Renewing your 1yr visa, without returning to the USA or UK?

I had a friend talking on another forum, about how he renewed his 1yr. stamp on his UK passport, without ever leaving LOS?

I guess the way he had supposedly done this, is he went over to Cambodia to get the exit stamp on his passport, then used Fedex to send it back to the UK. Had sent it to a friend with the proper paperwork he needed for it, and his friend was able to bring his passport in and get the new 1yr. stamp. He stayed in Cambodia during this time, about 10 or so days, awaiting the return of his passport by Fedex, and then just re-entered Thailand.

Has anyone else heard of doing such a thing? Can you have a person act as an agent on your behalf and take your passport down to get a stamp at the consul period?? What a very cool way of saving about 40,000 or so baht if this is possible. Definitely interested to see if anyone has absolute certainty this can be done.

I'll defer to Bob, our resident visa expert, on this one.

[x in pattaya]

I had a friend talking on another forum, about how he renewed his 1yr. stamp on his UK passport, without ever leaving LOS?

I guess the way he had supposedly done this, is he went over to Cambodia to get the exit stamp on his passport, then used Fedex to send it back to the UK.


What sort of one year visa are we talking about?

I extend my permission to stay on my non-imm O "retirement" visa for another year, every year, at Jomtien. I've never left Thailand since I first arrived on this visa.

Visas are only issued by Embassies and consulates. Extensions of "Permission to Stay" are granted by Immigrations.


A word of caution
There are individuals offering services to renew the visa for you.
Under no circumstances allow anyone to renew your visa for you. It is illegal.

You must renew your visa in person.

This is a serious offense and you and the 'agent' could be arrested and you could be charged with illegal entry into the Kingdom of Thailand. This can result in imprisonment, deportation and persona non gratis status (blacklisting) which means you can not visit Thailand again.


VISA REQUIREMENTS (http://www.paradise-pattaya.com/thailand-visa-requirements.html)

It is possible, but neither legal, without risk, nor recommended.

Apart from the obvious potential problem of being caught in Cambodia without a passport (he could always have reported it stolen, if he had to, which would have been only a minor problem), there are other possible problems.

It is unlikely that his friend acted as his agent and took the passport to a Consul. Far more likely that he posted it to the Consulate (for example the one in Hull). He stated a falsehood on his visa application, as the visa can only be issued to those physically in the UK at the time - only a technicality, but had the Consul checked the immigration stamps for Cambodia (entry, but no exit) this would have been obvious; unlikely, but perfectly possible - the Consul would then have been legally obliged to hand the passport to the British Passport Office, not to return it (with or without a visa).

When he re-enters Thailand from Cambodia (or any other time his passport is checked), any alert Immigration officer (and there are some!) would notice that his visa for Thailand was issued in UK while he was in Cambodia. This would also be highlighted any time he completed any immigration paperwork, as he would have had to put down that the visa was issued in UK but that he entered overland from Cambodia. Presumably he means a 90 day multiple entry visa valid for 1 year, so he would risk being caught every three months (as well as at any other time).

A friend of mine living here had a similar but totally legal way of obtaining Thai visas from the UK. He had dual nationality (maybe triple) and simply alternated the passport he used for a Thai visa; he stayed in Thailand on the "current" passport and visa, giving the "unused" one to a friend to post to the Consulate for him. Once he had the "unused" one back, with the new visa, he flew to Singapore leaving Thailand on the "old" visa (which was then cancelled) and passport, turned around in the Transit Lounge so never actually passed through Singapore immigration, then flew back to Thailand (often on the same plane, with the same flight crew!) on the "new" passport and "new" UK issued visa. All perfectly safe and legal (except that technically he was not in the UK when the visa was issued, but it would have been impossible for the Consulate to check this).

What is legal, what is possible, and what is sensible are not always the same thing.

[Smiles]

X has asked the most pertinent question . . . i.e. what kind of visa does he hold?
Like Mr X, I hold a 12-month Longterm (referred to as a 'Retirement' visa by GF :blackeye: ) Visa, and it ~ as he says ~ can be easily extended for another 12 months (ad infinitum) when it expires ... all from within Thailand.

So I assume your friend does not hold this kind of 12 month visa? Which other visa type holds good for 12 months at a time? Important to understand that before the question can be properly answered.

X has asked the most pertinent question . . . i.e. what kind of visa does he hold?
Like Mr X, I hold a 12-month Longterm (referred to as a 'Retirement' visa by GF :blackeye: ) Visa

Not quite correct, Smiles. As I made clear before (http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/gay-thailand/hopefully-this-will-clear-out-some-of-the-riff-raff-t17781-15.html?hilit=retirement#p179810), it is called a Long term Visa when it is issued abroad (yours) and a Retirement Extension of Stay when it is issued in Thailand (X's & mine) as a 12 month extension to a visa (Non-Immigrant / Long Term); the latter is generally known, albeit technically incorrectly, as a Retirement Visa. They are both similar in effect, but they are actually totally different things - you do not hold the same visa/extension of stay as Mr X.

If it was a "Long Term Visa" he could easily extend it here as a "Retirement Extension of Stay" using exactly the same paperwork, in which case his whole exercise would be pointless and totally unnecessary. The only "1yr. stamp" which fits the bill is a 12 month multiple entry visa, although actually whatever kind of visa he holds is is totally irrelevant; it does not matter if the visa is for 30, 60, 90 or any other number of days - he still faces exactly the same risks when he is without a passport, when his application is being checked by the Consulate, or whenever his passport is checked by Immigration or the Police.

I have no idea on what kind of visa he held. He might have had the 1yr. visa, but I was always under the impression that you have to return to your home country once a year to renew your visa like that.

Me personally, I am on a B-visa at the moment. I am wanting to change over to a marriage visa at the moment. Thats why this was of interest to me. As applying for the 1yr. at an out of country consul, all thats required is the marriage license in many cases. I am hearing all different kinds of stories about whats required to actually get the marriage visa while inside of Thailand. One story I heard is that either person in the marriage had to show a 40k a month income for at least 3 months or something like that. Now I'm hearing that either the Thai, or the foreigner have to show the income, heard that is was the Thai from some people, and falang from others.

I mean I know for certain the marriage license is required, along with proof of residency, ie a lease agreement, deed, or cert. of residence. Beyond that, I have no clue what is actually required to change over, or obtain the marriage visa while in Thailand, and keep it where you can get the 1yr. extension on it. If I was to change the status of my visa now, I would lose the remaining time left I had on it, and would only have 90 days on the visa before having to get the 1yr. extension, again.

I guess the way my friend had did his, is out of the question, so that was my interest in knowing. If any of you guys have a clue on the exact paperwork needed to get the 1yr. marriage visa extension from a 90 day marriage visa, that would be more then appreciated.

Most likely your friend has a one year multiple entry Non-Immigrant type "O" Visa - He will get a maximum of 90 days stay at which time he has to leave the country (Visa run?) - if he goes out on the last day of his 1 year visa and return on the same day, he will get an extra 90 days before he has to renew his TYPE-O Visa. In other words with a 1 year Type-O non-immigrant multiple entry visa you can legally stay in the country for a total of 15 X 30 days by doing visa runs every 90 days (4 times).

I guess the way my friend had did his, is out of the question, so that was my interest in knowing. If any of you guys have a clue on the exact paperwork needed to get the 1yr. marriage visa extension from a 90 day marriage visa, that would be more then appreciated.

I suggest you post your question over at thaivisa dot com. They have very knowledgeable moderators who will be able to answer you.

It is my understanding that Immigration will grant an extension of stay up to one year on the basis the foreigner is married to a Thai national or is a family member of a Thai. Requirements as listed in Royal Thai Police Headquarters Order no. 777/2551, 25 November 2008:

1. Hold a Non Immigrant Visa

2. Be the spouse (legal marriage), parent(s), child, adopted child or child of the foreign spouse. Child must be under 20 years of age and living with family.

3. Have the required financial resources:
a. Husband of Thai lady - An average annual income of 40,000 Baht per month or a money deposit of not less than 400,000 Baht for past two months.
b. Parent(s) - One must have an average annual income of 40,000 Baht per month or a money deposit of not less than 400,000 Baht.

Interesting to note that it says the "Husband" of a Thai lady has to have the income/funds, but doesn't say the foreign "wife" of a Thai must meet that burden.

Based on reports on ThaiVisa.com, as mentioned you will need the marriage license and proof of meeting the financial resource requirement. If marriage certificate is in English, it will probably require a translation to Thai and maybe have to be certified by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Also, it may be necessary to provide evidence of residence and a map showing its location. As I understand it, the local Immigration office process the paperwork, but have to send it to Bangkok for final approval. There have also been some reports that Immigration may do some preliminary investigation, such as visiting the residence to verify that both are living there as man and wife.

Since each Immigration Office seems to interpret the rules their own way and decide on what documents they want to see, it probably would be a good idea to go to the Office where you plan to apply and ask them what documents you need.

It is my understanding that Immigration will grant an extension of stay up to one year on the basis the foreigner is married to a Thai national or is a family member of a Thai. Requirements as listed in Royal Thai Police Headquarters Order no. 777/2551, 25 November 2008:

1. Hold a Non Immigrant Visa

2. Be the spouse (legal marriage), parent(s), child, adopted child or child of the foreign spouse. Child must be under 20 years of age and living with family.

3. Have the required financial resources:
a. Husband of Thai lady - An average annual income of 40,000 Baht per month or a money deposit of not less than 400,000 Baht for past two months.
b. Parent(s) - One must have an average annual income of 40,000 Baht per month or a money deposit of not less than 400,000 Baht.

Interesting to note that it says the "Husband" of a Thai lady has to have the income/funds, but doesn't say the foreign "wife" of a Thai must meet that burden.

Based on reports on ThaiVisa.com, as mentioned you will need the marriage license and proof of meeting the financial resource requirement. If marriage certificate is in English, it will probably require a translation to Thai and maybe have to be certified by Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Also, it may be necessary to provide evidence of residence and a map showing its location. As I understand it, the local Immigration office process the paperwork, but have to send it to Bangkok for final approval. There have also been some reports that Immigration may do some preliminary investigation, such as visiting the residence to verify that both are living there as man and wife.

Since each Immigration Office seems to interpret the rules their own way and decide on what documents they want to see, it probably would be a good idea to go to the Office where you plan to apply and ask them what documents you need.

The above is true, but you can go in person or mail your passport to The Royal Thai Consulate in Hull, UK and get a 1 year multiple entry non-immigrant type "O" visa - no questions asked (without the above mentioned docs). I believe you can do the same in Perth.

.....you can go in person or mail your passport to The Royal Thai Consulate in Hull, UK and get a 1 year multiple entry non-immigrant type "O" visa - no questions asked (without the above mentioned docs)....

Anyone doing so should note my points above first!