entry visas

[lisa]

lomuamart,
took your advice and started the app process for a non-immigrant-o visa for purpose of retirement. was a little stumped on what to put in the blk 'length of stay '. so call thai embassy in washington d.c. the young lady said i could not apply for a ni-o visa from u.s, only a tourist visa w/ a 60 day stay. do you think it would do any good to call the los angeles thai embassy ? any advice would be appreciated

[moja]

I would suggest your try a Thai consulate rather than the Embassy they always seem easier to deal with.

[lisa]

lomuamart- took you previous advice and began the process to apply for a non-immigrant-o visa. was a little stumped as to what to put in the blk "length of stay" so I called the th embassy in wash D.C. The lady there said I could not apply for a ni-o visa that I can only get a 60 day tourist visa. do you think it would help to call the embassy in los angeles? hope you can steer me in the right direction!

[Big Boy]

If you look at the link Steve gave to you, you will see that you can apply for a non-immigrant O ........ if of course, you qualify for one.

[lisa]

thanks to all on their replies to my last two visa threads, w/ the exception of sateeb. I asked several questions because I had them. in the end the referenced thread provided the answers I had heard would work. If you folks don't like back and forth conversation why have this forum? again thanks for the very kind help provided by most.

[sateeb]

Lisa

I wasn't being unfriendly. I was asking a pertinent question as to why you would want to start a new thread when one already exists for the questions you have.

If one Thai Embassy/consulate in the USA is not willing to grant a Non Imm visa then you will have to try others that will.

http://www.thaiconsulatela.org/service_ ... link_id=34

Try this site.....

[lisa]

sorry sateen, i took your comments wrong. I'm an old fart and never been on a forum such as this or any for that matter. did not know you could shop embassies for the desired result. It seems as though the thai officials are very fluid an just what is required. my end game is to try and not have to spend the $1700 dollars for a return trip I hope to never. that and all i wan to do is to be able to retire in th. You folks know better perhaps how to work the system so i'm trying to get some good advice. and indeed I have. But when I try and execute some of it from here I'm told,no! e.g. that my wife can get a ni-o retirement visa because her hubby is an old fart and can get on(maybe). The embassy says no. Guess it would be best to shop that also w/ another thai embassy here.

[lisa]

johnnyk and roel: sage advice. Indeed I've studied many countries to retire in for the past 6 years w/ a heavy concentration on th.
I've lived in some 58 countries, but th has some of the most complicated visa rules. not to mention no one in the th gov't can even seem to agree what the rules are. and my friend I was in th during the war and agree it is a nice place. just searching for the best and cheapest way to get in the door.

[Big Boy]

lisa, generally this is a very friendly forum that will endeavor to answer most questions that are asked. However, it is a small forum, and we try to restrict the places where a single subject is being discussed. As such, I have merged this thread with your original thread.

lomuamart is very good at what he does, and he will provide you with all of the information that you require - however, it might take him some time to get all of the relevant information that he needs from you.

Please be patient, and everything will become clear. Hopefully you will be steered towards a trouble free transition to Thailand.

[lomuamart]

For a Non O visa, the length of stay you enter is the length of the visa itself. So for single entry, put 90 days. For multiple entry, put 1 year. Non O visas only come in those two varieties.
The reason that consulates are more "user-friendly" than Embassies is down to money. Embassies work directly for their governments and any visa income dosn't "belong" to them. With consulates, the dividing line is more blurred. With honoury consulates, the money's theirs, so they'll be the most user friendly.
I'm not American, so can't advise which mission will be the most user-friendly, but as a general rule of thumb, consulates and especially honoury consulates will always be more co-operative.

[dtaai-maai]

... so I called the th embassy in wash D.C. The lady there said I could not apply for a ni-o visa that I can only get a 60 day tourist visa. do you think it would help to call the embassy in los angeles?

Just to clarify and support the last few posts, lisa, there is only one embassy per country. So the Thai embassy to the USA will be in Washington - all the others will be consulates or the equivalent.

[Big Boy]

The website of the Thai consulate in NY has some relevant information:
http://www.thaiconsulnewyork.com/english/visatype.php

lisa, STEVE G has served it on a silver plater for you.

[johnnyk]

I have heard that the Denver consulate is very easy-going.

[lisa]

Update!!
looks like we have the problems solved. Will get a tourist visa-multiple entry even w/ one-way ticket. Embassy folks said some agents don't bother requiring a return ticket, and for those that do one can use purchase a ticket to a country close by. Always wanted to return to VN anyway. Also checked w/ AIr China,our carrier, and they didn't have a problem w/us not having a round trip ticket since we are retired and might move about. So thanks to all for all the input and good advice. Once we get on the ground I hope to get a NI-OA. If not that we'll get an "ED" and study Thai!!!!

[Big Boy]

lisa, I know it's a solution, but it sounds more like a Plan B rather than Plan A. Obtaining the Non-Immigrant O (not Non-Immigrant OA) should be as easy as obtaining the tourist visa. I agree, the OA is a bit of a pain, and I personally (on the recommendation of this forum) avoided it. So long as you can prove you have the funds or income, the Non-Immigrant O should be easy enough to get.