Getting a new O VISA before my present one expires

[Agent09 20]

Non Immigrant O visa was obtained in days easily using standard postal application last year starting 05 Oct 06 and stamped 'must be utilised before 05 Oct 07'

 

Have already been to LOS using it in Dec 06, and May 07. Next trip is planned for Dec 07 so I had anticipated applying for another one in Oct again, ready for Dec departure

 

Questions - please assist if you can kindly, thanks

 

- It's possible that I will need to go to LOS a lot sooner maybe even this month. Problem is I do not at this stage yet know if this unexpected trip is going to be needed or not as it's all going to be dependent on someone possibly willing to start talking in situ about offering me a job there but I now only have until Oct left on current visa. IF I want to get a new visa now because I want to stay for a longer time, stay the 90 days, do border runs and therefore end up using most of the next 12 months in LOS on a non ' O' even If I didnt get the work, I presume I just apply for another one now, which will arrive, say in August...and that gives me one year till Aug 08 approx, made up of 90 day max stays. This is my understanding.

 

Question - Am I right in thinking that I must USE this new renewed O visa within 3 months of getting it? ( o that means before November..? if so and the early trip doesnt happen and I didn't go to LOS now but reverted back to a December holiday departure would this new visa be of no use and I'd need get another one? I do not know of this 'must be used within 3 months' is something factual or rumoured it doesnt say that on my current one after all.

 

The other option is I go say in August on my current VISA which 'expires' 05 Oct.

 

Question - Can I leave LOS by land on a border run prior to 05 October, re enter and gain another 90 day stay on the O VISA past its 'expiry date' and then go back to UK to get another in say Jan 08?

 

Ok I gather that the only real problem is if I 'renew' now and the 3 month use rule applies and I then can't go till December I am out by an extra GBP100 for a second visa to cover a December use.

 

Anyone assist? thanks.

[jacko 8,822]

I am assuming that you will get a multiple visa... then the answers are.

 

Q1...You are wrong, perhaps you are confusing with a single entry.

 

Q2..Yes.

 

 

 

Dowload the visa application pack... it reveals all

Edited August 6, 2007 by jacko

[Eneukman 1]

I'm not convinced that jacko is correct with regard to question one. When I retired here, I entered initially on a multiple entry non-Immigrant O visa and I'm pretty certain that I had to enter Thailand within 90 days of the visa being issued. I would suggest that before you do anything, you telephone the Thai Consulate in Hull and ask them to clarify the position for you. It could save you £100.

 

If you re-enter Thailand a day or two before your current visa expires, you will be given permission to stay for a further 90 days, which will take you up to early January.

 

Alan

[volsfan 43]

Never seen any requirement for Thailand to make an entry within 90 days. Some countries, ie. Brazil, do require it, but this is not one of them. You can do an entry on the last day of the visa expiration and get the full 90 days. So a border run on 4 OCT will get you a new 90 days.

[jacko 8,822]

I'm not convinced that jacko is correct with regard to question one. When I retired here, I entered initially on a multiple entry non-Immigrant O visa and I'm pretty certain that I had to enter Thailand within 90 days of the visa being issued. I would suggest that before you do anything, you telephone the Thai Consulate in Hull and ask them to clarify the position for you. It could save you £100.

 

If you re-enter Thailand a day or two before your current visa expires, you will be given permission to stay for a further 90 days, which will take you up to early January.

 

Alan

Well, at least you suggested my possible error politely. I did check the website, and have also taken a look at my current Non-Imm-O, Multiple, and the statements seem clear. 'This visa must be utilized before....' and the date stamped is a year from the issue date stamp. It may well be illogical to obtain a visa, and not utilize it for 11.5 months, but it seems permissible. Edited August 7, 2007 by jacko

[Eneukman 1]

It's a bit over 2 years since I got my multiple entry non Immigrant O visa but I seem to recall reading somewhere, probably on Thai Visa, that you had to enter Thailand for the first time within 90 days of the visa being issued. I could be wrong, which is why I suggested contacting the consulate in Hull for clarification.

 

I now have a retirement visa, which I've just renewed so I can now stay here until 23rd August 2008.

 

Alan

[Skygod 40]

My 60 day tourist visa that I had in January had to be 'started' within 90 days, however I do not believe that the same is true for a multiple entry 'O' visa.

[cmagrad 6]

Copy and Pasted from http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-validity.htm

 

Tourist Visa:

A single-entry must be utilized within 3 months from the date of issue.

Two-Entry Visa must be utilized within 180 days from the date of issue.

 

Non-Immigrant Visa:

A single-entry must be utilized within 3 months from the date of issue.

A multiple-entry visa must be used within 1 year from the date of issue

[Eneukman 1]

Copy and Pasted from http://www.thai-la.net/visa/visa-validity.htm

 

Tourist Visa:

A single-entry must be utilized within 3 months from the date of issue.

Two-Entry Visa must be utilized within 180 days from the date of issue.

 

Non-Immigrant Visa:

A single-entry must be utilized within 3 months from the date of issue.

A multiple-entry visa must be used within 1 year from the date of issue

 

I see they also say not to apply for a visa more than 3 months in advance of your arrival date in Thailand. As I said in my first post, I would urge the OP to clarify the position with the consulate in Hull before doing anything.

 

Alan

[cmagrad 6]

I had always thought the first non-immigrant Visa needed to be used in 90 days but if you have multiple entry then the next one has up to 1 year from application.

 

When I called about getting a 2 stamp tourist visa I was told the first entry into Thailand needed to be within 90 days of applying but the second entry had 180 days from application. If they were all 90 days then getting a 2 or 3 stamp tourist visa would not work since they would have expired before being able to use it.

[jacko 8,822]

Well I suppose what they stamped into my passport must be irrelevant then.

 

I re-read the Thai visa application package and did not determine any criteria specifying that a Non-Imm-O multiple must be utilized within 90 days of issue. Nor any restriction on how 'early' you can apply before travel. They do ask for 'Date of Departure from UK' and 'Date of Arrival in Thailand' as seperate questions. Perhaps they need to cater to someone who is going elswhere for several months prior to Thailand!

Edited August 8, 2007 by jacko

[Eneukman 1]

I had always thought the first non-immigrant Visa needed to be used in 90 days but if you have multiple entry then the next one has up to 1 year from application.

 

When I called about getting a 2 stamp tourist visa I was told the first entry into Thailand needed to be within 90 days of applying but the second entry had 180 days from application. If they were all 90 days then getting a 2 or 3 stamp tourist visa would not work since they would have expired before being able to use it.

 

It has always been my interpretation that the first entry into Thailand on a multiple-entry non-Immigrant O visa has to be within 90 days. This ties in with your comment that the first entry on a 2 stamp tourist visa has to be within 90 days of the visa being issued. It would make sense for all visas to have similar rules, but TiT!

 

I've just posted this question on Thai Visa so hopefully someone there will clarify the position.

 

Alan

[CheshireTom 1,377]

If someone, as the OP says, is about to offer him a job he'll have to bugger off somewhere to pick up a "B" Type visa anyway.

 

The multi-entry O and B are quite specific ......... utilise it within a year. Remember it ain't the visa but the stamp at the port of entry which allows you to stay in the Kingdom. The visa only allows you to enter.

[jacko 8,822]

It has always been my interpretation that the first entry into Thailand on a multiple-entry non-Immigrant O visa has to be within 90 days. This ties in with your comment that the first entry on a 2 stamp tourist visa has to be within 90 days of the visa being issued. It would make sense for all visas to have similar rules, but TiT!

 

I've just posted this question on Thai Visa so hopefully someone there will clarify the position.

 

Alan

Both the interpretation and comment appear to contradict what they put on the actual visas themselves and in the instruction package.

 

Single entry Tourist Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue and allows a single entry for a stay of up to 60 days from date of entry. Double, triple or quadruple entry Tourist Visa is valid for 6 months from date of issue and allows 2, 3 or 4 entries each for a stay of up to 60 days from date of entry.

 

Single entry Non-Immigrant Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue and allows a single entry into Thailand for a stay of up to 90 days from date of entry. Multiple entry Non-Immigrant Visa is valid for 12 months from date of issue and allows any number of entries into Thailand each for a stay of up to 90 days from date of entry.

 

 

I have again checked the stamped visas in my passport and neither my triple entry tourist, or multiple entry Non-Imm-O state they must be utilized, for the first visit, within 90 days ,or less than the visa validity. The Tourist visa even states 'Entry Before'....giving me 6 months to utilize. Telephone conversations with consulate staff may not be accurate, it would depend who you get to talk to.

 

Edited August 9, 2007 by jacko

[Agent09 20]

Thanks all for taking the time to provide answers and I am grateful for your interest. I will be consulting the Consul yes but your answers are appreciated.