Chiang Mai University - Ed Visa Thai language - Stay for 15 months

[hydraides]

Has anyone got this visa before, I was quoted by a language school in Phuket 65,000 baht and can stay for 15 months. 

 

1st 3 months, then get extension foe remaining 12 months

 

Apperently can stay in Phuket but I will probably live in chiang mai and study on it (as you should do and is required)

 

Has anyone got this visa before? Any problems, Was it worth it etc?

[ChaiyaTH]

I know someone on the islands doing this, needed to go to Chiang Mai the first time and now has lessons on a saturday via Zoom. They also have some homework and really need to attend that. Costs were near 70,000 baht, not cheap, but a legit solution.

[hydraides]

Bump anyone else know of this being a success

[hydraides]

12 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

I know someone on the islands doing this, needed to go to Chiang Mai the first time and now has lessons on a saturday via Zoom. They also have some homework and really need to attend that. Costs were near 70,000 baht, not cheap, but a legit solution.

It is valid for 15 months right?

[BritTim]

30 minutes ago, hydraides said:

It is valid for 15 months right?

If this is for a university course, it will be an initial 90 days, followed by one-year extension(s).

[lordblackader]

On 8/21/2023 at 11:47 PM, hydraides said:

Apperently can stay in Phuket but I will probably live in chiang mai and study on it (as you should do and is required)

 

A legitimate ED visa requires in-class teaching - minimum of eight hours a week. Any school offering online learning is breaking the law.

 

Sign up to school in CM and turn up to classes if you don't want to put yourself at risk of getting into trouble. And Immigration has been strict on EDs recently due to the Chinese gangs using them. 

[kman90]

I'm currently looking at the same option for 75k. I'm also in Phuket. Did you go for it? Was it legit?

 

I'm worried I won't be able to pass the 90 day report thing at Phuket Immigration. If I'm supposed to be in Chaing Mai university it seems dodgy. Anyone have any info to add to this thread???? 

[Caldera]

7 hours ago, kman90 said:

I'm currently looking at the same option for 75k. I'm also in Phuket. Did you go for it? Was it legit?

 

I'm worried I won't be able to pass the 90 day report thing at Phuket Immigration. If I'm supposed to be in Chaing Mai university it seems dodgy. Anyone have any info to add to this thread???? 

 

Sure. If you enroll at a university in Chiang Mai to study there, but instead of moving to Chiang Mai continue to live in Phuket, that would obviously be dodgy.

 

If you want to stay in Phuket, you should be able to find a language school there that can facilitate an education visa and extensions based on studying there.

Edited November 6, 2023 by Caldera

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, Caldera said:

If you want to stay in Phuket, you should be able to find a language school there that can facilitate an education visa and extensions based on studying there.

 

Sound advice, but is very unlikely to result in the 15-month permission to stay (with no further extensions during that period) that is available with the Chiang Mai University program.

 

Another option would simply be not to do 90-day address notifications. They can be legally avoided by doing border bounces (obviously with a re-entry permit which you can probably receive at the same time as the visa/extension) or just risk an eventual fine.

[kman90]

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

 

Sound advice, but is very unlikely to result in the 15-month permission to stay (with no further extensions during that period) that is available with the Chiang Mai University program.

 

Another option would simply be not to do 90-day address notifications. They can be legally avoided by doing border bounces (obviously with a re-entry permit which you can probably receive at the same time as the visa/extension) or just risk an eventual fine.

 

When you say "with no further extensions during that period" do you mean that I won't have to do any 90 day reports after the first?

So - one 90 day report after 3 months then a full year visa with no reports?

I think this is what she implied, but it wasn't explained in great detail / language barrier.

Is that ever possible or are 90 day reports always required regardless of the school / university? 

 

 

 

[kman90]

7 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Sure. If you enroll at a university in Chiang Mai to study there, but instead of moving to Chiang Mai continue to live in Phuket, that would obviously be dodgy.

 

If you want to stay in Phuket, you should be able to find a language school there that can facilitate an education visa and extensions based on studying there.

I had a bit of a problem with that as I re-entered too many times this year including one land crossing at Laos and one at Malaysia.

 

I actually tried the two most popular language schools in Phuket and they sent pics of my passport to their officer friend in immigration. The response from both was something about too many stamps and espically the Laos border stamp being a problem. Because the Laos border is "in a different province". It was a red flag for them for some reason. I also did a Laos border run last year before I went back to my own country, maybe that was noticed too.

 

But it seems the University in Chiang Mai has more power or legitimacy, they don't seem to mind about the stamps.

Edited November 6, 2023 by kman90

[BritTim]

9 minutes ago, kman90 said:

When you say "with no further extensions during that period" do you mean that I won't have to do any 90 day reports after the first?

 

A university course gives you one-year extensions. Thus (with the assistance of an agent) you get the 90-day permission from the visa, immediately extended by a further 12 months.

 

10 minutes ago, kman90 said:

So - one 90 day report after 3 months then a full year visa with no reports?

 

The (first) one-year extension is considered to coincide with a 90-day report. After that, you are supposed to do 90-day reports (unless you leave the country within 90 days). However, the penalties for non compliance are not severe.

[kman90]

23 minutes ago, BritTim said:

.. After that, you are supposed to do 90-day reports (unless you leave the country within 90 days). 

 

So by leaving and re-entering every 89 days someone could avoid doing 90 day reports altogether?

Or is that not feasible at all?

[hydraides]

2 hours ago, kman90 said:

 

So by leaving and re-entering every 89 days someone could avoid doing 90 day reports altogether?

Or is that not feasible at all?

You could in theory just not do the 90 report at immigration

 

max fine of around 3000 baht if they catch you

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, kman90 said:

 

So by leaving and re-entering every 89 days someone could avoid doing 90 day reports altogether?

Or is that not feasible at all?

 

You can avoid it (either legally with border bounces, or by risking a fine).

[kman90]

16 minutes ago, hydraides said:

You could in theory just not do the 90 report at immigration

 

max fine of around 3000 baht if they catch you

 

I'll want to fly some times with my girlfriend during the year, to see her family up north or to another city in Thailand or to neighbouring country for a holiday...

 

Do 90 day report stamps need to be present in my passport? Or surely my file on the immigration system will notify the immigration officers that I did not report last time? (sorry for the n00b questions .. I have 0% knowledge about the 90 day report system 😕)

 

The fine is very fair. But mostly I don't want to get deported / denied entry / banned..

I think it's better if I just leave Thailand and come back in January 2024 with a renewed passport and a fresh year... And then start education immediately next time.. 

[kman90]

17 minutes ago, BritTim said:

 

You can avoid it (either legally with border bounces, or by risking a fine).

 

Ohh so the 90 day report saves you from doing border runs / flight re entries?

But it would look dodgy if I keep entering at Phuket airport or the Malaysian border if I'm studying in Chang Mai.

Getting stopped at the airport or border would be a nightmare .. No time to pack stuff, plan , book flights  ...

[hydraides]

7 minutes ago, kman90 said:

 

Ohh so the 90 day report saves you from doing border runs / flight re entries?

But it would look dodgy if I keep entering at Phuket airport or the Malaysian border if I'm studying in Chang Mai.

Getting stopped at the airport or border would be a nightmare .. No time to pack stuff, plan , book flights  ...

 

From my understanding you will get a 12 month extension after your 3 month intial visa

 

You will not have to visit immigration again for the whole year next, or do 90 day reporting......but you may risk a 3000 baht fine next time you apply for another visa

 

Normally 90 day reporting just resets though when you exit and re enter on a TR visa ..... no fine at airport for not doing 90 day reporting either....they can't see it.........

 

The only people who can see your 90 day reporting record (What I think) are the officers actually in charge on that duty at immigration........If you apply for re entry permit at the airport (Should be no worry of them seeing your  not 90 day reporting )

 

........Basically you can get the Chiang Mai Visa and just not do the 90 day reporting ...............and you should be fine

 

The only risk comes if you need to apply for a re entry permit ......Immigration may ask why you are flying into Phuket and not chiang mai or Bangkok

 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by hydraides

[hydraides]

3 minutes ago, hydraides said:

 

From my understanding you will get a 12 month extension after your 3 month intial visa

 

You will not have to visit immigration again for the whole year next, or do 90 day reporting......but you may risk a 3000 baht fine next time you apply for another visa

 

Normally 90 day reporting just resets though when you exit and re enter on a TR visa ..... no fine at airport for not doing 90 day reporting either....they can't see it.........

 

The only people who can see your 90 day reporting record (What I think) are the officers actually in charge on that duty at immigration........If you apply for re entry permit at the airport (Should be no worry of them seeing your  not 90 day reporting )

 

........Basically you can get the Chiang Mai Visa and just not do the 90 day reporting ...............and you should be fine

 

The only risk comes if you want to go on holiday during the Chiang Mai visa ......Immigration may ask why you are flying into Phuket and not Chiang mai or Bangkok on the way back in. THe same goes for a normal ED visa from Phuket.......immigration will still not be happy at the airport if you go on holiday during the Visa .......you may need to pay a bribe or be able to good thai to them

 

3 minutes ago, hydraides said:

 

 

 

 

[kman90]

Thanks for the info. So I guess domestic flights would be no problem at all as you'd have a valid visa (regardless of reporting status). 

I guess it's a safe enough option if one was not planning to travel outside Thailand during the length of the course. And just wanted free roam around Thailand for the year. Then just pay the missed - report fine (fines?) at the end.

 

Unless there's something else I'm overlooking which could cause a problem... 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, kman90 said:

 

I'll want to fly some times with my girlfriend during the year, to see her family up north or to another city in Thailand or to neighbouring country for a holiday...

 

Do 90 day report stamps need to be present in my passport? Or surely my file on the immigration system will notify the immigration officers that I did not report last time? (sorry for the n00b questions .. I have 0% knowledge about the 90 day report system 😕)

 

The fine is very fair. But mostly I don't want to get deported / denied entry / banned..

I think it's better if I just leave Thailand and come back in January 2024 with a renewed passport and a fresh year... And then start education immediately next time.. 

 

Flying domestic within Thailand does not involve passing through immigration.

 

There are no stamps for 90-day reports in your passport. If you have reported in person, you will have been given a small loose slip that indicates the next date you need to report.

 

Failure to do a 90-day report does not risk deportation or blacklisting.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, kman90 said:

 

Ohh so the 90 day report saves you from doing border runs / flight re entries?

But it would look dodgy if I keep entering at Phuket airport or the Malaysian border if I'm studying in Chang Mai.

Getting stopped at the airport or border would be a nightmare .. No time to pack stuff, plan , book flights  ...

 

Any overseas trips must be very short (a weekend trip would be OK). Students are sometimes known to travel. They just need to do so in a way that does not interfere with their studies.