From the consulate in New York,
Non-immigrant O-A, Multiple Entry, 26 August, 2008.

Arrived at Suvi on 17 September, 2008. Stamped to be good until 16 September 2009.
Left from Suvi on 12 December, 2008.

Back to Suvi on March 1, 2009. Processing agent is a TRAINEE. Opens the visa page, smiles and indicates that he has not seen this type of visa before. Turns to another agent, mumbles, turns to me and asks ‘How long’? “One year” I reply . Stamped to be good until 28 February, 2010. I thought that the 'good until' date should not change, that is it should be one year from the first arrival date. I mumble, he smiles, I give up because I plan to return within 3 months.

Went to Nong Khai to get paper for license; tried to point out my confusion. She didn’t want to pay attention. OK, I said to myself, I tried.

Is my visa valid until:
1. One year from the date of issue, 26 August, 2008?
2. One year from my date of first arrival 17 September, 2008?
3. I can stay until 28 February, 2010, as per the stamp on my passport.
I would guess that the correct answer is ‘1’. What do you think?

if stamp says good till feb 28, 2010, then that sounds good. if it's stamped, must be official.

Ray, you have a visa that entitles you to a stay of 1 year on arrival in the Kingdom.
It is valid until 16 September 2009 - so if you enter before that date you will be given 1 year from date of entry.
So if you return on 16 Sept. 2009 you will be given a stamp in your passport permitting you to stay until 15th. September 2010.
At the moment you do not have to leave the country until 28th. Feb. 2010. If you want to stay longer than that then you must leave the country before 16th. Sept. 2009 & so get a new stamp.

You can stay until 28 Feb 2010 before you need to worry about getting an extension. Too bad you couldn't have delayed leaving the country from Dec 2008 to Sept 2009 because you would have been able to get almost two years out of that type of visa. In other words if you left Thailand at the end of your first year, when you re-entered Thailand you would have gotten the second year stamped in your passport. I have done this and I'm sure there are others in here who have, also.

You're good to go (or in this case, to stay) until 28 Feb 2010.

"you want to stay longer than that then you must leave the country before 16th. Sept. 2009 & so get a new stamp." Bob
"In other words if you left Thailand at the end of your first year, when you re-entered Thailand you would have gotten the second year stamped in your passport." Polehawk

I thought that the one-year stamp for my stay would be from the date I re-enter, not when I leave, the country which I can until 25 August, 2009....one year from the date of issue of my O-A visa from the NYC consulate.
Sorry, about my confusion.

Sorry Ray - it is difficult without seeing a copy of the visa...
On the Visa given to you from the Thai Embassy there will be the words
"This visa must be utilised before" followed by a date.
Re-reading your post I believe this date is probably 26th. August 2009.
As you have a multiple entry visa ANY time you enter Thailand BEFORE this date you will be given permission to stay for the permitted period (1 year). So if you enter Thailand on that exact date (whatever it is) you will be granted 1 year from that day....Which is the way to maximise your stay in Thailand.
If you do not leave Thailand you can currently stay until 28 February, 2010 - after which you will need to return to United States to obtain a new visa, or a reasonable time before 28 February, 2010 you need to apply for a marriage (or retirement) visa at the relevant Internal Immigration Office.

Bob, The only two dates in my visa (O-A, multiple entry) are:
date of issue: 26 Aug 2008
enter before: 25 Aug 2009
If I understand you correctly, I can re-enter on 25 August 2009, and get a stamp on my passport allowing me to stay until 25 August 2010. Since Laos isn't that far from the immigration office in Nong Khai......Nice loophole.The negative would then be that I could stay but would not be able to leave and re-enter because I wouldn't have a visa, unless I get my visa extended before I leave or get a new visa from the NYC consulate. Yes?

Yes, that is about it Ray (although, being VERY pedantic) I think it is actually to 24th. August 2010.
Yes, anytime you left Thailand after 25th. August 2009 you would then have to make "alternative" visa arrangements to re-enter Thailand as the visa in your passport would be expired.

Hi,
Checked this with Thai. Con. in Hull U.K. A multiple "O" visa lasts for 12 months from the date of issue, you have to leave the country every 90 days, but if you make the last trip the day before the visa expires you in effect get a further 90 days. A "O-A" visa they told me was what some people call a retirement visa cannot be obtained outside of LOS. this is what Con. told me. You have to be in LOS for 60 days, on a "O" visa and then you can apply for a "O-A" visa. this is if you meet there criteria, ie over 50, income of 65,000B a month or bank deposits of 800,000B this is for a single person, a married, to a Thai national, person this figure is reduced by about half. TIT.
Went through this end of last year. As was not married had to show bank account and meet there spec. Was granted a "O-A" visa, "retirement". This was valid for five years, you had to report to immigration every 90 days, now you can do this by post. This is mainly to keep a check on your address. Then every 12 months you have to appear before img. with proof of earnings etc. etc. etc.. You do not have to leave LOS in the five years. You also do not need a doctors cert. now. One word of warning, if you do leave LOS there is a form you have to fill out, forget the number, if you do not fill out this form, when you return to LOS your visa will not be valid and you will have to jump through the same hoops again.
Cheers Doug.

What Hull told you is not quite correct Douglas. They (as a consulate) cannot supply an O/A similar to the one Ray received. The Embassy in London can though - although they are not easy to deal with...

http://www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk/newvers ... ement.html

As Ray has done it is possible to get a "scouting trip for as retirement visa" (officially called Multiple entry) which, effectively, enables a person to stay for 2 years in Thailand, leaving/reporting only once to enact the 'year two' part just before the visa expires.
Towards the end of the second year (or indeed first year if you so wish) the user can then apply for a 'retirement visa' as long as he meets the requirements.

To reiterate what Bob said, I am a living proof that you can get a O-A visa from a consulate, in my case the one in New York.
I do not understand the "valid for 5 years' in Doug's post. On my visa, written by hand over the typed words O-A are the words "long stay". Don't know what it implies. Every time I renter, I get a one-year stamp. Also, since it is a multiple entry visa, I do not need to fill in any paperwork when I leave.
Another issue: Assume that I am in Thailand after the last date of entry written in the visa but within one year of the last entry. Now, I need to travel outside Thailand and plan to come back. Is it better that I know go for a visa extension, or just get a new visa to come back?

question I know what O visa is but what is O-A visa ?

aznyron wrote:question I know what O visa is but what is O-A visa ?

Based on retirement.

Ray, I also got an O/A Visa at the Thai consulate in Los Angeles. It is a single entry. They told me they could not give me a multiple entry, but all I had to do was get a reentry permit if I left the country. When I entered Thailand I got a one year stamp. I don't know what happens when you leave the country, as I have not yet done that, will just wait and see. I discovered that the embassy and the various consulates all seem to have slightly different rules, as do probably the various immigration offices.