Will I be denied re entry into Thailand with an ED visa while being gone for 100 days?

[Oyosty]

So I’ve been in Thailand since November 2021. Came on a tourist visa. I then had to get two covid extensions while I was awaiting processing of my student visa. I got the 90 stamp and now I have the extension of stay for 1 year on august 17 2022 from an immigration office in another province. 
 

i have a flight in 3 days to go back to America (I’m an American citizen) for 100 days to see my terminally ill grandfather with cancer. I’m going to a re entry permit at the airport, and will be back in 100 days. I’ve heard and read that people with education visas were getting denied entry on re entry permits if they stayed out of the kingdom for more than a few days because officers didn’t accept being out so long on a student visa. Is this still the case? Do I have anything to worry about? If so, what is the best plan of action?

 

I should also mention my home address is a few provinces away from the school.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Oyosty

[Caldera]

The best you can do is to get a letter from your school, explaining the situation, before you leave. If questioned by immigration, you could then show it and hope for the best.

 

If you leave for such a long time without even your school's consent, on the other hand, chances are immigration won't like this at all.

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

The best you can do is to get a letter from your school, explaining the situation, before you leave. If questioned by immigration, you could then show it and hope for the best.

 

If you leave for such a long time without even your school's consent, on the other hand, chances are immigration won't like this at all.

^^^this

 

Whatever explanation you give, Immigration will be sceptical of a professed student who skips classes for over three months. Agreeing a 100-day suspension of your studies with the school before leaving will go a long way to satisfying immigration that you really are a student. That said, your immigration history does not look good, and few people would regard the illness of a grandfather as sufficient grounds to put your whole life on hold for over three months.

 

Taking your post at face value, it is clear that you are very close to your grandfather, and you have my sympathy during this difficult time.

[DrJack54]

OP, exit Thailand as planned without reentry permit and write off you ED visa.

 

Return when appropriate with tourist visa and access your options.

Land borders open now for border bounces to extend your stay. 

[Oyosty]

13 hours ago, BritTim said:

^^^this

 

Whatever explanation you give, Immigration will be sceptical of a professed student who skips classes for over three months. Agreeing a 100-day suspension of your studies with the school before leaving will go a long way to satisfying immigration that you really are a student. That said, your immigration history does not look good, and few people would regard the illness of a grandfather as sufficient grounds to put your whole life on hold for over three months.

 

Taking your post at face value, it is clear that you are very close to your grandfather, and you have my sympathy during this difficult time.

Yes. Thank you. I am very close to him. I talked to my agent and they said I can hire someone they know within airport immigration to escort me from the plane through immigration. Have you heard of this before? Is it safe?

 

Also, I’m not sure I can get a letter from the school, but I’ll try my best. Would it also perhaps be better if I reduced the amount of time I was staying in the states to two months? Or would that even help any at all?

 

Thanks

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, Oyosty said:

Also, I’m not sure I can get a letter from the school, but I’ll try my best. Would it also perhaps be better if I reduced the amount of time I was staying in the states to two months? Or would that even help any at all?

Your question has come up previously and in the main has need a trip home for genuine reason however has been for period of 2 weeks not 3 + months. 

 

Interested in the agent arranged assistance at immigration airport..

 

Would be surprised if the school will provided letter for that period of time. 

[Oyosty]

29 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Your question has come up previously and in the main has need a trip home for genuine reason however has been for period of 2 weeks not 3 + months. 

 

Interested in the agent arranged assistance at immigration airport..

 

Would be surprised if the school will provided letter for that period of time. 

It’s the agency that got me my visa said they can do such. Not sure if anyone has heard of it though.

 

as far as being gone for 3 months, I really don’t see why they would have an issue with this? Schools don’t always just cancel your program if you have a genuine need and emergency. 

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, Oyosty said:

Schools don’t always just cancel your program if you have a genuine need and emergency.

That's using logic which does not always make it correct.

Approx  date would your current ED visa take you to? 

Edited August 31, 2022 by DrJack54

[problemfarang]

Well the more reading your answers the more its clear that you are using an agency to keep your staying in thailand as long as you can, and no intensions of studying. Otherwise you wouldnt use an agency. Thats why most likely there will be no letter to prove your excuse for missing many classes. But if you are really studying and just used the agency to avoid all immigration joke.. ok. And if so, i think school can give you a letter explaining the situation. I would also take some photos with your grandfather showing his situation. Dont know will work or not worth the try.

 

i wouldnt trust that agency which will assist you at the immigration. Thats most likely he will just meet you right after all the immigration process which is no help to you at all. But if the agency knows someone at the immigration when you are getting your stamp, thats another story and might work out. never heard of this though.

 

first of all i would say immigration most likely will not let you enter the country with the current ED visa. so you better stop spending money on agency and just leave the country normally and forget about your ED visa.

 

get a tourist visa and come back OR ask your agency to provide you with the papers from the school or whatever they working with and present them to the thai embassy in your country. This might be risky if the agency.. created one school for you. 

 

and sorry to hear about your grandfather, hope he will get well soon.

 

also... i know you dont want to hear this.. but really.. you need a proper visa to stay in thailand.. i mean what will you try after your ED visa? martial arts school? for how long it will take you.. 

 

good luck

 

Edited August 31, 2022 by problemfarang

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, Oyosty said:

It’s the agency that got me my visa said they can do such. Not sure if anyone has heard of it though.

I'm aware of such a service offered by an agent pre-Covid, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's available again. From memory, it was about 3,000 Baht and they made sure you got a sympathetic officer who stamped you in without hassle.

 

How reliable such a service is or has been, I have no idea, I don't recall any firsthand reports of anyone actually using it.

[BritTim]

3 hours ago, Oyosty said:

Yes. Thank you. I am very close to him. I talked to my agent and they said I can hire someone they know within airport immigration to escort me from the plane through immigration. Have you heard of this before? Is it safe?

 

Also, I’m not sure I can get a letter from the school, but I’ll try my best. Would it also perhaps be better if I reduced the amount of time I was staying in the states to two months? Or would that even help any at all?

 

Thanks

I have heard of an agent arranged escort through Immigration, and I believe it is a reliable service. That is not based on first hand experience though.

 

I do not think there will be much difference between two months and 100 days as far as Immigration's assessment of the situation is concerned. With many officials, anything over a month will be difficult to explain to their satisfaction.

 

I honestly do not know how great your risk would be of a denied entry. I do believe an appropriately worded letter from the school that this is a planned absence that does not affect your status as a student there would be very helpful. Try hard to get it.

[Colabamumbai]

Get a re entry permit. 

[mockingbird]

19 hours ago, Caldera said:

I'm aware of such a service offered by an agent pre-Covid, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's available again. From memory, it was about 3,000 Baht and they made sure you got a sympathetic officer who stamped you in without hassle.

 

How reliable such a service is or has been, I have no idea, I don't recall any firsthand reports of anyone actually using it.

I used this service pre COVID to mitigate the 'why you stay in Thailand too much' line of questioning. It wasn't expensive (I think 1200 baht).

 

An official looking lady met me off the plane and brought me to priority queuing, where it was just me, her and 1 smiling immigration officer. 

Stamped in no problems. Not sure what actual difference it made though.

[Oyosty]

Update: School said I can go back and resume my studies when I arrive back in Thailand. They’ve been very helpful and understanding through this, as I want to continue my studies but my grandfather is in serious condition. Not gonna use an agent, as they only help once I get to baggage claim to take me to my home, and that the service was only available pre-covid for meeting at the gate. I’m on the way to the airport now to go home. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

And to answer you @DrJack54my extension expires February 19 2023. Not sure if they would make a difference though

Edited September 1, 2022 by Oyosty

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, Oyosty said:

And to answer you @DrJack54my extension expires February 19 2023. Not sure if they would make a difference though

I only asked expiry date since you will be gone 3 months+ 

It would be not be huge loss to accept visa exempt stamp at airport on return.

However with a valid reentry permit the io will most likely  stamp you in till Feb next year.

Best of luck with your trip and family. 

[Oyosty]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

I only asked expiry date since you will be gone 3 months+ 

It would be not be huge loss to accept visa exempt stamp at airport on return.

However with a valid reentry permit the io will most likely  stamp you in till Feb next year.

Best of luck with your trip and family. 

Got it. Yea, the way everything worked out I wish I never signed up for my studies in chiang Mai, since the visa was done there and I only have less than 6 months, plus I find the education better in my home country. I got my re entry at the airport and showed my letter. Waiting to get on my flight now.  

[Oyosty]

On 8/31/2022 at 10:08 AM, problemfarang said:

Well the more reading your answers the more its clear that you are using an agency to keep your staying in thailand as long as you can, and no intensions of studying. Otherwise you wouldnt use an agency. Thats why most likely there will be no letter to prove your excuse for missing many classes. But if you are really studying and just used the agency to avoid all immigration joke.. ok. And if so, i think school can give you a letter explaining the situation. I would also take some photos with your grandfather showing his situation. Dont know will work or not worth the try.

 

i wouldnt trust that agency which will assist you at the immigration. Thats most likely he will just meet you right after all the immigration process which is no help to you at all. But if the agency knows someone at the immigration when you are getting your stamp, thats another story and might work out. never heard of this though.

 

first of all i would say immigration most likely will not let you enter the country with the current ED visa. so you better stop spending money on agency and just leave the country normally and forget about your ED visa.

 

get a tourist visa and come back OR ask your agency to provide you with the papers from the school or whatever they working with and present them to the thai embassy in your country. This might be risky if the agency.. created one school for you. 

 

and sorry to hear about your grandfather, hope he will get well soon.

 

also... i know you dont want to hear this.. but really.. you need a proper visa to stay in thailand.. i mean what will you try after your ED visa? martial arts school? for how long it will take you.. 

 

good luck

 

Thank you. Well the agency helped me find the kind of school I wanted to attend, as I needed help searching for them in chiang mai. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t signed up to do schooling in Thailand, but what’s done is done. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by Oyosty

[Oyosty]

On 8/31/2022 at 1:13 PM, BritTim said:

I have heard of an agent arranged escort through Immigration, and I believe it is a reliable service. That is not based on first hand experience though.

 

I do not think there will be much difference between two months and 100 days as far as Immigration's assessment of the situation is concerned. With many officials, anything over a month will be difficult to explain to their satisfaction.

 

I honestly do not know how great your risk would be of a denied entry. I do believe an appropriately worded letter from the school that this is a planned absence that does not affect your status as a student there would be very helpful. Try hard to get it.

Thank you. Everything has been resolved and I’m going back today thankfully. I got a return ticket for September 30, 2022 so I can come back sooner and it will be under 1 month instead of 3 months like before. I also won’t need an agent, anyways I misunderstood what they meant and it’s just somebody waiting on the other side to basically greet me. Lol. They don’t even help with immigration. 

Edited September 1, 2022 by Oyosty

[BritTim]

5 minutes ago, Oyosty said:

Thank you. Everything has been resolved and I’m going back today thankfully. I got a return ticket for September 30, 2022 so I can come back sooner and it will be under 1 month instead of 3 months like before.

I hope your contact with your grandfather is not too distressing. Good luck with immigration on your return.

[problemfarang]

5 hours ago, Oyosty said:

Thank you. Everything has been resolved and I’m going back today thankfully. I got a return ticket for September 30, 2022 so I can come back sooner and it will be under 1 month instead of 3 months like before. I also won’t need an agent, anyways I misunderstood what they meant and it’s just somebody waiting on the other side to basically greet me. Lol. They don’t even help with immigration. 

like i said.. that guy would be waiting you at the other side and would do a taxi duty and would get your 1000 baht. Thats another scam. 

 

thats the thing with agents. actually they cannot do a lot. 

 

good luck and again i hope your grandfather gets well soon

[The Hammer2021]

On 8/31/2022 at 9:15 AM, DrJack54 said:

Your question has come up previously and in the main has need a trip home for genuine reason however has been for period of 2 weeks not 3 + months. 

 

Interested in the agent arranged assistance at immigration airport..

 

Would be surprised if the school will provided letter for that period of time. 

I use VIP fast track service to leave and enter Thailand  at Suvarnabhumi -is that  the agent service  being referred to?

[Mikeheo]

Just don't come back via Bangkok, nowhere else will care really