Is it Worth Changing from Non-O (Retirement) to Non-O-X Visa in Thailand?

Jun 29, 2020
4 years ago
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
**Switching to Non O-X?

**Hello, reading this group yesterday I discovered that there is a Non O-X visa available.

I do have financial availability, and I would like to ask the following.

If money is not an issue, is it worth changing from Non-O (Retirement) to Non-O-X? What are the main advantages/disadvantages.

Thanks
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user inquired about the benefits and drawbacks of switching from a Non-O (Retirement) visa to a Non-O-X visa in Thailand. The Non-O-X visa offers a long-term stay of up to ten years with a multi-entry benefit, but it requires meeting specific financial criteria and involves yearly checks at immigration, which may be a hassle compared to the annual extension process of a Non-O retirement visa. Some users highlighted that the conversion process is not straightforward and typically requires exiting the country to apply for the Non-O-X visa.
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.
Tod *********
and I think we're done. Good luck, take care, stay safe
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
This is quite an important bit (from
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-Non-%E2%80%93-Immigrant-Visa--%E2%80%9CO---X%E2%80%9D-(Long-Stay-10-years).html)

It still binds you to yearly checks at immigration, therefore the 1900 baht extension of the current retirement solution seems more interesting...

Foreigners must report, in person, to the immigration officer every 1 year for the examination of the qualifications and supporting documents.

- Stay permit of the Non-O-X visa holders may be revoked due to following conditions:

1) Foreigners do not have financial evidence as per stipulated by above qualifications such as:

- The sum of money in the bank account is less than 3 million Baht at the end of the first year of stay period in Thailand.

- the sum of money in the bank account is less than 1.5 million Baht at the end of the second year of stay period in Thailand, and/or the money in said account was spent outside Thailand.
Tod *********
Timothy Phan correct, that is a 10 year multi-entry visa and every entry gets you stamped in for a full 5 years
Tod *********
@Max ********
, that link you posted is NOT from a thai consulate (the place that actually issues visas) but from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office (the place that oversees the consulates).

They are notorious for bad information and you want to read the requirements for the O-X visa at the thai consulate you're applying for it in AND (if you're not getting the visa issued inside the country at the thai immigration office) you need to apply for this visa at a thai consulate in the country where your passport comes from.

I know probably 4 people on the O-X visa, and they love it, BUT it was one of the most hare-brained visa schemes that thailand ever came up with and was a flop from the beginning, mostly due to the prohibitive amount of money required and the limiting of what you can do with the money
Tod *********
They don't do ANYTHING at the immigration office except 90 day reporting and they can stay here until 2023
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Good to know., thanks..my personal option would be to do a conversion from tourist visa (when that will be possible), so as you said I will visit CW. But I have a friend who is now outside the country and just got the standard Retirement 1 year and may be interested, so he may enquire in his country.

It does remove the stress of having to renew every year which - for those who come here during European winter - is a pain as they need to time their travels according to the expiry date of their 'extension of stay'.
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
He is ok. Surely these days abandoning an already obtained visa (or extension of stay) is a scary thing to do :)
Tod *********
@Max ********
they would apply for the O-X visa while they have their currently valid extension in their passport. IF they didn't get the O-X visa issued (like not meeting the requirements) their current extension would still be valid.
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Tod *********
@Max ********
This is the list of the 14 countries that can get an O-X

Japan, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada, and The United States
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Confusion at last :) :) that is an official site isn't it... :)
Tod *********
One last time
@M**
LOOK at the thai consulate website in the country where you will be applying for the O-X visa.

OR

Slog on out to your immigration office and talk to them about it
Tod *********
that is not correct AT ALL.

you get a 5 year entry stamp when you come in and all :( You don't get a yearly extension at the immigration office in fact you don't do ANYTHING at the immigration office other than 90 day reporting.

here's an O-X entry stamp from a friend who was the second person from the thai conuslate in Washington DC to get an O-X issued
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks everyone. Useful.
Tod *********
@Max ********
you won't be able to go from a non-O yearly extension to an O-X because you can't covert to ANY Non-immigrant type visa inside the country from anything but a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp, a 60 day tourist visa entry stamp OR a 30 day extension from one of those.

You'd have to break the chain of extensions you're on now by leaving and comin' back on one of the two stamps I mentioned that they do in country Non-Immigrant conversions from OR leave the country and go buy the Non-O-X in your country then come back
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
So, if someone asks me what visa I am on, what should I answer? :)
Tod *********
@Max ********
who would ask you? The thai immigration office uses the terms "retirement visa" business visa" "marriage visa" for yearly extensions because most foreigners can't speak shit for thai and it's not worth wasting their time to explain it :O :P

The real legalese is "a yearly extension based on being over 50" but the colloquial spoken (totally not factual) term "retirement visa" :O :(
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Mmm.. OK thanks. That answers my question.

The reason I asked is that I wanted to know if I could 'convert' my current visa (which I now know I don't have) into a Non O-X without leaving the country which you already told me I cannot do, and would be impossible now anyway.
Tod *********
@Max ********
now find the extension stamp in your passport that you got at the immigration office FROM that visa

That visa was USED for entry on July 2018 and you were stamped in for 90 days on it.

It ran out years ago and you've been on yearly extensions of stays since then
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks, that's bad news actually. Sorry my ignorance, but 6 months ago I was on Non Immigrant Bus and they converted me to retirement without leaving the country.

Would this not be contradicting this statement: 'you can't covert to ANY Non-immigrant type visa inside the country from anything but a 30 day visa exempt entry stamp, a 60 day tourist visa entry stamp OR a 30 day extension from one of those.'?

And if not, what visa am I on now? :)

I have an extension of stay based on retirement and the last time I got a visa it was a Non O - Business.
Tod *********
@Max ********
look in your passport and I believe you will see you were on an extension of stay based on employment, canceled that and went straight on to a NEW extension of stay based on being over 50 (retirement). All you did was change the reason for your extension, you didn't get ANY new VISA.
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
So, I am obviously confused... I was on business visa, they extended it and that allowed the conversion to retirement.

And now what visa am I on? :)
Tod *********
@Max ********
you're not on ANY visa, and you haven't been on any visa since around OCT of 2018 <- seeing as that was when your 90 day entry stamp from your original non-B would have ran out

You have been on extensions since then..
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Tod *********
There we go, you can see that it clearly says "EXTENSION OF STAY PERMITTED UP TO" and had a date on it.. <- that is NOT a visa.

All you did was cancel your extension based on employment and apply for a new extension based on being over 50, as I said you changed the REASON for your extension
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks, I will post my findings after visiting CW, if they are welcome.
James ********
@Max ********
thank you. Your update will be helpful 😉
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks, two questions:

- If every time you enter the country you get five years, and you enter say on the 9th year from issue, will that grant you only 1 year, to get you to the end of the visa validity or will that still grant you five years bringing the total validity 14 years in this case?

- The 'Thai Health Insurance': I am currently insured through a UK broker (Pacific Prime), which obviously covers Thailand but is not Thai. Does that count as 'Thai' or I would be expected to purchase a Thai policy in addition to the one I have?
Tod *********
No one has HAD the O-X visa long enough to know IF at the end of the 10 years could you bounce out and back and get a new 5 year entry taking you to 15 years
Claude **********
@Tod ********
seems to me that if the visa itself is only valid for 5 years like you said earlier then that would mean that you can get back on the last day (after 5 years) and get stamped for 5 more years (so a total of 10 years max). Also meaning that if you need to get in and out of the country after that you’d need a re-entry permit.
Tod *********
@Claude *********
the visa is valid for 5 years, then you go get a new 5 year visa sticker stuck into your passport that gives you another 5 years. (that's how it's a 10 year visa)

What we're talking about is whether you can (like with other multi-entry visas) exit/re-enter just before the visa expires and get a new entry stamp (which in this case would be for another 5 years) AND at this time we don't know that answer because the O-X visa hasn't been available for ten years yet so no one knows
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
Ah yes, that's true :)
Max *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Benjamin *****
Thanks. I'd to it as a conversion, so I think a visit to Chaeng Wattana is necessary.
Tod *********
While it does show that an O-X visa is available inside the country from the immigration office I have personally never seen one issued anywhere but from a thai consulate in your country BEFORE you come here.

It's a 10 year visa (meaning they put a visa sticker good for 5 years in your passport), it is unlimited entry for the 10 years it's valid for, and every entry gets you stamped in for 5 years.

To give you an example of the requirements here is the list of it on the thai consulate in Los Angeles

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Tania ********
@Tod ********
can’t wait to get this went my hubby turns 50. So annoying there’s an age limit.
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