PhilR wrote:I am a bit confused. If only a single entry non immigrant o visa, is the visa that allows you to have long stay in Thailand without border runs but instead visits three monthly to Thai immigration office. But in Vientiane they do not issue this visa? Then that means you can only get the single non immigrant single o visa from your home country. Am I correct there?
No. a Non-O is easy to get, from most embassy's, you are confusing this with the Non-OA
a Non-O gets a 90 day entry (easy to get, from most embassy's [consulates often can not issue it] very few documents) cheapest
a Non-O multi entry, gets a 90 day entry each time ( becoming progressively more difficult to get everywhere) more expensive
a Non-OA (always a multi entry) gets a 365 day entry each time(difficult to impossible get outside your country of residence, requires lots more stuff including a police clearance. Not even so easy in your country of residence) most expensive
The process is.
Be over 50 years old.
Get a Non-O visa (for the purpose of retirement) showing 800,000 baht deposited in a Thai bank to the embassy in Vientiane . (Savanaket can not issue a Non O for this reason)
Alternatively get the same visa in London (different paperwork)
Enter Thailand and you get a 90 day stamp.
Do not touch the account with 800,000 baht in it
After 60 days visit immigration pay 1,900 baht (they will want proof that the money has been in the bank for at least 60 days, the bank will issue a letter) you will need proof of where you are staying
Immigration will extend your permission to stay for 1 year (the remaining time on your current stay is added on)
The next year you do the same (apart from the fact that you must have had the 800,000 baht in the bank for 90 days befor applying)
Rinse and repeat until you either want to stop living in Thailand or just stop living.
Every 90 days you are in Thailand you must go to immigration and report your stay ( your application to extend your permission to stay DOES NOT COUNT AS A REPORT, unless you also go to the report desk and fill in the form there.) You
may be able to do a report in the same visit.
You might be able to do the 90 day reporting on line. Some people are successful, for others it does not work.
There are agents who will take care of the bits in Thailand for about 5,000 baht (If you want to take a chance of finding a crooked agent) there are good ones as well.
Regrettably there are also good agents who become bad as well.
But TIT. (This Is Thailand)