Arrive on Tourist Entry and get an O Visa and Retirement O-A

[SunandFun]

Just back from Immigration and wanted to share this information.
If you arrive on a Tourist Stamp for 30 days, (any country) You can bring all of your documents and income proof, photos, etc. to Immigration and pay 2000 Baht for an "O" Visa and then pay 1900 Baht for a "O-A (retirement) extension." This will be good for 15 months. Add to this the Re-entry permit charge if needed and you are set.
I was planning to get a Re-entry permit (100 Baht single entry) so I would not loose my "O" Visa extension. I was stamped in "valid until November 1, 2014." I had a trip end of March to return in May. Was planning to do the O-A Retirement extension at that time. I pay an additional 1000 baht extra, (1000 Baht for Re-entry vs. 2000 Baht for a new "O" Visa.) But I gain 3 extra months plus the time I am gone (April).
So in my scenario, this is the best way to move forward I think.

?Question?
1) After the 15 month "O-A" extension, do you renew every 12 months there after, year after year?
2) What is the earliest that you can renew your "O-A" extension? Normal is last 30 days, but how much earlier will they allow, if you will not be here during your renewal date or the 30 days prior?

[lomuamart]

Couple of things:
1. I think you're talking about a visa exempt stamp, good for 30 days, in the first instance? No such thing as a tourist stamp and not all countries are eligible for the 30 days. Some have to apply for a visa on arrival but they generally are not western nations.
2. To progress the visa exempt stamp to a Non O visa, you need to do so with at least 15 left of the 30 days you get.
3. HH Imm have their "ways" but normally one would get the O visa upgrade first, good for a further 90 days, and then apply again for the annual extension within the last 30 days of that. Similar proof of income and/or savings are required at each stage.
4. After the O visa has run its course (or within 30 days of that), you get an annual extension to the O visa based usually on retirement or marriage to a Thai national. You don't go anywhere near an OA visa which are only given at Embassies in your home country. The original O visa, despite having expired is what you extend off each year, ad infinitum.
5 Re-entry permits are 1,000 (not 100) THB for single, 3,800 for multiple.
6, Difficult to understand what you mean by "extra" in your scenario. Normal costs are 2,000 to upgrade to O visa, 1,900 to extend for a year and 1,000/3,800 for re-entry permit. You've got 15 months because Imm have done two stages, that are normally kept separate, at the same time namely upgrade and extension. The upgrade would give you 90 days and the extension a year so there's your 15 months. That's normal.
To answer your questions:
1. Again, you'll have an annual extension, not an OA visa or anything to do with it unless Imm are doing something really strange and yes you extend every year, within 30 days of the permitted to stay stamp expiring. Ad ininitum. You've just got to make sure you're here at the right time.
2. Think I've already covered that and you've answered your own question. In some instances, Imm may be flexible to extend again more than 30 days before but you'll need a good reason and be persuasive.

Hope the above makes sense.

[Gregjam]

So if you have an O multi entry 90 day/visit visa (Thai Wife) which will expire more than a month into the future and you are due to leave for work and will not return until after the visa expires. Can you get a re-entry permit based on this locally. Sounds a lot easier than having to apply abroad all the time. Or does this mean you can enter on a 30 day entry (UK national arriving without visa) and then upgrade it to an O multi entry locally.
Sorry but am a bit confused about all this. If you can how long does this all take.

[Brit Jim]

Just back from Immigration and wanted to share this information.
If you arrive on a Tourist Stamp for 30 days, (any country) You can bring all of your documents and income proof, photos, etc. to Immigration and pay 2000 Baht for an "O" Visa and then pay 1900 Baht for a "O-A (retirement) extension." This will be good for 15 months.

Sounds like a a Breeze. Glad you got a good result!

For a single guy I presume the income proof was either the 800K in the bank for 3 months or a letter from the Embassy confirming monthly income exceeding 65K per month.

[lomuamart]

All the re-entry permit does is keep your permission to stay alive.
So, with the multi-entry O visa, that's all used up I assume - ie you're on your last 90 day entry - the re-entry permit will allow you to leave the country and on returning you'll be stamped in until the previous permitted to stay date. It won't give you any more time. If you leave without the permit, you lose the remainder of the 90 days you're currently on.
Re-entry permits are obtained locally but they won't really help as they give no more time. People who get them are those on annual extensions with say 9 months remaining who leave the country. The permit keeps the extension alive. (Same goes for any permission to stay whether on 30 day visa exempt, tourist visa etc).
Yes, you can upgrade your 30 day visa exempt stamp to a non O at Imm here but you need 15 days left on the permission to stay and you must satisfy the financial and other regulations that exist for annual extensions.
As long as paperwork is in order then you should get the upgrade there and then. Non O good for 90 days then return within the last 30 days to get an annual extension to the O visa - same paperwork needed again.
However, as S&F has posted, HH Imm let him do both stages in one.
If you're thinking of getting an O visa this way regularly, I'd be careful. The upgrade is supposed to be for those who want the annual extension and Imm are going to ask you why you're not applying for it and in all likelihood will turn down subsequent applications. You'll be told to apply abroad.
If you're coming here regularly and qualify for an extension then consider getting one. All you'll need is the re-entry permit to allow you to travel afterwards and be back here at the right time each year to renew.
If you need advice as to what's necessary for the extension, ask away.

[SunandFun]

Thanks a bunch Lomu! Sorry about the typo "100 Baht should be 1000 Baht" as you mentioned.
Since the "O" Visa is issued here in Thailand and not in your country of residence, I think they will require you to immediately file for your "Extension to Stay based on retirement." As you said, you would normally not be able to get an "O" Visa here. (Non Immigration) So you had better have your house in order with all the needed documents and financial verifications. The only reason I was considering this option is my wife is still traveling on a standard 30 day permission to stay as a US Citizen. If we are to have the same expired dates, It cost me 1000 Baht more to get a second "Non Imm. O Visa" as opposed to getting a Re-entry permit and keeping my "O" final 90 days alive. May be too much too remember to have two different dates. I was not aware that I could even get a second Non Imm. O Visa as I heard they were tightening down on issuing these, so to find out today I could come on a Tourist entry from US and get everything here was a big relief. Gives me more options. Glad you told me about the 15 days needed remaining on your extension date. Always learning and really great we have a Guru to guide us. Thanks!