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Do I need a Thai bank account to extend my non-immigrant OA visa in Thailand?

Non-Immigrant OA Visa Visa Extension Thailand Immigration 90 Day Reporting Thai Bank Account Requirements Expat Life in Thailand

Oct 11, 2023

a year ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

A big thanks to Thai Visa Advice. Thanks to searching this excellent group, I was successful in getting a non-immigrant OA multi-entry visa, while in the US.  I have now been living in Thailand for over a month.  

It's my first time in Thailand, and I am looking forward to my first 90 day reporting attempt.  I am living in Jomtien and will try to do it online initially. And if that fails, I will walk to the immigration office nearby and do it in person.

I also plan on purchasing an additional year of health insurance next year and visiting a nearby country and returning in order to get an additional almost year stamped on my current non-OA visa.

I have a question regarding eventually applying for an extesion on my non-OA visa.  I did not require a Thai bank account when I got the non-OA. My American online bank statement and bank letter was sufficient to get the non-OA visa.  However, if I want to eventually apply for an extension, do I have to get an actual Thai bank account and move the 800k baht minimum into Thailand? Or can I continue to use my American bank to meet the minimum money requirement?

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TLDR : Answer Summary

An expat recently obtained a non-immigrant OA multi-entry visa while in the US and is now living in Thailand. They are preparing for their first 90-day reporting, planning to do it online, and have questions about extending their non-OA visa in the future. The main query is whether they need to open a Thai bank account and transfer 800,000 baht into Thailand to meet the extension requirements, as they used an American bank to secure their visa initially. Responses indicate that for extending the visa, a Thai bank account is necessary to maintain the required funds.

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Glenn *****

Trying it online is free try it, can't hurt

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Graziella ********************

First time you need to go in person, after can do it online.

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Ellie *******

@Graziella *******************

, it depends on the province if your very first 90-day report online is possible or not

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Glenn *****

@Graziella *******************

Many but not all have been able to do it first time. It is free to try.

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Glenn *****

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Gethin *******

Jomtien is very easy to do the 90 day in person.

You do not need to even go into the immigration building.

They have a table on the right hand side through the main entrance outside.

You just drop your passport off, do any paperwork, go have something to eat and go back an hour later and it will be done.

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TL ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Well that's a relief.

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TL ******

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Tod *********

Glad it worked out, do it correctly and you will get almost 2 years of stay out of that visa that's valid for a year (y)

𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟴𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝗯𝗮𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱?

Yep if after that second year you want to get a yearly extension inside the country you would indeed bank 800K baht in a thai bank account for 2 months before you went to the immigration office for the year extension application

𝗢𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? <- nope you cannot. That is what you showed to BUY a visa from a thai consulate in your country and has nothing to do with the requirements to get a yearly extension from the thai immigration office here in thailand 😕 You wanna keep the funds in your country you go back and buy a NEW year/multi-OA visa again

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Jeffrey ********

3 months

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Tod *********

@Jeffrey *******

actually the seasoning of the banked money method for retirement extensions is 2 months BEFORE you apply for the next extension.

If you're being told 3 months your immigration office is blowing smoke up your backside

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Tod *********

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TL ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

Cheers and thanks for the immediate answer. I am inclined to go back then. I like keeping my money in the US so far. And it gives me an excuse to return visit the US.

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Graham ******

When you're stamped in for your final 12 months this will then be a single entry stamp so when you choose to leave and return home for a new OA you do not have to cancel anything as leaving the country (without a re-entry permit) terminates your stamp.

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Tod *********

when you're stamped in on that final stamp it's not any re-entry stamp. It's just an year ENTRY stamp,

if you exit the country without BUYING a re-entry permit from the immigration office you'll cancel the stamp..

The re-entry permit was built in to the OA visa when you got it, and when that visa expires you don't have one

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Serge *******

thanks for your comment here

I’m wondering: is it a fact that the second 1 year extension you can get by simply crossing the border while hanging a valid health insurance, a method many members of this group already described, will only be a single entry? How come? Isn’t it possible to get a multiple entry?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help

With my best regards

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Tod *********

you are confusing things. .When you BUY an OA visa it's a year long multi-entry visa, that means you can enter exit all you want during the validity and you will get stamped in for a new year (or as long as your insurance is good for)

When the visa sticker (PDF) is getting close to expiring you exit/re-enter (with proof of new insurance) and you get stamped in for one more year.. THEN the visa itself expires and you're here on an entry stamp with NO re-entry permit. You don't get in on a single entry you get IN on the old visa and then when it runs out so does the re-entry permit that was attached to it

If you're going to leave during that "second year" (after the OA visa expired when you're here on the year entry stamp) you BUY a re-entry permit at the immigration office (1000baht single re-entry or 3800baht multiple re-entry) to get in and out on that stamp until it runs out

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Tod *********

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Steve ********

I did that for many years, returning to Australia every 18-24 months and getting a new OA each time. Now however, the landscape has changed and Australians have a similar process to get the OX visa, which gives a five year entry stamp, and which can be extended a further five years. It's a beaut visa

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Steve ********

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