Education Visa

[Housethecrowd]

Hi

May sound a silly question , but i cant get a clear answer from the school !!

When i goto Cambodia to get my 1st ever Education visa authorised , is there any rush for me to return back to BKK, the process takes 24-36 hours i understand at the Cons/Emb in PP, then am i free to stay , say another week there on vacation ?? as my cousre doesnt start for a while in BKK.

The reason i ask is that i hear of a second letter that has to be applied for in BKK, so i am a little worried they need my passport back ASAP in BKK ?

Hope that makes sence !?!!?

Thanks for any answers

[wasabi]

Depending on the school and when the semester starts i think once you have entered on the ED visa you have as much as 3 months before you begin school as you are granted visas in 3 month installments. This is if you are receiving a visa every 3 months, thereafter you'll need to attend class regularly to get the school to reauthorize the visa. I don't know anything about the Cambodia aspect, I would assume this would complicate things.

[Tod Daniels]

I obtained my Non-Immigrant Type ED Visa in Vientiane Lao PDR last month. It was a single entry visa with an 'enter before' date 90 days from the date of issue. That would seem to indicate I could have stayed in Lao or anywhere out of thailand until the last day before entering and still received a 90 day permitted to stay stamp.

I think it is more when do you have to report to school rather than when do you have to enter the country as long as you enter BEFORE the aptly named 'enter before' date.

[tycann]

I don't think you need to leave the country for this. I didn't. I just applied for change of visa status from Visa Exemption to Non-Imm ED. It was quick and easy (provided you have the correct documents/letter) and did it on the 2nd floor of immigration BKK. You do need 21 days remaining on your present visa to apply for change of status though.

[bkkguy1970]

I just applied for change of visa status from Visa Exemption to Non-Imm ED. It was quick and easy (provided you have the correct documents/letter) and did it on the 2nd floor of immigration BKK.

what school? what course?

bkkguy

[Onnutrd]

Really? I thought that Visa Exemptions could'nt be changed to other visas...I thought we had to actually have a visa in the first place and then be able to change it..

Guess I wasted my time going to Laos then~

Am so glad I got this new info!

[lopburi3]

You have to qualify and have 21 days or more remaining and use a TM.87 Application for Visa

[tycann]

I just applied for change of visa status from Visa Exemption to Non-Imm ED. It was quick and easy (provided you have the correct documents/letter) and did it on the 2nd floor of immigration BKK.

what school? what course?

bkkguy

MA at a gov. university. I don't know if that makes a difference.

All you need to do is to get an official letter from your school, signed by the rector or whatever, requesting change of visa status from Tourist Visa Exemption to Non-immigrant ED. Take it to the 2nd floor of Immigration on Suan Plu to the change-of-status office. No need to even wait in those long lines on the first floor! Make sure you have 21 days remaining in the country though. They might be nice and let you do it with less, but you'd have to do a visa run if you have significantly fewer days left.

I changed status about a year-and-a-half ago, so of course rule changes may have occurred, as seems to often be the case with immigration.

[MacWalen]

MA at a gov. university. I don't know if that makes a difference.

Yes, it makes a lot of difference, it is not possible at the moment for language students at private language schools. They still need to get thier visas outside the country.

Walen School, Mac