Do I need to report to immigration on my Non-O visa before it expires if I leave Thailand regularly?

Question

Hello all...

I am german passport holder and married with my thai wife, but we are not living in Thailand. But we do have business in Thailand and my thai wifes family is in Thailand, therefore we travel regularly into Thailand, usually every two monthes, each time staying there for around 1-2 weeks and then leaving back to my homecountry where we work and live.
In the past i was just entering on visa exempt, but as i am married, the non=o is the more correct visa, therefore i did that now to be sure not having any issues at the immigration upon entry.

Currently i got my non-o visa based on marriage, one year, multiple entry. First entry with this visa was on 2. november 2023, stamped until 30.1.2024, and we are now leaving Thailand again back home. So far so good. But now the problem starts...

Now i hear from each and every official different things. Immigration is not aware of this situation, that i do not want to stay in Thailand constantly, and they only told me i need to apply for an extension 45 days before the 30.1. at the earliest, as that is the stamp in my passport.
But my embassy told me, if i am leaving Thailand, i can reenter due to my multiple entry visa multiple times, and each time i can stay up to 90 days without any issues. Therefore i do NOT need to turn up at the immigration, do a 90 days report and extend my stay, as i will not be more than 90 days inside Thailand....

I understand that i can freely leave and enter Thailand with this visa until september 2024, afterwards i need to apply for a new one year multiple entry visa from my embassy...

Surprisingly looks like most of the people need visa to stay continuously in Thailand and my situation seems pretty uncommon...

Anyone of you familiar with this issue? Do i really need to be exactly on the 30.1. here at the immigration? Will be super hard and expensive to organize that, and i want to avoid coming here only for visit the immigration... flight tickets are not that cheap....

Thanks for advice, Flo

Ask Thailand · Answer

The user, a German passport holder married to a Thai citizen, is seeking clarification on the requirements for his Non-O visa, which allows multiple entries to Thailand. He hears conflicting advice regarding whether he must report to immigration before the visa expiration date despite not overstaying in Thailand during his travels. Commenters confirmed that he can travel multiple times without reporting to immigration due to the nature of his visa, allowing stays of up to 90 days per entry until September 2024.

Ellie ******* · Answer

Many people use Multiple Entry Non-immigrant visas to travel to Thailand frequently. It's not so uncommon.

Your visa is definitely a multiple-entry visa and your understanding is right. The local immigration office handles extensions, not multiple entries.

You can travel to Thailand as many times as you want up to 90 days for each time until 25th September 2024 as the last entry date. No need to deal with the local immigration office about your stay.

After your current visa expires, you can decide whether you want to apply for another Multiple Entry Non-O Visa at the embassy/consulate or a 1-year extension at the local immigration office.

Do I need to report to immigration on my Non-O visa before it expires if I leave Thailand regularly?

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