Hello, recently I posted about the process of me studying Thai and my wife getting on a non-o visa.

However, now I am in Savannakhet Laos and I went to apply for the visa's. They accepted my paperwork for the visa but then they rejected my wife saying that you are not allowed to get a non-O visa from someone studying! This is terrible, now I have no idea what to do and paid all this money to study for a year at school. 

 

I am now greatly regretting my choice to come to Thailand.

 

Try to talk to somebody else higher up in the chain, theoretically it should be possible to get it

If they all refuse she should get a Tourist Visa and then she has 90 days to find an embassy / consulate in another country which will issue it and go there to get it. Or maybe she could even just change the tourist visa to the non-o visa inside Thailand.

They are wrong. I assume it is because they are not aware she can get an extension of stay by applying for it a immigration office.

From police order 327/2557.

 

And it is also shown here on the immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_11

 

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

Try to talk to somebody else higher up in the chain, theoretically it should be possible to get it

If they all refuse she should get a Tourist Visa and then she has 90 days to find an embassy / consulate in another country which will issue it and go there to get it. Or maybe she could even just change the tourist visa to the non-o visa inside Thailand.

Does anyone have a link or something to the Thai law in Thai that I could print out and show them that it is allowed for someone to get a Non-O from a student visa?

Not 100% sure but I think the idea is for her to get an extension of stay from Immigration in Thailand. based on your ED visa.

Not sure if you need to show xxxx baht in the babk here as well.

As a holder of the Non 0 extension of stay your wife would also be able to work and get a WP.

2 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

Does anyone have a link or something to the Thai law in Thai that I could print out and show them that it is allowed for someone to get a Non-O from a student visa?

Print out the page on the immigration website I posted a link to or show it to them. I can also be shown in Thai at the top of the page.

Just went to the print shop and printed out the whole page in Thai and in color and made it just before they closed at 11. I talked to 2 different people and they said the same thing. We don't give non-O for dependents of Thai language students. When I continued to politely show them the printout and say that this is the Thai law they said that this is only for degree programs and not Thai language. Their final comment was "This is immigration law and we are not immigration." 

 

 

This is just terrible. I am guessing that we have no choice but to try to get her on a student visa and come back in a month and try to do this again. One thing is for sure when I finish this language course we are never coming back again, what a terrible way to treat people just following the law. What a waste of time and money for us now. Be warned about this anyone trying to study language with family!

3 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

This is just terrible. I am guessing that we have no choice but to try to get her on a student visa and come back in a month and try to do this again. One thing is for sure when I finish this language course we are never coming back again, what a terrible way to treat people just following the law. What a waste of time and money for us now. Be warned about this anyone trying to study language with family!

Welcome to Thailand

You should have made a few months holiday before committing for a year

1 minute ago, jackdd said:

Welcome to Thailand

You should have made a few months holiday before committing for a year

We did originally come on a tourist visa and decided to stay to study some Thai. As my wife is already studying for college online it was not a good idea for her to add Thai language or she would have joined me as well. I tried do my research in advance to make sure we have everything in order and were allowed to get the non-O visa. It seems that despite the law that sometimes it just makes no difference here. 

I wouldn't exactly call this a welcome to Thailand but if this was their welcome for us then as I mentioned we will be leaving with a very poor impression after this not that they probably care at all or they wouldn't do things like this. Live and learn I guess. 

7 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

This is just terrible. I am guessing that we have no choice but to try to get her on a student visa and come back in a month and try to do this again. One thing is for sure when I finish this language course we are never coming back again, what a terrible way to treat people just following the law. What a waste of time and money for us now. Be warned about this anyone trying to study language with family!

I think you need to try a different embassy or consulate. I am aware of spouses of others attending a language schools getting the non-o visa.

Perhaps make a trip to the embassy in Vientiane before returning to Thailand.

What do Clause 2.8 and 2.9 say?

3 minutes ago, JohnThailandJohn said:

What do Clause 2.8 and 2.9 say?

Good question. What is this? I did notice that they did underline on the paper I printed out that could be underlining this clause 2.8 and 2.9. I wonder if this clause has something to do with what they said about only being able to get the dependent visa if you are studying for a degree program?

3 minutes ago, JohnThailandJohn said:

What do Clause 2.8 and 2.9 say?

Clause 2.8 is for attending a government school and 2.9 a private school. No mention of what family members can get.

Download: Police Order 327/2557

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Clause 2.8 is for attending a government school and 2.9 a private school. No mention of what family members can get.

Download: Police Order 327/2557

So it seems that the type of private non formal schools that are allowed are:

 

Announcement from the Private Education Commission,

 

-Religious school: a school established by sole purpose of teaching religion

-Art and Sports school: a school established to provide education of music, art and sports

-Vocational school: a school established to provide vocational skills to be applied to further carrier or as an additional skill for

learners

-Tutoring school: a school established to provide additional knowledge parrarel to the general education curriculum

-Skill Development school: established to develop talents, ideas and other skills of learners

 

So is a Thai language school not considered a skill development school or any of the others?

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Clause 2.8 is for attending a government school and 2.9 a private school. No mention of what family members can get.

Download: Police Order 327/2557

 

It would seem he qualifies. Wonder if it would be helpful to bring this down and speak to a supervisor.

5 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

So it seems that the type of private non formal schools that are allowed are:

 

Announcement from the Private Education Commission,

 

-Religious school: a school established by sole purpose of teaching religion

-Art and Sports school: a school established to provide education of music, art and sports

-Vocational school: a school established to provide vocational skills to be applied to further carrier or as an additional skill for

learners

-Tutoring school: a school established to provide additional knowledge parrarel to the general education curriculum

-Skill Development school: established to develop talents, ideas and other skills of learners

 

So is a Thai language school not considered a skill development school or any of the others?

This does seem to contradict their argument about it needing to be a bachelor's program or the like. A skill development school is 100% not a bachelor's program. 

 

Anyone have any additional suggestions about how to approach this? Should I try to print this out and show them? Show them with 1000 baht? I am not well versed in Thai culture but have heard things. I really don't want to have to figure out a way to go to Vientiane and possibly get rejected there as well. 

I'm not as familiar with this as others, but if what UbonJoe says (and the regulations he showed) is/are correct then might it not be possible for his wife to enter on a tourist visa (or even a visa exempt entry) then do an extension followed by a conversion to non-O once in kingdom?

12 minutes ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

I'm not as familiar with this as others, but if what UbonJoe says (and the regulations he showed) is/are correct then might it not be possible for his wife to enter on a tourist visa (or even a visa exempt entry) then do an extension followed by a conversion to non-O once in kingdom?

Immigration will not do a change of visa status to get a non immigrant visa for a family member of a person on an extension of stay based upon attending a school.

26 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

Anyone have any additional suggestions about how to approach this? Should I try to print this out and show them? Show them with 1000 baht? I am not well versed in Thai culture but have heard things.

This from the Kuala Lumpur embassies checklist for getting a non-o visa that has no mention of different types of schools.

 

 

Source:  http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20170329-105717-500745.pdf  

 

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This from the Kuala Lumpur embassies checklist for getting a non-o visa that has no mention of different types of schools.

 

 

Source:  http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20170329-105717-500745.pdf  

 

The problem is that every embassy / consulate does what they want, so it won't help OP much

Here for example Jakarta http://www.thaiembassy.org/jakarta/en/services/64473-Non-immigrant-visa-O.html

Non-Immigrant Visa Type “O” may be granted to applicants who meet one of the following requirements:

        (2)  Dependents of a foreigner currently working or studying full-time in Thailand

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This from the Kuala Lumpur embassies checklist for getting a non-o visa that has no mention of different types of schools.

 

 

Source:  http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/contents/files/services-20170329-105717-500745.pdf  

 

This brings up an additional question. In my other post from a few weeks ago I asked if my wife needed anything from the school but you replied she didn't. This seems to be saying that a cover letter from the school is needed from my school addressed to them and the copy of the school's registration? Is this just a Malaysia requirement or am I going to be in further trouble because I don't even have these things thinking I didn't need them.

2 minutes ago, jackdd said:

The problem is that every embassy / consulate does what they want, so it won't help OP much

Here for example Jakarta http://www.thaiembassy.org/jakarta/en/services/64473-Non-immigrant-visa-O.html

 

 

Yes, it does indeed seem there in no consistency and they do whatever they want. Ubonjoe, do you think it would be wise to try to bus to Vientiane and try there after I pick up my ED visa?

Just now, hogfrog said:

Yes, it does indeed seem there in no consistency and they do whatever they want. Ubonjoe, do you think it would be wise to try to bus to Vientiane and try there after I pick up my ED visa?

I would call them first to confirm that she can get the visa there ?

1 minute ago, hogfrog said:

Ubonjoe, do you think it would be wise to try to bus to Vientiane and try there after I pick up my ED visa?

It might be worth trying. You can also fly to Vientiane.

Or contact them. (+856) 21 453916 (between 13.30-16.30 hrs only)

7 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

Yes, it does indeed seem there in no consistency and they do whatever they want. Ubonjoe, do you think it would be wise to try to bus to Vientiane and try there after I pick up my ED visa?

There is a night bus from Savannahkhet to Vientiane , a sleeper bus .

Leaves in the evening

Yes, I will try to call first. Good idea.

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

There is a night bus from Savannahkhet to Vientiane , a sleeper bus .

Leaves in the evening

If we do have to go where is that? At the main bus station? 

 

13 minutes ago, hogfrog said:

Is this just a Malaysia requirement or am I going to be in further trouble because I don't even have these things thinking I didn't need them.

Just Malaysia for 6.1. You should of had a copy of 6.2 when you applied for your visa.

Just now, ubonjoe said:

 

Just Malaysia for 6.1. You should of had a copy of 6.2 when you applied for your visa.

I won't need a copy of this will I if I go to Vientiane? The school registration document? Because I already submitted this to the consulate here and didn't think I needed copies of those papers.