Life after the ED Visa

[Hardgraf]

Hi all. 

 

Arrived in Thailand on a 60 SETV October 2018. 30 day extension then another SETV from Vientiane  plus another extension which gave me 6 months in all.

 

I then enrolled at Thai Language school & have been on an ED visa for a while now. In January I will be entering the 'advanced level' stage of my ED visa which will give me a further 6 months and therefore finish in July 2020. So all together I will have stayed in Thailand (Not including short holidays) for nearly 2 years.

 

Is it currently possible to enrol with another school and obtain a 2nd ED visa (I enjoy learning Thai)? If not is it likely I would be able to obtain more tourist visas or 30 day exemptions? I will probably go back to Europe for a few weeks once my current ED visa has expired and procure a new passport (Although a friend advised me that that will not reset the Thai visa situation due history obtained via finger print scanning). What would be the best course of action in order to stay in Thailand?

 

My partner is from Europe and has a Thai work permit. We are currently reluctant to get married for Thai visa reasons. If we were to marry here however I would be eligible for a 'spouse' visa & her workplace would pay for and maintain my visa, all visa related pains would vanish.

 

Thanks

[tabarin]

If you are looking for a solution, marrying would be best. Continue on ED visa is a gamble, you can go learn Thai on a spouse visa too anyway.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Hardgraf said:

Is it currently possible to enrol with another school and obtain a 2nd ED visa (I enjoy learning Thai)?

If you enrolled in a school that offered more advanced studies than you current school you should not have a problem getting another non-ed visa and extensions.

Getting a new passport does not hide anything you have done at immigration. For embassies and consulates is does eliminate your history of visas,

[darrendsd]

Talk to agents - there are ways to get another ED Visa no matter how long you have been on them already and it is all approved by Immigration

[UKJASE]

a friend at my school is 60, and on his 4th or 5th ED visa.  He always applies in australia for his, but has had no hassle on arrival to thailand i believe

[bangkokgalaxy]

On 12/4/2019 at 4:44 PM, ubonjoe said:

If you enrolled in a school that offered more advanced studies than you current school you should not have a problem getting another non-ed visa and extensions.

 

Which specific schools have "more advanced studies" in Thai language? (and face less scrutiny from immigration?) 

 

My friend wants to get her second Ed Visa for advanced Thai in April and wants to become fluent as she will retire here in November 2020 (after her 50th birthday).

[Isaanbiker]

Marrying just to have a visa sounds strange. It's also strange that so many people can't even order a noodle soup after 3 years of studying Thai.

 

   Then it's obvious that people were misusing this opportunity to stay here and work illegally which is also the reason why they always change laws.