Tod Daniels

News flash for the thick ???? It is most definitely NOT an Aprils Fools joke. ???? That's why I waited until I had images of NEW entry stamps from the border before I posted the news The change to 45 days from 30 days on the visa exempt/visa waiver entries and the change to 30 days from 15 days on the visa on arrival entries was a plan to boost tourism. I believe it started Oct 1st 2022 and was set to run out (just like it did) at 11:59PM March 31st..

I wanted everyone to know that the 30 day extension available on visa exempt entries is still just like it was before. For the 52 countries that get visa exempt entries you are allowed ONE 30 day extension per entry at the immigration office serving the area where you stay for 1900baht. For the 6 countries (Hong Kong, Lao, Macao, Mongolia, Russia & Vietnam) that get visa waiver entries you CANNOT get a 30 day extension. Also the limit of TWO visa exempt entries by land in a calendar year (Jan 1st - Dec 31st) is still in effect.

This sounds a LOT like a "lost in translation" where the immigration officer is taking AT a foreigner thru his thai significant other???? (who as a rule doesn't know ANYTHING about visas/extensions/re-entry etc).. I am calling this "suspect info" at best ????

It's not that they're prohibited from studying on the entry stamp they're on (because you're correct you can study on a visa exempt / tourist visa entry no issue at all) It's because the ED visa programs are sold as meeting the minimum requirements of so many hours per year. People can't start studying until they get the ED visa issued because if you burn up the hours studying BEFORE you have the ED visa issued you're going to come up short when you go to get one of the extensions during the year. (Again in Bangkok) most schools tell the student, you can start studying once we (the school) get the paperwork from the MOE and can go get the visa.

That person had only TWO 60 day covid extensions (unlike like most people I've seen here who have been milking amnesty, covid extensions for 2+ years before they got the ED visa) ???? They also were really studying, had their attendance booklet, a letter from their school stating they knew the student was going to be out of the country and STILL they were denied entry ???? So it wasn't just because of the "long stay history" <-(which really wasn't that long at all). ED Visas for studying in a private language school are given a super high degree of scrutiny when people re-enter the country (and to answer your question; if you left WITHOUT a re-entry permit you'd cancel the ED visa/extension when you exited so yes, it does matter ???? ) The reason for this is during the covid lock down it seems every Tom, Dick & Somchai foreigner here enrolled in schools handing out those b/s back-door, under the table year long ED visa/extensions and yet those people NEVER went to school a single day. The abuse of the system was just off the charts. AND the scrutiny that people get entering on ED extensions w/re-entry permits is a direct result of this abuse.

I think you don't understand the process to get the ED visa issued ???? You enroll in a school, PAY the tuition, they make copies of your passport, entry stamp etc and apply to the Ministry of Education for paperwork allowing you to get an ED visa. <- That can take between 2 and 6 WEEKS to get back. They don't want you to exit/re-enter the country while you're waiting for this paperwork to come back because they applied using copies of the entry stamp you're here on NOW, not one you'd get if you left/came back in during the process. <- Although schools WILL allow you to bounce out and back if you're going to run out of time before you can get thru the process if they have to, as a rule they say DO NOT exit/re-enter during the process until you get the Non-ED visa Once that paperwork comes back (in bangkok at least) you go to the immigration office at Chaengwattana, Section C-1 and apply for the in country 90 day ED visa for 2000baht. That goes under review for 14 days <- during this time you CANNOT exit/re-enter at all) and then you go back to get the Non-Immigrant Type ED visa and a new 90 day admitted until stamp inked in. THEN when that 90 days runs down you get more paperwork from the school and go to the immigration office to apply for an extension for 1900baht. Again in bangkok the way it works is the FIRST extension you get after the 90 day visa runs down is for 30 days and during that 30 days you go to the Ministry of Education and take a test, this is to see IF you can continue to get extensions the rest of the year OR if you can't <- in which case you're done after the 90 day ED and the one 30 day extension and leave the country to try another way to stay. If you pass the test you get paperwork to get 60 day extensions for the rest of the year The break down and immigration cost is like this 90 day Non-ED visa 2000baht 1 - 30 day extension 1900baht 4 - 60 day extensions 4X1900baht = 7600baht Total time on ED visa in Bangkok from a private thai language school about 360 days I realize that there is a whole big country out there that ISN'T Bangkok, and I am relating my experiences with REAL thai language schools (not visa mill schools) in Bangkok only.

Thanx for the update, looks like they finally stopped asking people for vax proof.. Glad it worked out,

???????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????? ???? ????????????????????????????/ ???????? ????????????????, ???????????? ????????????'???? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????? <- I think you're not asking so much if you can LEAVE thailand I think you're asking more about will you have issues comin' back in on a valid ED visa/extension with a re-entry permit AFTER having left ... Okay, here's FIRST HAND information that just happened; A person enrolled in a well-known Bangkok school (that is NOT a visa mill) with an ED extension, re-entry permit, letter from the school stating they knew he was going abroad for 4 days and returning, photos of him IN class at the school, and his attendance book/school issued student i/d card was just denied entry at Suvarnabhumi. They showed everything they had to the immigration officer and even were denied entry, put in holding until the school could be contacted the following morning. Yet even after the officer talked to the admin of the school, ascertained they were indeed a real student, really going to class, etc they were still denied entry. What had happened was this person had taken TWO 60 day covid extensions gotten by agencies from out of province, (two stamps two different provinces), then they got the ED visa issued in country and had been extending at Chaengwattana ever since.. Immigration said it was abuse of the system and wouldn't let them in. I advised them NOT to sign the almost 100% thai language paper they pressure you to sign about being denied entry (which they leave blank until AFTER you sign it). <- You see by NOT signing the denial of entry paperwork they can't legally put a denial of entry stamp IN your passport, They still can deny you entry, and it's still in the computer system that you were denied BUT you don't have a half page denial of entry with the words ไม่มีปัจจัยในการยังชีพตามควร <- no means of support (which BTW Is the only reason they really ever write on denial stamps, no matter what they tell you the reason is). .. ... They didn't sign the paper and got no stamp in their passport saying they were denied entry.. They were able to buy a flight to Vientiane and are currently enjoying Lao, planning on crossing the border at the Nong Khai entry point this weekend. This person had EVERYTHING you could possibly have to prove they were a student, they were attending class, they were following the rules for the ED visa/extension they were on yet they were still denied entry. My advice to anyone enrolled in a private school (as opposed to a real degree course at a uni) plan on being here for the duration of the ED visa, OR plan on the possibility of being denied entry (at Suvarnabhumi/Don Mueang almost 100%) especially if you have a lengthy entry/stay history on covid extensions PRIOR to switching over to an in country ED visa. The above story is as accurate as I can relate it and I was in communication with the person while it was happening. You people do what you want, BUT know this ain't the soft touch, welcome back to thailand, passport control like it was pre-covid sh*t-show.. Especially not for people on ED visas.

If you're talking about the MOE (Ministry of Education) paperwork the school applies for that can take between 2 and 6 weeks. There seems to be no rhyme or reason on the time lag. Some times it comes right back and some times it's takes weeks. I would imagine with Songkran holiday coming up the approval time for the MOE paperwork to stretch out again. Once you apply for an ED visa inside the country, immigration offices have between a 2 and 3 week 'under review' period after you apply for the ED visa and pay the 2000 baht before you go back to get the Non-ED visa and new 90 day stamp inked in

It's a four step process to go from a visa exempt entry to first 90 day Non-O visa and then 2 months later to a year extension based on marriage to a Thai. 1 - Apply for the 90 day Non-O visa for 2000 baht at your immigration office from t your Visa exempt entry with form TM87. Get a receipt that's says application under review return in 2 weeks for the results (you need a minimum of 15 days left on your current stamp at most offices to do this) 2 - go back on that date, get the Non-O visa and the new 90 day stamp inked in. 3 - Wait until you have 30 days or less left on that 90 day stamp, go back to the immigration office and apply for the year extension for 1900 baht, get a 30 day under consideration stamp. 4 - wait until the 30 day under consideration stamp runs out, go back and get the year extension inked in. And that's the steps to go from a visa exempt to a non o to a year extension based on marriage. Go to your immigration office and get the hand out listing the requirements for the initial 90 day Non-O visa and the other one for the requirements for the year extension as well

You're a little off on your information ???? There are TWO Burma borders with thailand that are open to people bouncing out and back; Mae Sai / Tachileik in Chiang Rai Province and Mae Sot / Myawaddy in Tak Province.. BOTH those borders will let people bounce out and back without any issue You show proof of vax history at Mae Sai (or a negative covid test & they send you to a nearby clinic/hospital to get one, the 7/11 30 baht test doesn't work ????) but people who bounced at Mae Sot were saying they didn't need to show it Mae Sot charges 500 baht to stamp in and out of burma so you can stamp back into thailand Mae Sai will take 10 USD if you tell them you only want to stamp in-n-out and go right back to thailand. Otherwise they charge 500 baht and issue you an Entry permit to Burma that lets you stay in the Tachileik are for 2 weeks (you can't go further into Burma than that area by the border).

Okay, just throw that 90 day receipt away. You do NOT need to file one. You were filling 90 day reports on the previous extension you were on (before you went to Savannakhet), but you left the country before it one was due <-meaning you were not required to file it. When you returned it was not the old extension but on a new year long, multi entry non o visa,where you only get stamped in for 90 days at a time <- meaning you don't do 90 day reporting anymore. It's not until you finally go apply for a year extension at the immigration office that your 90 day reporting will start back up and they'll give you a paper when you get the year extension telling you when that first new 90 day report is due. Until then you don't do anything but bounce out and back every 90 days.

Easy there.... I was the negative poster telling people when Mae Sai / Tachileik first opened it wasn't like Mae Sot/ Myawaddy. They appear to have gotten with the program there though, and don't seem to care in the least about a person's previous entry/stay history.

Yep, 45 day visa exempt entry stamp (ผ.30/45) is being given out with question This was one from last week

I AM Tod Daniels and here's the update on how Mae Sai / Tachileik is right now UPDATE ON MAE SAI / TACHILEIK BORDER CROSSING Okay "at this time" this is what it appears is going on at that border crossing. IF you have proof of vax (on paper) - You stamp out of Mae Sai - Buy the 500 baht 2 week border pass; looks like a little passport & lets you stay in the border area. - You stamp in&out of Burma, - Turn around & stamp right back in to thailand. You must "buy" the 500 baht border pass, there's no way to get in and out free. For people who didn't have vax history on paper you need to go to a hospital/clinic (which there are some nearby) and get a negative covid test <- the 7/11 tests are NOT accepted

Unless I'm greatly mistaken you can only get extension of stay stamps moved to a new passport at the office that originally issued it. So that would mean you slog on down to Phuket to get it transferred. You're out nothing but time by going to Chaengwattana (Section N) and try. This is the form you need, it lists the copies that are required https://tinyurl.com/yskbaz54

Dr Jack, I believe that is not correct.. You cannot get a 30 day extension on a 90 day non imm visa entry. You can get a year extension (based on marriage or retirement) or you can get a 60 visit thai family extension (based on marriage or Thai children) But, there is no 30 extension available to a 90 day non immigrant visa entry. You are correct that you can bounce in and out every 90 days and get 15 months if stay out of s year long multi entry non o visa, then even take the 60 day family extension (if you're married or have Thai kids) and stretch that to 17 months but that is the longest you can get on a year multi non o.

You don't need an appointment to go there. Show up, get a queue number and wait it out with the zombie horde They're open from 8:30 to 12, then again 13:00 to 16:30. They will not be open Monday March 6

Which is why you never ever trust an immigration officer about anything that isn't visas or extensions inside Thailand. As Crossy correctly stated you can only swap passports by air entry. Now, what they could do in the interim is get a year long extension based on being a thai here on another country passport. It's 1900 baht at the immigration office and requires minimal documentation. Then they don't have to worry about their current stamp expiring or flying out and back right away.

How about going to the main immigration website and clicking the online appointment tab. It has every immigration office in the country listed https://www.immigration.go.th/ Remember in Bangkok if you entered without buying a visa before you came here you go to IT Square Laksi Plaza third floor for your extension NOT the main immigration office in the government complex at Chaengwattana Also turn off pop up blocker because that tab is a pop

Nope, you burned that bridge. No way to move it in country. Leave without a reentry, get a new 90 day non o before come back, or just come back visa exempt and apply for the non o 90 day in country at your immigration office for 2000 baht. Then 2 months after you get that, do the retirement extension for 1900 Although that second option you'll have to work out the timing so you're here when the extension comes due

Take the BTS to the Sukhumvit/Asok station, go down and get on the MRT, take it to Bang Sue, go upstairs and get on the SRT Red Line to Laksi Station. That station is right next to IT Square Laksi Plaza. The immigration office is on the third floor

You can't apply for a year long multi entry Non-O visa based on retirement at the Thai consulate in Savannakhet (or any Thai consulate near by either). It's not offered. Also last reports were you couldn't even get a 90 day single entry based on retirement with proof of funds at Savannahkhet either.

You are totally able to stay IN thailand on that 90 day entry stamp from the Non-O visa whether you are divorced or not. Even if the reason you got the visa itself changes you are allowed to stay until the entry stamp from it runs out. Believe it or not, many people who know they're going to get divorced often run to the thai consulate in Savannakhet BEFORE they do and get a year-long, multi-entry Non-O visa based on marriage to a thai (because when they applied for the visa they were still married) and then come back get the 90 day entry stamp, get divorced and bounce out and back every 90 days for the rest of the year because as I said even if the reason you got the visa changes you are entitled to the entries that visa affords you. NOW if your visa has a notation saying it was issued based on marriage to thai you won't be able to use it to get any other long term extension inside the country (because the first yearly extension you get from a visa has to be for the reason you got the visa, in your case marriage to a thai) IF you do have thai children though you could get a 60 day visit thai family extension for 1900baht at the immigration office from that 90 day stamp without too much problem, but if not you're pretty much done when this 90 days is up and you'd need to bounce out and back to get a visa exempt entry or go to a thai consulate and get a tourist visa