Hi,

 

Just discovered this forum and after researching, things are still not clear. Seems like a real headache to understand the visa situation from abroad...

 

My wife and daughter will relocate to Thailand for next school year. Daugther have been accepted at school and we got the "school letter already", we found our house and have the yearly rent contract from a recent trip. Already opened bank account previously and locked the required amount already as well. 

We will arrive in Thailand in July and will have to do an ED visa for our daughter + a guardian visa for my wife. As i understood, we have to get the ED visa for our daughter first, then my wife will be entitled to apply for a non O visa that will be "changed/extended" for a guardian visa.

 

As i understand, we will be able to do that in thailand with the "school letter we got" and some other documents as listed by the school. 

 

My question is to know if we will be able to do all that from a visa exempt or if we have to apply for a TR30/60 from our home country? I questioned the school but the answers are not very clear...

 

 

Thanks :)

 

Personally I would get them both tourist visas (TR60) from the thai consulate in your home country before you wing your way here

That gives you all 60 days when you show up (with the option to get a 30 day extension for 1900baht at the immigration office if you need more time), which should be plenty of time for you to get the documentation from the school, get the daughter enrolled, get her to the immigration office apply for the ED visa.

Most offices require a minimum of 15 days left on your current stamp to do in country conversions from visa exempt or tourist visa entries to a 90 day Non-Immigrant type visa (Chiang Mai requires you have 21 days or more left on the stamp (actually 15 business days but that's about 21 real days) 

Once you get here get the bank account open in your wife's name and get the 500K baht in it. She should be able to apply for the 90 day Non-O visa based on being the parent of a child on an ED visa once your child actually GETS the ED visa <-some offices make the parent wait until the child has the year extension AFTER the initial 90 day ED visa before they can get the 90 day Non-O so check with your office to see how they do it.

The good news is the 500K baht only needs to be "seasoned" in the account for 30 days for the first yearly extension based on parent of a foreign child AND most offices will let you apply for the initial 90 day Non-Imm type O visa just by showing the 500K is in the account (no seasoning required for the initial 90 day visa)   

Thanks a lot Tod. Seems more clear now, i understand we should be able to do it with an exemption but the timing might be short so better arrive with a TR60. Maybe the exemption will be extended to 60 days when we arrive (mid july) but as it's not sure yet, i'll get TR60 for them asap.

 

We already have the bank account opened on her name with the 500K (from previous trip) + the school letters (one on my daughter's name and one on my wife's) + rent contract for the house starting from the day we will arrive (rent paid for the year already, from previous trip also)

 

We worry a lot as it seems complicated form abroad but i would like to try to avoid the 50K agent fee so doing my "homework" now 🙂

 

Thanks for your reply 🙏🏻