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Do I need to leave Thailand every 90 days on a Non-O visa or retirement extension?
Non-O VisaRetirement ExtensionThai Immigration RulesVisa Application ProcessExpat AdviceVancouver Thai Consulate90 Day Reporting Requirement
May 4, 2024
2 years ago
Debbie ***********
ORIGINAL POSTERGood morning! I'm so confused. We are planning to apply for the 90 day Non O visa. Once we get there and have they funds and lease in order we want to apply for the 1 year retirement extension. We went to the consulate in Vancouver today to ask a few questions. He said that he recommends applying for the OA before we go. He said with the 1 year extension that we have to leave the country every 90 days. I knew we had to report but didn't know we actually had to leave. Is this right or a misunderstanding?Thanks!
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The original poster (OP) is confused about the requirements for applying for a 90-day Non-O visa and the subsequent 1-year retirement extension. A consulate representative suggested they apply for a Non-OA visa due to the requirement to leave the country every 90 days. However, several responses clarify that if the OP applies for the Non-O visa and later extends it, they do not need to leave Thailand every 90 days, only report to immigration. There's also concern about potentially confusing advice from the consulate, highlighting that it's best to follow a different application path for clarity and ease.
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Dave *********
Brandon is totally correct. Here is a checklist you can use; one additional item needed was a google map printout showing where I lived.
Jeffrey **********
@Dave ********
and Chiang Mai they won't take a Google print out they wanted me to hand draw itDave *********
@Jeffrey *********
Wow, Phuket will take a hand drawing but prefer a google printout due to the coordinates on it. When they inspected the hand drawings, the tech actually looked it up on the phone and then wrote down the coordinates for the residence.Reply to
Dave *********
Reply
Todd *********
you have to report (online or at local immigration) every 90 days. You do not need to leave the country every 90 days on a retirement extension. You don't actually every need to leave if you choose to keep extending
Jan ******************
@Todd ********
I think it’s some wires crossed her and this was a one year 90 days Non O with multiple entries. If you don’t apply for the extension of stay you’ll have to re-enter every 90 days within a year. Several people used this as they didn’t want to send money to Thailand and it’s also without the mandatory health insurance.Reply to
Jan ******************
Reply
Christopher *************
Get a Non-IMM O on line. The Consulate in Van is very good and they are very helpful. Once you get there you can easily get it extended for 1 year. I am in Pattaya and the Immigration in Jomtien have very specific Instructions on what is needed to extend and how to do it. I have no idea how other Immigration offices operate though.
John **********
I suspect he was talking about a multi entry non-o visa whereas you just want the 90 day one
Jan ******************
@John *********
Obviously. This was/is also valid for a year. Several people used this as an option to leave their fund at home and as it’s easier without the extra requirements. We could get it in Norway also until recently, but now it’s removed as an adaption to the evisa system I quess.John ********
@Jan *****************
Yep, on the e-visa portal, there is no option for 12 month multiple 'O' visa. Having said that I emailed the Thai Embassy in London in January 2023 and asked about getting this visa. They replied stating if your over 50 years, have a minimum monthly income of £650 you can apply for 12 month multiple entry 'O' visa. How you apply for it, when the online application only gives 3 month, single entry I don't know.John **********
@John *******
you can't get it any longerJohn ********
@John *********
ok, later this year I'll email London Embassy to confirm it. ThanksReply to
John ********
Reply
Brandon ************
NEVER ask someone at an embassy about visa matters handled by immigration inside Thailand and never listen to what they have to say.
Similarly never ask an immigration officer about Thai visa matters at an embassy or listen to what they have to say.
They are two completely different government agencies that know nothing about each other and do not communicate with each other.
If you get the 1 year extension based on the 90-day non-O you certainly do not have to leave the country every 90 days.
If you get the non-OA you're going to have a much more difficult application with the embassy and you're also going to be stuck with a very high insurance requirement, basically forever.
Disregard what you were told and continue with your plan. Get the non-O, travel to Thailand and open a bank account ASAP, deposit your money and go to immigration after the money has been in your account for 2 full months.
Similarly never ask an immigration officer about Thai visa matters at an embassy or listen to what they have to say.
They are two completely different government agencies that know nothing about each other and do not communicate with each other.
If you get the 1 year extension based on the 90-day non-O you certainly do not have to leave the country every 90 days.
If you get the non-OA you're going to have a much more difficult application with the embassy and you're also going to be stuck with a very high insurance requirement, basically forever.
Disregard what you were told and continue with your plan. Get the non-O, travel to Thailand and open a bank account ASAP, deposit your money and go to immigration after the money has been in your account for 2 full months.
Jan ******************
@Brandon ***********
I think it’s some wires crossed here as we’ve discussed previously and this is a one year 90 days Non O visa with multiple entries. If you don’t apply for an extension of stay, you’ll need to re-enter every 90 days within a year. Several people used this if their embassy offered it as it’s without the mandatory health insurance and you still can use funds at home. Also available here in Norway until recently, but the option now is removed as an adaptation to the e-visa system I guess.
Glenn *****
@Brandon ***********
any idea what a "very high insurance requirement" is? An estimate is fine.Brandon ************
@Glenn ****
it's not an estimate. The requirements for a non-OA visa are an insurance policy from a list of approved Thai insurance companies for coverage of 3,000,000 baht or $100,000 dollars. Much higher than the old requirement and as these visas are for people over 50, the costs increase every year for the insurance.Glenn *****
@Brandon ***********
yes but what is the priceBrian **********
@Glenn ****
I’ve been looking at this. I looked at AXA, via the Thai Embassy website. They offer a policy particularly for this.The quote for me (68 yo) is 26,630 Baht. However, that is with an excess of 300,000 Baht.
It seems like I would, effectively, be self insuring, apart from something really serious.
However, not having needed to go to the doctors for years, I would risk that.
It means that rather than tie up 800,000 in a Thai bank, earning nothing, I can keep the money invested elsewhere.
Glenn *****
@Brian *********
if I understand you, that price would be for meeting the requirements of an OABrian **********
@Glenn ****
yesRobert *******
@Glenn ****
go online and put in details and they will give you an exact amount due to your age etcBrandon ************
@Glenn ****
that's between you and the insurance company. I'm nowhere near that age to qualify so wouldn't have any clue.Glenn *****
@Brandon ***********
if you don't have a clue why would you say it is a very insurance requirement?Brandon ************
@Glenn ****
because I do have a clue. "high" means the insurance requirement is high at $100,000 in coverage. I never said anything about price. It used to be $40,000 and now it's $100,000. It's much higher than before.Glenn *****
@Brandon ***********
ah okJan ******************
@Glenn ****
I don’t know if the insurance approved by the Thai immigration is very expensive itself based on cost per month, but it’s expensive compared to coverage. Therefore several people leave and re-enter on a regular Non O without mandatory health insurance and do their own health insurances.*************************************
Reply to
Jan ******************
Reply
Bart **************
@Brandon ***********
"never ask an Embassy about visa matters" is like saying never ask an ENT doctor about ear, nose or throat complaints.Steve *******
@Bart *************
I had absolutely no problem getting an OA from the Singapore embassyJan ******************
@Steve ******
Are you sure you got a regular one year Non O-A visa and not a Non O visa in Singapore? Did you have permanent residency in SP at that time?Steve *******
@Jan *****************
yep. Took about 2 months and a couple hundred dollars for a non O AJan ******************
@Steve ******
And you had a permanent residence in SP at this time?Steve *******
Jan ******************
@Steve ******
🙏 Makes sense. Then I understand. Non O-A and METV has to be applied from your permanent residency if you apply abroad.Steve *******
@Jan *****************
and - depending on the country you’re in - is probably a lot more efficient and cost effective there than in ThailandReply to
Steve *******
Reply
Brandon ************
@Bart *************
"about visa matters handled by immigration inside Thailand." It helps if you don't take it out of context.Bart **************
@Brandon ***********
still, their primary task to provide info about.This was of course an unfortunate miss, and what is even more unfortunate is that embassies make such misses more often than we would hope. But it is still the place to get your info from. It's not that you can inquire from a domestic immigrations office from abroad. The embassy is like their outpost. They should absolutely know the exact conditions of that OA thing and should be able to draw up an accurate comparison between O and OA as well.
But yeah, here they just failed. It's bad info and good that he inquired for a second opinion here in this group.
Debbie ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Bart *************
it just didn't make sense and I asked him twice to be sure I understood him. I don't recall ever reading anything like that on here or the websites I visited. It was strangeBrandon ************
@Debbie **********
embassy staff have never done anything with extensions. They have no reason to know about them at all. The only 1 year non-O visa an embassy staff would know about is the multiple entry non-O that does require you to leave every 90 days. It's not hard for the staff to make the jump to thinking it's the same inside the country. But like I said they actually know nothing about the way immigration works and what is possible.Reply to
Brandon ************
Reply
Debbie ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER@Brandon ***********
thank you so much. That was exactly our plan and I was so confused when he told us that.Reply to
Debbie ***********
Reply
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