ED visas now processed in Thailand ?

[LiamB80]

I’m currently looking for a school that offers an ED visa in Pattaya and isn’t on the supposed blacklist. Last Friday I stopped in a school and inquired about prices. The woman working there told me that the new regulation is that ED visas are now processed in Thailand and the applicants are no longer required to go outside Thailand to places like Laos and obtain the visa. The catch was it also added 15k baht on top of the school fee. So 17k baht for the school + 15k baht for the visa processing for a total of 32k baht and I don’t have to leave the country. Has anyone else heard anything about this? She stated it had had just come into effect last week. I don’t have a reason to not believe her but thought maybe it was a scam of some sorts and wanted to be sure about it before I proceed with payment.

[LazySlipper]

BS... Stay away from this offer sounds like a scam. I had an ed visa b4 it all went to hell... if it sounds too good to be true (even at 15k) it prolly is...

[ubonjoe]

It has been possible to apply for a 90 day non immigrant visa (category ED) entry at immigration based upon attending a school but it required attendance at a formal school such as a university but not for a informal school such a language school.

Unless immigration has changed the requirements it seems like the 15k baht is for some kind of under the table arrangement at immigration.

[Caldera]

Due to the recent troubles at various embassies and consulates, those schools might have worked out a deal with immigration, which wouldn't surprise me and the fee sounds like it might be in the right ballpark. They can (but do not usually do it for language school studies) convert a visa exempt or tourist visa entry - why not make it another nice, little earner!

[darrendsd]

It has been possible for years - you need all the required paperwork from the school and Ministry of Education and the visa application gets signed off by Immigration in BKK

 

Places in Hua Hin charge 25k total

Edited October 2, 2019 by darrendsd

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

It has been possible for years - you need all the required paperwork from the school and Ministry of Education and the visa application gets signed off by Immigration in BKK

Places in Hua Hin charge 25k total

 

Many people have been turned away when trying to apply for a visa at immigration when attending a language or other informal school.

Perhaps the 25k baht covers some the extra costs for the paperwork needed.

This from the immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_74

[clearance]

Looks like some shady thing. Visa must be issued by some Embassy right? So here they have stamps from some Embassy? And what about out and in stamps, you need to cross border to "activate" visa, right?

[LiamB80]

12 minutes ago, clearance said:

Looks like some shady thing. Visa must be issued by some Embassy right? So here they have stamps from some Embassy? And what about out and in stamps, you need to cross border to "activate" visa, right?

Previously that’s how it was done, with the consulate outside of Thailand issuing the visa, but the woman at the school said that changed last week and the visa can now be issued by immigration inside Thailand. They had a lot of problems with people paying the school and being denied the visa at the consulate. I’m going around to a few other schools this afternoon to try and verify this.

[cerox]

This would be a huge blessing if true.

 

I am leaving CNX in two weeks after 3 years here. That will not change, everything prepared, sold and finished now. But if I see that ED visas could be obtained in the country with consecutive success for about 6-12 months many people would start coming back.

 

32k total - wow super cheap. This was usually the usual school fee I paid for one year, on top of that were visa extensions, trip to other country, consulate fees etc. total was never less than 50k.

32k total plus 3 extension would be around 38k total.

 

What a simple way to attract people back but I and others will wait and see if they deliver or if it is just another scam.

Also entry into Thailand has to be possible smoothly without Immigration making a fuss every time. If it is just a scam in Chonburi province but BKK denies entry, there is no real benefit.

 

Keep us posted and thanks for the news.

[spiekerjozef]

1 hour ago, LiamB80 said:

Previously that’s how it was done, with the consulate outside of Thailand issuing the visa, but the woman at the school said that changed last week and the visa can now be issued by immigration inside Thailand. They had a lot of problems with people paying the school and being denied the visa at the consulate. I’m going around to a few other schools this afternoon to try and verify this.

Thanks for your effort to verify this. It would be really good news...

[Noper]

Asked school manager in language school in Bangkok, she said "there is no such thing" ????

[cerox]

10 minutes ago, Noper said:

Asked school manager in language school in Bangkok, she said "there is no such thing" ????

That is what I am afraid of. Pattaya or other provinces doing their own thing and then getting denied in Bangkok.

Lets remember who instructed the embassies to be so strict.

 

Good to go out now as planned and observe everything for a year. I really hope they make it lose again or alternatively make a 1-2y Elite visa for flexibility.

[cerox]

Liam, apart from asking other schools in Pattaya, maybe it would be good if you talked to your Immigration office there. If they are surprised and tell you it is not possible, the school might try to make some money before they go bankrupt, because if they told the truth, there would be no customers.

[spiekerjozef]

33 minutes ago, Noper said:

Asked school manager in language school in Bangkok, she said "there is no such thing" ????

That doesn't mean anything. The school also tells you it's no problem to get a new ED visa in HCMC....

when they collect your money.

[Noper]

I hear HCMC is safe place to get ED visa now (my friend and his wife got ED visa here a week ago).

[LiamB80]

Update: I talked with two other schools in Pattaya this afternoon. Both advised me not to go this route unless I’m sure I will remain in Thailand for the whole year without leaving. They also said this is not a new rule and has been around for a while but they recommend their students still leave the country to apply in Penang or Bali. 

It appears to be a deal between some schools and chonburi immigration, and one of the schools I talked with today said the legality of this ED visa is questionable and if I left Thailand within the year and tried to return with a re-entry permit, it might not be honored by immigration at the airports in Bangkok and I could be denied entry.

So now I feel the first school wasn’t completely honest with me about this. Both schools today said it is possible to go this route but it could cause me problems in the future. 

[Langkawee]

2 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

Thanks for your effort to verify this. It would be really good news...

You can't have been here very long if you think this won't turn to custard, either on returning to Thailand or at extension time or school going bust. Fun and games, always adrenalin filled, the unexpected and <deleted> hitting the fan is the expected, no country for a person with a weak heart 555 I pity the pensioner with heart disease

[cerox]

Pensioners are here on retirement visa. Easy peasy 1y extension without any issues. So no worries about that.

 

Thanks for the update about ED visa. So I will wait for now and see if I find a better place. Got denied in Saigon a few weeks ago (school on blacklist as it turned out), found them very arrogant, not sure if it is a "safe solution".

 

I would suggest not to play the "ED games" and get Elite visa, volunteer or another country and travel TH for less than 6 months per year.

[ExpatDraco]

(school on blacklist as it turned out)

Which school?

[darrendsd]

10 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

Many people have been turned away when trying to apply for a visa at immigration when attending a language or other informal school.

Perhaps the 25k baht covers some the extra costs for the paperwork needed.

This from the immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_74

It;s been available for at least 8 years to my knowledge and I know plenty of people doing it with no issues

 

The first 90 days and then every 90 days after are signed off by Immigration in BKK - after the first 90 days you receive 15 days then the paperwork goes to BKK - comes back and the next 75 days are then stamped

 

Most of the guys I know had them converted from a Visa Exempt

 

 

[darrendsd]

4 hours ago, LiamB80 said:

It appears to be a deal between some schools and chonburi immigration, and one of the schools I talked with today said the legality of this ED visa is questionable and if I left Thailand within the year and tried to return with a re-entry permit, it might not be honored by immigration at the airports in Bangkok and I could be denied entry.

People that obtained their ED Visas outside of Thailand sometimes face issues when trying to enter on a re entry permit so I don't see your point

 

As for legality these are stamped by a Immigration officer at a Immigration office - I have seen this done so it's hard to see how it would not be legal and this is after the relevant paperwork has been signed off by BKK Immigration

 

No matter what people may think Immigration don't use fake stamps - the reason for this is that they can easily be traced back to them if things go wrong - the stamp is in your Passport and a record of it is in the Immigration database

[cerox]

Yes it is "legal" but when Immigration in Bangkok denies you because they do not "agree", what then?

 

The blacklist was posted here in another thread earlier - look on facebook groups Thaivisa, there it was posted somewhere. I am not sure whether I can write the name of the school here because of the defamation laws.

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, darrendsd said:

It;s been available for at least 8 years to my knowledge and I know plenty of people doing it with no issues

But not everywhere. I can assure it is not possible at other locations. I suspect they are getting supporting documents from the Ministry Of Education that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

 

9 hours ago, darrendsd said:

The first 90 days and then every 90 days after are signed off by Immigration in BKK - after the first 90 days you receive 15 days then the paperwork goes to BKK - comes back and the next 75 days are then stamped

The first 90 days are from a non immigrant visa that normally starts on the date it was applied for after the approval by Immigration Division 3 in Bangkok which Hua Hin immigration is under. Odd they are giving a under consideration stamp for the 15 days if correct since the normal requirement is that you have 15 days remaining on your entry to apply so there is enough time for the approval to be done.

The next 9O days is an extension of stay and that does not require approval at the division level.

[UKJASE]

i asked the head of my school about chances of getting my third ED visa a couple of weeks back, here in hua hin.  The boss lady told me that this time it was advisable to apply within thailand, for about 11k extra on top.

 

she has had a couple of students refused their visa in laos recently, and is recommending me to go this route next time

 

it is a reputable school, that has been in business 10+ years

[bbi1]

Quote

 So 17k baht for the school + 15k baht for the visa processing for a total of 32k baht and I don’t have to leave the country. Has anyone else heard anything about this? She stated it had had just come into effect last week. I don’t have a reason to not believe her

Seiously, how gullible are you bro? lol....It's highly illegal. They're bribing immigration.

Edited October 3, 2019 by bbi1

[bbi1]

19 minutes ago, UKJASE said:

i asked the head of my school about chances of getting my third ED visa a couple of weeks back, here in hua hin.  The boss lady told me that this time it was advisable to apply within thailand, for about 11k extra on top.

 

she has had a couple of students refused their visa in laos recently, and is recommending me to go this route next time

 

it is a reputable school, that has been in business 10+ years

Reputable school lolllll....yeahhhhh right! Reputable schools don't do shady sh%t with bribes to immigration officers.

Edited October 3, 2019 by bbi1

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, UKJASE said:

i asked the head of my school about chances of getting my third ED visa a couple of weeks back, here in hua hin.  The boss lady told me that this time it was advisable to apply within thailand, for about 11k extra on top.

 

she has had a couple of students refused their visa in laos recently, and is recommending me to go this route next time

 

it is a reputable school, that has been in business 10+ years

Pm me if you need help with this - I am in Hua Hin also

 

Doing it this way actually works out a little cheaper than the old way of having to go to Laos or elsewhere to get the ED Visa

[spiekerjozef]

I will for sure ask for this option...thank you.

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, cerox said:

Yes it is "legal" but when Immigration in Bangkok denies you because they do not "agree", what then?

There's no difference whatsoever. They might not even agree with a re-entry permit issued at the very same airport. When leaving and attempting to re-enter while studying at an informal school, you always seem to be at risk at Bangkok's airports.