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Do I need a re-entry permit for my Non-OA visa while returning to Thailand before my health insurance restarts?
Non-OA VisaThailand Visa RulesRe-entry PermitHealth InsuranceVisa Expiry DatesRetirement VisaMulti-entry Visa
Dec 7, 2022
3 years ago
Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTERClarification needed..........
I am currently on my first 12 month multi - entry OA long stay (retirement) visa --stamped in until 31 March 2023. The health insurance policy also expires at the same time.
I am returning to Australia on the 13th of March and returning to Thailand on the 21st of March 2023.
Question - given that I am still on my first 12 month OA visa and wanting to extend for the second 12 month period (as of 1 April 2023), do I need a re-entry permit given that I will have another health insurance policy and certificate from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 to cover my second 12 mo th period.
TIA
Graham
I am currently on my first 12 month multi - entry OA long stay (retirement) visa --stamped in until 31 March 2023. The health insurance policy also expires at the same time.
I am returning to Australia on the 13th of March and returning to Thailand on the 21st of March 2023.
Question - given that I am still on my first 12 month OA visa and wanting to extend for the second 12 month period (as of 1 April 2023), do I need a re-entry permit given that I will have another health insurance policy and certificate from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 to cover my second 12 mo th period.
TIA
Graham
TLDR : Answer Summary
The question is about whether a re-entry permit is needed for a Non-OA long-stay (retirement) visa when returning to Thailand after a trip abroad. Users clarified that since the visa is multi-entry, a re-entry permit is unnecessary as long as the traveler enters before the "Enter Before Date" on their visa, which allows them to receive a new permission to stay for another year. It's important to ensure that the health insurance policy covers the new stay period before returning to 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.
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George *************
The Non-OA Visa is a visa meaning it has a validity period. Take a look at your Non-OA Visa. It has two important dates: Date of Issue and Enter Before Date. The example used here shows the Non-OA visa has a Date of Issue of 13 May 2012, and an Enter Before Date of 12 May 2013. This means that you have until 13 May 2012 to enter Thailand and you will receive permission to stay for one year. Let's say you entered Thailand on 25 May 2012. You would have received permission to stay until 24 May 2013.
What happens if you leave Thailand and re-enter before 12 May 2013 (your Enter Before Date)? Let's say you re-enter Thailand on 11 May 2013 (the day before your Enter Before Date). Then you will be stamped in for one-year permission to stay starting from when you entered, 11 May 2013, until one year later, 10 May 2014.
What happens if you leave Thailand and re-enter after 12 May 2013 (your Enter Before Date)? If you haven't purchased a re-entry permit that keeps alive your current permission to stay date, you will be stamped in for non-exempt entry (30-45 days), because your Non-OA Visa has expired before you tried to re-enter Thailand. If you did purchase a re-entry permit then that will allow you to re-enter Thailand using that re-entry permit until the date specified on your re-entry permit, which is equal to the permission to stay date when you purchased your re-entry permit.
So, one of the important dates on your Non-OA Visa is the "Enter Before Date." This is the date you must enter before in order to take advantage of the visa's ability to get you one-year permission to stay. Enter before this date and you will be stamped in for one year. Enter after this date and you will not be. If you purchased a re-entry permit then that allows you to re-enter Thailand even after your initial Non-OA Visa has expired (passed its Enter Before Date).
The "Enter Before Date" listed on your Non-OA Visa is the important date to determine if your visa is still valid (and thus will get you one-year permission to stay) or it's expired (in which case, barring a re-entry permit, will not get you one-year permission to stay).
When you are dealing with the boundary conditions of your Non-OA Visa, it is critically important to know exactly when your Non-OA Visa expires and that is the date specified as "Enter Before Date" on your Non-OA Visa.
What happens if you leave Thailand and re-enter before 12 May 2013 (your Enter Before Date)? Let's say you re-enter Thailand on 11 May 2013 (the day before your Enter Before Date). Then you will be stamped in for one-year permission to stay starting from when you entered, 11 May 2013, until one year later, 10 May 2014.
What happens if you leave Thailand and re-enter after 12 May 2013 (your Enter Before Date)? If you haven't purchased a re-entry permit that keeps alive your current permission to stay date, you will be stamped in for non-exempt entry (30-45 days), because your Non-OA Visa has expired before you tried to re-enter Thailand. If you did purchase a re-entry permit then that will allow you to re-enter Thailand using that re-entry permit until the date specified on your re-entry permit, which is equal to the permission to stay date when you purchased your re-entry permit.
So, one of the important dates on your Non-OA Visa is the "Enter Before Date." This is the date you must enter before in order to take advantage of the visa's ability to get you one-year permission to stay. Enter before this date and you will be stamped in for one year. Enter after this date and you will not be. If you purchased a re-entry permit then that allows you to re-enter Thailand even after your initial Non-OA Visa has expired (passed its Enter Before Date).
The "Enter Before Date" listed on your Non-OA Visa is the important date to determine if your visa is still valid (and thus will get you one-year permission to stay) or it's expired (in which case, barring a re-entry permit, will not get you one-year permission to stay).
When you are dealing with the boundary conditions of your Non-OA Visa, it is critically important to know exactly when your Non-OA Visa expires and that is the date specified as "Enter Before Date" on your Non-OA Visa.
Stephen *******
It's not the stamped in date you need to return by, it's the visa expiry date. It's probably a lot earlier than the 31st of March!
Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stephen ******
i think you may be getting confused. I arrived here in Thailand on an O-A visa on 2 April 2022 and was stamped in for 12 months. The visa date is irrelevant as long as you enter the country prior to the expiry date on the visa.Stephen *******
@Graham *******
Or do a border bounce to get the second year before the visa expiry date with extended insurance. It doesn't need to be your Australia trip. But with the the extended stamped date you'd need a re-entry permit.Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Stephen ******
thanks Stephen!Reply to
Graham ********
Reply
Steve *******
@Graham *******
The visa date is the very RELEVANT part for getting the 2nd year. You must leave and re-enter before the VISA expires to get the 2nd year!Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Steve ******
........and if I don't leave at all? Can I still extend and get the second year as long as I have renewed my health insurance?Brett **********
@Graham *******
You can extend but you'd have to match O visa requirements, so cash in a Thai bank. If you wish to get a second year from your o-a then a border bounce within 365 days of the visa being granted is requiredGraham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brett *********
thanks Brett!Steve *******
@Graham *******
Yes but you'll need 800,000bt seasoned in a Thai bank for 2 months prior to applying for a 1 year extention of stay.Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Steve ******
800,000 for an extended O-A or a 65,000 per month (which is what I am doing now for the current O-A)?Steve *******
@Graham *******
Yes but you need 12 months of *****
bt transfers into a Thai bank to do the 'income method'.Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Steve ******
.........or I could go back to Australia, let the O-A lapse, come back on visa exempt for 45 days, ask for a 30 day extension and apply for an O longstay ( retirement) visa..Yes?
Steve *******
@Graham *******
Yes, or get the Non Imm O in Australia, arrive in Thailand and bank the 800k in a Thai bank and then just apply for the 1 year extention of stay. Job done.Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Steve ******
thanks Steve!Reply to
Graham ********
Reply
Brett **********
@Graham *******
if he wants a second year on the o-a then he needs to re-enter before that expires as that is valid 1 year from issue. If he first came 1 month after the visa was issued to get a second year would require exit and re-entry after 11 monthsGraham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brett *********
so let's see if I understand this.If the validity of the visa expires before the stamped in date then the stamped in date becomes superfluous.
In other words if my O-A visa expires in February and my stamped in date expires in March I will need a re,-entry permit before I leave in March and then return to Thailand at the end of March.
Reply to
Graham ********
Reply
Brandon ************
Your visa is multiple entry, meaning you can't even get a re-entry permit. You can enter an unlimited number of times until March 31st and each time you'll be given 1 year (or as long as your insurance is good for).
So you should buy another year of insurance and then when you return on 21 March you'll be stamped another year. This is how most people get 2 years from a non-OA Visa, and then in March 2024 you would go back to Australia and apply for a new non-OA Visa, meaning you never have to show money in a Thai bank account.
If you leave Thailand during this second year, after your visa stamp has ended, then you would need to get a re-entry permit.
So you should buy another year of insurance and then when you return on 21 March you'll be stamped another year. This is how most people get 2 years from a non-OA Visa, and then in March 2024 you would go back to Australia and apply for a new non-OA Visa, meaning you never have to show money in a Thai bank account.
If you leave Thailand during this second year, after your visa stamp has ended, then you would need to get a re-entry permit.
Gerry ***********
@Brandon ***********
that getting a second year off a one year visa had me so confused I did not believe it until I did it.Brandon ************
@Gerry **********
I heard at some of the Laos land borders they aren't even checking for the insurance and just stamping the year every timeGerry ***********
@Brandon ***********
I actually did have a little trouble when they wanted to stamp me for thirty days and I said I’m entitled to a year. They called the supervisor on the phone, they want back and forth but finally, after an hour of this they stamped for a year, and did ask for insurance. Then coming back from Lao I had trouble too. Once I got a multiple re-entry permit it has been smooth sailing this last year.Reply to
Gerry ***********
Reply
Claude *******
So first year OA is multpile entry but during the second year if we plan leave Thailand we must ask Reentry permit before, that’s right ?
Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Claude ******
Correct - a re-entry permit is required during that second year if you plan to leave and return during that second year.Brandon ************
@Claude ******
that's correctReply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Claude *******
@Brandon ***********
: in Paris France if we ask for second OA at the Thai Embassy money *****
0 bahts must be in Thai Bank. (First time money *****
€ in French bank).Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Claude ******
coming from Australia the 800,000 is only a requirement with an O visa - or 65,000 per month every month. The O-A visa only requires proof of funds(65,000 + (letter) + health insurance to the amount specified by the Embassy/Consulate for the period of your stay.Brandon ************
@Claude ******
that's annoyingReply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Graham ********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
thanks for the resonse!Wayne *********
@Graham *******
or when back in Australia for the OA do the OX instead via Sydney consulateReply to
Wayne *********
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