Please Check That I've Got It Right (ed Visa)

[pokerjoe]

My son and his best friend (US passports) will be going to Bangkok in early Sept.

Their plan is to enter without an advance visa, understanding that they get 30 days tourist entry.

They then have about a week to find a language school which will, upon enrollment, process the paperwork for an ED visa (they only have a week because the school will need a few weeks to process things).

Then they have to make a border run and re-enter in order for the ED visa to take effect.

Thereafter, they have to, every 3 months, go to the Bangkok visa office.

I have a few questions (besides the big one: do I have it right so far).

Upon initial entering, to receive the 30-day tourist visa they'll initially be using, they need to have an outgoing airline flight ticket?

Might it not be best to make that outgoing ticket for the border?

Which border entry point is most convenient to Bangkok by air?

I ask because I'm wondering about scheduling their return (to the US) flight. I'm not exactly certain when they'll be returning. What I'd like to do is leave this open-ended someway. Advice?

[Jingthing]

I think you have some details wrong.

The Thai school can help get a LETTER from the Thai education ministry. This can easily take LONGER than a month to get the letter, so a 30 day initial entry may not be enough.

In other words, the school does not issue the visa, and the visa is not issued in Thailand.

With the LETTER the applicant then needs to visit a Thai embassy or consulate abroad (Penang Malaysia is common) and apply for the ED visa there, and then go back to Thailand. Yes, 90 day reports at immigration in Thailand are needed.

As far as boarding an airplane, there are options. I suggest starting with a tourist visa. Most airlines will board if you have any visa. If not, an air ticket OUT of Thailand within 30 days will probably work as well (but expect some possible hassles at check-in). Yes it sounds like they need either an open ended return or a one way ticket to Thailand.

If they still want to risk arriving without any visa, they could always make a border run to get an additional 15 days (land crossing) or 30 days (air entry). Like I said if coming with no visa, an air ticket out within 30 days is absolutely necessary.

[Lite Beer]

Have a look at the Language School Banners at the top of this page. They have details on Visa procedures.

[Jingthing]

Have a look at the Language School Banners at the top of this page. They have details on Visa procedures.

Great suggestion of course, but they are not going to tell the OP about issues of boarding airplanes at US airports going to Thailand.

[Lite Beer]

No, and you are correct. They really need a Visa when boarding the plane. Makes even more sense now that Tourist Visas are free.

[pokerjoe]

Thank you guys, especially Jingthing.

I did look at mythailanguage school, which is where I read that they would only need 2-3 weeks to process things. If you guys think there is a good chance it will (or even "might") take longer, that's useful to know in advance, thank you.

I know they can get a 90 day tourist visa, but that would entail getting passport photos and such and going to the Los Angeles consulate, which isn't hugely problematic, but not as easy as NOT getting a visa in advance, and just using the 30-day entry. I am maybe unduly bureaucracy-phobic.

But it sounds like the 90 day is best, both in case the ED visa takes longer than a few weeks to acquire, and to avoid having to schedule an out-going flight.

Thanks again.

[Lite Beer]

A Tourist Visa gives 60 days. It can be extended at Immigration for a further 30 days for a fee of 1,900 Baht

[Mario2008]

Most consulates in the US allow you to apply for a visa by mail. Check their website for details.

[bkkc1976]

Just go and get a tourist visa.with this you dont have to have a return flight ticket and not get in a hurry for your ed visa.very easy!regards

[MacWalen]

Just go and get a tourist visa.with this you dont have to have a return flight ticket and not get in a hurry for your ed visa.very easy!regards

Ministry of Education works a bit faster now, 3 weeks should be enough but cannot guarantee, it is possible that they will take 4 weeks, i have not had a case where it was more than 4 weeks for a long while now. In urgent cases we can get the required documents documents in one week.

Walen School

[pokerjoe]

Macwalen, you don't have a branch in Udon, do you?

My son and his friend don't know if they'll be there, or in Bangkok. If they end up in Bangkok, you've got a couple of new students.

As to everyone suggesting getting the tourist visa, that seems a real pain because they want copies of bank statements, passports, copies of passports, passport photos, application forms, and, the biggie: airline tickets showing flights in and out of Thailand.

Well, if I have to get them tickets out of Thailand anyway, then the only advantage to the tourist visa is a margin of error if the letter for ED visa takes longer than 3 weeks. But isn't it possible, in that case, to make a border run, get an extension, come back, pick up the hopefully-ready letter, make another border run and apply for the ED visa?

Here's my gameplan as of now:

Get them tickets to Bk, ongoing to KL 30 days later, returning from KL to BK 2 days after that.

IF they get the ED visa letter from a school in time, they can use that trip to KL to get the ED visa.

If they don't get the ED visa letter in time, they can use the trip to KL to get an extension, then make another border run to get the ED visa.

Is this plan plausible?

So, what is entailed in getting an extension on the 30-days on arrival?

Will immigration be satisfied upon arrival with, say, an on-going flight to KL?

Tedious stuff, this. But thanks to all for feedback. Obv, I need it.

[Tod Daniels]

There are more Honorary Thai Consulates in the US than you can shake a stick at. Their numbers and addresses are easy to find, in fact here is a web link for you;

http://www.thaiembdc.org/AboutEmb/EmbDirect.aspx

If it doesn't give you the list of Honorary Thai Consulates, just use the pull-down menu at the top of the page. I have dealt with most of them and they are friendly, accommodating, and helpful. The same cannot be said for either the Thai Embassy in DC nor the Consulates in Chicago, L/A or New York. Also ALL of the Honorary Consulates process by mail, so no traveling is required. I've had passports Fed-Ex'd to them and received them back in under 3 days, so time is not a issue either.

Dealing with ANY thai government office can be time consuming. The Ministry of Education is no different in that regard. While it has been mentioned processing times have speeded up; with this being the glorious "Land 'O Thais" there is no guarantee that it will continue to remain expeditious and there is always a chance it will take longer.

I wouldn't be so bureaucracy-phobic and just get them the 'free' single entry tourist visa which gives them 60 days in country. As other posters pointed out can be extended at Thai Immigrations inside the country for an addition 30 days if needed, and is about as trouble free as you could hope for given what you’ve outlined as their itinerary and plans here.

[Jingthing]

Here's my gameplan as of now:

Get them tickets to Bk, ongoing to KL 30 days later, returning from KL to BK 2 days after that.

IF they get the ED visa letter from a school in time, they can use that trip to KL to get the ED visa.

If they don't get the ED visa letter in time, they can use the trip to KL to get an extension, then make another border run to get the ED visa.

2 days in KL to get the visa?

Think about this. Possibly not enough time.

The embassy closes for all Malaysia and Thai holidays.

It closes for the weekends.

You need to get to the embassy by a certain time to make your application.

Then you have to go back again the next day (or after a weekend or holiday) at a certain time to get back your passport.

If there is a problem with your application, you need time to fix it.

The Thai embassy in KL is not in the central tourist area, I think about a 20 minute taxi from there.

I think unless you are experienced and studied all the logistics including flight times and the specific embassy rules about when they take passports and when they return passports, 2 days is not enough time in KL to get the visa.

If your students are really phobic about dealing with passport paperwork hassles, I suggest get over it or consider an abort.