Visa options

[reallyaffiliated]

Hey guys, I am a 23 year old who wants to stay with his Thai girlfriend for the next 9 months while she finishes her study in Bangkok. I've been looking into the ED visa all over but there is a lot of conflicted information online about this, and to me it seems like all the rules are constantly changing. Is the ED visa studying Thai a few hours a week at a school in Bangkok, indeed the best way for me to stay 9 months in Thailand? Is it also okay if my address is my girlfriend's condo? Also how do I know how to trust a school and can I choose a good one that can really help me get a ED visa. Thanks in advance!

[ubonjoe]

Getting a non-ed visa and then extensions for attending a school is good option.

After leaving the country to get a single entry non-ed visa at a nearby embassy or consulate you would not have to leave the country for a total stay of a year. You only need to apply for a 90 day extensions at immigration.

It should not be that hard to find a good school in Bangkok. But do not use the cost as a factor for choosing one. The most reliable ones will be a little more expensive.

[Martyp]

Also note that a good legitimate language school may require more than a few hours per week of study. My school had courses of 60 hours per month. Add in homework and study you will find it to be time consuming.

[DrJack54]

OP, your most likely not in the position at 23 to obtain a METV easily with the financial requirements. However there are possible ways around that. That visa gives you up to 9 month stay. Plus border entries after that equals a year. 

Point is imo ed visa just to stay here is pretty lame if purpose is just to stay in Thailand as post #3 points out ed visa comes with cost and obligations.

If couldn't get an METV then enter on setv + extension gives you 3 months then do border bounce visa exempt entry + extension. Another setv + ....,etc 

Easy.

Edited March 8, 2020 by DrJack54

[Martyp]

Also, at age 23, be very careful about making a long term commitment to living in Thailand or even visiting for long periods of time. Research the limited visa options. After this 9 months is up consider your plans.

Edited March 8, 2020 by Martyp

[MadMuhammad]

4 hours ago, Martyp said:

Also, at age 23, be very careful about making a long term commitment to living in Thailand or even visiting for long periods of time. Research the limited visa options. After this 9 months is up consider your plans.

Good advice. I’m glad I found Thailand at 34 and after I had established myself financially. Any earlier and I don’t think I would have made too many wise choices for my long term financial future 

[MadMuhammad]

47 minutes ago, MadMuhammad said:

Good advice. I’m glad I found Thailand at 34 and after I had established myself financially. Any earlier and I don’t think I would have made too many wise choices for my long term financial future 

*wouldn’t

[reallyaffiliated]

12 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, your most likely not in the position at 23 to obtain a METV easily with the financial requirements. However there are possible ways around that. That visa gives you up to 9 month stay. Plus border entries after that equals a year. 

Point is imo ed visa just to stay here is pretty lame if purpose is just to stay in Thailand as post #3 points out ed visa comes with cost and obligations.

If couldn't get an METV then enter on setv + extension gives you 3 months then do border bounce visa exempt entry + extension. Another setv + ....,etc 

Easy.

Isn't this not possible anymore? I read a lot about border runs, or flights not working anymore. Is this false?

[DrJack54]

25 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

Isn't this not possible anymore? I read a lot about border runs, or flights not working anymore. Is this false?

Depends how long you wish to stay in Thailand. If ongoing then many folk use ed visas. 

It's clear from your OP that you only wish to spend time in los to be with gf.

Why waste money and attendance to classes. The ed visa is just one option to a cocktail of things that long term stayers use in Thailand. 

If you need under a year better options imho.

Edited March 8, 2020 by DrJack54

[DrJack54]

29 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

Isn't this not possible anymore? I read a lot about border runs, or flights not working anymore. Is this false?

Yes it is false. It all depends on your history of stay in Thailand and which airports you use. At some point flying into DMK is problematic, whereas airports such as CNX and U-Tapao and others have "different rules". Without long history easy to stay a year.

Border entries towards end of stay.

[reallyaffiliated]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Depends how long you wish to stay in Thailand. If ongoing then many folk use ed visas. 

It's clear from your OP that you only wish to spend time in los to be with gf.

Why waste money and attendance to classes. The ed visa is just one option to a cocktail of things that long term stayers use in Thailand. 

If you need under a year better options imho.

 

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, your most likely not in the position at 23 to obtain a METV easily with the financial requirements. However there are possible ways around that. That visa gives you up to 9 month stay. Plus border entries after that equals a year. 

Point is imo ed visa just to stay here is pretty lame if purpose is just to stay in Thailand as post #3 points out ed visa comes with cost and obligations.

If couldn't get an METV then enter on setv + extension gives you 3 months then do border bounce visa exempt entry + extension. Another setv + ....,etc 

Easy.

So what you recommend me to do is to just get in on a visa on arrival visa if I cannot get the METV. Then go to the immigration office and get 30 days extra, 2 times. Now Im at 3 months. Then I go fly to Vietnam for example for 2 days from BKK airport. Then come back to dmk airport. Then do the same thing over again, so now I'm at 6 months. Then go for example from dmk to singapore, then fly back a few days later to DMK. etc. Is this kind of the process? Or am I misunderstanding it?

[BritTim]

51 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

So what you recommend me to do is to just get in on a visa on arrival visa if I cannot get the METV. Then go to the immigration office and get 30 days extra, 2 times. Now Im at 3 months. Then I go fly to Vietnam for example for 2 days from BKK airport. Then come back to dmk airport. Then do the same thing over again, so now I'm at 6 months. Then go for example from dmk to singapore, then fly back a few days later to DMK. etc. Is this kind of the process? Or am I misunderstanding it?

Not quite. The suggestion is:

• Single entry tourist visa (60 days, preferred) or visa exempt entry by air (30 days) in either case followed by 30-day extension.
• Visa exempt entry (30 days) via a land crossing, and 30-day extension.
• Visa exempt entry (30 days) via a land crossing, and 30-day extension.

In total this gives you 6-7 months. You will need a non tourist option after this.

Edited March 8, 2020 by BritTim

[reallyaffiliated]

7 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Not quite. The suggestion is:

• Single entry tourist visa (60 days, preferred) or visa exempt entry by air (30 days) in either case followed by 30-day extension.
• Visa exempt entry (30 days) via a land crossing, and 30-day extension.
• Visa exempt entry (30 days) via a land crossing, and 30-day extension.

In total this gives you 6-7 months. You will need a non tourist option after this.

So land crossing is more safe than a flight?

 

Thanks this makes sense. Would your cross a different border the second time, and for how long do you stay in the other country?

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, reallyaffiliated said:

So land crossing is more safe than a flight?

 

Thanks this makes sense. Would your cross a different border the second time, and for how long do you stay in the other country?

Land crossings are safer for visa exempt entry, although you should avoid the crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet. At all crossings to Laos and Myanmar, you can cross and immediately return to Thailand. Crossings with Malaysia and possibly Cambodia may require you to stay overnight. You can use the same crossing for your second land entry if you wish.

[reallyaffiliated]

43 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Land crossings are safer for visa exempt entry, although you should avoid the crossing at Poipet/Aranyaprathet. At all crossings to Laos and Myanmar, you can cross and immediately return to Thailand. Crossings with Malaysia and possibly Cambodia may require you to stay overnight. You can use the same crossing for your second land entry if you wish.

So in that case Mawdaung is the closest crossing for whenever I hit the 3 month mark, and a safe way to get myself another 60 days?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, reallyaffiliated said:

So in that case Mawdaung is the closest crossing for whenever I hit the 3 month mark, and a safe way to get myself another 60 days?

You cannot do a border crossing there.

The nearest crossing to Bangkok is the Ban Phu Nam Ron crossing in Kanchanaburi.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/CvF25maSThcgLAhM6

[reallyaffiliated]

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot do a border crossing there.

The nearest crossing to Bangkok is the Ban Phu Nam Ron crossing in Kanchanaburi.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/CvF25maSThcgLAhM6

Thanks! Is it recommended to do it by myself, or through one of these services where you get in a bus cross the border, they do the paperwork and then drive you back?

[BritTim]

Whether or not you use a visa run service, the procedure at the border is more or less the same. There is a monopoly service that takes your passport across the border to get the Myanmar stamps and return. They charge 960 baht, which includes US$10 for the Myanmar border pass and presents to immigration on each side of the border. Personally, I would go to and from the border under my own steam, but there is nothing wrong with using one of the visa run companies if you prefer.

[reallyaffiliated]

Thanks guys! Everybody here is really helpfull! Appreciate it a lot! ????