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What do I need to know about re-entering Thailand on a Non-OA visa just before it expires for an additional stamp?
Non-OA visaThailand visa rulesre-entryhealth insurance requirementsvisa validityextension policiesretirement visa
Apr 19, 2022
4 years ago
Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTERSomething I would like to clarify re Non OA visa following some terrific answers on a prev post - thanks. Specifically on the topic of re-entering Thailand just before the OA is due to expire in order to get an additional 1 year stamp. (Sounds too good to be true!) 1) will I only get this stamp if my health ins is already in place (for the next year) and if so as I am passing through immigration back into Thailand will I need to present the documentation (proof)of it to the officer? And any other proofs required in order to get the stamp of extension on re entering Thailand? 2) within the first year of being in Thailand on the OA (retirement) I envisage that I would leave the country on 2 or 3 occasions on short excursions to neighbouring countries- would I get the 1 year extension stamp on re-entering Thailand each and every time (dependent on answer to 1) of course) or is it (just for example) only the first time I re-enter? I.e a limit on stamp extensions. Thanks
TLDR : Answer Summary
This conversation clarifies the process of re-entering Thailand on a Non-OA visa just before it expires. It emphasizes that upon re-entry, travelers must present valid health insurance for the upcoming year to receive an additional year stamp; otherwise, the stamp will only be valid until the current insurance expires. Additionally, the Non-OA visa allows for multiple entries during its validity, each granting up to a year at a time if the health insurance is valid for that duration. Furthermore, a re-entry permit is needed after the last entry before the visa expires to maintain the permission stamp.
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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Eakkawee **********
Ask a final note, after your last entry before the visa expires, you would need to get a reentry permit to keep that 1 year permission stamp alive. When your year is up if you get another extension you will need to buy a rentry permit again if you plan on leaving. You can buy a multiple or single entry permit.
Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTER@Eakkawee *********
thank you. I didn’t know. Wow, have to have your wits about you with this stuff. So please can I clarify further with an example:- I have 1 month remaining on my original OA visa and I want to leave and enter again in order to get the entry stamp. Therefore I will need before leaving Thailand a Reentry Permit. (Correct?) Then when I return (my last entry before visa expires) I get stamped. And then before the visa expires I get a Reentry Permit in order to keep the 1 year permission stamp alive. All correct?Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTERthanks! That makes sense now.
Eakkawee **********
@Steve ***********
let's say your multi entry visa expires tonight at midnight. You could go in and out of Thailand every hour until midnight and be stamped in for a year each time. Of course it would end up being the same date a year in the future. So if you want to go out after midnight, your visa has now expired and you're on a permission to stay stamp, you'll need to buy a re-entry permit before you leave to keep that 1 year permission alive, otherwise without it the moment you stamp out you end your 1 year stay permission.Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTER@Eakkawee *********
This makes sense but may I ask another question. Forget about extensions for this question. when I apply for a non OA visa in my home country, there are 2 options - single entry and multiple entry. If I had the single entry I would still need to get the Reentry permit each time I left the country - correct ?Eakkawee **********
@Steve ***********
put it this way, it might be more impactful, leaving thailand without a re-entry permit or multiple entry visa means you start from square one.Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTER@Eakkawee *********
yes 100% and I can see the advantages. Thanks. So much misinformation and badly communicated info is out there, I’m very glad I have the facts now.Eakkawee **********
@Steve ***********
multiple re-entry permit 3800 baht, single re-entry 1000baht.I don't believe you can get a single entry OA, afaik they are all multiple entry 1 yr visas. possible mistake on embassy website of which there are usually plenty.
Ellie *******
@Steve ***********
There is NO such thing as Non-OA single entry. A single entry visa is Non-O (retirement/pensioner) valid for 90days and stamped for 90days.Reply to
Ellie *******
Reply
Eakkawee **********
@Steve ***********
no, not before the visa expires its multi entry, before the extension expires, your visa let's say is already expired. Say your visa expires this May 1st, on April 30th you re-enter/return to Thailand and get stamped in till April 30th 2023. The next day your visa expires, so now if you want to exit and return to Thailand any time before April 30 2023 you'd need a re-entry permit to keep your April 2023 stamp alive. You'll need to buy a reentry permit every time you renew your yearly extension or just before you leave Thailand.Reply to
Eakkawee **********
Reply
Tod *********
1 - yep trying to exit/re-enter without the mandatory health insurance for the second year will ONLY get you stamped in until your current policy runs out 😕
NOPE no other proofs are required when using that visa to enter OTHER than what ever entry requirements (which have nothing to do with what visa you're on) that are in place when you come back
2 - As I said that visa is good for unlimited entries for it's validity and each entry can be up to a year (IF you have insurance valid that long).
NOPE no other proofs are required when using that visa to enter OTHER than what ever entry requirements (which have nothing to do with what visa you're on) that are in place when you come back
2 - As I said that visa is good for unlimited entries for it's validity and each entry can be up to a year (IF you have insurance valid that long).
Tod *********
okay STOP using the word extension when you're talking about ENTERING the country on a valid Non-OA visa 😕
All you're getting is an entry stamp when you show up with that visa in your passport, (NOTHING is getting extended) That visa is good for unlimited entries during the validity of it (a year from the date it's issued) and every entry during that time is good for up to a year stamp or as long as the required health insurance you have is valid (up to a year)
All you're getting is an entry stamp when you show up with that visa in your passport, (NOTHING is getting extended) That visa is good for unlimited entries during the validity of it (a year from the date it's issued) and every entry during that time is good for up to a year stamp or as long as the required health insurance you have is valid (up to a year)
London *****
Steve ************
ORIGINAL POSTERThanks Tod. That’s great to know, got my head round it now
Bobby ********
@Steve ***********
I did it a few times in the pre-covid era. I used to go back to Aus and get a new visa every couple of years, and do a bounce at Chong Mek in between. The last time I got a new insurance to cover the 12 months on re-entering Thailand. Covid stuffed this visa more than just about any other. I lived in Thailand for six years and never had to have one baht in a Thai bank account and never saw the inside of an immigration office. Hopefully we might one day go back to those golden years!Daniel *****
@Bobby *******
I am not sure I understand it right ! My OA visa expired on Oct 14, 2021. I was stamped until Oct 6, 2022 and left Thailand on Feb 18, 2022 purchasing a re-entry. Should I arrive in Thailand before Oct 6, 2022 with a one year health insurance, would i be stamped for one year ? That would be fantasticBobby ********
@Daniel ****
No, you're only stamped in for a year during the validity of the visa, not when on an entry stamp or an extension of stay. You will only be re-admitted up to the expiry date on your re-entry permit.Daniel *****
@Bobby *******
ok that is what I thought but I don’t understand how you could get several OA visas without money on a Thai bank account. In France I have been told I need the money in Thailand if I apply for a OA visa for the second time. Thanks for your helpBobby ********
@Daniel ****
You can ONLY get an OA visa from the embassy or consulate in your own country, so they will accept bank or superannuation funds in that country. I never applied for an in-country extension (which would require funds in a Thai bank), instead I used the capacity of the visa to border bounce at Chong Mek and get stamped in for the "free second year". When returning to my home country every two years for a visit, I would obtain a new OA (again using funds in my home country), and repeat the process. It was fantastic. Never visited an immigration office for six years!!Daniel *****
@Bobby *******
must be different from one country to the other. On the website of the Thai embassy in Paris it is specified that for the second OA visa a proof of *****
0 baht on a Thai bank account is required … 🥲Bobby ********
@Daniel ****
Yes every Embassy makes its own rules. But in Australia, a new OA application is a "start from scratch" process, which has been fantastic for me, but of course, Covid ruined all that, so I now use the 65k/month transfer method, which I will keep going now anyway, as my monthly outgoings are around 45-50k, it's no big deal to kick it out to 65k. However, I believe the French Embassy is Bangkok will still notarise your income affidavit which is a bonus, whereas the Australian Embassy stopped doing it!Daniel *****
@Bobby *******
thanks for all your feedback ! The information found on this group is fantasticSteve ************
ORIGINAL POSTER@Bobby *******
Good for you, in particular not setting foot inside an immigration office is a big incentive! Hopefully covid will be declared endemic soonReply to
Steve ************
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