Changes to Student Visa Rules May 2019

[SuperTed]

My school last week received a written notice from PKK MOE that the student visa system (foreigners studying Thai) has completely changed.

 

As explained to me, the confidential notice regarding new national rules (as interpreted by the provincial authority) has limited Thai language study to 13 months, with increased hour and syllabus requirements for beginner (3 months), intermediate (4 months) and advanced (6 months). A further three month extension may be available after the initial 13 months. My school was informed orally that there would be no visas beyond 16 months of study.

 

Furthermore, you must exit the country for each new visa; no more one year visa with three month renewals.

 

All the above is subject to further meetings with stake holders and internal negotiations.

 

What is going on in Chiang Mai and Bangkok with student visas?

 

Thanks in advance.

[darrendsd]

Are you in Hua Hin? Which school do you study at?

 

Furthermore, you must exit the country for each new visa; no more one year visa with three month renewals.

 

Are you saying you must leave the country every 90 days?

[SuperTed]

1 hour ago, darrendsd said:

Are you in Hua Hin? Which school do you study at?

 

Furthermore, you must exit the country for each new visa; no more one year visa with three month renewals.

 

Are you saying you must leave the country every 90 days?

Must re-enter for each of the 3, 4, 6 and 3 month visas.

[darrendsd]

18 minutes ago, SuperTed said:

Must re-enter for each of the 3, 4, 6 and 3 month visas.

This makes no sense? At the present time you have to report to Immigration within Thailand every 90 days

 

Where does the 3 4 6 and 3 month visas come into play?

[3421abc]

Pretty clear this government wants to get rid of most foreigners. Just come spend your money and go home is what they want.

[SuperTed]

This makes no sense? At the present time you have to report to Immigration within Thailand every 90 days
 
Where does the 3 4 6 and 3 month visas come into play?

3, 4, 6, 3 month visas are explained in second paragraph. The school told me you have to re-Enter Thailand for each visa.

Will update with any further news.

It would be GREAT if we could get input from students in BKK and CM as this is a new national regulation.

[SicTransit]

Pretty sure there’s a confusion of visas and visas extensions. Currently there is no 4 or 6 months visas, you get your initial 3 months visa and extend every 2 months afterwards.

[SuperTed]

Pretty sure there’s a confusion of visas and visas extensions. Currently there is no 4 or 6 months visas, you get your initial 3 months visa and extend every 2 months afterwards.

New rules notified to the school last week. Provincial interpretation of new national rule. Looking to find out what has been notified to BKK and CM schools, and how they are responding.

[darrendsd]

12 minutes ago, SicTransit said:

Pretty sure there’s a confusion of visas and visas extensions. Currently there is no 4 or 6 months visas, you get your initial 3 months visa and extend every 2 months afterwards.

You extend every 90 days at least that's how they do it in Hua Hin

 

I am starting my application for another year next week so let's see what happens

 

There is no and as far as I know has never has been any type of 4 month visa in any visa Category so I would be very surprised if this was true

 

OP I did ask you what school you went to? But no answer on that?

[mike787]

15 minutes ago, SicTransit said:

Pretty sure there’s a confusion of visas and visas extensions. Currently there is no 4 or 6 months visas, you get your initial 3 months visa and extend every 2 months afterwards.

...Pretty sure... = hopefully.  However, with what is going on wouldn't be surprised if it's true.

[SicTransit]

I can only say that as of last week there was no awareness of any new rules at my BKK school. A couple more things regarding your initial post:

 

6 hours ago, SuperTed said:

My school was informed orally that there would be no visas beyond 16 months of study.

No more visas for studying Thai language or no more ED visas at all?

 

6 hours ago, SuperTed said:

Furthermore, you must exit the country for each new visa;

Been like that for years.

Edited May 20, 2019 by SicTransit
typo

[darrendsd]

I doubt any of this is true 

 

A 4 month visa without having to leave or report to Immigration?

 

A 6 month visa without having to leave or report to Immigration?

[SuperTed]

I can only say that as of last week there was no awareness of any new rules at my BKK school. A couple more things regarding your initial post:
 
Been like that for years.

SicTransit thank you for the response.

This is only for foreigners studying Thai. The admin and teachers of my school do not expect it to affect foreigners at private or public secondary and tertiary schools.

Regarding visas - the change is that there is no more one year visa with renewals at local immigration every 90 days. You must exit and re-Enter Thailand for each of the beginner, intermediate and advanced visas.

I have seen the notice from MOE, but am not fluent enough to read all of it, and the school does not want it copied. It is addressed to the school and has the Garuda at the top.

Grateful if you can update with any news from other BKK schools.

[SuperTed]

You extend every 90 days at least that's how they do it in Hua Hin
 
I am starting my application for another year next week so let's see what happens
 
There is no and as far as I know has never has been any type of 4 month visa in any visa Category so I would be very surprised if this was true
 
OP I did ask you what school you went to? But no answer on that?

The school has said the new rules go into affect in August, but I did not see that in the notice. Again, the application of the new rules is still to be discussed internally in the government and with the schools.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, SuperTed said:

Regarding visas - the change is that there is no more one year visa

One year multiple entry Non Ed visas have almost never been issued for years. You have only been able to get a single entry Non Ed visa giving a single 90-day stay. Depending on where and what you are studying, it has been possible to get extensions of stay (in the case of language schools, usually for 90 days each time, but sometimes only 60 days at a time) with limits applied in most cases for how long immigration will grant you the extensions.

What I think is being discussed is forcing you to get a new visa for each level of Thai study, with only much more intensive courses qualifying for Non Ed visas. If the beginner's class must be completed in three months, it will probably be pointless in most cases to mess around with a Non Ed visa. It will be easier just to study on the tourist visa.

I do not believe most Westerners can study Thai speaking, reading and writing to a genuinely advanced level in less than 16 months. Maybe, they want us out of Thailand before we are sufficiently fluent to truly understand what is going on.

[JackThompson]

On 5/20/2019 at 10:33 PM, darrendsd said:

On 5/20/2019 at 10:17 PM, SicTransit said:

Pretty sure there’s a confusion of visas and visas extensions. Currently there is no 4 or 6 months visas, you get your initial 3 months visa and extend every 2 months afterwards.

You extend every 90 days at least that's how they do it in Hua Hin

At some offices, unless you pay the "extra fee" for no-hassle extensions through the school, short-extensions are issued as punishment for not feeding the beast.

 

Immigration allows each office to "improvise" as to how to generate "extra fees" from various types of applicants.

 

 

[impulse]

On 5/20/2019 at 1:31 PM, BritTim said:

I do not believe most Westerners can study Thai speaking, reading and writing to a genuinely advanced level in less than 16 months. Maybe, they want us out of Thailand before we are sufficiently fluent to truly understand what is going on.

 

Just out of curiosity, where would a foreigner even use Thai outside of Thailand?  I've always thought it's a little silly to give someone an extended ED visa stay in a country solely to learn a language that's only useful in the country where there is otherwise no appropriate visa for a long stay.

 

[dcnx]

Whatever the case, agents will circumvent it within a few days.

[BritTim]

30 minutes ago, impulse said:

Just out of curiosity, where would a foreigner even use Thai outside of Thailand?  I've always thought it's a little silly to give someone an extended ED visa stay in a country solely to learn a language that's only useful in the country where there is otherwise no appropriate visa for a long stay.

In most cases, I think those trying to become fluent in Thai have the intention of spending a lot of time in Thailand in the future. Sometimes, fluent Thai is a prerequisite for getting the job in Thailand they want. Some have girlfriends who they expect to marry in the future, but only after an extended period of staying together to ensure compatibility. Still others expect to retire in Thailand but do not yet qualify for the appropriate visas/extensions.

[impulse]

27 minutes ago, BritTim said:

In most cases, I think those trying to become fluent in Thai have the intention of spending a lot of time in Thailand in the future. Sometimes, fluent Thai is a prerequisite for getting the job in Thailand they want. Some have girlfriends who they expect to marry in the future, but only after an extended period of staying together to ensure compatibility. Still others expect to retire in Thailand but do not yet qualify for the appropriate visas/extensions.

 

Versus what percentage that's just here to poke everything in sight?

 

Edit:  For which I would concede, learning Thai is pretty handy...

 

Edited May 22, 2019 by impulse

[BritTim]

51 minutes ago, impulse said:

Versus what percentage that's just here to poke everything in sight?

  

 Edit:  For which I would concede, learning Thai is pretty handy..

I concede that the pokers do represent a pretty fair proportion of those engaged in extended study of the Thai language. There is a large overlap between that group and the prospective retirees.

[SuperTed]

This is a PKK change only, due to a new head of MOE. The national rules referred to were introduced three or four years ago. All private Thai language schools in PKK are affected.

Negotiations between regulator and schools are happening next week. All this info is from the school admin.

[wisperone]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

Just out of curiosity, where would a foreigner even use Thai outside of Thailand?  I've always thought it's a little silly to give someone an extended ED visa stay in a country solely to learn a language that's only useful in the country where there is otherwise no appropriate visa for a long stay.

Makes a lot of sense.

 

Learn it and get out????

[AtoZ]

On 5/23/2019 at 2:28 AM, SuperTed said:

This is a PKK change only, due to a new head of MOE. The national rules referred to were introduced three or four years ago. All private Thai language schools in PKK are affected.

Negotiations between regulator and schools are happening next week. All this info is from the school admin.

What is PKK?

 

According to Google; The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK (Kurdish: Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê‎) is a Kurdish far-left militant and political organization based in Turkey and Iraq.

[Caldera]

5 hours ago, AtoZ said:

What is PKK?

In this context, it's Prachuap Khiri Khan, a province in Thailand. That's why people asked if the OP studies in Hua Hin.

[SuperTed]

Still waiting for the talks to happen.

[metisdead]

Some off topic trolling posts have been removed. 

[SuperTed]

Waiting for the talks to happen. I am censored if I write #FreeKurdistan, so for purposes of this thread, PKK is Prachuap Khiri Khan.

[SuperTed]

Things could change again, but based on meeting between schools and MOE PKK last week (June 11), education visa for studying Thai is now limited to one year, maximum.

People who fail to pass beginner Thai exam after the third or fourth month may not receive a further education visa approval, same for intermediate Thai in the seventh or eighth month.

Course length is 120 hours for beginner, 150 hours for intermediate and 190 hours for advanced. That means you need to be in class 8-10 hours a week to be on an Ed visa, and schools will charge for that time. My school off-the-cuff estimated 20,000 baht per unit, for a total 60,000 baht for the year. Remember that is 60,000 baht IF you pass the tests. If you don’t pass, your ED visa may end mid-year.

There is a lot of anxiety and unknowns for the schools right now. Changes take effect in August, with a big question mark over students doing three month renewal in August for existing one year visa.

[SuperTed]

Again, is the law enforced this way in BKK and CM?