Tourist visa after ED

[Hal65]

A Thai language school told me they don't know if I can get a tourist visa immediately after my ED visa. I've done this in the past so has some rule changed? I have a US passport.

 

I have a lot of Ed visas, probably 9 or 10 at this point. In the past I've always just gone to Laos, gotten a tourist visa, used a land border to get back into the country, and then reapplied for an ED visa.

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

I have a lot of Ed visas, probably 9 or 10 at this point.

That might be a record.

When were you last in Thailand.

Current location? 

[Hal65]

I'm in Thailand and have been since 2014 😉

[DrJack54]

So stop the game. 

10 previous ED visas and in Thailand.

When does current permission of stay expire.

Why would you ask forum to advise next step after 11 year stay with so much experience.

 

[BrandonJT]

Why would your school know if you can get a tourist visa? That's between you and the embassy you decide to apply at.  But a tourist visa isn't going to help you with a history like that.

[Hal65]

I always check with the forum because it's bad to assume the past is the present.

 

The school might know about tourist visa concerns, since many of their students are going through the same.

 

 

[saakura]

1 hour ago, Hal65 said:

A Thai language school told me they don't know if I can get a tourist visa immediately after my ED visa. I've done this in the past so has some rule changed? I have a US passport.

 

I have a lot of Ed visas, probably 9 or 10 at this point. In the past I've always just gone to Laos, gotten a tourist visa, used a land border to get back into the country, and then reapplied for an ED visa.

Oh the hoops that some people must jump to be in Thailand. 

[BrandonJT]

Save the money you would have spent on a tourist visa and either use it on a land border bounce agency if you are currently in Thailand, or a safe entry airport agent if you're not currently in Thailand.

[norsurin]

46 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So stop the game. 

10 previous ED visas and in Thailand.

When does current permission of stay expire.

Why would you ask forum to advise next step after 11 year stay with so much experience.

 

Just another person abuse the system.A normal thai learning school takes 3 years.Anyway im not surprised at all.

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, Hal65 said:

I always check with the forum because it's bad to assume the past is the present.

 

The school might know about tourist visa concerns, since many of their students are going through the same.

 

Why even bother with a tourist visa? Visa exempt currently gives you a 60-day stay as well.

 

What's next? Another education visa?

[Hal65]

Yep, don't fix something working 😉

 

Okay, visa exempt it probably is.

 

There's 2 reasons I usually go for the tourist visa

 

1. Higher chance of passing through immigration with a visa instead of exempt stamp (visas are more respected). BKK and Phuket airports excepted of course. CNX is safe with a tourist visa.

2. Border run is a full 8 hour day lost. Tourist visa is a small series of trips (UTP, Udon, Vientiane and back) that one can make a short vacation out of.

 

But the tourist visa also introduces the chance of tourist visa denial as well. I could go exempt from there I suppose. I think if I can cancel my ED at the border, I'll just go exempt. (Yes, EDs need to be cancelled prior to exiting).

 

 

[BrandonJT]

An education extension can ONLY be cancelled at the immigration office that issued it.

 

Many reports that Chiang Mai is no longer an easy airport to enter.

[Hal65]

My agent at the school said I can (postal) mail my passport directly to the school to handle cancellation around 3 weeks before the 1 year expiry date. So no worries there.

 

I'm always a little nervous sending my passport by mail. Once did it to the US embassy too.

[Caldera]

34 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

My agent at the school said I can (postal) mail my passport directly to the school to handle cancellation around 3 weeks before the 1 year expiry date. So no worries there.

 

I'm always a little nervous sending my passport by mail. Once did it to the US embassy too.

 

Can't you just hand in your passport at your school when you attend a class? I'd be more worried about mailing it, too.

[Hal65]

19 minutes ago, Caldera said:

 

Can't you just hand in your passport at your school when you attend a class? I'd be more worried about mailing it, too.

 

Class is up north so no. I'm either flying in or mailing (or 13 hour train ride... sucks without a bar girl... then becomes way fun)

[lamyai3]

9 hours ago, Hal65 said:

A Thai language school told me they don't know if I can get a tourist visa immediately after my ED visa. I've done this in the past so has some rule changed? I have a US passport.

 

I have a lot of Ed visas, probably 9 or 10 at this point. In the past I've always just gone to Laos, gotten a tourist visa, used a land border to get back into the country, and then reapplied for an ED visa.

 

Rules got tightened around 2016 as part of a crackdown on language schools doubling as visa mills. It used to be easy to get an Ed visa based on only 4 classroom hours a week (which could all be on a Friday afternoon) and attendance records were often fudged. Contact hours were doubled along with school fees and many schools were put out of business quite quickly. 

 

Since that time immigration have become quite hostile to people with extensive Ed visa history. One of the ways they do this is making entry conditional on displaying proof of having been serious about study. Are you proficient in written and spoken Thai at this point? Could you converse in Thai, read a sentence, write the alphabet etc? This is what an immigration officer might quiz you on if they suspect you've been abusing the system. 

[Hal65]

2 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

 

Rules got tightened around 2016 as part of a crackdown on language schools doubling as visa mills. It used to be easy to get an Ed visa based on only 4 classroom hours a week (which could all be on a Friday afternoon) and attendance records were often fudged. Contact hours were doubled along with school fees and many schools were put out of business quite quickly. 

 

Since that time immigration have become quite hostile to people with extensive Ed visa history. One of the ways they do this is making entry conditional on displaying proof of having been serious about study. Are you proficient in written and spoken Thai at this point? Could you converse in Thai, read a sentence, write the alphabet etc? This is what an immigration officer might quiz you on if they suspect you've been abusing the system. 

 

2016? Wasn't much of a crackdown then. Only at BKK have they ever tested me. I just said "beginner" and they let me pass. He chuckled snidely (he wasn't happy but I guess it was too much a risk or similar calculus). This was I think 2018/2019.

 

Like I said, 1 year volunteer visa, rest on EDs for 11 years. All it takes is using land borders or CNX (though someone above said CNX is harder now).

[lamyai3]

2 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

 

2016? Wasn't much of a crackdown then. Only at BKK have they ever tested me. I just said "beginner" and they let me pass. He chuckled snidely (he wasn't happy but I guess it was too much a risk or similar calculus). This was I think 2018/2019.

 

Like I said, 1 year volunteer visa, rest on EDs for 11 years. All it takes is using land borders or CNX (though someone above said CNX is harder now).

 

The Ministry of Education changed the rules regarding contact hours (doubled) and around reporting attendance in a paper in 2016 - it had huge ramifications and forced many schools to close, including one of the main sponsors of this forum. 

 

Regarding proficiency, I read just recently about someone denied entry because they were asked to write the Thai alphabet and were unable to do so. 

[Hal65]

18 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

 

The Ministry of Education changed the rules regarding contact hours (doubled) and around reporting attendance in a paper in 2016 - it had huge ramifications and forced many schools to close, including one of the main sponsors of this forum. 

 

Regarding proficiency, I read just recently about someone denied entry because they were asked to write the Thai alphabet and were unable to do so. 

 

BKK or phuket right? That is the key point. Maybe CNX these days too.

 

If you've heard of this at land borders I'm curious which ones. I tend to use Nong Kai and Ban Laem. 10 years ago I used Poipet, I heard that one is bad now.

[lamyai3]

19 minutes ago, Hal65 said:

 

BKK or phuket right? That is the key point. Maybe CNX these days too.

 

If you've heard of this at land borders I'm curious which ones. I tend to use Nong Kai and Ban Laem. 10 years ago I used Poipet, I heard that one is bad now.

 

The guy who got tested on the alphabet was at Suvarnabhumi. No idea about land borders, however I've also heard Poipet is trouble and best avoided in recent years. 

[Caldera]

Yeah sure there have been various crackdowns, but those schools/agents are enterprising and they can always find willing MoE and immigration officials "somewhere" to keep the lights on.

 

It's all a bit ridiculous really, even the infamous airport crackdowns ultimately only serve as a marketing tool for safe entry services. It doesn't even matter if that's intentional, or if there are genuinely two distinct factions of IOs, overzealous vs. corrupt.  The result speaks for itself!