GoonDizzy

I thought that if you were already here on a valid visa you could get it changed over at immigration here?

I think you mean doing a conversion to a non immigrant visa entry at immigration. This cannot be done if attending a language school. Immigration in Bangkok will do it if you are a full time student at a university.

If he had a permit to stay from a non immigrant visa entry he could apply for the extension of stay.

I'm on a 60 day visit Thai wife visa. I'm enrolling on a full time degree course in BKK. Could I just do this in BKK (Ed Visa) or will I need to fly to Phnom Penh? Phnom Penh is my only option as Cambodia is the only nation in the region accepting the one year UK passport extensions due to the crisis/massive delays at UK Passports Authority.

If you are attending a university it should be possible to do a conversion to a non immigrant visa entry at immigration in Bangkok.

Yeah. That's why a pal told me get a 60 day visit Thai wife stamp (to give them and I a bit of time to sort it out). Others have told me I'll need to fly out to Cambodia to do it. I'll give it a go at Bangers Imm and see what happens in a few weeks if I get accepted onto the course.

I thought that if you were already here on a valid visa you could get it changed over at immigration here?

I think you mean doing a conversion to a non immigrant visa entry at immigration. This cannot be done if attending a language school. Immigration in Bangkok will do it if you are a full time student at a university.

If he had a permit to stay from a non immigrant visa entry he could apply for the extension of stay.

I'm on a 60 day visit Thai wife visa. I'm enrolling on a full time degree course in BKK. Could I just do this in BKK (Ed Visa) or will I need to fly to Phnom Penh? Phnom Penh is my only option as Cambodia is the only nation in the region accepting the one year UK passport extensions due to the crisis/massive delays at UK Passports Authority.

Uk isn't on that list. Nothing would surpise me anymore. Hopefully, this list includes issue of visas. Cheers, Theresa.

75% of nations are not accepting the one year UK passport extension. However, Thailand are. My worry was that a border nation may not (for my Ed visa). It appears Cambodia do but not Laos. Could be important info in my humble opinion.

Theresa May should be put down. All that education and then this? ''Hey look Daddio. Look at the money I saved. People in jail and crying at checkpoints? At least I saved a few quid'' <deleted>. I have a feeling this may be due to the 'brain drain' in the UK. Perhaps they are trying to get them back? Conspiracy? Or plain stupidity?

Anyhooz:

List of nations accepting UK passport one year extensions due to the UK overseas passport crisis.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/20/extended-passports-accepted-by-fifty-countries-to-aid-crisis

I should also point out I have an overstay in my passport from a few years back. Caused by a lawyer telling me 'everything is done don't worry. I'm on holiday and will give your passport to you in two weeks.'' He said he could change a non B to a non O without leaving Thailand. He got fired after his boss found out he'd done naff all (I was calling him in a state of panic every day from a week or two before my visa ended). Luckily, the firm paid the overstay and compensated me for the stress (30k). They smoothed it over for me with Immigration, but will that 20k overstay thing cause a problem at a Thai Consulate abroad?

I may have a problem coming up. The uni in BKK I'm enrolling at on Monday need to see my original passport, which has delayed me getting a new passport. I have three pages left (one of which has a 90 day report thingy from immigration). I've only recently heard of the problems with UKPA. After Monday, I'm arranging an appointment with the embassy to get a passport renewal.

I'm pretty sure I'll need a few more than 3 pages to sort out an Ed visa (if I get the one year passport extension as I'm sure I need to leave Thailand, get the visa and return...so there goes three pages and I hear I may need 4?) for my visa as I'm currently on a 60 day visit Thai wife extension (ends mid Aug). I was incorrectly advised to obtain this to get an Ed visa more easily without leaving Thailand. Yep, I shoulda/coulda found out more but the dude is usually clued up and correct. My bad.To complicate matters, my old (final) 90 day report stamp on the original non O runs out after this date (mid Sept).

So, I know I've got until Sept to get my passport back, but if I don't...what would you guys advise? I know about the emergency travel document but the expense of that and a flight to the UK and back would be a huge burden as I've just about got enough for the degree and living expenses. I could also miss classes on my course which isn't good either.

Just planning ahead in case the shit hits the fan.

No brainer - apply at the British Embassy to get the British Passport 12 month extension next week, the UK extension stamp doesn't take up a lot of space.

Don't worry about the 90 day report slip, that's just stapled in.

Once you have the extension, you don't need to keep the blank pages free and then you can do pretty much what you like without the stress of waiting 8 weeks plus for the replacement passport..

If you were to apply to renew now your passport now it would become invalid for travel, so bye bye ED Visa.

Thanks. Will 3 pages (one with a stapled piece of paper in it) be enough to leave Thailand, get an Ed visa and come back? They may need one for exit, one for the visa and one for re-entry. Perhaps one for the first 90 day stamp. I'm not sure. I don't want to risk getting the 1 year extension on the passport and then be screwed with a full passport and no room for a 90 day/visa stamp. I have heard of people having issues with Immigration about using the last page. Is it true that they may refuse to put a stamp of any kind on the last page (not the official notifications one at the back)?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is a bit of a mindfuck.

Yes three pages are enough, the ED Visa need one blank page and the entry exit stamps take up no more than half a page and may well be fitted instead into odd spaces on other part filled pages.

Why would Immigration not stamp your last blank page? - Never heard of that before.

Just make sure you have one blank page for the ED Visa when you go on the Visa Run to a Thai Consulate.

I have (successfully) used 2-3 paper clips to hold two blank passport pages together in the past to at least give me a chance to argue the case for keeping the pages blank whilst at a border crossing immigration post.

Providing you have less than 3- 6 months of validly left on your current passport, then the FREE 12 month UK extension is, as I have already posted, a no brainer.

There is nothing to stop you subsequently applying to renew, after another say 3 months, once the smoke has settled.

You will then also get a credit for the remaining 9 months in your new passport which will come back valid for 10 years and 9 months!

Just make the appointment with the Embassy a.s.a.p. - sorted.

Thanks. What a gem of a human you are. I love the bit about paper clipping pages together. Genius. One small thing though. Won't I need two blank pages once in another country (probably Cambodia). One for the Visa stamp (never had an Ed visa but O and B visas take up a full page) and one for returning to Thailand?

The bit about Imm not stamping a final page comes from a pal who said this happened to a mate of his about two years ago. I think it's due to the fact that all visas are classed as 'temporary'. They expect you to bugger off unless you have managed to get citizenship. Not all Imm officials of course, but the few farang haters (very few in my experience, I've usually found hem to be pretty friendly and helpful) or those in a bad mood.

You don't get a stamp in your pp for 90 day reporting its just a piece of paper stapled in

I know that. Can they still use that page though?

Just un-staple that page and re-staple it to a full page before you go to the Embassy.

Doh! Pretty obvious (I'm 'dohing' myself btw).

I may have a problem coming up. The uni in BKK I'm enrolling at on Monday need to see my original passport, which has delayed me getting a new passport. I have three pages left (one of which has a 90 day report thingy from immigration). I've only recently heard of the problems with UKPA. After Monday, I'm arranging an appointment with the embassy to get a passport renewal.

I'm pretty sure I'll need a few more than 3 pages to sort out an Ed visa (if I get the one year passport extension as I'm sure I need to leave Thailand, get the visa and return...so there goes three pages and I hear I may need 4?) for my visa as I'm currently on a 60 day visit Thai wife extension (ends mid Aug). I was incorrectly advised to obtain this to get an Ed visa more easily without leaving Thailand. Yep, I shoulda/coulda found out more but the dude is usually clued up and correct. My bad.To complicate matters, my old (final) 90 day report stamp on the original non O runs out after this date (mid Sept).

So, I know I've got until Sept to get my passport back, but if I don't...what would you guys advise? I know about the emergency travel document but the expense of that and a flight to the UK and back would be a huge burden as I've just about got enough for the degree and living expenses. I could also miss classes on my course which isn't good either.

Just planning ahead in case the shit hits the fan.

No brainer - apply at the British Embassy to get the British Passport 12 month extension next week, the UK extension stamp doesn't take up a lot of space.

Don't worry about the 90 day report slip, that's just stapled in.

Once you have the extension, you don't need to keep the blank pages free and then you can do pretty much what you like without the stress of waiting 8 weeks plus for the replacement passport..

If you were to apply to renew now your passport now it would become invalid for travel, so bye bye ED Visa.

Thanks. Will 3 pages (one with a stapled piece of paper in it) be enough to leave Thailand, get an Ed visa and come back? They may need one for exit, one for the visa and one for re-entry. Perhaps one for the first 90 day stamp. I'm not sure. I don't want to risk getting the 1 year extension on the passport and then be screwed with a full passport and no room for a 90 day/visa stamp. I have heard of people having issues with Immigration about using the last page. Is it true that they may refuse to put a stamp of any kind on the last page (not the official notifications one at the back)?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is a bit of a mindfuck.

You don't get a stamp in your pp for 90 day reporting its just a piece of paper stapled in

I know that. Can they still use that page though?

I may have a problem coming up. The uni in BKK I'm enrolling at on Monday need to see my original passport, which has delayed me getting a new passport. I have three pages left (one of which has a 90 day report thingy from immigration). I've only recently heard of the problems with UKPA. After Monday, I'm arranging an appointment with the embassy to get a passport renewal.

I'm pretty sure I'll need a few more than 3 pages to sort out an Ed visa (if I get the one year passport extension as I'm sure I need to leave Thailand, get the visa and return...so there goes three pages and I hear I may need 4?) for my visa as I'm currently on a 60 day visit Thai wife extension (ends mid Aug). I was incorrectly advised to obtain this to get an Ed visa more easily without leaving Thailand. Yep, I shoulda/coulda found out more but the dude is usually clued up and correct. My bad.To complicate matters, my old (final) 90 day report stamp on the original non O runs out after this date (mid Sept).

So, I know I've got until Sept to get my passport back, but if I don't...what would you guys advise? I know about the emergency travel document but the expense of that and a flight to the UK and back would be a huge burden as I've just about got enough for the degree and living expenses. I could also miss classes on my course which isn't good either.

Just planning ahead in case the shit hits the fan.

You can get a second waiver with a B.A. in Education without any Tesol or such.

Seems the plan is to finsh the English degree, save for a year and enrol on a PGCE or M.Ed. As long as I obtain the PGCE.M.Ed, I understand I can then apply for a full Teacher's License and never worry again about hoop jumping?

Cheers guys.

You should be good for 2 waivers as long as you can show you are progressing

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Thanks. Had a feeling it would be ok. I Just hope I don't have to obtain a Phd after a PGCE! That may be beyond me (and Thailand). At that point I'll get the hint that they want the honkeys out.

Well, my two year waiver ended and I need to get an Education degree to continue working. I have no problems with that , it's about time Thailand made sure those working in schools have got the qualifications required (guilty as charged, but I'm not too bad even though I say so myself). I once had to do a visa run before I got a job here. I'll never forget the guy in his mid twenties drunk out of his mind at 6am. A few hours into the journey he called what seemed like his boss (all the time swigging from a can of the old style 7% Chang). The converstaion went something like ''Oh come on. Giz me job back. I'm nonnot drunnnk (hic). Oh, go on. I'll stop ma drinking all the time, I promise, mate.'' Not a good look for Thailand and it's that lot that have forced Thailand into action.

I worked in a countryside school where the rules were a little more relaxed (a HND and TESOL was enough for a permit, but not anymore). I've enrolled on a BA in English and have a 120 hour TESOL from the UK. I've also read conflicting info that an Education degree is needed/any degree plus a 120 hour TESOL or an English or Education degree to survive the waiver. And you may need to have or be enrolled on a M.Ed/PGCE.

As my waiver 'ended', will it reset in three years time when my degree ends? I will have a new passport by then and I hear the waiver is connected to your passport number. Or will I need to start a M.Ed/PGCE as soon as my course ends to get a work permit? Assuming I get my degree, I would love to obtain a PGCE or M.Ed, but would need a year or possibly two to save the money. I know the rules change here at the drop of a hat, but I'm only interested in how to stay beyond two permit renewals. Although any more hoop jumping beyond a degree/PGCE and I may just bugger off anyway.

Also, do we expect salaries to rise by 100% after the new requirements? Hmmmm.

Pathum Thani still flooded in some areas but now receding. My village (Klong 3, Lammlukka,Thanyaburi) has no water now as of yesterday but this is due to the pumps. Outside on the road it's about 6-7 inches deep. Folks returning and the people cleaning houses. Ours almost done. Lots of shitty mud and debris lying about sois in our village though. Some schools opening next week. This flood has cost me over 100,000 baht in lost income from private work and damaged stuff, travel in and out of the area, hotels and cleaning stuff. It's been much worse though for some of the Thais who are less well off. Good news no ants! All dead I think! Shame about all the pets that were left by some folks that have died and the animals with no homes. Thousands of them must have died.

The 600+ deaths was obviously a huge tragedy.

Good sign is the water is certainly going down now. Long overdue imo. I doubt the folks here will never get their requested meeting with the BKK governor. Tbh, the Pathum Thani governor may have a lot to answer according to comments from the Thais around here.

Ah, well...let's hope they can sort out a real flood defence system for the future.

Godwin's Law?

==================

Not sure it really applies for any debate regarding the PAD. We aren't talking about our favourite cheese here I don't believe everything I read but this site had a huge thread on the subject recently so I wondered were the source came from. Seems like there wasn't as nobody has any proof.

However, they DID suggest that the poor or uneducated should not be allowed the vote.

What would you call that?

I read on here somewhere the PAD want all foreigners and their investments and businesses out. Is this true as I can't find a reference to it?

Bye,bye Toyato, Honda, Coca Cola, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Intel etc.

Oh and the tourists.

Good luck with that one. North Korea are doing well for themselves, too. And how are the PAD still getting a platform IF this is all true? Surely it's pure facism?

I didn't even mention the 'poor cannot vote' nonsense

This is where the desire for "absolute power" usually stems from.

===================================

No it doesn't!

In a full blown emergency like this one I feel the best option is for the government to appoint a team of REAL experts who know what they are doing. If you don't have them...pay for some of the Dutch experts. This team could liase with the local governors and give advice, listen to problems and work out a solution. But the final decison MUST rest with the 'crisis team'. Not with umpteen commitees going back and forth and doing nothing but help their own communites at the expense of others. The only problem I see with this is Thais don't like to get in 'outsiders' for things they feel they can do. Nothing wrong with that...but can they deal with this problem alone? After seeing first hand the damage and suffering I feel it is time to take the issue very, very seriously. .

What is clear to me is that the obvious split between the Governor of BKK and the government DID NOT help Thailand. It has caused folks in the Pathum Thani and Nonthanburi districts to feel used. The crisis was not handled very well and unity is important in a crisis.

Come on Thailand...you've lost billions, hundreds have died, thousands homeless, jobs have been lost, schools closed, communities divided....no more 'mai pen rai' with this please.

It's far to serious an issue to leave to the disjointed and unqualified.

Who is the leader here? BMA or Yingluck?

How can the BMA have a meeting about what the PM is saying should be done? How can they refuse? What's the point of being PM? The line from the BKK governor that he '' reserved the right to adjust the sluice gate opening'' tells you all you need to know.

Seems to me the big master plan is to let Pathum Thani and Nonthanburi fester in turds for as long as it takes to keep a few feet dry.

TBH, I feel a bit sorry for her. She has no power over the BMA (or so it seems).

Having been rescued by the military and given free transport to dry land in BKK (Boat, military transport and then songtail)...oh and they gave free food and drinks (coke, water etc)...very good helping the kids and the elderly...

..the only ones to come out of this mess with any credit.

May I give my thanks here on behalf of my family to the Royal Thai Army.

They can have a coup anytime for me.

My house in Thanyaburi has been under 4-5feet of water for almost a month. The water level is hardly moving due to the big bags. Not my words but one of the Dutch experts on TPBS today. He basically said that with the big bags in place the areas worst affected would suffer for around another 40 days. Without them... around 20 days but it would cause floods in BKK.

I totally agree it's unfair on residents on the dry side to be suddenly submerged without warning.

However, there is a warning. I believe that the residents along with a governor of the district have given the gov an ultimatum. They want to see a 3-5cm decrease in the water levels per day over the next three days. If it stays the same they will be doing whatever they need to. This has been shown a lot today on Thai TV.

If I lived just on the dry side of this big bag wall I would take the warning seriously. I would be leaving right now to be honest.

And let's be fair. If you had been living in 5 feet of toxic waste for a month with no sign of an end, nowhere to pee or poop (in a bag as many are now doing), little food, no idea when the kids can return to school, jobs being lost, folks without pay and the TV only banging on about BKK and its flood situation (tame in comparison), you too may just take the law into your own hands.

Good luck everyone and remember...the river is the only way for the water to go.

Biggest shock for me is that somebody admits a 'possible' mistake.

For those saying 'how can you predict the weather or what was gonna happen blah blah'....let me let you in on something.

The area I just escaped from 3 weeks ago (Pathum Thani) has a rather long and well known klong (Klong Rangsit). This Klong was FULL months ago around July. THis was despite rather low rainfall in our area. A few of us teachers commented on this fact at the time. I had no idea the water was being 'saved' but for those in control of the water management system to do nothing, it is a complete show of incompetence.

A friend sent me some photos currently at Khlong 2, Rangsit, Nakhon Nayok Road.

This is near Montana Village. She had said the water levels were not this high yesterday and it is a significant change. Smaller cars cannot pass through and the military is helping those evacuate those who are in need of help. Most of the huts along the Khlong are nearly submerged.

Some of the Khlong 2 huts becoming submerged

I live in that area. It is much worse than yesterday. Can't buy food now. Looking at getting out of here tonight if possible.

Posts about food are very relevant right now. Live and work in Pathum Thani, Thanyaburi area. Last night the local 7/11 and Lotus were closed. This morning 7/11 is closed (and is staying closed). THe Tesco was open but had NO FOOD. NOT ONE EGG, PACK OF NOODLES, CHICKEN LEG, PORK CUT, FISH, LOAF OF BREAD, BAG OF RICE, VEGETABLE OR ITEM OF FRUIT!

All the markets that sell fruit, meat and veg have gone. I found one small shop with some noodles and bought about 20 packs! I hate noodles! My wife was talking to the owner who said the problem is that nearly all of the factories that are producing the food have closed!

When BKK decided to let the northern districts take the brunt they forgot that small detail (flooding of food supply).

If this is gonna last 4-6 weeks people could actually start to starve. Funny thing is our village is almost completely dry.

I beleive it hasn't quite hit BKK fully yet but take it from me..just north of you it is now a crisis and these same factories supply most of your food.

Manageed to get some beer though. Last few bottles in the shop. There is a god!

serenity

You're welcome.

Anyone see the 'International Spokesman' earlier this evening?

Basically, he said the worst is over. Pathum Thani and Ayyuttaya are ok now. There are many in those areas up to their necks so I'm not sure on that one.

He also said BKK is safe. Maybe only 30cms or so will come into the city.

What annoys me is one minute you get 'everything is ok now, the worst is over' and then (like I had first thing this morning in Pathum Thani) loudspeakers telling you to quickly move things upstairs as **Snip!**

Call me awkward but this causes a little panic and confusion. No water came into the village btw.

Only advice I will now give is I have no idea who to believe so prepare for the worst case scenario.