Thread: Multiple Entry Non-Imm Visa

1 - Yes you will. The benefit is that you only apply for the visa once every 12 months or so, rather than having to go out of Thailand to another country with a Thai consulate / embassy and buy a new visa every 3 months. These consulates are not neusually near the border, so that involves much more travelling and time spent in the country.

2 - Depends where you go. Malaysia has free visas on arrival so is popular. Singabore does too. Burma allows you to buy '0 Day' visas at some checkpoints (Mae Sai, Tak...), but Laos demands you either buy a visa on arrival (not cheap) or get one from the Laos consulate / embassy here.

You pays yer money, you gets stuffed.

Welcome to Thailand

Like he said. Since I'm in Chiang Mai, I only need to run to Mae Sai (which caused me a strained back when I made the round trip in 7.5 hours last month). The wicked Burmese junta relieves you of a $5 American bill, and you're back in Thailand before you can say 'sawasdee' without pronouncing the second 's.' It's a nuisance, every 90 days, but if you time it right, you can combine it with travel (if you've got dosh) or just do it in one day. Technically it's not a 'visa run' to obtain a new visa, but more like a stamp run to get two stamps in your passport and turn in your old white form for a new one. By the way, that automatically qualifies as notification to Immigration of your current address, so you needn't report it separately every 90 days.

If you get a form from the immigration office I think you can notify that you are still in the country by post - you don't actually need to leave the country I believe.

(Is that right Ken?)

No

Unless you have a 12 month extension to your non-imm visa, gained by showing paperwork (like a work permit) or plenty of cash in the bank. Or both. And your first bon son, three goats and a som tam.

If you haven't done that and therefore don't have a 12 month extension, 90 day reporting does not apply to you.

So, in short, you have the way PeaceBlondie is doing it, or the 'show stuff, get 12 months, report' way.

bloody hell - they don't believe in making it easy do they?

No, they surely don't believe in the easy way. Xenophobia reigns supreme.

^ What they all said.

You can usually get just under 15 months out of it (in 90 day intervals) if you leave and re-enter the day before your 12 month activation period is up.

No need to register your address as long as you don't stay in Thailand for more than 90 days, and the only time this could possibly happen is if you went on overstay, or if you got a 5-10 day extension on your Visa (maybe 'cos you were ill or something) and then in theory you should register your address!

^or you get an extension of stay for say 6 months or a year.
Come on, Ken... it happens... I don't have to leave until end of May and only then because that's the date we said I would be gone anyway. Had we decided on October that would have been fine as well...
My confusion in all this is, why the multiple entry visa if you with a bit of paperwork can get an extension of stay (not visa)

Actually usually you get 9 months on top of your initial 3 months, unless your contract is for less (but we're not talking about WP extensions or fund extensions are we? So my point was he'd only most likely need to register or be over the 90 days if one of the things I suggested happened! Others had covered the WP or fund extensions? But I can cover every possible option if you like?).

I don't understand the rest of your post Discus, what are you talking about mate?

You can't just get an extension with a 'bit of paperwork' can you mate? It's a fair bit harder than that from what I understand? Exactly what are you referring to?

but we're not talking about WP extensions or fund extensions are we

I don't know. The initial post is quite vague in regards to this, isn't it?

If I get a multiple entry non-imm visa (12mnths) - does that mean I still have to leave Thailand every three months? If so, what is the benefit of this type of visa?

My answer would be: depends. As I said, I don't have to leave the country. I don't need a multiple entry visa either. I just enter and extend my stay - with a bit of paperwork. Therefore, I also need to report my residence every 90 days. I don't have a work permit, and I don't, per say, 'study' here, i.e. I'm not enrolled at any Thai university.
If I leave, I just get a re-entry permit. No need for a multiple entry unless I plan to leave and return several times during my stay.

So how do you get to stay Discus as you seem to the the exception rather than the rule!? Shit there's a million reasons why he might be able to stay, I can't cover them all. But generally a 'normal' person doesn't get an extension quite as easily as you seem to do Discus, so please tell me more??? Thanks! It's unusual to get 6 month extensions and a full year right a way as you mentioned you could of? I'd be interested to hear about your Visa for sure!

With enquiries like this I generally try to answer them as if it were a 'normal' person, there's a fair few exceptions (after all TiT) but I'd be here forever if I had to give every possible scenario. Next time feel free to answer, but give full information at the moment your post is very vague and for all I know the PM could be giving you the 'bit of paperwork' you need??? So it's best to either give 100% info or none at all IMO! And if it is so easy to get an extension, we better amend the Visa FAQ on the front page.

And Paully & Deebster had already covered WP and fund extension, was there any point in me repeating what they had already said?

FYI: Per se (I think it's French or Latin!).

Added after 3 minutes:

And he's coming to do the PELT course so at best he'll get a multiple Non-imm B and I doubt he'll get a WP right away! So I don't think he's in the same situation as you and thus I'm pretty sure my advice and everyone else's is spot on! So please don't confuse the issue mate!

WTF are you so riled up about, Ken...
best to give 100% info or none at all - even you don't adhere to that rule, so why tell me, I should. Besides, you and I have had an extensive PM exchange on this - I thought you'd remember, but alas...

Anyway, I get my extension with a letter of recommendation from the people (at Chula) I work with. Then off to Suan Plu with the usual copies plus the letter (which is in Thai, so I don't really know what it says, but normally I provide a template for them to adjust to their needs and wishes). Fill in the application form, pay 1900 baht and after a bit of a talk with the immigration officers, I leave with a stamp granting me a stay of whatever was stipulated in the letter (and thus also on the application form). I don't have a Work Permit, but have to sign a form saying that I will only work as what is stipulated in the recommendation letter... Then I get a big red stamp saying I have to report every 90 days yadda yadda yadda - next time is 31 March 2005...