Thai Immigration Crackdown On Ed Visas

[Trembly]

They don't want us here do they?

The feeling that I get from fellow Thais is that they really don't mind. In general they don't care enough to consciously not want you here, unless they personally know you to a complete and utter throbber.

Sometimes farang give Thai bureaucracy far too much credit. Taken at medium focus, Thai bureaucracy are not dim. There are some very sharp pencils in there but even with the best of intentions, there are so many competing / conficting priorities within the civil service that end-result is often somewhat cack-handed.

Mind you, I think this education visa crackdown is a fair cop. The 4-hour week requirement is quite a benign pisstake as it is. No need to take the piss!

[SteveB2]

So if the guy in Barry's story actually understood what the officer was saying in Thai about the big fish eating the little fish, would he have gotten another year's ED visa? I certainly hope so....

Probably not - it’s way too simple a phrase to understand for someone studying Thai, and misses the point of the immigration official checking if he really going to school or not.

Any child in Thai school would have retorted with the popular Thai tongue twister and similar sounding phrase...

ปลาใหญ่กินปลาเล็ก

ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก

So now you know.

[OlafStapleton]

It's only a loveless marriage if she was a bar girl. If she's a girl from a good job: hair salon, hotel receptionist, etc - it's real.

Bar girl can love and be faithful same as any other boy or girl.

Bar girl can cheat and lie, same as any other boy or girl.

[Jayroo]

If some find learning Thai so hard what about learning Russian?

We have an Russian course that qualifies for ED visa for 3 years, yes, you do have to attend your classes at least twice a week for 2 lessons.

Some may question my fluency in Thai ( I can certainly improve ) but I am a fluent Russian speaker so I can take good care of your Russian learning needs.

Walen School - teaching Russian!

Actually, it's kind of cool to know that can be done... I do know of a lot of expat people who are much better at European languages than Asian ones, might help them a bit.

Apparently you can also get an ED visa to learn Thai cooking, for the ones that have problems learning the Thai language.

Then all they'll only have to worry about cooking for the immigration officer some larb gai if asked to show proof of studying.

[Udox]

How would YOU have reacted if you were sat at the desk and the officer said "Big fish Eat small Fish" - In Thai OR in English

Would you have thought it a question?, a joke? a statement?

I would have probably ignored it - just as the person being discussed did.

Why not ask him a simple QUESTION in Thai - such as how old are you - if he really wanted to test him - instead of muttering a stupid phrase !

I suspect many of the ED visa abusers don't want to go that education visa route but have little other option.

Why not let them have a retirement visa ? why must they be 50? If they can prove funds - such as the current 800,000 to stay here each year and pay the annual visa fee (whatever the cost) why can they not stay here - most foreigners take ZERO baht from the Thai economy but contribute thousands or even millions to it - in different ways.

Its easy to slay someone for doing something you disagree with - until you are in their same position.

Some of these posts are shameful. members dictating to others what they should or should not do with their lives and whether they should or should not be allowed to stay here.

[rkidlad]

It's only a loveless marriage if she was a bar girl. If she's a girl from a good job: hair salon, hotel receptionist, etc - it's real.

Bar girl can love and be faithful same as any other boy or girl.

Bar girl can cheat and lie, same as any other boy or girl.

That's what my granddad keeps telling me.

[badmedicine]

You're not a saint by any chance?

No, he sounds like a regular kind of guy to me. They're quite common outside of the red light districts.

[rkidlad]

You're not a saint by any chance?

No, he sounds like a regular kind of guy to me. They're quite common outside of the red light districts.

Yeap, a regular ex pat saint.

[OlafStapleton]

So if the guy in Barry's story actually understood what the officer was saying in Thai about the big fish eating the little fish, would he have gotten another year's ED visa? I certainly hope so....

Probably not - it's way too simple a phrase to understand for someone studying Thai, and misses the point of the immigration official checking if he really going to school or not.

Any child in Thai school would have retorted with the popular Thai tongue twister and similar sounding phrase...

ปลาใหญ่กินปลาเล็ก

ยักษ์ใหญ่ไล่ยักษ์เล็ก

So now you know.

I not know that answer, I would reply

Hen chaang kee, khee tam chaang or naam maa, plaa gin mot, naam lot, mot gin plaa

for joke or

mai hen

for serious

[badmedicine]

Some of these posts are shameful. members dictating to others what they should or should not do with their lives and whether they should or should not be allowed to stay here.

It's not TV members who make the law, just that some of us think we should abide by it. What's shameful about that??

[vanheusden]

All you people who are cheering this are absolute scum, you know that? At least people who use ED visa's are trying to do something to stay here legitimately.

Some of you lot forget that we are essentially all here for similar reasons, it's just that not all of us are lucky enough to have a job or be over a certain age so that we can get the visa we need...

You might laugh now while you have your comfortable retirement visa or whatever it is, but one day they'll clamp down on those as well - then perhaps you'll wish you weren't quite so gleeful about the struggles of the rest of us to stay here. Morons. Shameful

Speak for your self

I don't drink or drug and have a very nice Thai wife so I do not haunt the brothels.

I am here because I like the people the culture and the country.

I do not have to lie and cheat to stay here I conform to the requirements. I did when I came here and I still do.

The people they are out to get are the one's like you looking for the easy way out with out going through the honest process. Probably the attitude that you had at home.

Let them clamp down on me I meet the requirements. No Worry.

Well-spoken!!! As far as other, truly abusive, posts are concerned, I can only come to the conclusion that forum rules no longer apply and all moderators are still sleeping.

[Travelman868]

I stay here on a 1 year Multi entry 'O' visa, therefore have to do a visa run every 90 days.

What I fail to understand, is why do we have to leave the country and them come back in. I lve close to Lao so can go on scooter to the bridge but I have to pay the Lao customs 1500 baht for a visa.

Why can't the immigration office complete the formalities and charge the 1500 baht. Thai customs still have the same control and make money for Thailand

As for the ED visa, if you don't want to go to school get a Type O multi entry.

[MaxYakov]

I do tell people, though, that if the person I'm communicating with does not know enough English for us to do it to some level of effectiveness, then they probably don't have anything useful to tell me anyway

Sorry, but that is a stunning level of arrogance and/or ignorance.

Since there's only about 800 million or so estimated users of the English language (that includes first and second language speakers), you're basically saying that the other 5 billion people on the planet really aren't worth talking to?

As a once famous tennis player used to say, "You cannot be serious!"

Serious all-too often, I'm afraid. I don't plan on talking to the 'other 5 billion people on the planet' so I'm not too concerned.

BTW, the world population according to what looked to be maybe-credible internet site was 6,775,235,700 in 2009,

What I was trying to say that if the person did not have a level of education and/or initiative that included extensive exposure to English, then in most cases the discussion probably wouldn't interest me. To me it's a practical issue and did not mean to come across as arrogant or ignorant (not today, anyway). In any event, I often state this position in order to gauge the reaction to it. Then there is the internet and the unavoidable fact that English is or will be the de facto International language ... but thread-drift threatens.

It takes a high-quality interaction to interest/entertain me and my time is becoming increasingly limited. Or maybe I just got too old and cranky. Hopefully, I'll get older, but not any crankier. I very much appreciated your comment. Thanks.

[rkidlad]

All you people who are cheering this are absolute scum, you know that? At least people who use ED visa's are trying to do something to stay here legitimately.

Some of you lot forget that we are essentially all here for similar reasons, it's just that not all of us are lucky enough to have a job or be over a certain age so that we can get the visa we need...

You might laugh now while you have your comfortable retirement visa or whatever it is, but one day they'll clamp down on those as well - then perhaps you'll wish you weren't quite so gleeful about the struggles of the rest of us to stay here. Morons. Shameful

Speak for your self

I don't drink or drug and have a very nice Thai wife so I do not haunt the brothels.

I am here because I like the people the culture and the country.

I do not have to lie and cheat to stay here I conform to the requirements. I did when I came here and I still do.

The people they are out to get are the one's like you looking for the easy way out with out going through the honest process. Probably the attitude that you had at home.

Let them clamp down on me I meet the requirements. No Worry.

Well-spoken!!! As far as other, truly abusive, posts are concerned, I can only come to the conclusion that forum rules no longer apply and all moderators are still sleeping.

Wake up moderators! Save us from having our feelings hurt!

[jdinasia]

They don't want us here do they?

The feeling that I get from fellow Thais is that they really don't mind. In general they don't care enough to consciously not want you here, unless they personally know you to a complete and utter throbber.

Sometimes farang give Thai bureaucracy far too much credit. Taken at medium focus, Thai bureaucracy are not dim. There are some very sharp pencils in there but even with the best of intentions, there are so many competing / conficting priorities within the civil service that end-result is often somewhat cack-handed.

Mind you, I think this education visa crackdown is a fair cop. The 4-hour week requirement is quite a benign pisstake as it is. No need to take the piss!

That sums it up nicely.

To those talking about the phrase used by the Imm. officer. There are a million ways to respond to it. I am not going to butcher Thai using karaoke spelling but .. answers could have been as simple as.

It is the same all over the world.

sometimes the little fish get together and get the big fish

it reminds me of politics

(for those more literal minded people)

oh, how sad!

Why don't you separate the big fish from the small fish?

(for those that were lost by the metaphor)

I am sorry but I understand the words but not how you mean them.

Saves money on fish food?

I hope the little fish were inexpensive..... etc etc etc

The man in question had not been studying Thai for a few weeks or months ... this was his7th straight year on an Ed visa for Thai.

[rkidlad]

They don't want us here do they?

The feeling that I get from fellow Thais is that they really don't mind. In general they don't care enough to consciously not want you here, unless they personally know you to a complete and utter throbber.

Sometimes farang give Thai bureaucracy far too much credit. Taken at medium focus, Thai bureaucracy are not dim. There are some very sharp pencils in there but even with the best of intentions, there are so many competing / conficting priorities within the civil service that end-result is often somewhat cack-handed.

Mind you, I think this education visa crackdown is a fair cop. The 4-hour week requirement is quite a benign pisstake as it is. No need to take the piss!

That sums it up nicely.

To those talking about the phrase used by the Imm. officer. There are a million ways to respond to it. I am not going to butcher Thai using karaoke spelling but .. answers could have been as simple as.

It is the same all over the world.

sometimes the little fish get together and get the big fish

it reminds me of politics

(for those more literal minded people)

oh, how sad!

Why don't you separate the big fish from the small fish?

(for those that were lost by the metaphor)

I am sorry but I understand the words but not how you mean them.

Saves money on fish food?

I hope the little fish were inexpensive..... etc etc etc

The man in question had not been studying Thai for a few weeks or months ... this was his7th straight year on an Ed visa for Thai.

He should have just told her to go f*** herself. Lit up a cigarette and returned to hell.

[jdinasia]

I stay here on a 1 year Multi entry 'O' visa, therefore have to do a visa run every 90 days.

What I fail to understand, is why do we have to leave the country and them come back in. I lve close to Lao so can go on scooter to the bridge but I have to pay the Lao customs 1500 baht for a visa.

Why can't the immigration office complete the formalities and charge the 1500 baht. Thai customs still have the same control and make money for Thailand

As for the ED visa, if you don't want to go to school get a Type O multi entry.

It keeps you on the official radar. It reminds you that you don't qualify for PR. It generates domestic travel income.

Many people do not qualify for a non-imm-o

[Steely Dan]

Perhaps the language schools have brought this clampdown on themselves to some extent as many adverts I see for their courses have 'ED VISA' featuring prominently so nobody can miss this aspect. To put it another way if asperin had a side effect similar to viagra I'm pretty sure it would not be advertised for it's pain relieving properties. :jap:

[luvU2much500THB]

I never learned thai and even in my two handfull of visits to LOS i now whats big fish eats little fish is in thai:

BLA JAI GIN KAU BLA LEK

lol

[badmedicine]

What I was trying to say that if the person did not have a level of education and/or initiative that included extensive exposure to English, then in most cases the discussion probably wouldn't interest me. To me it's a practical issue and did not mean to come across as arrogant or ignorant (not today, anyway). In any event, I often state this position in order to gauge the reaction to it. Then there is the internet and the unavoidable fact that English is or will be the de facto International language ... but thread-drift threatens.

Max, seriously, ability to speak English is neither a sign of general intelligence nor a measure of whether someone possesses something interesting to say. Of course, if you can't speak any other language than English, you will never EVER know this to be true, and nor is there anything I can say to convince you otherwise. But the practical issue is not really just that other people cant' speak English, its that you can't speak Thai...if you overcame that practical handicap, you'd find a very different world above the sand...

I've learned a lot of interesting things, and had a lot of interesting conversations, with people who don't speak English.

[MRTELLYOUSTRAIGHT]

i think us legal residents - is residents the word? Should go round bars and speak to some of these 'illegal immigrants'. You'll mostly find these people who are living here illegally in bars, whoring it up and doing drugs. We should speak to them and ask what they're doing here. Pretend we're one of them. When they admit they have an ed visa but are not studying - or are on their 15th tourist visa, we report them to the authorities.

The authorities arrest them, and we slowly but surely eradicate this degenerate behaviour of binge drinking, whoring and drug taking.

I know plenty here on work permits and ret. visas that do their fair share of "binge drinking, whoring and drug taking". So you're going to need to do more than throw out the illegals to get rid of this behaviour.

Really? People living here legally pertain to these sort of activities? I've been here for 3 and a half years, and my whole way of thinking has just gone out the window.

I think I will go off and have a rethink.

Green as grass springs to mind.

[davidkia]

you the sernior member ............. you must have a lot of time on yr hand to run of at the mouth like you have the answere to all event, i do howver agree it's best if you lern the Thai language but for the bit if you dont do anything you should not be here , you seem to forget even these people are paying to stay here and that may mean that a Thai national is recieving money from them as there is no state money from thailand to a forenner same you get in the Uk.

Give people a chance instead of being lord and master and so seft opionated or maybe you are one of them that life to see peple down!

in conclusion enjoy yr life and allow othere's the same !

[Trembly]

They don't want us here do they?

The feeling that I get from fellow Thais is that they really don't mind. In general they don't care enough to consciously not want you here, unless they personally know you to a complete and utter throbber.

Sometimes farang give Thai bureaucracy far too much credit. Taken at medium focus, Thai bureaucracy are not dim. There are some very sharp pencils in there but even with the best of intentions, there are so many competing / conficting priorities within the civil service that end-result is often somewhat cack-handed.

Mind you, I think this education visa crackdown is a fair cop. The 4-hour week requirement is quite a benign pisstake as it is. No need to take the piss!

That sums it up nicely.

To those talking about the phrase used by the Imm. officer. There are a million ways to respond to it. I am not going to butcher Thai using karaoke spelling but .. answers could have been as simple as.

It is the same all over the world.

sometimes the little fish get together and get the big fish

it reminds me of politics

(for those more literal minded people)

oh, how sad!

Why don't you separate the big fish from the small fish?

(for those that were lost by the metaphor)

I am sorry but I understand the words but not how you mean them.

Saves money on fish food?

I hope the little fish were inexpensive..... etc etc etc

The man in question had not been studying Thai for a few weeks or months ... this was his7th straight year on an Ed visa for Thai.

He should have just told her to go f*** herself. Lit up a cigarette and returned to hell.

Yeah! You tell'im our kid!

[jdinasia]

Perhaps the language schools have brought this clampdown on themselves to some extent as many adverts I see for their courses have 'ED VISA' featuring prominently so nobody can miss this aspect. To put it another way if asperin had a side effect similar to viagra I'm pretty sure it would not be advertised for it's pain relieving properties. :jap:

That also sums it up nicely.

[lazygourmet]

All you people who are cheering this are absolute scum, you know that? At least people who use ED visa's are trying to do something to stay here legitimately.

Some of you lot forget that we are essentially all here for similar reasons, it's just that not all of us are lucky enough to have a job or be over a certain age so that we can get the visa we need...

You might laugh now while you have your comfortable retirement visa or whatever it is, but one day they'll clamp down on those as well - then perhaps you'll wish you weren't quite so gleeful about the struggles of the rest of us to stay here. Morons. Shameful

Speak for your self

I don't drink or drug and have a very nice Thai wife so I do not haunt the brothels.

I am here because I like the people the culture and the country.

I do not have to lie and cheat to stay here I conform to the requirements. I did when I came here and I still do.

The people they are out to get are the one's like you looking for the easy way out with out going through the honest process. Probably the attitude that you had at home.

Let them clamp down on me I meet the requirements. No Worry.

Same here !!

I do drink though.

Ditto...

And I do drugs as well... but only grade A

P.S.: sorry "mods", just try to wake you up!

[kropotkin]

They don't want us here do they?

The feeling that I get from fellow Thais is that they really don't mind. In general they don't care enough to consciously not want you here, unless they personally know you to a complete and utter throbber.

Sometimes farang give Thai bureaucracy far too much credit. Taken at medium focus, Thai bureaucracy are not dim. There are some very sharp pencils in there but even with the best of intentions, there are so many competing / conficting priorities within the civil service that end-result is often somewhat cack-handed.

Mind you, I think this education visa crackdown is a fair cop. The 4-hour week requirement is quite a benign pisstake as it is. No need to take the piss!

That sums it up nicely.

To those talking about the phrase used by the Imm. officer. There are a million ways to respond to it. I am not going to butcher Thai using karaoke spelling but .. answers could have been as simple as.

It is the same all over the world.

sometimes the little fish get together and get the big fish

it reminds me of politics

(for those more literal minded people)

oh, how sad!

Why don't you separate the big fish from the small fish?

(for those that were lost by the metaphor)

I am sorry but I understand the words but not how you mean them.

Saves money on fish food?

I hope the little fish were inexpensive..... etc etc etc

The man in question had not been studying Thai for a few weeks or months ... this was his7th straight year on an Ed visa for Thai.

Or: So you have a Pieter Breugel De Oude here? can I see it?? Is it the original?

[jamora]

Great news! But they should have done it years ago!

Even though these "students" can take care of them self, it shows clearly that they do not wish to integrate themselves. If you do not have sufficient qualifications to get a job in a foreign country and you are not retired, the least you can do is to learn the language, integrate yourself and then try to positively contribute to the society. Those who just want to be here without doing anything, should not be here!

Who are you to dictate who should and should not be here? What a stupid thing to say ...

I don't dedicate, the law does! I state my opinion, which I assumed smart people like you would know was the main point of a forum.

[Beetlejuice]

All you people who are cheering this are absolute scum, you know that? At least people who use ED visa's are trying to do something to stay here legitimately.

Some of you lot forget that we are essentially all here for similar reasons, it's just that not all of us are lucky enough to have a job or be over a certain age so that we can get the visa we need...

You might laugh now while you have your comfortable retirement visa or whatever it is, but one day they'll clamp down on those as well - then perhaps you'll wish you weren't quite so gleeful about the struggles of the rest of us to stay here. Morons. Shameful

I`m scum, my father is scum, his father before him and we`re proud.

Education visa loophole closed.

hip hip hurray.

It is not staying here legitimately.if someone is using a flaw in the system to stay in Thailand on a visa other than for the purposes it is intended for and then not buggering off home after the course has been completed.

[rkidlad]

Great news! But they should have done it years ago!

Even though these "students" can take care of them self, it shows clearly that they do not wish to integrate themselves. If you do not have sufficient qualifications to get a job in a foreign country and you are not retired, the least you can do is to learn the language, integrate yourself and then try to positively contribute to the society. Those who just want to be here without doing anything, should not be here!

Who are you to dictate who should and should not be here? What a stupid thing to say ...

I don't dedicate, the law does! I state my opinion, which I assumed smart people like you would know was the main point of a forum.

What does the law here dedicate itself too? Being incorruptible?

[sirchai]

All you people who are cheering this are absolute scum, you know that? At least people who use ED visa's are trying to do something to stay here legitimately.

Some of you lot forget that we are essentially all here for similar reasons, it's just that not all of us are lucky enough to have a job or be over a certain age so that we can get the visa we need...

You might laugh now while you have your comfortable retirement visa or whatever it is, but one day they'll clamp down on those as well - then perhaps you'll wish you weren't quite so gleeful about the struggles of the rest of us to stay here. Morons. Shameful

Please look in the mirror and you know who's to blame...............don't call others Morons............:jap: