Thai Language ED Visa WITHOUT leaving the country?

[audaciousnomad]

Can anyone recommend a reputable school(Bangkok) for Thai language courses that can help securing an ED Visa without exiting?

[scammed]

that dont exist any more and havnt for almost 10 years

[Caldera]

I don't think Bangkok immigration does that. Only for regular schools and universities. I've seen that kind of offer in Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and possibly Pattaya though.

 

[swerve]

What you are looking for is likely available.  Your timing is still okay. Find some schools in your area and go have a chat with them.  I've never dealt with any Thai language schools in Bkk myself, so can't make any suggestions.

[audaciousnomad]

20 minutes ago, swerve said:

What you are looking for is likely available.  Your timing is still okay. Find some schools in your area and go have a chat with them.  I've never dealt with any Thai language schools in Bkk myself, so can't make any suggestions.

Thanks. What kind of timing are we talking about (weeks-wise) ?

[swerve]

The schools may need some time (like 30 days) to set the Ed visa up (with immigration). If you are in Thailand with valid status until Sept 26, then you should have time to do this process.  I am not an expert, but I think you can do it.

[aluc]

I applied for school on 1st of July. It took 2 weeks to proceed at education department, on 14th of July I went to IO where they told me my visa should be ready in 3 weeks, still waiting. Phuket

[darrendsd]

It depends on what visa you are on or were on?

 

For example my ED Visa finished in May so I am on the amnesty - I can't obtain another ED Visa because I need to leave and re enter the country (Visa Exempt) in order for Immigration to be able to convert it to a ED Visa again

[audaciousnomad]

4 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

It depends on what visa you are on or were on?

 

For example my ED Visa finished in May so I am on the amnesty - I can't obtain another ED Visa because I need to leave and re enter the country (Visa Exempt) in order for Immigration to be able to convert it to a ED Visa again

I am on Visa Exempt, with permitted to stay date after 26-Mar, which means I too am on the amnesty which currently ends on 26-Sept.

Edited August 8, 2020 by audaciousnomad

[darrendsd]

Yes it is possible - I have done that myself but as I live in Hua Hin I can't recommend a a school in BKK 

[Phillip9]

2 hours ago, audaciousnomad said:

I am on Visa Exempt, with permitted to stay date after 26-Mar, which means I too am on the amnesty which currently ends on 26-Sept.

Yes, it is definitely possible.  I also arrived visa exempt and have already got my Ed visa.  Many language schools can arrange this.  Contact schools directly in your area and ask.  I know pro language in bkk can do this.  Probably many others also.  It will likely cost you about 15000 baht extra to convert it without leaving the country.  And you can only stay until one year from your date of entry.  
 

You need to apply very soon to get everything do before sept 26.

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, darrendsd said:

Yes it is possible - I have done that myself but as I live in Hua Hin I can't recommend a a school in BKK 

Can you recommend a school in Hua Hin? I might be interested depending on how things develop.

[DrJack54]

Just now, Caldera said:

Can you recommend a school in Hua Hin? I might be interested depending on how things develop.

You really mean do I need attend classes.

You can buy fake ed visa ~ 25k

Only university courses can arrange serious ed visa within Thailand.

[RoyLee]

21 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

And you can only stay until one year from your date of entry.  

I assume you mean the starting date of your new ED visa, not your pre-covid entry into Thailand.  

[jackdd]

16 minutes ago, RoyLee said:

I assume you mean the starting date of your new ED visa, not your pre-covid entry into Thailand.  

Actually the police order regarding extensions says that it's one year from entering Thailand (for studying at non-formal schools that is, studying at a formal school doesn't have this limit). So if you entered Thailand in March 2020 and get an ED visa now, you could only stay until March 2021 at most (total stay in Thailand one year) and then you would have to leave.

But it looks like most immigration offices interpret it so that the year starts when you actually got the ED visa (which is imho not in compliance with the police order, and could potentially used by them to extort money, we have to see if this happens)

Edited August 8, 2020 by jackdd

[darrendsd]

49 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Can you recommend a school in Hua Hin? I might be interested depending on how things develop.

I do mine through a agent but the school is TLC on Petchkasem Road

[warcy]

4 hours ago, darrendsd said:

It depends on what visa you are on or were on?

 

For example my ED Visa finished in May so I am on the amnesty - I can't obtain another ED Visa because I need to leave and re enter the country (Visa Exempt) in order for Immigration to be able to convert it to a ED Visa again

 

Can't you just extend your ed visa? Why do you need to leave the country? It baffles me.

 

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, warcy said:

 

Can't you just extend your ed visa? Why do you need to leave the country? It baffles me.

 

Because they wrote this in the police order regarding extensions:

[jacob29]

10 hours ago, scammed said:

that dont exist any more and havnt for almost 10 years

A special exception had been made due to CV19, to allow certain ED visas to be applied without leaving the country. The following article outlines it, but it's in Thai..

 

https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/785960

[darrendsd]

7 hours ago, warcy said:

 

Can't you just extend your ed visa? Why do you need to leave the country? It baffles me.

 

It baffles me to but they are the Immigration rules

[darrendsd]

3 hours ago, jacob29 said:

A special exception had been made due to CV19, to allow certain ED visas to be applied without leaving the country. The following article outlines it, but it's in Thai..

 

https://www.dailynews.co.th/politics/785960

UbonJoe do you have any info on this please?

[ubonjoe]

41 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

UbonJoe do you have any info on this please?

It has been proposed but I think it will still depend upon the category of the school you are attending.

Requirements are listed here. http://bangkokimmigration.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/03.pdf

 

 

[bestie]

13 hours ago, darrendsd said:

It depends on what visa you are on or were on?

 

For example my ED Visa finished in May so I am on the amnesty - I can't obtain another ED Visa because I need to leave and re enter the country (Visa Exempt) in order for Immigration to be able to convert it to a ED Visa again

Same as me. It's a hoping and waiting game, My school told me that the immigration will maybe come up with a solution after the 26. Sept. Maybe isn't very helpful but they have no further information. I still don't know what to do. But I don't have the hope they will announced it in the remaining month if they let us get a new ED Visa inside Thailand.   

[Phillip9]

10 hours ago, RoyLee said:

I assume you mean the starting date of your new ED visa, not your pre-covid entry into Thailand.  

No, I mean your pre-covid entry.  There is a law that states you can only stay one year from the date of entry into Thailand if you are attending a non formal school.

 

This means most people will only get another 4-6 months after amnesty ends depending on when they entered.  Schools in pattaya, hua hin, and chiang mai have all told me that immigration in those locations will follow this rule, so I think it will apply pretty much every where.  I think some schools just are not mentioning this fact.  

[Fromas]

17 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

There is a law that states you can only stay one year from the date of entry into Thailand if you are attending a non formal school.

 

This means most people will only get another 4-6 months after amnesty ends depending on when they entered.

 

I have not heard of this rule. Do you have a source?

 

[audaciousnomad]

27 minutes ago, Phillip9 said:

No, I mean your pre-covid entry.  There is a law that states you can only stay one year from the date of entry into Thailand if you are attending a non formal school.

 

This means most people will only get another 4-6 months after amnesty ends depending on when they entered.  Schools in pattaya, hua hin, and chiang mai have all told me that immigration in those locations will follow this rule, so I think it will apply pretty much every where.  I think some schools just are not mentioning this fact.  

Is this true @ubonjoe ?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, audaciousnomad said:

Is this true @ubonjoe ?

The amnesty would not change when your allowed 1 year of totals stay ends when attending a informal school.

[finy]

Are there any schools where you can just study for 3 months and qualify for the ED visa? Or mabye 6 months?

 

It's pointless taking a 1 year course if you can only stay 6 months.

 

And in theory, if it's only a 3 month visa your attendence won't need to be great. Wink wink. And if 6 months your attendence will only need to be good for 3 months.

[audaciousnomad]

13 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The amnesty would not change when your allowed 1 year of totals stay ends when attending a informal school.

And after that, no other options other than to leave the country?

[Phillip9]

10 minutes ago, finy said:

Are there any schools where you can just study for 3 months and qualify for the ED visa? Or mabye 6 months?

 

It's pointless taking a 1 year course if you can only stay 6 months.

 

And in theory, if it's only a 3 month visa your attendence won't need to be great. Wink wink. And if 6 months your attendence will only need to be good for 3 months.

Yes, you can study for only 3 months or 6 months at many schools and only pay tuition for the time you study.  But you will still need to pay the same fee(~15,000 baht) to convert to an Ed visa without leaving the country, so this ends up being expensive.