Two Visas At The Same Time, Possible?

[gehfab]

Hey,

can I use a Tourist visa (60days) with double entry + a Non-immigrant typ ED (Education) at the same time?

I'm about to fly to Thailand at the end of september 2009 with a tourist visa and planning to attend at a Thai-Lanugage course

(e.g. Thammasat or a private institution).

Oktober - November = Tourist Visa

November - "open end" 1 year(?)= on Non-immigrant ED status...

is it possible? Or do I need to leave Thailand and re-enter with a "new" visa from the Thai embassy somewhere abroad?

[astral]

An unusual question.

To be honest I am not sure you will get the Non Imm Ed without a firm registration at a school.

Even if you do, you will be wasting 2 months of its validity whilst you are a tourist.

I suggest you take it in stages.

Tourist visa first.

Once you have the language classes booked pop down to Penang or Kota Baru

for the Non Imm Ed.

You will probably only get a single entry, 3 months, and then the school will

help you with extending it for the whole year.

[gehfab]

An unusual question.

To be honest I am not sure you will get the Non Imm Ed without a firm registration at a school.

Even if you do, you will be wasting 2 months of its validity whilst you are a tourist.

I suggest you take it in stages.

Tourist visa first.

Once you have the language classes booked pop down to Penang or Kota Baru

for the Non Imm Ed.

You will probably only get a single entry, 3 months, and then the school will

help you with extending it for the whole year.

astral, thanks for your quick response !

I found this on the website of the Mahidol University:

...It is also possible to arrive on a Tourist or Transit Visa and change it to a Non-Immigrant Visa in Thailand. Although Thailand allows many nationalities to enter for one month without a visa, those arriving in Thailand without a visa will need to leave the country in order to obtain the required Non-Immigrant Visa...

As I will be a holder of a Tourist Visa, I can convert it to a Non-Immigration Type ED visa without leaving Thailand, am I right?

Edited February 16, 2009 by gehfab

[Maestro]

Gehfab, your tourist visa will give you permission to stay for 60 days and you can extend this at an immigration office by 30 days.

If you also get a non-ED visa and if this is valid for one entry, it will be valid for travel to Thailand for 90 days from the date of its issue, ie it will probably be close to its expiration date by the end of your 60-day stay based on your tourist visa. And yes, you definitely would have to leave and re-enter Thailand to receive a new permission to stay based on your non-ED visa. Aside from that, it is not necessary to arrive in Thailand with a non-ED visa in order to study at a university or school.

I think first you should be clear in your mind how long you want to stay in Thailand and then start looking at the most suitable visa.

--

Maestro

[gehfab]

Gehfab, your tourist visa will give you permission to stay for 60 days and you can extend this at an immigration office by 30 days.

If you also get a non-ED visa and if this is valid for one entry, it will be valid for travel to Thailand for 90 days from the date of its issue, ie it will probably be close to its expiration date by the end of your 60-day stay based on your tourist visa. And yes, you definitely would have to leave and re-enter Thailand to receive a new permission to stay based on your non-ED visa. Aside from that, it is not necessary to arrive in Thailand with a non-ED visa in order to study at a university or school.

I think first you should be clear in your mind how long you want to stay in Thailand and then start looking at the most suitable visa.

--

Maestro

Maestro, thank you for your answer !

If I could, I would love to stay a few years:

My (Thai) girlfriend and me are about to qualify as Nurse here in Germany. We are planning - In fact, we have already booked the flight - to emigrate to Thailand at the end of september 2009. The "best" realistic visa is the ED visa, as I need to learn the Thai-language.

The other option I think of is the one with the Tourist Visa 60 days, plus extensions and so called visa runs.

Truly not a long term solution, but I don't know other ways.

Do you know other options?

Edited February 16, 2009 by gehfab

[astral]

Get married before you come to Thailand, then you just have to show an income of 40K baht a month

to qualify for a one year at a time extension.

You will need very good Thai language skills to work as a nurse in Thailand.

[gehfab]

Get married before you come to Thailand, then you just have to show an income of 40K baht a month

to qualify for a one year at a time extension.

You will need very good Thai language skills to work as a nurse in Thailand.

Sadly, I don't have a income of 40.000 Baht in one month, not even here while studying Nurse

My original plan was to learn Thai, live from my savings of the last few years.

I'm not seeking a job necessarily in the "proper" nursing at a ward in a public/state-run hospital.

I contacted a Swiss-national in Hua Hin when I was in Thailand last year. He runs a resort for retired persons. Actually he is still in the construction phase until the end of 2010.

My gf already is a Bachelor of Economics, she studied in BKK before she came to Germany about eight years ago. So she will quickly get a job somewhere else, if not in the health care.

[Maestro]

Let's look your at your immediate plans in Thailand and take it from there. Arrive in Thailand in October, about two months later sign up for studying Thai.

In this situation, I think your should get a multiple-entry non-O visa (non-immigrant visa “O”). Some consulates give this for visiting friends in Thailand and the Thai consulate in Stuttgart is one of them. Application can be made by mail.

With this multiple-entry non-O visa you can make an unlimited number of entries into Thailand for one year from the date of its issue and on each arrival you will receive permission to stay for 90 days. This means you have to do a border run at least every 90 days.

Once you are signed up for the study of Thai you no longer have to do border runs. Instead, you can get extensions of stay from the immigration office. If you study at Thammasat you will most probably get annual extensions, if you study at a private Thai language school you get extensions of 90 days at a time.

If an when you get a job later on, your employer will know how to get you a work permit, and you can always ask for information on ThaiVisa.

--

Maestro

[gehfab]

Maestro, you are the best ! Thank you for your efforts! Thats a great resolution

One last question:

"Purpose of visit" I write something like: visiting friends (family of my girlfriend, does that count?)

"Duration of proposed stay": one year ?

"Number of entries" : multiple ?

We have a consulate here in Munich (Bavaria) as well !

Thank you !

Edited February 16, 2009 by gehfab

[Maestro]

Munich has been reported to be a friendly and helpful consulate, too. Give them a call when the time comes to apply.

Yes, purpose of visit: visit friends

Duration of proposed stay: max 90 days each visit

Number of entries: multiple

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Maestro

[gehfab]

Munich has been reported to be a friendly and helpful consulate, too. Give them a call when the time comes to apply.

Yes, purpose of visit: visit friends

Duration of proposed stay: max 90 days each visit

Number of entries: multiple

--

Maestro

Thank you once again, Maestro , you made my day !