What Do the New Visa Stamps for Retirement Extensions in Thailand Mean?

Question

Two friends of mine, a married farang couple, received these stamps when renewing their expiring retirement extensions in October. One has (had?) an O visa and the other an O-A.   The immigration officer said these new stamps meant he’d moved them to a new kind of visa. It’s difficult to read but it seems to be related to “accompanying family members”. (Their only relatives in Thailand are each other). 
Do you know what these new stamps mean and specifically what the impact is likely to be on renewal requirements (income and health insurance) next year?
Many thanks in advance!!

Ask Thailand · Answer

A married farang couple received new stamps while renewing their retirement extensions, which included an O visa and an O-A visa. The immigration officer suggested they might have been moved to a different type of visa related to 'accompanying family members.' The community has provided insights indicating that they likely still have extensions rather than a visa change, and the future renewal requirements may depend on the visa type they originally held, particularly regarding health insurance for the O-A visa holder.

Tod ********* · Answer

next year the person who has the extension based on being over 50 (the one with the thai stating ใช้ชีวิตบันปลาย shows proof of funds and the one that has ติดตามครอบครัว, shows the required documents to show they're married.

BUT if that one person DID have an O-A visa originally they WILL need insurance to get a new yearly extension AND (although there is some discussion on this) there IS a possibility that the person getting an extension based on marriage to someone who had an O-A visa also needs insurance too.

Tod ********* · Answer

You need to show images of the FIRST page of the passports where they moved their stamps to a new passport OR of the VISAS they had when they stared the yearly extension.

One more time, yearly extensions DO NOT show the original visa type.

Tod ********* · Answer

NONE of those stamps show the type of the original VISA types on EITHER passport.

One got a yearly extension based on the actual rules "living out the end of your life (the extension you get when you're over 50) and another one got the extension based on piggy backing on the extension of their spouse. (following family member) called trailing spouse.

NEITHER passport show the original visa type.

Jussi ******** · Answer

The OP is right. The reason for other extension is retirement, the other “accompanying family members”. That dependent extension must be based on non-o, not o-a. So it would be logical that they have changed the others visa type first to non-o. It must be stamped on another page. Then both would have non-o, avoiding this o-a insurance. Or it could be the exact same thing they got last year. That I do not know.

James ******** · Answer

If one truly had an O-A visa and now has an annual Extension of Stay from the O-A, I would assume that on next Extension that person will need to meet the O-A requirements...and health insurance that it requires.

I would suggest you both visit your local Thai Immigration office and kindly ask what both of you need at extension time.

I would suggest you both visit your local Thai Immigration office and kindly ask what both of you need at extension time.

Robert ******* · Answer

They did not move to a new kind of visa. an Extension of Stay is an extension of the period you were allowed to be inside Thailand. They did handed over some documents to apply for these extensions of stay. What ever the consequences are for next year application, is something what nobody knows. Rules may change or stay the same, we do not know.

What Do the New Visa Stamps for Retirement Extensions in Thailand Mean?

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