Converting a tourist visa

[marcus1]

To save all the stress to get done before you leave I would just go home for xmas and come back on a 30 day and buy a cheap throw away ticket to anywhere out of Thailand to satisfy immigration.
Before you leave get the 800K into a Thai bank account ( Bangkok bank is best as I said before ) for future monthly deposits for monthly income renewal next time.
Once back apply for the non o asap and once got then covert to 1 year retirement extension.
Saves the stress...!!!!!!!!!

[sometimewoodworker]

To save all the stress to get done before you leave I would just go home for xmas and come back on a 30 day and buy a cheap throw away ticket to anywhere out of Thailand to satisfy immigration.
Before you leave get the 800K into a Thai bank account ( Bangkok bank is best as I said before ) for future monthly deposits for monthly income renewal next time.
Once back apply for the non o asap and once got then covert to 1 year retirement extension.
Saves the stress...!!!!!!!!!

Bangkok bank is only the best choice if you want to renew on the basis of income
krunsri has a better long term deposit rate than any other I know of.

[marcus1]

That's what I said sometimewoodworker..
Bangkok bank is best for income renewal...
No need to repeat...!!!

[parrot]

At the risk of giving a friend outdated info......he's having problems navigating the application for Non-O from the consulate in the US. He already has 800k in a Thai bank.
Can he arrive as a tourist and then apply for Non-O at immigration before his 30days (or 45, whatever it is these days) are up? Is there anything else he needs to be aware of before coming?

[tamada]

I think it's apply when there's not less than 30 days validity remaining on whatever entitlement he was granted on arrival. STWW will correct or confirm.

[pipoz4444]

At the risk of giving a friend outdated info......he's having problems navigating the application for Non-O from the consulate in the US. He already has 800k in a Thai bank.
Can he arrive as a tourist and then apply for Non-O at immigration before his 30days (or 45, whatever it is these days) are up? Is there anything else he needs to be aware of before coming?

I may be wrong, but from several recent experiences of friends (recent being some 12 - 18 months back), both arrived in Thailand on their Tourist Visa and then both ended up converting over to Non -O Visas after a period in Thailand, without an issue.

My understanding is that towards the end of their initial 30 Day Tourist Visa, they applied for an extension to that initial Tourist Visa. Then mid way through the extended period of the Tourist Visa, they then applied for their Non O Visa

One did it in Bangkok at the Chaeng Watthana Immigration Office and the other I think was in Khon Kaen. Both were aged in their late 60's, both already had the 800K sitting in the Thai Bank account for the past 2 years, both are single not married and both have properties in their own name in Thailand. One has a pension and the other is self funded.

How long the 800K has been in a Thai Bank, may be an issue for your friend, I am not sure

You might PM to Maaka, as I think he may have been through this process, recently or PM STWW

This Link may be useful viewtopic.php?f=130&t=53628

Then again, Rules change in Thailand almost daily so it is hard to keep up with the status quo

pipoz4444

[sometimewoodworker]

At the risk of giving a friend outdated info......he's having problems navigating the application for Non-O from the consulate in the US. He already has 800k in a Thai bank.
Can he arrive as a tourist and then apply for Non-O at immigration before his 30days (or 45, whatever it is these days) are up? Is there anything else he needs to be aware of before coming?

To précis the rulings.
He can arrive either visa exempt (45 day admission at the moment) or with a tourist visa, there is a different form for each one when he applies for a Non-O TM87 & TM86 the fee is ฿2,000

By the letter of the regulations to convert to a Non-O he must have 15 days remaining on his permission to stay (some offices require 21 days CM is one)

The 800k must be in his account on the day of application (earlier is OK)

By the letter of the regulations to convert to a Non-O for retirement he must prove that the 800k has come from outside Thailand [rule 5.3] (some offices will permit a long term Thai deposit, some will insist on a new 800k deposit from overseas, Udon is known to allow the long term deposit, the definition of long term is imprecise )

Then within the last 30~45 days he can apply for a retirement extension (Udon is up to 45 days, some offices limit it to 30 days. the fee is ฿1,900 (Udon will not have change if you give 2 x 1,000 notes)

[jackspratt]

Is anyone aware whether Udon Immo will convert a 30 day Permitted to Stay stamp (ie standard inward "tourist" stamp without visa at the airport) to a 12-month extension based on marriage?

[sometimewoodworker]

Is anyone aware whether Udon Immo will convert a 30 day Permitted to Stay stamp (ie standard inward "tourist" stamp without visa at the airport) to a 12-month extension based on marriage?

My answer above is still accurate.

No office will, or can, directly convert a Visa exempt entry into a 12 month extension. However, Udon will allow you to apply for a non-O Visa as long as you have at least 15 days (possibly 21 days) left on your Visa exempt entry. This will give you a 90 day permission to stay and within the last 30 days You can apply for a 12 month extension.

If you don’t have at least 20 days left on your Visa exempt entry, you can get a 30 day extension of your permission to stay which will give you time to apply for the non-O Visa.

So while the answer is no, in practice. The answer is yes you just have to do a few more steps before getting to the 12 month extension.

[jackspratt]

Thanks woody.

I will look again closer to the time.