Notice : no more ED VISA in Savannakhet

[LiamSiam]

Hello all, 
Just want to let the community know that, to my knowledge, the consulate in Savannakhet no longer issues ED visa despite their website advertising it (as of 12/19 and this until I don't know when)
 

I had planned to go there last month and had prepared everything just to hear from my school 2 days before my departure that the consulate told them by phone that they were no longer delivering ED visa. (I lost my flight tickets and hotel booking, thanks "Effective Thai Chiang Mai")

I don't know about other visa types but my advice is call the consulate before going just in case..

[spiekerjozef]

That information been out there for a while now. But thanks for sharing.

[ubonjoe]

A visa run company that does the runs to Savannakhet has this on their website.

"Not suitable for Non ED, Non O retirement, Non O volunteer."

[Aforek]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

A visa run company that does the runs to Savannakhet has this on their website.

"Not suitable for Non ED, Non O retirement, Non O volunteer."

Does it mean that Savannakhet doesn't make visa for no O retirement anymore ? 

do you have a link of the visa run company ? where is it  possible to have a retirement visa ? Vientiane ? 

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, Aforek said:

Does it mean that Savannakhet doesn't make visa for no O retirement anymore ? 

They will do one for retirement if you have all the required documents. I suspect they had people that were denied is the reason it is on their site. https://www.thaivisaservice.com/

[Captain 776]

Thats because they know 9 out of 10 are just using it as an excuse to be extended

[donnacha]

Even if you get the Ed visa, you could get refused anyway if flying in via one of the Bangkok airports.

 

[spiekerjozef]

36 minutes ago, donnacha said:

Even if you get the Ed visa, you could get refused anyway if flying in via one of the Bangkok airports.

 

Questioned yes but I haven't seen anyone denied entry.

[donnacha]

5 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

Questioned yes but I haven't seen anyone denied entry.

 

Sorry, by refused I meant that IOs have, on several occasions reported here over the past few months, invalidated the Edu visa but allowed the holder entry on the normal 30-day waiver basis that their passport allowed.

 

They are certainly getting tougher. One recent poster described described being grilled on his Thai language ability despite his Edu visa being for a martial arts course ????

[ubonjoe]

12 hours ago, donnacha said:

Even if you get the Ed visa, you could get refused anyway if flying in via one of the Bangkok airports.

 

I only can recall reports of problems when a person already was on an extension for attending a school and was using a re-entry permit to enter the country. With a new non-ed visa issued by an embassy or consulate I don't recall any reports of a denial of entry.

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, donnacha said:

Even if you get the Ed visa, you could get refused anyway if flying in via one of the Bangkok airports.

 

I have heard of this for someone flying in from Phnom Pehn with an ED obtained there. Although of Cambodian nationality. A subsequent land crossing was successful. 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I only can recall reports of problems when a person already was on an extension for attending a school and was using a re-entry permit to enter the country. With a new non-ed visa issued by an embassy or consulate I don't recall any reports of a denial of entry.

Isn't that actually even worse? That immigration doesn't honor a visa issued by an embassy that is under a different ministry is one thing. That they don't honor a re-entry permit issued by immigration itself boggles the mind.

[donnacha]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

I only can recall reports of problems when a person already was on an extension for attending a school and was using a re-entry permit to enter the country. With a new non-ed visa issued by an embassy or consulate I don't recall any reports of a denial of entry.

As I remember it, the holder was not denied entry but the visa itself was refused by that particular IO. I cannot find the thread I'm thinking of but, again, as I remember it, he was allowed entry on the 30-day visa waiver basis usually granted to passports holders from his country.

Thinking further back, I definitely remember reports of people being denied entry on the basis that the IO felt their lack of demonstrable Thai proved that they were not really attending Thai classes. Again, my recall may not be correct. At the very least, people getting quizzed on their Thai abilities seems to have been a reasonably common occurrence.