Non Immigrant O or OA Visa

[vidmaster]

Thanks

[pipoz4444]

All ready to go to the Thai Embassy on Monday 3 February 2019, to apply for my Non Immigrant O A Visa.

Have the following Original document and associated copies, to take with me,

Original Passport
Copy of Original Passport - Signed by me
Copy of Current RP (both sides with 3 months or more remaining before expiry) - Signed by me
3 x Completed Visa Application Forms with Photo attached to each, downloaded and typed from Thai Embassy website
Copy of Apartment Condo Title showing my Name as Owner
Copy of Apartment Blue Book
Current copy of Electricity Account in my Name as Owner
Previous 6 months copies of Overseas Bank Statements, (duly signed & stamped by Bank) dated 19 January 2019
Copy of Thai Bank Account, with TB 800,000 or equivalent in USD, updated on 29 January 2019 (Take Original Thai Bank Book to Embassy)
Salary letter from Employer addressed to Royal Thai Embassy in ....., with CV attached, dated 22 Jan 2019
Original & Copy of Police Clearance Certificate from ............attested by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 23 Jan 2019
Original "Medical Certificate for Certifying Health" from the Bangkok Hospital in Udon Thani, obtained on 28 Jan 2019
Copy of next Airline Booking/Ticket for February 2019 Travel, in and out of Thailand


Should know by 10 February 2019

pipoz4444

[sometimewoodworker]

Sometime before the end of your second year, or earlier if your employment situation is likely to change you will probably want to get another OA visa, as depending on your personal financial situation the new changes to the money in the bank rules for an extension of stay could be onerous.

[pipoz4444]

Sometime before the end of your second year, or earlier if your employment situation is likely to change you will probably want to get another OA visa, as depending on your personal financial situation the new changes to the money in the bank rules for an extension of stay could be onerous.

Maybe, but then again, Onerous is relevant to ones circumstance, at the time.

I suspect that over time or in the next few years the Thai Immigration Authority will up the monetary amount that Expats will need to keep in the Thai Bank, in order to qualify for their respective Visa types. In all probability the TB 800,000 will increase to TB 1,000,000 or maybe more, and or the monthly income amount will increase from TB 65,000 per month to TB 80,000 plus per month, to qualify.

It's inevitable that Thai Government will increase their respective Bond/Income amount in the years to come, as incomes rise in Thailand. I am sure it the amount was less than TB 800,000, some 20 years ago. Could be wrong.

If for no other reason, the Government will increase the Bond/Income amounts and then add other requirements, such as Health Insurance etc to top it up, as a means to restrict the numbers of those wishing to retire or live out their years in Thailand. Other Countries have used similar monetary measures to prevent people immigrating or retiring to their Countries.

Will deal with it, if and when it happens.

pipoz4444

[sometimewoodworker]

It's inevitable that Thai Government will increase their respective Bond/Income amount in the years to come, as incomes rise in Thailand. I am sure it the amount was less than TB 800,000, some 20 years ago. Could be wrong.

pipoz4444

The last change detail is in the amendment it was in 1998 and grandfathered for those who have had an extension continuously since then, over 60's need 200,000 between 55 and 60 need 500,000, off course there are fewer each year who qualifie.

So there is hope that any change could also be grandfathered, though others increases have not been.

[Wide Awake]

I really don't think incomes are rising....the cost of everything is rising. On the outside it looks better(?), but basically, only all the numbers have risen. Nothing really changes, only, yes, more do get knocked off . I am watching for the dollar to crash and how this will effect VISA requirements. Also, if your country has a civil war break out, will you be forced back there, if you cannot reach your VISA requirements, next time around? A devaluation of a currency only creates "unrealistic' numbers. Example: if a dollar can buy a loaf of bread, but now, it takes 1,000 dollars to buy that same loaf of bread..what has changed? So, could a VISA requirement become 25 million Thai baht? So when they (FED) decides to take down the dollar, and they will soon, this will have effects on all world currencies, because they are all connected now. I'm all for going to a New VISA system, where things are more realistic. The system now caters to those with money access. Why should I need 800,000tb in my account just to get a One year VISA? I would never need that much money for one year here in Thailand.

[pipoz4444]

It's inevitable that Thai Government will increase their respective Bond/Income amount in the years to come, as incomes rise in Thailand. I am sure it the amount was less than TB 800,000, some 20 years ago. Could be wrong.

pipoz4444

The last change detail is in the amendment it was in 1998 and grandfathered for those who have had an extension continuously since then, over 60's need 200,000 between 55 and 60 need 500,000, off course there are fewer each year who qualifie.

So there is hope that any change could also be grandfathered, though others increases have not been.

That would be nice if the Thai Government "Grandfathered", in a few years time, for those who already have their Visa's granted based on the 800K.

pipoz4444

[pipoz4444]

Well, I am lost for words? But not totally unexpected

Today’s try at the Thai Embassy in Q

I presented the following documents for my application for my Thai Non-immigrant “O-A” visa (1 Year Multi Entry)

Original Passport
Copy of Original Passport, Signed by me
Copy of Current RP (both sides). Signed by me
3 x Completed Visa Application Forms with Photo attached to each, downloaded and typed from Thai Embassy website
Copy of Apartment Condo Title showing my Name as Owner
Copy of Apartment Blue Book
Current copy of Electricity Account in my Name as Owner
Previous 6 months copies of Overseas Bank Statements, (signed and stamped by Bank), 19 January 2019
Copy of Thai Bank Account, with TB 800,000 or equivalent in USD, updated on 29 January 2019
Salary letter from Employer addressed to Royal Thai Embassy, with CV attached, dated 22 Jan 2019
Original & Copy of Police Clearance Certificate, attested by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 23 Jan 2019
Original Medical Certificate for Certifying Health from Bangkok Hospital in Udon Thani, 28 Jan 2019
Copy of next Airline Booking/Ticket, in and out of Thailand, February 2019 Travel
=D> =D>

Counter Girl (CG):
She reviews the document and says why you name not in Blue Book (for Condo)

Me: Because I am not Thai, but you will see my name on the Chanote Title

CG: Who name in Condo Blue Book

Me: That's the previous Owner of the Condo that I bought it from

CG: She not your Wife

Me; No she was the previous Owner??

CG: She then says I will speak with Consulate and come back

CG: 15 minutes later. We don’t issue 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa’s, we only issue 6 months Long Stay Multiple Entry Visa

Me: Sorry, but my friend got his 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa from this Embassy, 2 months ago

CG: She says, Consulate say we don’t ever issue??

Me: I go out and make a phone call to my friend who got his 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa at end Nov 2018 (I should have brought his Passport with me). Then I go back inside

Now two girls at the Counter looking at my document, one the Counter Girl (who knows Jack Sh..t) and one from Admin (AD), who seems a bit more switched on. Conversation goes like this???

AD Girl: What do you want Sir =D>

Me: I would like a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa (1 Year Multiple Entry Visa)

AD Girl: Yes we can give you 12 month or 6 month?? But, she then says if I give you 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you will need to Report to the Thai Immigration every 90 Days.

Me: Not a problem, as I will go back for a holiday to Thailand every 2 months and Report to Thai Immigration, whilst I am there

AD Girl: Yes but also I need one more document from you

Me: OK, what is it you need

AD Girl: I need a letter from your current Employer in Q, saying that you will be Retiring on ............within the next 3 months.

Me: Sorry, but I am not applying for a Retirement Visa, are you confusing my Long Stay Visa request with that for a Retirement visa?

AD Girl: No, are you married to a Thai??

Me: No, I am not married!

AD Girl: If not married to a Thai, then I need a letter from your current Employer in Q, saying that you will be Retiring on ............in the next 3 months.

AD Girl: But I can give you a 6 month Long Stay Visa O-A, no Reporting????

Me: So, if I do get a 6 month Long Stay Visa O-A, can I extend it after six months, when it expires

AD Girl: No, you will need to make a new application for your six month long stay visa, you cannot extend

Me: OK thank, I will go an get my letter from my Employer, stating that I intend to Retire on................Now, I have to explain this to my Employer??

So I left with my document, contemplation my next move??


Has anybody come across these two rules very recently,
Rule 1. To get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must show evidence, i.e. a Letter from current Employer of Intention to Retire on a not too distant date or of actually have already Retired ??
Rule 2. That, if you get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must Report to the Thai Immigration (In country) every 90 days, meaning you must be in Thailand every 90 days or so

pipoz4444

[jackspratt]

If you look at the Police Order here, at point 2.22 in the first column

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwNib_ ... pXdWs/view

you can see that the "Reason of Necessity" is "In the case of retirement".

Perhaps they are just following a strict interpretation of the law.

Retirement is also stated in the updated Order found here here-is-exactly-what-s-needed-for-retir ... 49243.html

[pipoz4444]

If you look at the Police Order here, at point 2.22 in the first column

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwNib_ ... pXdWs/view

you can see that the "Reason of Necessity" is "In the case of retirement".

Perhaps they are just following a strict interpretation of the law.

Retirement is also stated in the updated Order found here here-is-exactly-what-s-needed-for-retir ... 49243.html

Thanks and Yes Item 2 "The criteria for consideration of granting.....................The Immigration Bureau shall issue an order for supporting document for the consideration to the reason and necessity of each case and shall report the same to the Royal Thai Police"

Item 5 Should quality me, if I can get to the right "competent officer to or higher than inspector is of the opinion that the Aline (that's Me) has a legitimate reason for staying in the kingdom of Thailand...............................

BUT THIS IS NOT A NEW ORDER: maybe the consulate is now interpreting the "Reason for one long stay". [-o< [-o< [-o<

Regards

pipoz4444

[sometimewoodworker]

Has anybody come across these two rules very recently,
Rule 1. To get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must show evidence, i.e. a Letter from current Employer of Intention to Retire on a not too distant date or of actually have already Retired ??
Rule 2. That, if you get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must Report to the Thai Immigration (In country) every 90 days, meaning you must be in Thailand every 90 days or so

pipoz4444

Each embassy can make up their own rules, so for number 1 its the rule in that location or the rule given by that embassy official on that day.

The embassy has nothing to do with the immigration department and clearly they do not understand the rules.
90 day reporting is only ever required if you are in Thailand for more than 90 days. if you are in Thailand for 90 days or less no report is ever needed.

AD Girl: Yes we can give you 12 month or 6 month?? But, she then says if I give you 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you will need to Report to the Thai Immigration every 90 Days.

There is no 6 month visa apart from the multi entry tourist visa which gives 60 dates each entry

[pipoz4444]

Has anybody come across these two rules very recently,
Rule 1. To get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must show evidence, i.e. a Letter from current Employer of Intention to Retire on a not too distant date or of actually have already Retired ??
Rule 2. That, if you get a 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you must Report to the Thai Immigration (In country) every 90 days, meaning you must be in Thailand every 90 days or so

pipoz4444

Each embassy can make up their own rules, so for number 1 its the rule in that location or the rule given by that embassy official on that day.

The embassy has nothing to do with the immigration department and clearly they do not understand the rules.
90 day reporting is only ever required if you are in Thailand for more than 90 days. if you are in Thailand for 90 days or less no report is ever needed.

AD Girl: Yes we can give you 12 month or 6 month?? But, she then says if I give you 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, you will need to Report to the Thai Immigration every 90 Days.

There is no 6 month visa apart from the multi entry tourist visa which gives 60 dates each entry

Thank you STWW and I am in the pursuit of my intended Retirement letter from my Employer, to satisfy the bunnies at the Thai Embassy

She (Miss AD) did say, if you get this extra letter confirming you will Retire, all will be fine and I will get my 12 month Long Stay Thai Non-immigrant O-A Visa, in front of the other Counter Girl (who doesn't appear to know much at all)

Fingers crossed and I will hopefully have another crack at the Thai process later this week

pipoz4444

[pipoz4444]

Still on the pursuit of the "Application"

I did go back to the Thai Embassy last week, with my letter from my Employer, which confirmed my of Intention to Retire on a not too distant future. She was happy with that, but then said the Consulate (apparently he is new, from late December 2018), did not like the Medical Certificate that I had just got from the Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, the week before, at a cost of TB 200.

After having explained that previously, several months earlier they (The Thai Embassy) had suggested to my colleague that he do this, because a Medical Certificate from a Thailand Hospital was preferred over that from local Hospital (here), she simply said "Sorry, this what he (The Consulate) want. He now want you to get the local (Qatar) Hospital Medical Certificate, but also get it attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So away I went and now I have a Qatar Hospital Medical Certificate, attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a total Hospital and Attestation cost of, USD 191.

This week I am back down to the Thai Embassy, will all in hand, hoping that there are no more last minute requests, from Mr C.............

pipoz4444

[Lone Star]

Still on the pursuit of the "Application"

I did go back to the Thai Embassy last week, with my letter from my Employer, which confirmed my of Intention to Retire on a not too distant future. She was happy with that, but then said the Consulate (apparently he is new, from late December 2018), did not like the Medical Certificate that I had just got from the Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, the week before, at a cost of TB 200.

After having explained that previously, several months earlier they (The Thai Embassy) had suggested to my colleague that he do this, because a Medical Certificate from a Thailand Hospital was preferred over that from local Hospital (here), she simply said "Sorry, this what he (The Consulate) want. He now want you to get the local (Qatar) Hospital Medical Certificate, but also get it attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So away I went and now i have a Qatar Hospital Medical Certificate, attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a total Hospital and Attestation cost of, USD 191.

This week I am back down to the Thai Embassy, will all in hand, hoping that there are no more last minute request for Mr C.............

pipoz4444

Thanks for the updates on all of this.

While the requests and requirements may change for the next guy, it is a prime example of how to expect anything and everything, to just smile and comply.

[pipoz4444]

Hi LS

I have learnt to be tolerant with the Thai processes over the years, if not with this Thai Embassy, then whenever ones goes into a Thai Bank for a simple issues, that seems to take hours. "Tolerance is another word for indifference"

In the pursuit of happiness in the "Land of Smiles", I will just shrug it off and try again

pipoz4444

[semperfiguy]

Still on the pursuit of the "Application"

I did go back to the Thai Embassy last week, with my letter from my Employer, which confirmed my of Intention to Retire on a not too distant future. She was happy with that, but then said the Consulate (apparently he is new, from late December 2018), did not like the Medical Certificate that I had just got from the Bangkok Hospital in Thailand, the week before, at a cost of TB 200.

After having explained that previously, several months earlier they (The Thai Embassy) had suggested to my colleague that he do this, because a Medical Certificate from a Thailand Hospital was preferred over that from local Hospital (here), she simply said "Sorry, this what he (The Consulate) want. He now want you to get the local (Qatar) Hospital Medical Certificate, but also get it attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

So away I went and now I have a Qatar Hospital Medical Certificate, attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a total Hospital and Attestation cost of, USD 191.

This week I am back down to the Thai Embassy, will all in hand, hoping that there are no more last minute requests, from Mr C.............

pipoz4444

Pipoz4444, I am curious to know if you downloaded and used the Medical Certificate that I uploaded for you from the Thai Consulate in Washington, DC. If so, I don't understand why it wasn't acceptable to the Thai Consulate where you applied for your visa.

[pipoz4444]

Hi Semperfiguy

No I went into the Bangkok Hospital in Udon Thani and the Admin person showed me a recent Form for an Expat, prepared supposedly for his Visa renewal of some sorts. Then I spoke with the Doctor and the Form they use was the same, called "Medical Certificate for Certifying Health"

In the Form in the First section it records
My address in Udon Thani
My Passport Number
Yes or No to Current Medical Condition is I have one (Doctor asks the question and I said no)
Yes or No Accident or Surgery History (Doctor asks the question and I said no)

He then does a quick medical poke/check, listens to you breath in and out, ask you to cough etc. Looks at you Leg for Elephantiasis and has a quick look for sign of Leprosy (with his gloves on)

In the Form under the second section it states/records
The Date of the Check
My Height and Weight
My Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate
States Overall Impression as "Normal"
Records that "This person is physically and mentally free from Defect (now I can tell the TG) and that i do not appear to have, Leprosy, Tuberculosis or Elephantiasis"

He then stamped and signed by the Doctor & Hospital

In and out in 30 minutes, then Pay at the front Desk, where they put the bigger Stamp on it

Regards

pipoz4444

[semperfiguy]

Hi Semperfiguy

No I went into the Bangkok Hospital in Udon Thani and the Admin person showed me a recent Form for an Expat, prepared supposedly for his Visa renewal of some sorts. The then spoke with the Doctor and the Form they use was the same, called "Medical Certificate for Certifying Health"

In the Form in the First section it records
My address in Udon Thani
My Passport Number
Yes or No to Current Medical Condition is I have one (Doctor asks the question and I said no)
Yes or No Accident or Surgery History (Doctor asks the question and I said no)

He then does a quick medical poke/check, listens to you breath in and out, ask you to cough etc. Looks at you Leg for Elephantiasis and has a quick look for sign of Leprosy (with his gloves on)

In the Form under the second section it states/records
The Date of the Check
My Height and Weight
My Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate
States Overall Impression as "Normal"
Records that "This person is physically and mentally free from Defect (now I can tell the TG) and that i do not appear to have, Leprosy, Tuberculosis or Elephantiasis"

He then stamped and signed by the Doctor & Hospital

In and out in 30 minutes, then Pay at the front Desk, where they put the bigger Stamp on it

Regards

pipoz4444

I suppose there's really no good reason why the new guy at the Thai Consulate in Qatar wouldn't accept your Medical Certificate from BKH, Udon except that perhaps that was his way of creating a hurdle for you so he could extract some money from your back pocket, and you didn't buy into it. I find it impossible to figure out what these bandits have on their minds.Happy that you did get a proper certificate from the local hospital, but man did they ever rip you off on the price and cause you a lot of extra leg work by having to go to the Minisry of Foreign Affairs. I got my Non-Immigrant O-A in the US, and from the time I mailed in all my documents to the time I received my passport back with the visa, it was a total of only 3 days. I couldn't believe the turnaround was so quick, and not a single hitch!

[pipoz4444]

Hi

And we will see what he does this time round. See if he has any more excuses up his sleeve

pipoz4444

[pipoz4444]

I now have my,

1.Local (Qatar) Hospital Medical Certificate, also attested to by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2.My second letter from my Employer stating that I will be retiring before May 2019

So all is complete, according to that requested by the Thai Consulate from my last visit.

So now back to the Thai Embassy /Consulate this coming Sunday, to see if they will accept the Application for my Long Stay Non Immigrant O A multiple entry Visa [-o< [-o<

Regards

pipo4444