VOA to ED VISA Chiang Mai

[fangless]

Friend of mine has just arrived in CM after Quarantine in BKK who entered this time on a VOA. (Southern Ireland Passport) He wants to stay longer time and wonders if ED visa (legal) is available in CM.

He doesn't want to go and ask IM directly in case it flags him up and stops/blocks other options.

 

Any advice for him please.

 

[Phillip9]

6 hours ago, fangless said:

Friend of mine has just arrived in CM after Quarantine in BKK who entered this time on a VOA. (Southern Ireland Passport) He wants to stay longer time and wonders if ED visa (legal) is available in CM.

He doesn't want to go and ask IM directly in case it flags him up and stops/blocks other options.

 

Any advice for him please.

 

Yes, its possible, but expensive.  Figure about 40-50k baht all in for the visa, extensions + online classes for one year.  You arrange this through the schools.  Search schools in chiang mai and contact them directly.  Many are advertising this on their facebook pages.  Don't bother asking immigration, the school will handle all the details.  

 

A simpler, cheaper option would to just use the 2 month covid extensions as long as they continue them.

[fishtank]

Your friend does not have a VOA.

He has a Visa Exempt Entry.

Two totally different things.

[fangless]

2 hours ago, fishtank said:

Your friend does not have a VOA.

He has a Visa Exempt Entry.

Two totally different things.

Does that change the advice from Phillip9 above as to how he gets his ED Visa?

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, fangless said:

Does that change the advice from Phillip9 above as to how he gets his ED Visa?

No

If he really had a 15 day visa on arrival entry he would not be able to apply for any non immigrant visa.

Only tourist visas and visa exempt entries can be changed to a non immigrant visa entry.

[MART]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No

If he really had a 15 day visa on arrival entry he would not be able to apply for any non immigrant visa.

Only tourist visas and visa exempt entries can be changed to a non immigrant visa entry.

Hello Ubonjoe,

 

I have been away from Thailand and this forum for a couple of years now.

 

"Visa exempt entries" are the 30 days (currently 45 days) permission of stay stamps that nationals of some countries get when entering Thailand at an airport without any visa, right ?

 

I have read in numerous posts here that those visa exempt entries can be converted into a non-imm entry. Maybe I'm wrong but I cannot remember that this was possible when I lived in Thailand in 2008-2011. 

My question : is it something that they made possible because of covid or was it already possible before ?

 

Thanks in advance !

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, MART said:

I have read in numerous posts here that those visa exempt entries can be converted into a non-imm entry. Maybe I'm wrong but I cannot remember that this was possible when I lived in Thailand in 2008-2011. 

Applying for a non immigrant visa entry has been allowed for many years it is not something new.

 

[MART]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

Applying for a non immigrant visa entry has been allowed for many years it is not something new.

 

Thank you !