Renewal of O/A Visa after the first year

[exbrit]

I am approaching the end of my first year with my O/A visa, and when i first received it, I understood i could get a second year without the income proof, (or 800,000 Baht deposit,) if I went outside Thailand, and returned before the expiry of the first year. Can someone confirm that this is still the case? Also, if that is true, how do I make sure that the second year is multi-entry?
Thanks for your help. enjoying life in Hua Hin!

[lomuamart]

As long as your OA visa is multi-entry, you'll get another year's permitted to stay as long as you exit and return to Thailand before the visa expires. Those two pieces of information should be clearly stated on the visa itself.
If you only have a single entry OA then it'll expire on the prescribed date and you won't be able to get another year. It will also be very difficult to get another OA visa in this region. You would have to return to your country of origin to get another one.
If you have the multi-entry visa, then the second year won't be multi-entry. If you exit Thailand you'll need to re-entry permit to keep you second year's permitted to stay date alive. These are easily obtainable from Imm in HH - 1,000 THB for one re-entry 3,800THB for multi re-entry. If you don't get a re-entry permit for the second year, you're permitted to stay date will expire when you depart.
The only other option for you if you've got a single entry is to extend the visa for a year here in HH. At that stage you'll need 800 K in a Thai bank account (seasoned for 3 months before application) or overseas income of 65K a monthm evidence of which comes from a letter from your Embassy, or a combination of the two as long as the total is 800K+.

[SunandFun]

Lomuamart, is it the same for an "O" Visa? I have a Non-Immigrant, Type "O", Multi Entry, Visa, issued in New Delhi, India. It was "Date of Issue" 14 March, 2013 and says "Enter Before" 13 March, 2014. What is my requirement to get the second year's permitted to stay stamp? And then as long as I get a re-entry permit each time I leave, will it be good for one more year from entry date of the "permitted to stay stamp?" Thanks in advance.

[lomuamart]

No, it's not the same with the O visa. An O visa gives you 90 days on entry each time and then you have to exit. If you depart and return before 13th March 2014, you'll get an extra 90 days and that's it, so the visa works for effectively 15 months. Once you've got your last 90 days until, say 12th June 2014, you will need a re-entry permit if you exit again to keep that permitted to stay alive because the visa has expired.
I think you'll find it difficult to get another multi-entry O in the region now as there have been clampdowns on them pretty much worldwide. Savannakhet may still be doing them but your best bet is to check back nearer the time next year when you'll need a new visa. The reason for the clampdowns is that Imm want people to extend O and OA visas rather than get them back-to-back.
However, all is not lost. Why not simply extend the O visa annually on the basis of retirement which is what most of us do? You can apply for this within the last 30 days of any 90 day entry and show 800 K THB in a Thai bank account (seasoned for 3 months beforehand) or 65 K a month overseas income (letter from your Embassy necessary) or combination of the two (as long as total is over 800K). Also get a multi re-entry permit at the same time (3,800 THB) to cover any overseas travel during the year and you're covered. Extend again the following year ad infinitum.
The only extra things you'll have to do are 90 day reports to Imm (if you're here for longer than 90 consecutive days) and make sure you're here at the right time to re-extend. I'm sure you'll find this an easier process than trying to get another multi-entry O visa.

[SunandFun]

Thanks, that really clears it up for me. I will do as you suggest. O to OA.

[lomuamart]

O and then annual extension. You'll need to be back in your home country to get an OA visa and will have to prove the financials and supply medical and police reports.
An extension, if you're here in HH, will be much easier.

[exbrit]

Somebody has now told me the important date to get the second year is not when you first arrive in Thailand, it is the "must enter by" date on the Visa. e.g. My "must enter by" date was 13. Nov. 2013. I actually entered on Jan. 14th. 2013. (I have exited and returned twice since then, and my last stamp says "permitted to stay until July 14th. 2014.)
My thinking was if I exited and returned say on Jan. 13th.2014 I would get another full year until Jan. 12th. 2015.However the famous "somebody" tells me I should have left and returned by 12. Nov.2013 to have received a full year from that date! Anybody disagree with somebody?

[lomuamart]

Afraid that's right. Your visa has now expired so you can't get any more 1 year stays. Your permission to stay is fine until July 14 2014 though. Remember to get a re-entry permit if you leave Thailand before that date or you'll lose that time as well.

[Dannie Boy]

I went to immigration this morning to extend my stay for a further 12 months, having been to my bank yesterday to update my bank book and obtained the letter from them confirming I had funds of > 800k. When I presented the paperwork, the officer looked at my book and compared it to the letter from the bank - the amounts were identical, but the letter was dated 2nd June, whereas the bank book showed the last date of entry which had been a withdrawal on the 28th May. I explained to him that the amounts were the same and the bank had updated the book yesterday, but all. He said was that orders from Bangkok was that the dates had to be the same. As far as he was concerned, the only solution was to go back to the bank and get my book updated, so despite my frustrations at the absurdity of it all, my wife persuaded me to do as requested so it was a trip into HH, withdraw 1000 baht from my account, get the book updated and get a new letter from the bank confirming the balance. I think the woman in the bank agreed that immigration were being unnecessarily stupid about it all and didn't charge anything for the new letter.

Back at immigration with the new letter,the officer rather apologetically processed my application in double quick time - although at the time I was really annoyed at the absurdity of it all, I realised that he was only following orders, so take note and make sure that when you next extend your stay using the 800,000 funds route, make sure your bank book has a transaction on the same date that they issue the letter.

[dalmatiandave]

I have to go next week. Interested to see if I have a problem. I had a deposit account of 1m baht which matured 26 May. The money was transferred into my savings account and book updated. I have a copy of the deposit book page (1 page) but the original book was withheld. I am hoping that the updated savings book with the new amount updated and a copy of the deposit book will suffice together with the bank letter. As much as the deposit was transferred into the savings account and a normal eye will follow where the money was/is now I am concerned I will get an immigration officer saying my savings account has only had over 800000 baht in since May 26th.

We will see.

[Nereus]

Back at immigration with the new letter,the officer rather apologetically processed my application in double quick time - although at the time I was really annoyed at the absurdity of it all, I realised that he was only following orders, so take note and make sure that when you next extend your stay using the 800,000 funds route, make sure your bank book has a transaction on the same date that they issue the letter.

And what happens if, like me, the money is in a fixed deposit account, where you will loose what little interest they do pay, if you make a transaction?
Not doubting at all what you had to do, DB, but I would suggest that the "officer" involved is full of the proverbial. Unless it has changed recently, a fixed deposit account is acceptable according to the Immigrations own website.

[Dannie Boy]

Back at immigration with the new letter,the officer rather apologetically processed my application in double quick time - although at the time I was really annoyed at the absurdity of it all, I realised that he was only following orders, so take note and make sure that when you next extend your stay using the 800,000 funds route, make sure your bank book has a transaction on the same date that they issue the letter.

And what happens if, like me, the money is in a fixed deposit account, where you will loose what little interest they do pay, if you make a transaction?
Not doubting at all what you had to do, DB, but I would suggest that the "officer" involved is full of the proverbial. Unless it has changed recently, a fixed deposit account is acceptable according to the Immigrations own website.

I tried my best to explain to the officer that what he was saying seemed wrong and that all the bank book does is show the last transaction and balance, whereas the letter dated yesterday confirmed that the bank book balance was correct. After questioning him, he did go and check with his superior who simply said no - my money is in a savings account, so a deposit account could be different, but then again.........

[malcolminthemiddle]

Back at immigration with the new letter,the officer rather apologetically processed my application in double quick time - although at the time I was really annoyed at the absurdity of it all, I realised that he was only following orders, so take note and make sure that when you next extend your stay using the 800,000 funds route, make sure your bank book has a transaction on the same date that they issue the letter.

And what happens if, like me, the money is in a fixed deposit account, where you will loose what little interest they do pay, if you make a transaction?
Not doubting at all what you had to do, DB, but I would suggest that the "officer" involved is full of the proverbial. Unless it has changed recently, a fixed deposit account is acceptable according to the Immigrations own website.

My understanding is a transaction is not necessary to update a bank book whether current or fixed deposit account. Just present the book for updating at the same time you request the bank letter.

[Dannie Boy]

Back at immigration with the new letter,the officer rather apologetically processed my application in double quick time - although at the time I was really annoyed at the absurdity of it all, I realised that he was only following orders, so take note and make sure that when you next extend your stay using the 800,000 funds route, make sure your bank book has a transaction on the same date that they issue the letter.

And what happens if, like me, the money is in a fixed deposit account, where you will loose what little interest they do pay, if you make a transaction?
Not doubting at all what you had to do, DB, but I would suggest that the "officer" involved is full of the proverbial. Unless it has changed recently, a fixed deposit account is acceptable according to the Immigrations own website.

My understanding is a transaction is not necessary to update a bank book whether current or fixed deposit account. Just present the book for updating at the same time you request the bank letter.

Which is what I did and the computer/machine automatically updates all of the credits and debits since the last update - in my case it was a withdrawal on the 28th May which according to the immigration officer was not aligned with the letter from the bank confirming my balance dated the 2nd June, even though the amounts were the same. It is ludicrous, but there was no way he was going to accept it and I had to withdraw an amount to get the dates aligned.