Greetings all!

I am asking a question for my Thai wife's relative.
The relative, a Thai woman (mother) living in USA, who has recently divorced, has two sons. The family of 3 wants to come to Thailand to visit mother (the son's grandmother). Travel is planned for 31 July.

The mother wishes the sons to study while in Thailand. The mother has a Thai passport, the sons have American passports.

The family of 3 plans to stay in Thailand for about 2 years while the eldest son completes high school.
The Thai Embassy has advised that a Non-O visa is suitable for each of the two sons.

The initial question: can the two sons enter Thailand visa exempt and then apply for Non-O visa at a Thai Immigration office?

If conversion from visa exempt to Non-O is not possible once in Thailand, options might be:

• urgently apply in USA to obtain the visas before departure
• travel to and apply for visas in a neighbouring country (eg Lao PDR)

Thank you for your advice.

Since they have a Thai mother, the two sons are entitled to Thai nationality. That would ease the issues of staying in Thailand significantly. However, they may not want to claim this since it would lay them open to potential military call up when they reach 20 years old.

 

I believe entering Thailand visa exempt (or with a tourist visa) it should be possible to apply for a "conversion" to a Non Ed visa to study at a formal school. The trouble is that, although it should be allowed, Thai public schools tend to stonewall attempts to register foreign children. If the family is financially well enough off to afford private schools, it will be much easier.

 

I recommend getting tourist visas or Non O visas to visit Thai family for the boys. They will need the maximum possible time to make the long term visa arrangements.

What kind of schooling does she plan for the boys? Has she checked the state of Thai high schools, or the cost on international schools. After living in America all their lives can they read and write Thai to study in a Thai school. She is looking at a pretty big expense with international schools. 

@BritTim and @marin: Thank you for the helpful replies.

"they may not want to claim this since it would lay them open to potential military call up when they reach 20 years old." I have been told this is a consideration.

In another post, (https://aseannow.com/topic/1277835-convert-a-visa-exempt-to-a-non-o/) I found this Link given by eboy

https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=2537

The requirements for your suggestion of Non-O (Ed) are
https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/3.FOR-EDUCATION-NON-ED.pdf

An alternative might be visa application as dependents (Non-O Children of non-Thai national) but income requirements might be an issue.

https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/7.CHILDREN-OF-THAI-NATIONALITY-NON-O.pdf

I will pass on this information.

OP, just another idea for consideration....

So the children enter visa exempt on USA pp.

That 30 day stamp can be extended by 30 days if required.

 

During this time she can obtain for them a Thai ID and subsequent Thai passports.

BTW: my Thai partner just recently obtained new pp.

Turn around was 2days.

Granted with the Thai ID etc for the children will be much longer but possible.

 

There is a recent thread with similar suggestion.

 

She might then need to do a border bounce to close off the entry/exit on their USA pp.

Yes messy however this paves wave for living in Thailand as Thai citizens.

 

Their USA pp are intact and can return to that country at any time.

 

Being the sons of a Thai national, they acquired Thai nationality by birth. What they need now is documentary evidence of their Thai nationality.

 

If they were born in the USA, the mother should get the Thai birth certificate for them from the Thai embassy or consulate.

 

Then the boys should travel with the the US passport with the suggested non-O visa to Thailand and subsequently

1. either get free one year extensions at the local immigration office fot the reason of being a Thai national, or

2. get entered in the grand-mother's house registration book, then get the Thai ID card at the district office, then get the the Thai passport at the passport office.

 

It would probably be too late now to get the Thai passport in the USA for travel on 31 July, it the mother should choose that route for them.