A very close friend of mine is in the process of setting up a business here. She currently has an education visa and has a fixed plan to obtain either a SMART Visa or Non Immigrant B visa when she starts up her business, possibly under the Thai BOI scheme. She plans to set up her business as soon as her Thai language skills are good enough to do so.

 

Back in March she had tickets fly back to Oslo (where she is from) and pick up her son so he could join her here. However, Thailand closed its borders just before her flight. The timing was incredibly unlucky. Her son has been stuck in Norway since.

 

The Thai embassy in Oslo has been contacted regularly since March, but just seems to send the same, canned reply that offers no information specific to her case.

 

 ~ Has anyone here been in a similar situation?

 

 ~ Does anyone have any insight or advice on any possible way for her to be reunited with her son here in Thailand?

If she was attending a formal school (university or equal) he could get a certificate of entry for being a member of her family if he is 20 years old or younger.

If she had the smart visa or a non-b visa with a work permit it would be possible.

One new option might be for him to the new single entry tourist visa but he would but it has some very high financial requirements. Info is here. https://thaiembassy.no/single-entry-tourist-visa-during-covid-19-situation/

Thank you @ubonjoe

I guess a regular Thai language school doesn't qualify as a "formal school" but will double check.

 

Getting a SMART Visa or B visa and work permit is in the plan anyway, so maybe accelerating that process is an option.

 

I don't know if the financial requirements for a single entry tourist visa can be met. But since the onus would be on her (i.e. not her son) to show the funds, I wonder if a third party could show the funds and sign some sort of guarantee instead? 

5 minutes ago, Davedub said:

I guess a regular Thai language school doesn't qualify as a "formal school" but will double check.

It considered as a informal school.

 

5 minutes ago, Davedub said:

I wonder if a third party could show the funds and sign some sort of guarantee instead? 

I doubt that would be accepted. It would be worth checking with the embassy about it,

4 hours ago, Davedub said:

Back in March she had tickets fly back to Oslo (where she is from) and pick up her son so he could join her here

"..,..pick up her son......" .

How old is he? Not being nosey, surely it's part of any plan, given quarantine requirements etc.

55 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

How old is he?

 

He's just turned 11 - so may be able to fly unaccompanied depending on the airline. If so, mum would meet him at BKK and they'd do quarantine together.

7 minutes ago, Davedub said:

 

He's just turned 11 - so may be able to fly unaccompanied depending on the airline. If so, mum would meet him at BKK and they'd do quarantine together.

If she was able to enroll him a school that would be another option.

From from the following page on the embassy website "Pupils or students in government or certain private Thai educational institutions" https://thaiembassy.no/non-thai-citizens-who-are-eligible-to-enter-thailand-during-the-covid-19-situation/

 

Thanks again for the help @ubonjoe. I have passed on all the info, fingers crossed...

Go see Immigration and ask

At 11 he will surely go to school so I would suggest that angle. Get him enrolled in a Thai school and seek an educational visa for him.

 

Alternately once she has a B or SMART visa he can join her on that gorund.