Can someone explain Visas?

Factually, I agree with everything Jackspratt and Sateev say about the advantages of the O-A. I think, however, they discount the ease and advantages of the "O".

In my case, I walked into the Thai consulate in Denver Colorade six years ago with my passport and $80 (the cost back in those days for a Non "O".) No medical certificate, no criminal history report, no U.S. bank statement. I walked out 15 minutes later with my Non "O". I've done a one-year retirement extension on that Non "O" Visa every year since.

Not discounting the ease, but the OP will need to stay close to six months initially. A non-O visa would give him 90 days. Possibly, he could get a multi-entry, but I'm not sure. I know they have tightened up what the Honorary Consuls (like Denver, Houston, etc) can do - for sure, they can no longer do O-A visas.

And honestly, if I knew then what I know now, I'd be even MORE reluctant to bring a big chunk of cash here, until I'd had some time on the ground to see if I could live here. The O-A is perfect for that...

Never bring more here than you can walk away from.

Thanks guys. I just found out that there is an honorary Consul here in Atlanta, where I am staying with my daughter. I am going to go down there and talk with someone about what is needed after I gather the documents. It appears the easiest is either a Non-Immigrant O, with adjustments after entry, or an O-A. I would prefer the O so that I can then apply for the marriage extension when in Thailand. (It appears you need to do that in country)

The doctors certificate is an issue since my primary care doctor is 800 miles away, and the Quick Care clinics will not touch the form. I am still trying to figure out how to get the Police letter. I called the police department where I lived in Texas, but have not received a call back.

I appreciate all of your input and help. Heh, it is a bit confusing for a newbie...as I told Ray when I chatted with him, I am a programmer by trade and prefer A-B-C...Z solutions. He suggested Singapore vs. Thailand.

Again, thanks for all the information and patience.

Best Regards,
KB_Texas

KB if you ask 100 people about Thai visas you are going to get 100 different answers.

I came here on a tourist visa. Then converted it to a 90 OA visa. Then when the time was up I got a one year extension based on retirement. Not a big deal at all. No money in the bank. Just got a letter from the US embassy. No police report. No medical report. Piece of cake. Don't stress over it. Enjoy your retirement!

randerson79 wrote:KB if you ask 100 people about Thai visas you are going to get 100 different answers.

I came here on a tourist visa. Then converted it to a 90 OA visa. Then when the time was up I got a one year extension based on retirement. Not a big deal at all. No money in the bank. Just got a letter from the US embassy. No police report. No medical report. Piece of cake. Don't stress over it. Enjoy your retirement!

And if he asks you, he's going to get the WRONG answer. There is no such 90 day O-A visa.

Thank you Sateev for pointing out how stupid I am. Yes I wrote OA an and should of written Non-O. Still not a deal breaker for KB. Same easy process!

Just sharing the way I got my Retirement visa....Opps.... I ment extenision. Not saying it's better than anyother way. Just way I did it.

I guess it has a lot to do with who you deal with.When I came here 13 years ago,I went to the LA consulate to get my visa.The Thai lady that I dealt with suggested that I get a 60 day tourist visa and change my visa in Bangkok to a retirement ''O'' visa because she said her boss was slow to process other requests.It might have been a hustle because after I got my tourist visa,she politely asked if I could do her a favor of taking some clothes and shoes to her brother!Anyway the change of visa was a simple process as I had already transferred a chunk of cash to Thailand!

Dealing with Bangkok Immigration for extensions and 90 day reports was always a breeze.So pleasant I continued to do it after I moved to NK 5 years later.The reporting rules were changed to reporting to assigned offices depending on your residence.At the NK office the attitudes were completely different.It almost seemed like they delighted in surprising me with different requests/demands for additional information each time I go!Frustrating inconveniences for whatever their reasons are,that I endure to stay in Thailand!

A quick word about the LA Consulate.

Over the years, I applied for and mostly got double-entry tourist visas from them, with no real hassle. Even when I moved here in 2005, I used a tourist visa to get started, and then subsequently obtained a B visa in Laos.

As with many 'official' Thai Government websites, theirs was amateurish, and frequently wrong, so when, in early 2010, I started to look into getting an O-A visa, I was concerned because they unilaterally refused to issue multiple-entry O-A visas, per their website.

Then, two fortunate things happened: they hired a farang into the Visa Section, who is both knowledgeable and helpful, and I met the newly installed Royal Thai Consul General, Mr. Damrong Kraikruan, at a Wat function, near San Diego.

I had the opportunity to speak with K. Damrong at length about the website, and the perception that the LA consulate was not playing by the rulebook. His response was that they could not make up the rules, and that they were bound by the laws of Thailand, and that he would look into the matter.

Within a week of our conversation, I received confirmation that they were again issuing multi-entry O-A visas, and that they were in the process of correcting the website. From that point forward, I had nothing but great service from the Consulate.

The fact that K. Damrong takes his job seriously, and apparently takes responsibility for making things right is a counterbalance to all the experiences I've had with Immigration here in Thailand, and serves to raise my expectations. I don't think it's necessary to passively accept malfeasance and poor service as 'just the way things are here in Thailand'.

Back on topic: the rules are complex, confusing, and unless you can read Thai, or trust the various translations to be found on the net, correct info is hard to find. I share my experience without any other motive than to try to be helpful to those who are bewildered. I have no need to prove anything, or to appear smarter than anyone else - I just want to make sense of it all.

to the OP - good luck, keep plugging away, you'll get here. And then, may God (or whomever) help you.

Sateev, I also had good luck with the Thai Consulate in Portland. I used them because they were the only one that issued triple entry tourist visas at that time. (That I know of.) Spoke to the lady on the phone several times. Very helpful and friendly!

http://thai-or.com/

Thanks, randerson79. Unfortunately, the Consulate in Portland is an Honorary Consul, and has had his/her powers greatly reduced in the past couple of years. I don't think they can issue non-O visas anymore...but good to know they can do triple-entry Tourist visas.

All that's left is the Embassy, Consular Section in Washington, DC, and the three consulates in LA, Chicago, and New York.

Edit: I just looked at the Oregon Consul's web page, and they do list non-immigrant O visas, with updated prices, so I guess I was wrong about that. I do remember hearing that the Consulates are only serving their own area, i.e., no shopping around for a more liberal Consul, when applying for your visa.

I used the New Orleans office for many years - they were always extremely friendly, helpful, and "liberal."

Been years since I used them, though. That was after working my way through other offices. DC was the worst, in my experience, probably because it's the Embassy.

Things do change, though, so not sure what the deal is now.

Just a follow up:

I met with the Honorary Consul here in Atlanta today, and she advised that a Non-Immigration "O" multiple entry visa was the way to go to accomplish what I needed. This will allow me to leave and come back, and also apply for the Marriage exemption when in Thailand. It works for me. The visa should arrive no later than Monday of next week via FedEx.

Thanks again for all the help and information guys. It helped me to at least have semi-intelligent questions to ask.

Best Regards,
KB

Thanks for the followup, KB. Glad you got it sorted.

Hi,
Got a "O-A" visa at Hull Con. in U.K. a few years back. If used correctly, and you leave LOS a couple of days before visa expires you can get nearly 15 months out of it. Visa cost me then about 100GBP's. Had to leave LOS every 90 days. Two weeks before it expired i went to Thai Imm. and got an extention, for 12 months, due to retirement. You DO NOT have to have any money in a Thai bank to get this extention. Just have a income, in my case pensions, of 800,000B a year. veriffied by a letter from the B. Embassy in BKK. Last year when the exchange rate fell, i was about 40,000B short of the requirement. Imm. said deposit 40,000B in a Thai bank and come back tomorrow. I refused and asked for a, permission to stay, being married to a Thai national. For this you only required to have a income, pension in my case, of 40,000B per month. 480,000B a year. Verified by your embassy. The only difference between P.to Stay, for a marriage visa, is you have to have a Thai who has known you for at least 12 months, and is not a relative, what Udon Imm. said, to vouch for you. And bring your wife with you to Imm. and photos of your house, for the map i got a printout from Google Easrth and they accepted this. And marriage cert.. Plus this info. has to go to Imm. in BKK before extention it is given to you.
When i got my "O-A" visa from U.K. i did not have to have a med. report, or a police report. And did not require to state my income. I believe that the Thai Emb. in V.T. has started to issue 12 months multi "O" visa's now. So i have been told.
As i have said I do not have a Thai bank account and still get my P.to Stay stamp ever year, based on marriage now. And a letter stating my pensions for the year, from the B.E. Due up next month. This P.to stay is not a visa, by international law you cannot get a visa for the country you are residing in, in this case LOS. For LOS the visa must be got in another country.
To verify this i and willing to show anyone my passport and the details in it.

Cheers Doug.

Better go back and look at your passport/visa again. What you had was a multiple-entry, non-immigrant O visa, like the one KB was advised to get. You did NOT have an O-A visa, which doesn't require you to leave the country during its validity (1 year), and, when used properly, allows you to stay in Thailand for 23+ months (with one exit and re-entry), and requires NO money to be brought to Thailand at all. When it expires, you can apply for a retirement extension, based on 800,000 in the bank, 65,000/month, or a combination of the two, totaling 800,000. If using the combo method, there is no requirement for the money to be in the bank BEFORE you apply, or after...

No wonder so many people are confused, so much wrong info posted. Feh.