Can Parant Get A Long Stay Visa Based On Child's Educational Visa?

[earthpig]

A Japanese lady friend in her fourties wishes to come spend a year in thailand with her 7 year old son. She wishes to enroll him in an international school and is trying to figure out whether she can do all this visa wise. She will not be working. She is married but estranged from her husband.

They are coming to Thailand next week to interview schools and ascertain if a visa is possible. The objective would be for the boy to start school in a couple of months. They will be returning to Japan once before, hopefully, coming back to Thailand to begin life here.

But is this all really possible?

1) If a child is enrolled in a private school in Thailand, will this allow him to get an educational visa? The one school she spoke to suggested that the family needed a visa before they could apply for the boy to attend school. Catch 22

2) If this is possible, how does one begin the process? In particular, does her boy get the visa in thailand or in his home country?

3) If in fact her boy can get an educational visa, then can she piggyback on that visa and get a long stay visa for herself?

4) If so, of the many types of visas availalbe, what type of visa can she get, and for how long?

5) finally, how and where (Thailand or Japan) would she begin the process for her visa?

many thanks for any assistance on this convoluted tale!

[Lite Beer]

These are the rules for 12 month Extensions that fit her needs.

Rule 2.9 for the Child and 2.11 for Her. Basically she needs a Non Imm O Visa to enter Thailand and 500,000 Baht in a Thai bank. She can even do it with a Tourist Visa but is not quite so straight forward. From then on they apply again every year.

[earthpig]

These are the rules for 12 month Extensions that fit her needs.

Rule 2.9 for the Child and 2.11 for Her. Basically she needs a Non Imm O Visa to enter Thailand and 500,000 Baht in a Thai bank. She can even do it with a Tourist Visa but is not quite so straight forward. From then on they apply again every year.

thanks for your helpful response. i would be grateful if i could clarify i couple of points.

1) with respect to the child and rule 2.9, it states that the child must first have a "temporary visa (NON-IM)." is this the visa that he will get at the airport on arrival? if not, how does he get it?

My understanding from reading this rule is that he has to first have the temporary visa (NON-IM) before he can get he educational visa, but i have i am not sure how he can first get this temporary visa. can he get it while in thailand?

2) you say above that for the mother it is preferable that she first get a Non Imm O Visa. i presume that this is the same type of visa referred to in 1).

again: how does the mother get this type of visa if in fact this is not the visa that is granted at the airport? As i wrote, she is under 50 years of age an not employed in thailand, and she will not have gotten it before she arrives in thailand.

3) would mother and son have to leave thailand to get these temporary visas at a thai embassy somewhere, then return to thailand again? or can they get it while in thailand?

4) if they have to leve, given that they are both japanese citizens, is there a neighbouring county where it is quickest to get this visa?

thank you!

[lopburi3]

1. That is the ED visa - child can get with letter from school. If you do not do before visit after select school obtain the paperwork and visit a Consulate in nearby country to obtain and then return. There is a procedure to obtain from immigration but only a few schools seem to have to ability to use that method (as requires high level signatures). Most people will get at a Consulate.

2. Mother is not likely to be able to obtain anything but a tourist visa without para one paperwork for child so she can arrive and look for school on that and then obtain a non immigrant O visa later when the paperwork is available for child.

3. Leave and return.

4. Malaysia would the the obvious choice for most people (as no visa required and cheap flights).

The information in the PDF document is for one year extensions of stay - not for visa issue. So they want child and you to have non immigrant visas for extension of stay. Once child obtains extension of stay you can apply. This can be several months after return with visas as they allow a 90 day stay. That gives her time to have the 500k in bank account for the required 30 days.

[Lite Beer]

Off Topic post and the reply to it deleted.

[earthpig]

many thanks for the excellent advice!