I need advice. Can I use the Non-Immigrant O Type Family Visa?

[SkyDogJack]

Hi,

I am making my first visit back to Thailand in six years since moving back to America with my Thai wife.  We will be staying at her family's home and hotels in Thailand and maybe a trip to see some friends in Vietnam. 

The Non-Immigrant O Type Family Visa seemed attractive because it is valid for one year, 90 days each if I understand.  Because I am not sure how long we will stay in Thailand, maybe more than three months but not more than six months. We have to get back home to America.  That is our home and life now.

The application process is really simple now that it is online.  We have all the necessary documents and financial requirements. 

Oh, there is a possibility I might get some medical stuff done for myself while we are visiting.  Nothing for sure but a consideration.

Any help and suggestions are appreciated.

Jack

[Liquorice]

2 minutes ago, SkyDogJack said:

The Non-Immigrant O Type Family Visa seemed attractive because it is valid for one year, 90 days each if I understand. 

The multiple entry is no longer available under the e-visa application process, only the single entry available.

That will grant a stay of 90 days and provided you were married or registered a foreign marriage in Thailand you can apply for a 60 day extension = 150 days.

A border hop and VE entry will grant you a further 60 day entry.

[SkyDogJack]

1 minute ago, Liquorice said:

The multiple entry is no longer available under the e-visa application process, only the single entry available.

That will grant a stay of 90 days and provided you were married or registered a foreign marriage in Thailand you can apply for a 60 day extension = 150 days.

A border hop and VE entry will grant you a further 60 day entry.

We have been married for five years.  Our marriage was here in the USA.  We have not had a need to register the marriage in Thailand.  Will our U.S. marriage certificate suffice to apply for the 60 days extension?  I doubt I would not need more than 150 days for this trip.

I did not realize it is no longer multiple entry.  How would I manage returning to Thailand if we wanted to leave for a week?  Is it possible to get a reentry permit to continue to use this type of visa?

One last question.  If it is easier to just get a 90-day tourist visa (60 plus 30), what are my options for staying in Thailand for another 60 days?  I have not done the visa thing in a long time so my knowledge is definitely obsolete.

 

[rattlesnake]

7 minutes ago, SkyDogJack said:

We have been married for five years.  Our marriage was here in the USA.  We have not had a need to register the marriage in Thailand.  Will our U.S. marriage certificate suffice to apply for the 60 days extension?  I doubt I would not need more than 150 days for this trip.

I did not realize it is no longer multiple entry.  How would I manage returning to Thailand if we wanted to leave for a week?  Is it possible to get a reentry permit to continue to use this type of visa?

One last question.  If it is easier to just get a 90-day tourist visa (60 plus 30), what are my options for staying in Thailand for another 60 days?  I have not done the visa thing in a long time so my knowledge is definitely obsolete.

Yes, I believe you could get the 60-day tourist visa, extend it by 30 days, then do your week away from Thailand, come back in on a 60-day visa-exempt and then extend that by another 30 days.

[Liquorice]

13 minutes ago, SkyDogJack said:

We have been married for five years.  Our marriage was here in the USA.  We have not had a need to register the marriage in Thailand.  Will our U.S. marriage certificate suffice to apply for the 60 days extension?  I doubt I would not need more than 150 days for this trip.

US marriage certificate is not recognised unless you go through the legalisation process and register it in Thailand as a foreign marriage.
The 60 day extension wouldn't be available in your situation.

The 30 day visa exempt entry has now been increased to 60 days, so the TV is all but useless.

You could enter without any visa (VE) and be granted a stay of 60 days + 30 day extension = 90 days, border hop and VE entry for another 60 days + 30 day extension = 180 days.

[Liquorice]

The ME Non Imm O visa is still available from the Thai Consulate in Savannahket, but now requires an appointment, two night stay, and 400K THB deposit in a Thai bank for 2 months.

A lot's changed in 6 years.  

[rattlesnake]

6 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

You could enter without any visa (VE) and be granted a stay of 60 days + 30 day extension = 90 days, border hop and VE entry for another 60 days + 30 day extension = 180 days.

Technically yes, but there is a chance immigration could grill him the second time and ask him all sorts of questions about how long he intends to stay in Thailand, why he has no visa etc. That's why if it was me, I would choose the tourist visa + VE route which is quite easy to do.

[SkyDogJack]

2 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

US marriage certificate is not recognised unless you go through the legalisation process and register it in Thailand as a foreign marriage.
The 60 day extension wouldn't be available in your situation.

The 30 day visa exempt entry has now been increased to 60 days, so the TV is all but useless.

You could enter without any visa (VE) and be granted a stay of 60 days + 30 day extension = 90 days, border hop and VE entry for another 60 days + 30 day extension = 180 days.

Thanks.  I was wondering if our American marriage certificate would be recognized if not registered in Thailand.  There is no reason to do that unless I wanted to live in Thailand with a marriage visa.  That is not in my future.  I think it is easier to just do the tourist visa and try the old border hop for the extra month or two.  This is probably my last trip to Thailand and the surrounding area.  I am getting older, and the really long trips are not as easy.  A little hard on the old body.

[Liquorice]

24 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Yes, I believe you could get the 60-day tourist visa, extend it by 30 days, then do your week away from Thailand, come back in on a 60-day visa-exempt and then extend that by another 30 days.

No point applying for a TV when you can now enter VE for 60 days.
One night stay outside is fine for a second VE entry.

[rattlesnake]

1 minute ago, Liquorice said:

No point applying for a TV when you can now enter VE for 60 days.
One night stay outside is fine for a second VE entry.

It would probably be fine, but there have been reports recently of immigration officers not liking back-to-back VEs, especially if they have been extended. Some of them even obnoxious.

The tourist visa is easy to get, you just need to apply 3 weeks before. But each to their own of course.

[SkyDogJack]

3 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Technically yes, but there is a chance immigration could grill him the second time and ask him all sorts of questions about how long he intends to stay in Thailand, why he has no visa etc. That's why if it was me, I would choose the tourist visa + VE route which is quite easy to do.

That is what I am going to do.  The safest way is to plan our travel out of Thailand within the first tourist visa with a multiple entry stamp.  Or just plan the side trip to Vietnam and maybe Singapore at the end of our vacation to Thailand. Just don't bother returning to Thailand.  I don't have a lot of energy now days to deal with immigration and denials.  

If my wife wants to stay longer she can.  She is a dual citizen and can come and go to America and Thailand as she pleases.  

Thanks for your comment.

[Liquorice]

4 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Technically yes, but there is a chance immigration could grill him the second time and ask him all sorts of questions about how long he intends to stay in Thailand, why he has no visa etc. That's why if it was me, I would choose the tourist visa + VE route which is quite easy to do.

There is massive drive by Thai Immigration to increase tourist.

In June, changes were announced, the 30 day VE entry becoming 60 days and no issue doing a border hop and immediate return. Introduction of the new DTV (Destination Thailand visa), reducing the mandatory Health Insurance for O-A visa from the current 3M BHt to 400K inpatient, 40K outpatient.
An overhaul of Non Immigrant visa between Sept - Dec, supposedly to make life less stressful.

Unfortunately, your information and advice is out of date with the current climate.

[Liquorice]

10 minutes ago, SkyDogJack said:

That is what I am going to do.  The safest way is to plan our travel out of Thailand within the first tourist visa with a multiple entry stamp.  Or just plan the side trip to Vietnam and maybe Singapore at the end of our vacation to Thailand. Just don't bother returning to Thailand.  I don't have a lot of energy now days to deal with immigration and denials.  

If you plan on coming and going, just apply for the METV.

Valid for 6 months, each entry grants a stay of 60 days + 30 day extensions.
You could stay for almost 9 months with the METV.

No need for a re-entry permit.

Edited September 20 by Liquorice

[rattlesnake]

3 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

There is massive drive by Thai Immigration to increase tourist.

In June, changes were announced, the 30 day VE entry becoming 60 days and no issue doing a border hop and immediate return. Introduction of the new DTV (Destination Thailand visa), reducing the mandatory Health Insurance for O-A visa from the current 3M BHt to 400K inpatient, 40K outpatient.
An overhaul of Non Immigrant visa between Sept - Dec, supposedly to make life less stressful.

Unfortunately, your information and advice is out of date with the current climate.

I would say there is a massive drive to increase revenue and that includes encouraging (paid) visas and discouraging (free) subsequent VEs, as evidenced by several reports lately which seem to indicate that the days of visa runs are slowly coming to an end.

Just my opinion of course.

[SkyDogJack]

1 minute ago, Liquorice said:

There is massive drive by Thai Immigration to increase tourist.

In June, changes were announced, the 30 day VE entry becoming 60 days and no issue doing a border hop and immediate return. Introduction of the new DTV (Destination Thailand visa), reducing the mandatory Health Insurance for O-A visa from the current 3M BHt to 400K inpatient, 40K outpatient.
An overhaul of Non Immigrant visa between Sept - Dec, supposedly to make life less stressful.

Unfortunately, your information and advice is out of date with the current climate.

I read there were a lot of changes underway. Some will make things easier, other more difficult.  I think it depends on the individual circumstances.  For me, I just wanted to visit Thailand, my family and friends one last time.  I am planning to be able to be away from the USA for up to six months.

I am pretty sure this will be my last trip to Thailand.  

Thanks.

[Liquorice]

METV.
https://washingtondc.thaiembassy.org/en/page/trsingle-entry

 

[Liquorice]

11 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

I would say there is a massive drive to increase revenue and that includes encouraging (paid) visas and discouraging (free) subsequent VEs, as evidenced by several reports lately which seem to indicate that the days of visa runs are slowly coming to an end.

If you listened (video) to the recent announcement by the MFA announcing the changes from 15th July onwards, they described the 60 day visa exempt entries as 'unlimited'.
The only folk encountering issues are those that have already been staying in Thailand for several months last year and since the beginning of this year using VE entries.

There are already multiple reports of entries after 15th July doing same day border hops to obtain a further 60 day VE entry - no questions asked.

If the OP intends to visit adjoining Countries during his stay, he'd be best applying for the METV to begin with.

Edited September 20 by Liquorice

[rattlesnake]

Just now, Liquorice said:

If you listened (video) to the recent announcement by the MFA announcing the changes from 15th July onwards, they described the 60 day visa exempt entries as 'unlimited'.
The only folk encountering issues are those have already been staying in Thailand for several moths last year and since the beginning of this year using VE entries.

There are already multiple reports of entries after 15th July doing same day border hops to obtain a further 60 day VE entry - no questions asked.

If the OP intends to visit adjoining Countries during his stay, he'd be best applying for the METV to begin with.

Yes, but this has been discussed a lot on AN and it is still "at the IO's discretion" and certainly does not mean it is a free pass to do back-to-back VE entries. But as I said, it is likely (though not certain) that doing it once would be okay.

Here are a couple of helpful posts on this issue:

I can also confirm that this is true. However, officers at land border crossings will still allow entries based on their own discretion. What does that mean? They can still ask for evidence of a return or onward ticket, proof of travel funds. and proof of accommodation. I have also confirmed they will refuse entry for the same reasons as they do when people fly in. In no way does Todd's post invite there to be open season on people to come in by land every 90 days forever. Meaning they can fly in and get 60 days, do an extension for 30 days, then do a border run and get 60 day more days and then an extension for 30 days and then continue the land border runs forever under the 60 day exemption.
https://aseannow.com/topic/1333235-60-day-visa-exemptions-are-now-unlimited-at-land-borders/?do=findComment&comment=19074795

I'm in total agreement with the opinion of @DrJack54 that 'unlimited' does not mean 'back to back' entries and not a good long term plan.
https://aseannow.com/topic/1337838-switching-from-marriage-visa-to-visa-exempt-t/?do=findComment&comment=19224688
 

[SkyDogJack]

18 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

If you listened (video) to the recent announcement by the MFA announcing the changes from 15th July onwards, they described the 60 day visa exempt entries as 'unlimited'.
The only folk encountering issues are those that have already been staying in Thailand for several months last year and since the beginning of this year using VE entries.

There are already multiple reports of entries after 15th July doing same day border hops to obtain a further 60 day VE entry - no questions asked.

If the OP intends to visit adjoining Countries during his stay, he'd be best applying for the METV to begin with.

I am going to do just this.  Get the METV first.  Really will simplify my life.  I know how to do this.  This was the way I travelled in the past before I got the retirement visa and lived in Thailand for short time.   I looked at the online process for the METV.  I can get an invitation letter from my wife's Thai sister and Thai husband for accommodations in Thailand.  I think I will need an onward ticket.  This is the way it was in the past if I remember.

I can try to use VE if I am out of Thailand and my original METV has expired. And i read the other post about it being the IO discretion about allowing reentry.  If I was to be refused entry on the VE, (I pity the Thai IO having to deal with my wife), I can fly back to Vietnam or just go visit an old friend in the Philippines with a VE there and then go back to the USA.  Bottom line for me is staying longer in Thailand is about enjoying my time there with family, friends and Thailand itself.  I don't need to stay in Thailand for a long time.  Been there, done that.

Edited September 20 by SkyDogJack
More info

[Liquorice]

2 hours ago, rattlesnake said:

I'm in total agreement with the opinion of @DrJack54 that 'unlimited' does not mean 'back to back' entries and not a good long term plan.

Yep, I was one of those that agreed with DrJack's opinion.

Regardless, the regulations on land border crossings still allow 2 per calendar year.
VE Restricted land entries.pdf 

First VE entry would be via air > 60 days + 30 extension.
The 2 permitted land border crossings >60 days + 30 extension x 2 = 270 days total.
However, with the wish to travel, re-entry permits to cover each 60 day + 30 day permissions of stay would be a PITA.

The METV is definitively his best option given those circumstances and situations.

 

Edited September 20 by Liquorice

[Liquorice]

2 hours ago, SkyDogJack said:

I can try to use VE if I am out of Thailand and my original METV has expired.

The METV is valid to enter Thailand for 6 months.
If you re-enter just before the 'enter before' date of the visa, you'd be granted a further stay of 60 days.

 

2 hours ago, SkyDogJack said:

And i read the other post about it being the IO discretion about allowing reentry. 

You're allowed 2 VE land border entries per calendar year by written orders.
See PDF posted above.