Udon Thani Immigration Office

[rickfarang]

Congratulations on getting your extension so easily, Nola.

On the topic of doing 90 day reports, i think its polite to follow the laws of any country that allows you to visit.

[NOLA]

That is correct...nothing from the bank was asked for or anything else pertaining to money was required...
i did however forgot to mention the photo...it was required.

[Tafia]

I rent and dont have a yellow book, my landlord/lady lives abroad....Do I forsee a potential problem??

[rickfarang]

From all reports, yes you do. Best to head it off by going to the immigration office before your extension is due and ask them what they will require. I have done this for years with both Bangkok and Nong Kahi, and was always prepared (of course even the immigration officer's don't always know of changes in advance).

[KHONDAHM]

Pardon if this is a repeated question, but I have not come across a complete and cogent answer to my situation. I have asked at (of all places) border Immigration and the Thai Embassy in DC. They are all stuck on the fact that either I do not qualify for a retirement visa (duh!), or they think I just want to visit long-term before going back (in their minds) "home" to the US. They can't seem to fathom me actually living in Thailand as a resident no matter how many ways I try to explain it - go figure. I am returning on another new O visa (visiting family, 1 year) although I specifically told them I want the O marriage visa.

Ultimately, I want residency after 3 years.

Questions:

1. Is the O visa I have the same thing as an O marriage visa, or is that something entirely different? [Each time I get this O visa, I present marriage papers, house papers, wife's ID card, and US bank statement showing minimum US $1,000.]

2. Do I HAVE to do the visa run at 90 days or can I just take care of it a Immigration as an extension for another 90 days? Should I expect consecutive 90 day extensions (assume I stay for the entire year), or how exactly do they handle it?

3. Do I have to go back to the US for a new O next year or can I handle this at Immigration as a renewal? If I have to get it outside Thailand, can I get it in Laos?

Thanks for the feedback. Getting a relevant answer from Thai authorities eludes me...

[Philrjones]

Hi mate,

I'll give this a go, as we're in the same situation.

1. Your O visa sounds like a marriage one to me - sounds just like mine. I too present marriage papers, wifes ID card etc, so I suspect it's the same. Mine is valid for 12 months with a 90 day restriction where I have to leave and re-enter Thailand. Bear in mind that the rules for a retirement visa are not aplicable to our O visa.

2. When I was in Udon on the O visa, I did have to leave every 90 days - a quick trip over to Laos. That meant going up to Nong Kai (I took the little scooter), go to the bridge, fill out paperwork, hop on a bus and go over to Laos, fill out paperwork for arrival and pay 1300 baht, 10 mins of shopping then hopped on a bus to come back. New stamp in the passport then go home. All done in the morning. Now, someone may tell me that things have changed a bit and you don't have to actually leave Thailand - just go to the Immigration Office. I know one guy who did that, but he was on a retirement visa - not the same as ours. Please if someone knows, let us know, but as far as I know (and I've always done), I leave every 90 days and get the passport stamped. I've never been asked to show proof of income, bank balance etc - those rules don't apply for our O type visa.

3. You won't be able to get a O visa in Laos - I've tried many times even quoting their website which tells you that you can. No go - every time I went I just got a 3 month visa even though I take marriage papers etc. As for getting it renewed somewhere like Bangkok - I really don't know. The expiry of mine has always coincided with a trip back to Australia and I renew it there - no hassles and done in a day. I'll be getting a new one before I come back this time.

Yes getting an answer from the Thai authorities is really hit and miss. And even if websites say one thing, it's up to the person on the day to give/grant you the visa. As I say, I've never had any luck at the Thai consul in Vientiane despite what anyone says. Not sure why but renewing my visa in Aussie is so painless and easy.

Hope that answers a few of your questions!
Cheers
Phil

[KHONDAHM]

1. Your O visa sounds like a marriage one to me - sounds just like mine. I too present marriage papers, wifes ID card etc, so I suspect it's the same. Mine is valid for 12 months with a 90 day restriction where I have to leave and re-enter Thailand.

Yes, sounds the same. But the "leave every 90 days" is what throws me. If we are married and have a home and family there, why would we HAVE to leave? We're not tourists. We LIVE in Thailand. Boggles the mind!

2. Please if someone knows, let us know, but as far as I know (and I've always done), I leave every 90 days and get the passport stamped. I've never been asked to show proof of income, bank balance etc - those rules don't apply for our O type visa.

Again, this throws me. Showing proof of income is required for a marriage visa, but I'm never asked for that or the THB 400k in the bank. So, if that's not happening, then I am confused if I really have a marriage visa.

3. You won't be able to get a O visa in Laos

Noted. Thanks! I too have not had to worry about expiration for the same reason as you, but I foresee that I will not WANT to let it expire or go to another country to get a new one every year from 2010 onward because I want residency. Everything I read says I should be renewing, not getting a new one. This throws me, too, and makes me think I don't really have a marriage visa... l

Thanks for the feedback, Phil! =D>

[nkstan]

KD,I am interested in why you want residency,what is the advantage as you see it?They are all temporary at best,iMO!

[jackspratt]

KD it is important to get the terminology correct, so you have a better understanding of the system.

The is no O visa based on marriage (or retirement). What you get in another country is an O visa for a specified purpose eg visiting friends. This is issued by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs ie the Embassy (or their consular agent), and not Thai Immigration.

When you arrive in Thailand, you are then given a "permitted to stay" stamp in your passport by Thai Immigration, generally based on the type and conditions of your visa eg 12 months stay.

At some time during that period, you can apply to Thai Immigration for a 12 month "extension of stay", based on, eg, marriage, or retirement. It is at this juncture you must jump all the Immigration hurdles - money in the bank, proof of marriage etc etc. And you can do this annually, in Thailand, without the need to obtain a further O visa.

I am not sure of the intricacies of 90 day border runs, as I have never had to do one. I have a 12 month non O-A visa (issued in Oz), based on retirement. This does not require trips around the bridge.

[parrot]

KD,
Given a choice of marriage versus retirement visas, the retirement visa is the easiest to obtain. No waiting, less paperwork. But you have to be 50 and you have to meet the savings/income requirements. If you don't meet those requirements, then a marriage visa is the way to go.
Either marriage or retirement visas only require 90 day reports to Immigration. You aren't required to leave the country ever as long as you keep your paperwork squared away.
As for residency after 3 years....good luck. It's not easy, it's expensive, and ultimately, there's no bang for the buck. Lots of info on thaivisa.com about the process.

[mortiboy]

Shortly, I will be applying for a retirement visa.
As the GBP is weak now, My savings/income combination now does not meet the requirements.
As most know,any savings below the 800,000 baht required must be deposited three months prior to application.
I have a short fall of 21,000 baht.If I top up this amount one week before applying,
Will that suffice? or tell me come back again.(which by then my non immigrant visa will expire!)
What you think anyone?

[BobHelm]

If you look at this post by Dero then it looks like you do have a serious problem Morti.
http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/h ... 16110.html

[trubrit]

Shortly, I will be applying for a retirement visa.
As the GBP is weak now, My savings/income combination now does not meet the requirements.
As most know,any savings below the 800,000 baht required must be deposited three months prior to application.
I have a short fall of 21,000 baht.If I top up this amount one week before applying,
Will that suffice? or tell me come back again.(which by then my non immigrant visa will expire!)
What you think anyone?

Actually Morti when I was doing my 90day recently there was a guy with his TW making application for a marriage visa. He apparently had enough funds in an account but 20k hadn't been in there for 3 months . His wife was having a right old go at the Imm officer which I thought would really pee him off but he kept his cool and told her to take him over the bridge , come back with a tourist 60 day then come and see him before that expired and providing he hadn't touched the money in the bank he would give her the one year O marriage then .I remember the encounter because I thought , listening to his wife going on about stupid govt etc etc .I really thought he would blow up. He was a face I had never seen before and I thought then, what a refreshing change from NK .

[Prenders88]

Do the Immigration Dept. still require a collection of photographs (couples bedroom,)/map of the location from house to the immigration office, from applicants who require the I year `O' marriage visa?

I think I saw an arcticle about it in the Udonmap magazine a couple of years back.

[Flo]

1. Your O visa sounds like a marriage one to me - sounds just like mine. I too present marriage papers, wifes ID card etc, so I suspect it's the same. Mine is valid for 12 months with a 90 day restriction where I have to leave and re-enter Thailand.

Yes, sounds the same. But the "leave every 90 days" is what throws me. If we are married and have a home and family there, why would we HAVE to leave? We're not tourists. We LIVE in Thailand. Boggles the mind!

When you are coming to Thailand with a non immigrant visa cathegory -o- multiple entry which can only be issued in an embassy outside Thailand and mean, that you are married to a Thai person (category -B- would mean business), you can stay in Thailand up to 90 days continuously without having to leave the country. Within 1 year you can travel abroad as often as you like so that if you would leave and re-enter Thailand on the 365th day you could ultimately stay 90 days on still the same visa. That´s the visa.

2. Please if someone knows, let us know, but as far as I know (and I've always done), I leave every 90 days and get the passport stamped. I've never been asked to show proof of income, bank balance etc - those rules don't apply for our O type visa.

Again, this throws me. Showing proof of income is required for a marriage visa, but I'm never asked for that or the THB 400k in the bank. So, if that's not happening, then I am confused if I really have a marriage visa.

The proof of income is only required for the one year permission to stay which is not a visa but based on the non immigrant visa. For the one year permission to stay based on Thai marriage you have to prove income from abroad of min. 40.000 THB/month or 400.000 THB on a bank account.
So if you finally want the permanent residency you have to apply for the non immi in your home country based on marriage, than you can apply for the one year permission to stay in Thailand and after having renewed the one year permission for three times you than can start applying for the permanent residency.

[KHONDAHM]

The proof of income is only required for the one year permission to stay which is not a visa but based on the non immigrant visa...So if you finally want the permanent residency you have to...apply for the one year permission to stay in Thailand...

There ya go! That is the piece to the puzzle that was never explained to me. =D> Thanks to you and others for the feedback. Now, my follow-on question is:

When is the earliest and latest I can I apply for the one year permission to stay? Anytime after arrival or nearer/at the time my O is due to expire?

[KHONDAHM]

KD,I am interested in why you want residency,what is the advantage as you see it?They are all temporary at best,iMO!

Fair question. Long answers. All of which are discussed in this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Benefits- ... 75175.html

In addition to those considerations and with my family in Thailand, I am committed to living out my days in Thailand until they roast marshmallows over me at the pyre. So I think of it as a type of insurance: "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." AND over the long-term, it will cost less.

[Flo]

The proof of income is only required for the one year permission to stay which is not a visa but based on the non immigrant visa...So if you finally want the permanent residency you have to...apply for the one year permission to stay in Thailand...

There ya go! That is the piece to the puzzle that was never explained to me. =D> Thanks to you and others for the feedback. Now, my follow-on question is:

When is the earliest and latest I can I apply for the one year permission to stay? Anytime after arrival or nearer/at the time my O is due to expire?

The earliest for applying for the -one year permission- is one month before your -non immi -o--expires. If you have a -multiple non immi -o- -you can take your time up to the last day of the 365 days validity, go abroad and re-enter the same day and wait another two months until the last month of the 90 day time period ,that you got with your last re-entry, has started. I will travel to Thailand with a -non immi -0- single entry- and apply for the -one year permission to stay- after two months immediately because the -multiple entry non immi- is quite expensive and in actual fact does not give you any advantage.


Edit: Actually this is not 100% correct! The earliest is the last month of the 90 day time period that you get when you enter Thailand, never mind how long your visa is still valid. :-"

[KHONDAHM]

...If you have a -multiple non immi -o- -you can...go abroad and re-enter the same day...

Thanks, again! One more follow-up to confirm and I think it will all be sorted for me. Do I HAVE to do a visa run at 90 days?

I know this has been answered above by posters, but the authorities at the Thai Embassy in DC said I could take care of it at Immigration without doing a visa run, OR I could do the visa run. Seemed to me they were confusing extension with renewal because I got that infamous deer in the road look when I asked for clarification.

Thanks again for the help.

[Flo]

...If you have a -multiple non immi -o- -you can...go abroad and re-enter the same day...

Thanks, again! One more follow-up to confirm and I think it will all be sorted for me. Do I HAVE to do a visa run at 90 days?

I know this has been answered above by posters, but the authorities at the Thai Embassy in DC said I could take care of it at Immigration without doing a visa run, OR I could do the visa run. Seemed to me they were confusing extension with renewal because I got that infamous deer in the road look when I asked for clarification.

Thanks again for the help.

Yes, if you are staying on a visa the normal way to handle it is to leave Thailand and either re-enter with a new visa or to take the advantage of the multiple entry status of your current visa. You could ask for an extension at the immigration office but it is not the common way. If you are living in Thailand on basis of a one year permission you have to say hello to the people working at the immigration office every 90 days. You do not have to leave the country but if you do, ask for a multiple re-entry permission first otherwise your one year permission becomes invalid and you have to apply the whole thing again.

By the way: this is all valid until 31.12.2009 max!! some regulations or the whole lot may or may not change soon.