ED VISA - embassy options

[kevbkk]

Greetings thai visa forum. First time poster here.  Apologies if this has been covered, I couldn't find another post about this specific topic.

 

I recently completed my first 9-month ED-visa course with language school here in Bangkok.  Smooth sailing, no problems. As I was planning to continue study in September, I left to Laos, obtained a SETV in Savannakhet, came back with no issues. Fresh passport, only has 'transfer stamp' from first ED visa and also the SETV I recently obtained.

 

According to the school I have 4 options of where to go to get the next visa:

 

 - Vientiane, Laos (first ED visa is from here, would need spend 2 weeks in Laos until Sept 17th to process as they only allow 1 per full year, to the day, according to the school and embassy website I believe)

 - Savannakhet, Laos (my friend was just denied an ED visa here, plus I already have one TV from here)

 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia (another friend has advised me to avoid this embassy as they are difficult - true?)

 - Yangon, Myanmar 

 

I'm a bit confused as to how to proceed.  None of the options are particularly appealing and the ideal scenario is to get it over with as quickly as possible.  Vientiane sounds like the smoothest, but it would require hanging out in Laos for 2 weeks, which I am not against, just not really ideal.  Savannahket sounds like a no-go, and Phnom Penh I was advised to avoid - can anyone confirm?  That leaves Yangon as quickest option, but I've never heard of any personal experiences here.

 

Any advice or direct experience with ED-visa at these embassies?

 

Thanks very much for any assistance.

[cerox]

The school can advise you which embassy is best, because it constantly changes.

I went to Vientiane 3 times / 3 years. Now the school tells me some people were denied ED visas there. They advised either Yangon or Saigon / Hanoi. This might be different for you, because you live in BKK, talk to the school which embassy is smooth for you now.

[Myran]

9 minutes ago, cerox said:

The school can advise you which embassy is best, because it constantly changes.

I went to Vientiane 3 times / 3 years. Now the school tells me some people were denied ED visas there. They advised either Yangon or Saigon / Hanoi. This might be different for you, because you live in BKK, talk to the school which embassy is smooth for you now.

He already asked the school, he's asking for people's opinion.

[kevbkk]

1 hour ago, Myran said:

He already asked the school, he's asking for people's opinion.

Precisely. thanks

[kevbkk]

Also in the cases of ED-visa denial, it would help to know any information about the reasons they denied. In my friend's case in Savannakhet, they said she had too many TV/exempt stamp entries and her passport was pretty stamped up for the past 4 years. So it makes sense that they'd deny on that basis.