O Visa question

[ken.p]

Hi Mojo, and thanks

My wife is Thai

[Dannie Boy]

Hi Dannie Boy,

That’s what I’m unsure of, I don’t want to keep doing a visa run every 90 days, so if reporting is the other option, I may as well just get the 3 month single entry O visa, then apply for an extension having all the necessary in place at the correct time before.

Ken, there are others with more experience than me on this subject, but if you can qualify for an OA visa (the qualification requirements have been mentioned many times before) then once here, all that is required is to report to imm every 90 days and you are normally in and out within 10 minutes. Providing you have the 800,000 baht in your Thai bank account, the rest should be relatively straight forward.

[lomuamart]

The easiest way to go about staying here long term is to get a Non Immigrant O visa first. Once here, then apply for an annual extension on the back of that visa.
To get the visa in the first place, you'll either need to be over 50 in which case the reason you're applying is to check out retirement here. If you're married to a Thai, then that will also be sufficient reason. Both the Thai Embassy or consulates will normally require other documentation to back your application up these days and it would be best if you check with them first as to what they want to see. (Ie, they may want to see a marriage certificate and/or proof of funds). There's no hard and fast rule on this matter any more, so checking requirements first is a wise step to avoid disappointment or unnecessary delay. As a rule of thumb, consulates will always be more "user-friendly" than an Embassy.
An OA visa has been mentioned in this thread and that is a possibility for you as long as you're over 50. However, that has to be applied for at The Thai Embassy (not a consulate who can't issue them) in your home country. To qualify, you'll definitely need to show income/savings. These do not need to be in Thailand at this stage. You'll also need a police and medical report. The advantage of this OA visa is that you'll be stamped in for a year when you arrive here. A single entry O visa will only give you 90 days. However, the paperwork necessary to get the OA visa is more stringent.
It's swings and roundabouts but if you're going to apply for an annual extension here, then the O visa will be the easiest and quickest route to get one and would be the one I'd choose if you're already organised for the extension.
The O visa can be single or multiple entry. Once you get here, you'll be stamped in for 90 days. On the single entry, that's it and your visa will be marked "USED". You'll need to have your finances sorted out within the 90 day entry stamp to get the extension. As moja has said, the advantage of a multi-entry O visa is that you'll have more time to organise yourself if necessary. The multi-entry will be valid for a year and yes, you'll have to nip out the country before 90 days to get another 90 but you have that option.
To be honest, if you're organised with savings in a Thai bank account or with proof of overseas income to present to your Embassy in BKK already, you really only need a single entry O.
Imm will normally want to see you for your annual extension within the last 30 days of any 90 day entry stamp. The process to get that is pretty straightforward especially if you're applying on the basis of retirement. I note that you're married to a Thai so that fact can also lead to an annual extension but the process will be more burdensome and if you qualify for the extension on the basis of retirement anyway (over 50 and have either 800K in a Thai bank account or overseas income of 65K a month or combination of the two as long as the total comes to more than 800K) then Imm here will push you towards the retirement option. It's less paperwork and can be issued by local offices there and then. The marriage extension has to be affirmed by BKK but processed locally. Ie, it takes more time, paperwork going to and from BKK etc. Retirement is by far and away the easiest option and you'll make Imm's life much more easy if you choose that route. They'll like you more even though you are entitled to apply on the basis of marriage.
So, to recap.
Get the O or OA visa first. Check with who you're applying to as to what they want to see. The amount of time you need to get your affairs sorted out here will determine whether either of those visas need to be single or multiple entry. Once here, on either of those visas, apply for the annual extension at the correct time with the correct paperwork. As long as you extend again a year later, there's no need for another visa. You'll always be working off the original even if it expired 10 years before. You just have to be continuous with your extensions.
Hope the above is of some help. If you need clarification on anything, fire away.

[Big Boy]

To get the visa in the first place, you'll either need to be over 50 in which case the reason you're applying is to check out retirement here.

Please bear in mind that Hull refused me on that basis a couple of weeks, so I'll be interested to hear how you get on if you go down that road. If that is the route you choose - have a 'plan B' or 'get Out of Jail Free Card' ready. Certainly leave yourself enough time to choose a different route if required.

[lomuamart]

Yes, I believe Hull have been "brought into line" regarding the O visa. You'll know more than me, BB, as you're in England and have been through the process, but won't they issue an O visa, either single or multi entry, if you can show an income of 900 GBP a month?
As I said above, it really is necessary these days to check what the Embassy/consulate require from you first.
It's usually no longer a case of submitting an application form for an O visa giving the reason you want one as "I want to stay in Thailand for a long time and I know people there".

[DSB]

If you are married to a Thai citizen, then you can get a non imm O visa, multi entry from Glasgow consulate without showing proof of income or money in the bank, as I did last year. I only showed a copy of my marriage certificate. This should be the same at all consulates in the UK. To my understanding, then this can be converted to a retirement visa at the local immigration centre here, but you have to show proof of income, or 800,000 Baht in the bank. Lumo, please correct me if I am wrong.

[Big Boy]

You'll know more than me, BB, as you're in England and have been through the process, but won't they issue an O visa, either single or multi entry, if you can show an income of 900 GBP a month?
As I said above, it really is necessary these days to check what the Embassy/consulate require from you first.

Hull were neither interested in income, savings or reason. They were only interested in me being married to a Thai - this is certainly not what it says on their website. Basically, if I couldn't prove that I was married to a Thai, I wasn't going to get a Non-Immigrant O.

[moja]

Friends - both British have just got a non-immigrant O from Hull showing monthly income which was not "quite" £900 per month! So it would seem there is not hard and fast rule at the moment!

[ken.p]

Lomuamart, Thank you for you great info.

I think, having read all the great advice here I’m going to apply for a single entry O visa. Deposit the required amount into My Thai bank account just after I arrive, then 1 month before the O visa expires (2 months after my arrival) apply for an extension on the grounds, I wish to retire in Thailand. Reporting every 90 day s renewing every year.

Hope I have the all correct.


Thank you guys a lot.

[Big Boy]

Friends - both British have just got a non-immigrant O from Hull showing monthly income which was not "quite" £900 per month! So it would seem there is not hard and fast rule at the moment!

Thanks moja - that doesn't surprise me whatsoever.

Out of interest, can you clarify 'just'? My refusal was dated 24 Feb 12.

[moja]

Friends - both British have just got a non-immigrant O from Hull showing monthly income which was not "quite" £900 per month! So it would seem there is not hard and fast rule at the moment!

Thanks moja - that doesn't surprise me whatsoever.

Out of interest, can you clarify 'just'? My refusal was dated 24 Feb 12.

beginning of this month!

[Big Boy]

Thanks - I guess they just didn't like me However, probably good practice for what faces me in the future

[lomuamart]

Lomuamart, Thank you for you great info.

I think, having read all the great advice here I’m going to apply for a single entry O visa. Deposit the required amount into My Thai bank account just after I arrive, then 1 month before the O visa expires (2 months after my arrival) apply for an extension on the grounds, I wish to retire in Thailand. Reporting every 90 day s renewing every year.

Hope I have the all correct.


Thank you guys a lot.

Remember that the saving of 800K cannot drop below that amount for the two months it needs to be seasoned. It's three months for second and subsequent extensions.
So, assuming that you'll need some spending money, you'll need to deposit more unless you have a second account or other means of getting cash.

[JimmyGreaves]

From Hull 3 days ago:

There is an option for you to apply for this visa in the fact you are over the age of 50 and what you need to provide us is a copy of a bank statement (UK) which shows either a pension being paid in or an income of £900 a month or if you have savings we could accept that as well.