Non O multiple entry question

Quick question - I have a 12 month, multiple entry Non-Immigrant O visa which I got in Australia before coming here. The first 3 months runs out in a couple of weeks and I have to go to the border. It's not a retirement visa, so I didn't have to show monies etc when I applied and got it in Aussie. In fact the guy said it's not required as I'm not getting a retirement visa.

Am I right in thinking that I just have to go over the border (Nong Kai I'm on about), do some duty free shopping, then come back?
Any idea of the cost at the border?
I will take paperwork as follows: passport, copies of wife ID card, marriage cert, address/rental details, birth cert of daughter, 2 passport pics of me. Anything I'm missing?

cheers
Phil

Phil, as you are Australian the cost to you is US $30 or $31 on weekends. All you need is your passport and 1 (or 2 not sure) passport photos for your visa application on the Laos side.

This is if you are only going to Laos and back to start the second 90 day portion of your non O.

John

Phil, from my understanding of what you have said, you are simply doing an exit and re-entry during the period of your 12 month Non Immigrant O multiple entry visa, (i.e. you are not renewing/extending it). Therefore you just need you and your passport to exit at Nong Khai, and when you return you should be stamped in for another 90 days. No fees, forms or other documents required (for Thai Immigration).

However, ....that said...... to complete your activity, you will need to apply for a Lao visa when you arrive at the other (Lao) side of the bridge, even if you only stay for a few hours, and for that you will need a minimum of US$30, possibly $35 and a photo to apply for your Lao visa on arrival. If you don't have, or can't be bothered to change money into US dollars, then you can use baht, - 1500 baht, (on the Lao side).

Should under the circumstances you decide to make the most of your $30/35 dollars and stay a few days in Laos, their visa will give you 30 days.

Phil, I have created a new thread as your question really has nothing to do with the address of NK Immigration...
In answer to your question... you need very little to get another 90 days worth of visa in Thailand on a multiple entry non O.
You need to exit Thailand (no charge, but they do need to stamp your passport & remove the 'departure card' from your passport), cross bridge - 15 baht from memory, but does go up to 20 baht on 'holidays' etc.).
Exit bus & enter Laos, go to window, get two forms from officers (you can get from right hand or left hand window, but left hand window usually has zero queue). Fill in two forms, add 1 passport photo, passport, 1,500 baht (or $31/$33 USD, if you have - it is a slightly different USD sum depending on where in the world you come from) and hand back to right hand window. Officer will check you have given correct documentation/money & then tell you to wait at window.... usually 3 now - 2 is the one to the left of him, 3 is just around the corner.
After a few minutes/hours (it depends how busy it is) the window will wave your passport at you. Note it is important that you are alert for this as there is no attempt at "name calling" also the immigration officer makes very little attempt to verify that he gives the correct passport to the correct person. I do know of one case when a person who was happier than he should have been to attempt border crossings ended up in Vientiane to discover he had the wrong passport !!! Amusing, maybe BUT the Thai side certainly will not let you back on a passport other than your own!!!
When you get back your passport CHECK IT IS YOURS !!! They will also give you a "swine fever" form, which you need to fill in - basic stuff, have you been feeling ill, where have you been (countries) in last x days..
You can now proceed into Laos. You will see 3/4 "Passport Control" queues in front of you. You do not need to queue for these, you have already been processed by the computers - walk past the queues & through the 'gates'.
Now (because of "swine fever") you will find a desk with masked officials sitting behind. Hand in your swine fever form & they will give you a business card with Laos numbers to phone if you go down with it...
Go to next booth & you will have to pay (I can never remember if it is 20 or 50 baht) customs duty..walk on & an officer will examine your passport & tear the 'customs slip'..
Now in Laos - ignore everyone offering you a taxi & proceed to road.
Turn left at road and you will be facing duty free, about 100 metres away. Walk to duty free - beware they drive on the wrong side of the road here!!!
After duty free finished head back towards the place that you entered Laos - there is "exit" line before the "entrance" that you walked past on the way to duty free, but probably missed in your rush to duty free bargains.
Queue and get passport stamped to exit Laos. Next is a booth for Laos nationals only (I think they have to pay to leave the country) - you do not need to stop/queue there. Pass an officer sat at a desk who will examine your passport. You will now have to run the gauntlet of some more taxi drivers who will want to take you to all corners of Thailand. (If you have so much duty free you can hardly walk then you may actually want to avail yourself of one of these to take you to NK - BUT look at "duty free threads" on here as well).
Pay 15 baht for bus across bridge.
Enter Thailand & obtain "entrance/departure" card from an officer who will be wandering about with them. Fill in both parts of the card - taking care to ensure that you put your visa number in the place provided.
Queue (usually for the longest time of the entire journey!!!!). Hand passport & filled in card to immigration Officer (NOTHING ELSE) wait while he stamps & returns passport - carefully ensure that the date he has stamped in your passport is 90 days (& not 15, or 60) from today's date. If it is not 90 days then point out the visa in your passport to the officer (politely) & he will alter to 90 days. I say this not because of NK (who I have never had a problem with) but from my experiences in the past with BKK.
You will now have to sit at a "swine fever" desk (complete with masked officers) who will politely & efficiently take your passport & ask questions & fill out the from (same as Laos questions) & hand you a business card with numbers in Thailand to call when you go down with it.
Next you go through the 'walkway' of customs, where you may, or may not, have your person & baggage examined for illegal (or 'extra') contraband.
Now you are in Thailand, but, if you are driving, it is about 2 kms. before you see a "welcome to Thailand" sign...

Hi all,

Thanks for the quick and really good answers. Yes, it seems I'm doing a quick turn around at the border to start the second 90 day period of the 12 months mulitple entry non-imm O visa. Great - cheap and quick to do!

Thanks again

Phil

One thing you can do to make the 12 month a almost 15 month is go to a border crossing and cross and come back 1 week before your visa expires. Gives you a bit more time out of this visa. As you have multiple entry you can come and go as you wish. Lived on this visa for 2 1/2 years.

Actually you only have to return before it expires so two days early should cover most travelers. Remember that is the valid until date on the visa - not the permitted to stay until date in your passport for you most recent entry.

I must say i think Thailand make retirement in their land difficult. From UK, need all these bits and bobs, all time limited, got to go here, got to go there, bloody hell, why not, here's a 5 year retirement visa thank you for choosing Thailand! Fat chance. When i come across to retire it'll be like a military campaign, 'Operation Thailand'.

I will read and take notes when needed of all the advice on the forum, plus Thai consul Hull in UK, my mate already retired there, and will attempt the retirement goal. I can see after all the planning something will go wrong and i'll be booted back to blighty. On the police check, i hope UK police honourable and have not kept notes on something i was given an 'absolute dis-charge for In 1980? I was arrested as an IRA terrorist, small matter of a gun but, completely innocent, guv. Other than that small matter, its getting all balls in the air at the right time, report here by then, there by then, with this form that form. Anyone retired in los deserves a medal!

Phil, I think it is a lot easier if you are from the UK to actually do the retirement visa here, rather than attempt in UK....Come on a multi entry O as you have at the moment then when you have enacted the last 90 days fill in all the paperwork & apply for a retirement at Nong Khai Immigration.
My understanding is that if you have the 800,000 baht balance in a Thai bank -especially one where you have been moving money in & taking spending money out for a while - then that is the main worry out of the way. The rest of the requirements just take a bit of careful planning & copying. (the police record check does not even apply if you are applying in Thailand).
Even a complete refusal doesn't mean that you have to go back to UK - just go to Vientiane & get a double entry tourist visa....
People, obviously, get worried & concerned at this time - it is something serious to worry about. However, I wonder how many members actually know someone that had the financial requirements in place & was totally refused a retirement visa. Sent away to get other documents, maybe, but a total refusal???

A friend of mine (an American) is a great worrier. He was working in Thailand, but wanted to retire & was absolutely petrified at the thought that Immigration would give him 7 days to get out of Thailand (as he had been told by a contact in BKK). I told him to go to Nong Khai explain his situation & ask them to give him a printout of what documentation they needed to progress his application. He did that & got a list of requirements. I suggested that he put the supporting documentation (along with a couple of copies) for each requirement in a plastic sleeve & put the lot in a folder - along with the application - but the first thing in the folder was their list of requirements to him...
He went to NK & was quickly processed without any problem what so ever. The officer thanked him for his efficiency & making his job easier....

hi i came to thailand on a mulipal o visa. had been here 2 months went to imigration for retirment visa no problem. all they asked for was money in the bank. proof off pension from uk. no medical no police record.

Thanks for that Bob, certainly sounds retirement easier from within Thailand! Also your saying about no knowledge known, of anyone being booted back to where they came from, is comforting too. Lets hope there aren't any posts now of anyone who has lost out! But thinking about it, that is unlikely isn't it?

i got my retirement visa in the U.S. at the Thai consulate in Los Angeles, and it couldn't have been easier. Don't know why it would be any different in the UK. I drove over to LA, put in my application and it was ready the next day. I didn't even have any of the papers notarized as I had called them and they said don't bother. The only problem was getting the medical clearance but that was due to the stupidity of my family doctor. He claimed that he was not qualified to certify that I didn't have leprosy or elephantiasis and I would have to go to an infectious disease specialist! So I contacted a Thai friend who referred me to her doctor, a Thai who had emigrated to the U.S. I went to him and brought my medical records and he filled out the form in Thai script. He said the American doctor was probably uncomfortable with the form because part of it was in Thai and he didn't want to sign something that he couldn't read. I would imagine the requirements in the UK would be the same.

Of course jimbo the requirement is the same no matter where you are - interpretation can be different though!!
The embassy in London is not exactly 'user friendly' as the best of times. To get a multiple entry O visa from Hull is the easiest thing in the world & can be done by post. The requirements in NK are less than London (no medical, no police record).... I stand by my original statement.
If you are from UK & want a retirement visa then a multiple entry O from Hull & an application made to NK when you are in your last 90 days of it is probably the easiest way to achieve this.
I have no idea what is the easiest way from someone from another part of the world.....

1. You only need a single entry non immigrant O visa - multi entry is a waste of money unless you plan frequent travel. During the last 30 days of any entry you can extend for one year for retirement.
2. A non immigrant OA visa from LA is not good value for most people as they only issue single entry. The multi entry from other Consulates in the US is a good value for some as you get up to two years of stay in Thailand before you need to make your first extension of stay.
3. Retirement extension of stay is really quite easy inside Thailand - over age 50 and having 65k per month income (Embassy letter) or 800k in Thai bank account (Bank letter) or a combination of the two to meet the 800k level.

lopburi3 wrote:1. You only need a single entry non immigrant O visa - multi entry is a waste of money unless you plan frequent travel. During the last 30 days of any entry you can extend for one year for retirement.
2. A non immigrant OA visa from LA is not good value for most people as they only issue single entry. The multi entry from other Consulates in the US is a good value for some as you get up to two years of stay in Thailand before you need to make your first extension of stay.
3. Retirement extension of stay is really quite easy inside Thailand - over age 50 and having 65k per month income (Embassy letter) or 800k in Thai bank account (Bank letter) or a combination of the two to meet the 800k level.

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Hi, I have a Non Immigrant "O" visa issued in Australia. Under point number 1 above it mentions that it can be renewed for retirement. Still to young for retirement but can it be renewed in Nong Khai for another year or do I have to head back to Oz and get a new visa? If it can be renewed what paperwork will I need to keep immigration happy.

Thanks in advance.