Tourist Or Non - "ed" ?

[vcpilot]

Hi, I am 28 year old a student from Finland, and am flying to Thailand 17. of February.

I have been accepted to Prince of Songkla University in Phuket to study

there from the start of March to the end of May, (3 months). I will study Thai

language, cooking and international economics.

Basically for me the studying is about soft landing to life abroad. I intend

to stay in Thailand for much longer, and travel in SE Asia for maybe a year or two.

Until yesterday, the plan was to get a one year Non "ED" visa, which would give me a

hassle free first year in Thailand without border runs. Or so i thought. But after reading

these forums it seems that with "ED":

- I have to get an extension in the first 90 days

- when i quit school (after about 110 or so days), the extension becomes invalid and i

have to leave the country quite fast.

This would mean that in my case the one year visa would only give a little over 3 months in-country time.

Is this true?

So it seems I would be better off getting a tourist visa (valid for 6 months) with 3 entries, which would

give me almost 8 months in-country with 90 / 60 / 90 day border runs. But can I enter Thailand with

a tourist visa and still study in a university there?

[ubonjoe]

Yes you can go to school on a tourist visa.

[Maestro]

vcpilot, yours is a situation I have not seen before now. You plan to get a multiple entry non-ED visa but study in Thailand for only thee months.

First, a correction of what you thought was the case. A multiple entry non-ED allows an unlimited number of entries into Thailand with one year from the visa’s issue date and on each entry you will receive permission to stay for 90 days. This means that you have to do a border run every 90 days, ie leave Thailand and re-enter Thailand, not apply for an extension of stay.

The first question that comes to my mind is whether the Thai consulate will give you a multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for one year when you will study for only three months. I do not know at what Thai consulate in Finland you plan to apply or if there is even more than one consulate, but the website of the embassy (www.thaiembassy.fi/visatothailand.html) gives the following information:

Studying( Non-Immigrant Visa “ED” )

Additional requirements:

– For studying at a government school or government university

Approval from the Ministry of Education/Ministry of University Affairs or the University's administration.

(When the applicant is approved by the Ministry of Education / Ministry of University Affairs or the University's administration, the school or college will then send the approval document to the applicant and to the Consulate for

consideration in issuing the visa.)

If you do get the multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for one year you will have no problem entering Thailand with it as often as you like during the validity period of the visa if you no longer study in Thailand. The immigration checkpoints on arrival in Thailand do not verify if the reason for the visit you stated in the application form for the visa, at the embassy, is still valid. I have never been asked for the purpose of my visit at the entry checkpoint but in case you should be asked just remember to say “study Thai language”

--

Maestro

[vcpilot]

First, a correction of what you thought was the case. A multiple entry non-ED allows an unlimited number of entries into Thailand with one year from the visa's issue date and on each entry you will receive permission to stay for 90 days. This means that you have to do a border run every 90 days, ie leave Thailand and re-enter Thailand, not apply for an extension of stay.

Ok, I'm a bit confused, I got my information from this link: www.thaivisa.com/279.0.html

Non Imm "ED"

This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for 1 year subject to one extension within the first 90 days.

Basically this means you can stay in Thailand for one full year without any visa runs whatsoever, after the extension has been made.

90 day reports to the Immigration Office, still have to be made the same way as for any other visa extension.

Have the rules changed, is there a glitch on the infopage or does the link describe another kind of visa?

The first question that comes to my mind is whether the Thai consulate will give you a multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for one year when you will study for only three months. I do not know at what Thai consulate in Finland you plan to apply or if there is even more than one consulate, but the website of the embassy (www.thaiembassy.fi/visatothailand.html) gives the following information:

Yes, a valid question. There is only one consulate in Finland, and that is indeed their webpage. I will get the official letter of approval from the school tomorrow. The company that is fixing the deal between me and the school have told me that in the letter the start and end dates for studying will be 16. Feb – 12. Jun 2009. So officially, the studying period is almost 4 months.

If you do get the multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for one year you will have no problem entering Thailand with it as often as you like during the validity period of the visa if you no longer study in Thailand. The immigration checkpoints on arrival in Thailand do not verify if the reason for the visit you stated in the application form for the visa, at the embassy, is still valid. I have never been asked for the purpose of my visit at the entry checkpoint but in case you should be asked just remember to say "study Thai language"

--

Maestro

This sounds very good. Visa runs every 90 days, no problem. And, if i would make the last run just before the visa expires, i guess i could stay in thailand for almost 15 months?

One more question. When i fill out the visa application form, what should i write in the following fields:

- Number of Entries Requested - when i want a multiple without restrictions on entries?

- Duration of proposed stay - Should this coincide with the start- and enddates of the official letter, even though i plan to stay longer?

[Maestro]

…

Non Imm "ED"

This visa will allow you to stay in Thailand for 1 year subject to one extension within the first 90 days.

Basically this means you can stay in Thailand for one full year without any visa runs whatsoever, after the extension has been made.

90 day reports to the Immigration Office, still have to be made the same way as for any other visa extension.

Have the rules changed, is there a glitch on the infopage or does the link describe another kind of visa?

…

Currently, the basic rule is as follows (Paragraph 2.9 of Police Order 777/2551):

In the case of enrollment in a private educational institution: Permission will be granted for a period as confirmed by the institution but shall not be more than 1 year at a time.

Immigration uses this to limit extensions of stay to 90 days at a time for the study of Thai language even if the enrolment is for a whole year. If somebody studies for a degree at a university, a one-year extension is usually given if the university’s confirmation is for this period.

--

Maestro

[Maestro]

Another thought, vcpilot. You could check with the Thai consulate in Hull, UK whether they would accept your mail application for a non-immigrant visa “O” for the purpose of visiting friends in Thailand. This would be valid for one year and you would have to make border runs every 90 days.

www.thaiconsul-uk.com

--

Maestro

[vcpilot]

Thank you Maestro,

I got the non-ed for one year, and it clearly states "Extension of stay not permitted". So i will make 90 day visa runs, which is ok. I applied from Finland, and everything went smooth as silk.

If someone else is wondering about the questions i asked:

- Number of Entries Requested - when i want a multiple without restrictions on entries? - I entered 3, and got "Multi"

- Duration of proposed stay - Should this coincide with the start- and enddates of the official letter, even though i plan to stay longer? - I entered the start- and enddates of the official letter, and even though the enclosed flight ticket showed a much later return-date, there were no questions asked.

Off to Bkk in 5 days...

[magpie13]

I also have just got my Visa ready to fly to BKK in March. I applied for a multiple entry but it just says 's' on there - when I asked they said the multiple entry part is done in Thailand!!! Totally confused.

Where it stays 'Extension of stay not permitted' that bit has been crossed out and an official stamp put over it - is that good news - does that mean I will get my extension and not have to do visa runs.

I do need to fly in and out a couple of times during the year so am now worried about this multiple entry thing not being on my visa.

When I extend can I ask/pay for it then? Or do I have to do a re-entry permit every time I leave etc. If so, do you do a re-entry at the airport?

[Mario2008]

You will have to do an extension of your ED visa, possibly every 90 days.

For travel outside the country you will need a re-entry permit, you can ask for a multiple re-entry permit (3,800 baht). A single re-entry permit would cost 1,000 baht. You can't apply for it at the airport any more. So best thing is to do it when you apply for your extension at immigration. Will cost you an extra photo.