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What should I do about my OA retirement visa after leaving Thailand without a re-entry permit?

Visa ProblemsOA VisaRetirement Visa
Jan 28, 2020
5 years ago
Rick ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I need advise on my Visa problem: I hold an OA retirement Visa(multiple entry) issued in Los Angeles, CA. It originally expired in Aug 2019, and was extended until Aug 2020 upon re-entry in August 2019. I am now in the USA and wish to re-enter Thailand again in Feb 2020. I did not purchase a re-entry permit before leaving Thailand. Question: will immigration honor the August 2020 permitted to stay stamp in my passbook?

Will I now have to purchase Thai health insurance? Can I purchase (if needed) a re-entry permit at airport immigration?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is facing issues with their OA retirement visa after leaving Thailand without obtaining a re-entry permit. Despite having an extension until Aug 2020, it is implied that the visa is no longer valid for re-entry as the permissions to stay end when leaving the country without this permit. The conversation includes suggestions for obtaining a new visa or applying for extensions based on current regulations.
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.
Gregor **********
it appears that the 90 days Single and 1-year Multiple Entry Non-Imm-O Visa for the purpose of retirement, has been discontinued by the embassy in Washington DC and all consulates of Thailand inside the USA
5 years ago
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Tod *********
You have a couple options
5 years ago
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Rick ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
It appears as per the Thai Consulate Los Angeles, the Non O 90 day Visa is no longer offered.
5 years ago
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Tod *********
OR finally depending on your immigration office you could come in on a 30 day visa exempt entry, go to your immigration office and apply for an in country 90 day Non-O visa by meeting the requirements that you transferred in 800K baht from overseas. It would go under consideration between 14 and 21 days (depending on the office) then you go back get the new Non-O visa and a new 90 day entry stamped inked in. Then you wait until you have 30 days left on that stamp and go back and apply for the year extension at the immigration office by meeting the requirements..
5 years ago
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Tod *********
See if you can get a 90 day Non-O visa from a thai consulate there based on being over 50. Come in to thailand, get stamped in for 90 days, make sure you have 800K baht in a thai bank account in your name only for 2 months and then when you have 30 days left on that 90 day stamp you could apply for a yearly extension at the immigration office (and because it's from an O visa not an O-A you wouldn't need insurance).
5 years ago
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Tod *********
Get a brand new year-multi-Non-O-A visa from a thai consulate in the US while you're there <- by meeting the mandatory health insurance requirements using insurance you get there, showing proof of funds from your bank there, and submitting the same documentation you did before to get the old O-A you were on).
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Tod *********
Okay what I believe is happening here is a misuse of terminology :O AND the perils it causes when asking questions.

Let's take a minute and go over the difference between a VISA sticker and an entry stamp.

A visa is a sticker (usually from a thai consulate in another country which has an issue date, a valid until date and is sold either as a single or multiple entry.

The ENTRY stamp you get from a visa is what let's you stay IN thailand. The visa only allows you to get in for xxx days depending on the visa type. A visa can expire yet the entry stamp you get from the visa is still valid.

IN the instance of this O/P we have an O-A visa evidently issued in Aug 2018 with a valid until date of Aug 2019. That visa is good for unlimited entries during it's validity and each entry gets you stamped in for a WHOLE new year.

I believe the O/P did NOT extend their visa (which you can only be done at an immigration office BUT actually exited and re-entered the country just before the visa itself expired to get a whole new year's entry stamp taking them to Aug 2020.

The thing IS that O-A visa had a "built in" re-entry permit when it was sold (it was sold as multiple re-entry) BUT that re-entry feature is ONLY valid for the length of the visa (in the O/P's case until Aug 2019.

SO even though they had an ENTRY STAMP allowing them to stay IN thailand until 2020, if they wanted to leave and come back and get stamped in until that date again (wanted to keep that entry stamp 'alive' while they were out of the country) they would have had to BUY a re-entry permit before they left the country. Otherwise that entry stamp (the actual stamp that lets you stay IN thailand) canceled when you stamped out of the country.
@Ri**
 correct me if I'm wrong on any of this please as far as what you did
5 years ago
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Ellie *******
@T**
,I think the explanation about re-entry permit is making a kind of confusion to some people. Real re-entry permit which you buy works to keep your current existing entry stamp alive, and you can stay only until the same date. So-called built-in re-entry right works a bit differently. You will get a NEW stamp with NEW admitted until date. You need a "real" re-entry permit only when you come back to Thailand after the visa itself expired and before your current admitted until date. I understand this is an obvious and tiny point no need to be mentioned for you regulars here. Still, this may be one of the reasons that make many other people (who are not really familiar with their visas) confused about when they need an actual re-entry permit. To call it in a bit different way (which I have no idea so far..) might help some people.

This is totally my personal opinion. Maybe here is not the right place to comment. I apologize if it goes off-topic.
5 years ago
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Rick ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
 you assessed the situation correctly. Guess I will have to take the next step which is to somehow apply inside Thailand for an extension of stay based upon retirement, with the 800k in a Thai bank.
5 years ago
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Rick ***********
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Wannikea *********
Usually there will be a rectangular red notice stamp in your passport beside your extension of stay stamp warning you to get a re-entry permit to keep your stay alive.
5 years ago
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Wannikea *********
I edited my comment just now to include that, thx
5 years ago
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Tod *********
ONLY on extensions of stays
5 years ago
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Tod *********
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Tom *********
Your OA visa WAS multiple entry while it was valid

A re-entry permit keeps your admitted to stamp alive
5 years ago
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Biff *******
Your permission to stay, and your visa, are now things of the past. You will need to start again. If you arrive in Thailand without a visa you will get the 30 day visa exempt entry.

As mentioned above, and in this group many times before, re entry permits should be bought before you leave in order to keep your permission to stay valid. If that’s not done your current permission to stay ends when you leave.
5 years ago
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Steve *********
Re-entry permits have to be purchased BEFORE leaving. You have to start again I think.
5 years ago
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Steve *********
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