago
Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTERCan one renew their OA Retirement Visa within the kingdom? Process?
TLDR : Answer Summary
The OA Retirement Visa cannot be renewed; instead, holders can apply for an extension of stay within Thailand. The process requires having either 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account for two months or showing monthly transfers of 65,000 baht over the past twelve months. Additionally, it is mandatory to have health insurance from a Thai provider. Exiting and re-entering Thailand before the initial visa sticker expires allows for an additional year's entry stamp. After the visa's validity, a re-entry permit is needed for leave and return. Extensions can typically be requested only when 30 days or less remain on the current stamp.
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Tod *********
@Paul ******
first off lets get some information from youSo you got an OA visa from the thai consulate in your country before winging your way here. Now an OA visa is a year-long, multi-entry visa which is valid for a year from the issue date. What that means is you can come in and out all you want during that period and each time you enter you can be stamped in for up to a year (or as long as your mandatory health insurance is valid
SO what is the issue date of the VISA (sticker) and what is the enter before or valid until date on it?
We are trying to find out if you can exit/re-enter the country and get another year entry stamp. It is common for people on an OA visa to get TWO years of stay out of a visa that is valid for a year by exiting/re-entering the country just before the visa STICKER (not the entry stamp you're in the country on) expires. Because every entry on that visa gets you stamped in for up to a year, IF you have time on the visa sticker and IF you exited re-entered with a year's worth of insurance you'd get stamped in for a whole new year.
Ken ******
@Tod ********
with an OA visa, do you need to apply single or multiple entry permit when you go.out and re-enter thailand? (i ask this question as i have been doing this in immigration all along)Ken ******
dear all, i.understand fully now, many thanks again for explanation in detail. Much appreciated
Tod *********
@Ken *****
, while the OA visa sticker is valid you don't need a re-entry permit. IF you get the second year (by exiting/re-enter just before the visa sticker expires) and want to leave/come back in order to not cancel your stamp you need a re-entry permit and then of course on every yearly extension you'd need a new re-entry permitKen ******
@Tod ********
thank you, so.essentially i don't need re-entry permit the first year i.got OA visa , but curiously, if my memory is correct, i did apply and paid for re-entry permit within the first year and got approved (as i do.not understand fully the different rule applied to first year and subsequent year).Seems not on immigration websiteTod *********
@Ken *****
that the sold you a re-entry permit doesn't mean you NEEDED one. š As long as you were returning BEFORE the visa sticker itself was expiring you would have gotten stamped in for another year on the re-entry permit part of the VISA itself.
Ken ******
@Tod ********
ok so the trick is to leave and return before the first year visa expires soon, get stamp for one year counting from return date, then repeat the same and get again another yearā¦that way, never need to extend or renew visa (and pay) ā¦thanks a lot!Tod *********
@Ken *****
nope that'd be a fail š Here let's use THIS visa as an example
This visa was ISSUED on Feb 2 2022, and it is VALID UNTIL Feb 1, 2023.
The person can enter an unlimited amount of times during that time period and they will get stamped in each time for up to a year (depending on their insurance validity)
SO let's say the person enters March 1st 2022, under the terms of an OA entry (if they had valid health insurance they'd get stamped in until Feb 28th 2023
AND
IF the exited/re-entered the country on or before Feb 1, 2023 <- the date the visa STICKER expires they'd get another year entry stamp
So let's say they exited/re-entered on Jan 31st 2023 (one day before the visa expires) they'd get stamped in for a whole new year entry stamp until Jan 30th 2024 (because OA visas get you stamped in for a year).
NOW on that second 'free' year, IF they wanted to exit/re-enter they would have to BUY a re-entry permit (because the multientry part of the OA visa expired when the OA ran out
AND
when they did come back they wouldn't get another year, they'd get stamped in until the previous expiration of the earlier entry stamp (in the case of our example until Jan 30th 2024)
Hope that helps and wasn't too confusing.
You can't get more than just about 2 years out of a one year OA visa if you get the visa from the consulate just before you come and you play the dates right so you exit/re-enter just before the visa runs out to get that second year entry stamp
Ellie *******
@Ken *****
nope. it works only when your original visa sticker is valid. Only up to 'second year' is the maximum.Reply to
Ellie *******
Reply
Tod *********
So
AND
What is the enter date on your tiny entry stamp and the date they stamped you in until?
@Paul ******
what is the issue date of the VISA (sticker) and what is the enter before or valid until date on it?AND
What is the enter date on your tiny entry stamp and the date they stamped you in until?
Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tod ********
ok. Thank you. The funds are less of a concern than making sure I follow all these other rules for reporting stay and leaving and reentry. More pressing now is I need to know where to do my 1st 90day reporting here in Bangkok. And I can look at the reentry form for travel outside of the country when Iām there. Do I need to try and obtain a copy of the TM30 my property management company said they filed for me or the Immigration office probably has access to it? If you like I can start a new post on this?
Ellie *******
@Paul ******
, You are going to go to Muang Thong Thani temporary office for your 90days report. You will go to this building.
****************************
You will need TM30 receipt since it's your first one. You need to have it as a hard copy.
You will go to CW for your re-entry permit.
Reply to
Ellie *******
Reply
Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tod ********
sorry, didnāt see but now I read the other comments. Can I apply for a year extension in country if the original 1 year visa has expired? And as I say., can I use multiple entry still on this already, technically extended visa?Tod *********
@Paul ******
so you DID get the 'free' second year out of the visa (which is now expired) AND you're staying here on the entry stamp you got which lets you be here until Nov 8th 2022. As people pointed out your multiple entry expired when the visa sticker did SO if you're going to leave/come back and want to get stamped back in until Nov 8, 2022, you need to buy a re-entry permit at the immigration office or at the airport BEFORE you fly out.
Also as people pointed out you can't apply for a yearly extension until you have 30 days or LESS left on your current stamp so not until Oct 9 2022. That gives you a long time to get the funds in place etc so you can do it when it comes due
Wannikea *********
@Paul ******
your multiple entrys ended with the expiration of the actual visa, but as mentioned buy a single or multi reentry stamp is not an issue. I cant see why you would want to extend your permission to stay so early as you have until November to sort that out and most offices won't look at it till you have 30 days or less remaining.John ********
@Paul ******
your need for multiple entry isnt an issue ...you just buy a single or multiple re entry permit as required either from an immigration office or at suvarnabhumi airport. Much more important is to maintain your yearly visa extensions ...otherwise back to square 1 getting a new visa with all the cost and hassleReply to
John ********
Reply
Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Tod ********
thank you so much.. so.. My original OA Visa was stamped to expire 19 Nov 2021. I exited and returned before it expired with health insurance. New immigration stamp goes till Nov 8, 2022. Soooā¦ itās multiple entry and Iād like to travel in and out when itās convenient, but, multiple entry still apply as the original visa time has lapsed. Some people say itās easier to renew your OA in country but some others say you canāt. I donāt know.. so I ask. Thank you again.Reply to
Paul *******
Reply
Sid *******
If he is still first year of the Visa he may be asking if he can extend it without leaving the Country. My understanding is I donāt think he can.
Marty *********
@Sid ******
Yes, he can extend an OA at the end of his first year while in Thailand. An OA has a one year expiration date. An extension would be an extension of that original visa.Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@Marty ********
if thatās the case.. I guess I canāt extend?Marty *********
@Paul ******
If you are in Thailand and have a valid OA visa then you can extend it for one year from the date of your permission to stay stamp in your passport. Visit your house immigration office for the requirements. And follow anything Tod Daniels tells you.
Reply to
Marty *********
Reply
Tod *********
@Marty ********
no an extension would be an extension of the ENTRY STAMP he came into the country on, doesn't matter at all about the visa being vaild or notMarty *********
@Tod ********
Yes but if he never left Thailand (likely during Covid) then the entry stamp and the visa expiration (also assuming insurance) should be the same date.Tod *********
@Marty ********
point taken š lets see what he posts I asked the question below about itMarty *********
@Tod ********
There is never enough informationReply to
Marty *********
Reply
Tod *********
First off you can't EVER renew any visa. they run out when they run out. So now that we got that out of the way what you CAN do is apply for a yearly extension of stay from your OA visa entry stamp.
you need to have 800K baht in thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply for the year extension OR you need to have been transferring IN to the country into a thai bank account in your name only from abroad a minimum of 65K baht a month each month every month for the previous 12 months
You also need to have a years worth of the mandatory health insurance issued by one of the 16 thai companies that offer OA insurance.
With those things you can apply for a yearly extension based on an entry stamp from an OA visa
you need to have 800K baht in thai bank account in your name only for 2 months before you apply for the year extension OR you need to have been transferring IN to the country into a thai bank account in your name only from abroad a minimum of 65K baht a month each month every month for the previous 12 months
You also need to have a years worth of the mandatory health insurance issued by one of the 16 thai companies that offer OA insurance.
With those things you can apply for a yearly extension based on an entry stamp from an OA visa
John **********
No but you can get an extension for the purpose of retirement. Pretty straightforward, pop to your local immigration office and ask for the handout for retirement extension
Paul *******
ORIGINAL POSTER@John *********
so.. extend for another year? Same multiple entry status?John **********
@Paul ******
you need to buy a re-entry permit to keep the extension alive if you want to leave and come backReply to
John **********
Reply
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