Ed Visa Only 90 Days Not 1-Year Via Singapore

[davevi]

My Background

• I am a US Citizen.
• I am under the age of 50.
• I moved to Bangkok using a Type O visa that requires a border pass every 90 days.
• I am a graduate student at Assumption University in a 2-year plus program.

My Issue

When I arrived some months ago my school told me I had to leave Thailand to convert to an ED visa. I checked with my Thai attorney and he confirmed this. I recently traveled to Singapore where I visited the Thai embassy with a letter from my University. I completed the forms, paid SG $100 and waited a day. When I collected my passport I received a 90-day ED Visa (full page stamp). I asked why I wasn't given a 1-year visa and I was told the embassy does not issue a 1-year ED Visa, only 90 days, and that extensions could be made at the immigration office in Thailand. I returned to Thailand and was stamped in on my ED Visa. My ED Visa expires on 18, November.

My questions are:

1) Is this situation normal and correct?

2) What will I need from my college when I go to the immigration office in Bangkok?

3) Will I get a 1-year visa for certain, or will it be up to the officer to grant me a 90-day, 1-year, or other time frame visa?

4) Do I need to report to immigration every 90-days if I am given a 1-year visa?

Thank you all very much.

[Mario2008]

1. consulates in the region normally only issue a single entry ED-visa and expect you to extend your stay at immigration. So this is normal.

2. Your university will know exactly which paers they need to prepare, any questions are best asked to them

3. Following a real University study you will get a 1 year extension of stay. Others, like studnets at language schools, only get 90 days.

4. Yes, you need to make 90 day reports. Your extension of stay will be considered your first report, report every 90 days after that date.

Remember, if you need to travel abroad now you will need a re-entry permit to keep your current permission of stay. If you leave without one you would need to apply for a new visa all over again.

[davevi]

1. consulates in the region normally only issue a single entry ED-visa and expect you to extend your stay at immigration. So this is normal.

2. Your university will know exactly which paers they need to prepare, any questions are best asked to them

3. Following a real University study you will get a 1 year extension of stay. Others, like studnets at language schools, only get 90 days.

4. Yes, you need to make 90 day reports. Your extension of stay will be considered your first report, report every 90 days after that date.

Remember, if you need to travel abroad now you will need a re-entry permit to keep your current permission of stay. If you leave without one you would need to apply for a new visa all over again.

Thank you.

So that I am clear in my understanding... If I leave the Kingdom at any time during my 1-year ED Visa I must go to immigration (first) and request a re-entry Visa OR I will have to apply for the ED Visa all over again?

[Tod Daniels]

Sad really, as you coulda studied on a Non-Immigrant Type-O visa and just 'run for the border' every 90 days until it ran out (almost 15 months of stay). There is NOTHING that prohibits you undertaking education on ANY type of thai visa.

Mario is correct, most if not all the thai consulates/embassies in S/E Asia will only give you a single entry Non-Immigrant Type ED visa.

What I find strange is; 'real universities', of which Assumption certainly qualifies, usually give you documentation you take to thai Immigrations INSIDE the country and convert what ever visa your on to a Non-ED for a year. (I know Chula, Thammasat, Mahidol, and even Ramkhamhaeng do this). The documentation a ‘real uni’ receives from the Ministry of Education is usually addressed to Thai Immigrations, instead of the documentation you get from a private thai language school which is addressed to any thai embassy or consulate. As there're no thai embassies or consulates inside thailand that means you hafta leave to get a visa.

Right now you have a 90 day single entry Non-ED visa. IF you need to leave the country during the 90 days, you'd go purchase a re-entry PERMIT (not a visa), and it would keep your 'permitted to stay until stamp' alive.

I'm sure Assumption will give you documentation to extend the ED visa you have out at Immigrations. Now whether it will be for another 90 days, or a year, dunno. It would certainly behoove you to ask the administrations office at the college if they can give you paperwork which requests a year, as the worst thing they can say is no.

Do remember, a re-entry permit is only valid as long as the visa or extension of stay is valid. If you bought one now, it'd expire when your current 90 day visa expires. If you bought one after your extension, well depending on whether they extended you 90 days or a year, it'd be good for that amount of time. (Re-entry permits cost 1000baht for single re-entry and 3800baht for a multiple).

Again, as long as your Non-Immigrant Type-O was valid; I wouldn't have even bothered to get an ED visa. Despite the mis-advice from your 'attorney', (which was incorrect as far as undertaking study on a Non-O).

Good luck, hope this post wasn't too confusing. Do let us know what Assumption tells you as far as in-country extensions and if you get a year or only another 90 day.

[Mario2008]

Thank you.

So that I am clear in my understanding... If I leave the Kingdom at any time during my 1-year ED Visa I must go to immigration (first) and request a re-entry Visa OR I will have to apply for the ED Visa all over again?

Correct. if you don't apply for a re-entry permit before you leave then you would have to apply for a new Ed-visa and extension of stay.