Non immigrant O visa from Glasgow

[JimmyGreaves]

I sent an email to the embassy in hull and got this reply which is good news for me.

Thank you for your message

You would need to bring a copy of your daughters birth certificate, either Thai or English.

Regards

[DSB]

Just got my non immigrant, multi-entry visa from Glasgow. The paperwork was minimal, and all that was required was a copy of my marriage certificate and a self addressed registered envelope. This cost was 100 pounds sterling. This is done by post, and takes around three days, my passport was returned by post to an address in the UK. The very nice lady in Glasgow prefers no visitors, and normally only works mornings. The address and phone number can be found here. http://www.glasgowdirectory.info/entry/ ... ulate.html.

[jungle]

DSB
You said you got your last long stay visa in Singapore, I also live in Singapore and was told i would have to go back to the UK to apply for my Visa, is this correct. would be a pain in the arse to have to go half way round the world when i live next door almost.

[jungle]

This is all very confusing, the application forms on the UK Thai embassy site is not the same as the consulate in Birmingham, Birmingham has no mention of showing proof of income or savings etc.
The Embassy still states "proof of income of 65 grand a month or 800 grand savings in baht or equivalent currency. need to give these people a call i think.

[lomuamart]

Without looking at the sites, I think that the difference may probably be between a Non Imm OA visa and a Non Imm O.
The former can only be obtained from the Thai Embassy in your home country and the financial requirements are the same as if you extended here in Thailand annually on the basis of retirement - that's the 65K income or 800K savings. The OA is a long stay visa that gives you a year's permitted to stay stamp on arrival. The consulate in Birmingham can't issue this type of visa - nor can any other consulate in the UK for that matter.
The O visa - either single or multi-entry - can be issued by a consulate and there are no hard and fast rules about income. Normally they're given if you're over 50 or married to a Thai. Hull have recently been reined in and now require proof of 900 GBP a month income. Birmingham don't appear to be asking for proof of any finances. The O visa only gives you 90 days on arrival. With a single entry, that's it. With multi-entry you exit and return to Thailand every 90 days max and get another 90 days. You can do this as many times as you want as long as the visa is valid - validity will be one year from date of issue.
That's my take on it. Probably best to call Birmingham to check they don't want anything in addition to what's listed on their site. If you want the OA, then it's got be London and you'll need to prove the finances and get a police and doctor's certificate. See here for full details of the OA:
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/2482.php?id=2493
Hope the above is clear.

[jungle]

lomuamart, thanks for your advice, I may be leaving Singapore in October and as i have a house south of Hua Hin it makes sense to move here on a permanent basis, I was hoping not to have to go back to the UK but as we want to stay in Thailand without having to leave every 90 days then its the O-A visa we need.
Bloody England in October, can't think of owt worse.

[lomuamart]

Not necessarily. Are you over 50 or married to a Thai? If the answer's yes to either or both of those, then you should be able to get a Non O visa in Singapore - not sure if they'll issue multi-entry but the single should be easy.
Let's assume the single entry, so you'll get 90 days on arrival here. During the last 30 days you can apply for an annual extension at Imm in HH.
If you're over 50, then they'll want to see either 800K in a Thai bank account (and it must have been in there for 3 months prior to application and not fallen below that figure) or an overseas income of minimum 65K a month and that's evidenced by a letter from the Brit Embassy in BKK. Or you can use a combination method of savings and income as long as they total over 800K for the year.
The requirements for marriage to a Thai are 400K or 40K a month. There's no combination option.
So, potentially, you can extend for a year here. No need to leave the country every 90 days but you must report to HH in HH every 90 days. That's painless.
If you get the extension and want to leave Thailand for whatever reason, you just get a re-entry permit from Imm here and off you go. Your year's extension remains good on your return and you'll be stamped in for the full term.
The only tricky bit would be if you're going down the savings route and havn't got things organised yet. Your 90 days on a single-entry Non O won't give you enough time to season the money. So, just nip down to Penang and get another single-entry O and you'll be fine.
There are easy ways around having to exit Thailand every 90 days.
Any other questions, just fire away.

[Nereus]

Lomu: is`nt the first extension of a Non 0 visa still money in the Bank for 60 days, not 90?

[moja]

Lomu: is`nt the first extension of a Non 0 visa still money in the Bank for 60 days, not 90?

Just doing our first extension and having checked with immigration we have been assured that for this time only the money only needs to be in the bank for 60 days and there after it must be there for 90 days! If it is any different will let you know in a couple of week's time!!!

[lomuamart]

You're both correct, but I just wasn't sure how HH Imm applied that regulation so erred on the side of caution and said 90 days for the first extension.
If it's 60 days, as it should be, then jungle will find it easier to season the savings if on a single entry Non O.

[jungle]

Lomu, we are both over 50 and as it will be october before i leave Singapore so that sounds ok with the savings in the thai bank long enough, i will need to check with the Singapore Thai Embassy if they can issue us with the O visa. When i called them just before i came here this time they were not at all helpful.
the 800K is each and not a couple is that correct, and are the police report and medical report still required for a non O visa. and when i apply for the extension can i get this with the multi entry?.
Sorry to have to ask what may seem like so many dumb questions but the more i read on the subject the more screwed up i get.

[moja]

If you are married and the account is in a single name then you only need one lot of 800K as your wife can piggyback your application. A new requirement by Immigration here in HH is that your Marriage certificate is notarised by the Embassy in BKK; went there this week for that purpose only to be told that London has said that they can only issue a letter of affirmation so hopefully that will satisfy HH immigration!

There is no need for a police report or medical report if you are doing the retirement extension here in Thailand.

By the way the Embassy in Bangkok has new opening hours; they are now only open from 0800 - 1100 Monday to Friday - the web site has not yet been updated. It is very much quieter there now that they no longer issue Passports.

[DSB]

DSB
You said you got your last long stay visa in Singapore, I also live in Singapore and was told i would have to go back to the UK to apply for my Visa, is this correct. would be a pain in the arse to have to go half way round the world when i live next door almost.

Hi, Jungle,

I have had 5 non immigrant O visa's from Singapore, and recently they have demanded poof of income or money in the bank. I am employed by a Singapore company, and have a bank account in Singapore, so I was able to give a Singapore address, proof of income etc in Singapore. They have accepted my current bank balance in Singapore as ok, no need to keep the cash in the bank for 90 days. I am not sure about if you visit Singapore for a visa, perhaps proof of income in a Thai bank would be ok.

Iomuamart - the Thai embassy website does mention proof of income, but when I applied for my non imm O in Glasgow, it was not necessary.

[lomuamart]

jungle,
moja has the latest on the requirements for married couples. You shouldn't need medical and police reports for the O visa either.
Yes, you can extend on a multi-entry O. It's the same as for a single entry and applications can be made within the last 30 days of any 90 day entry stamp.
The only thing is that I don't know whether you'll get a multi from Singapore. DSB will be your expert there but I'm not clear if the income/savings requirements are needed for a multi-entry or single entry O, or for both.
DSB - just looked at the Embassy site and you're quite correct that 900 GBP a month is mentioned so it's the same as Hull. Evidently, they havn't caught up with Birmingham yet but maybe the MFA here will in due course?

[jungle]

Thank you everyone this advise has been a great help