Facts And Open Questions Related To A One Year Education Visa

[frimu]

Dear all,

I have researched about one year Thailand education visas? Here are the facts I found:

• 
  It is difficult to get a multiple entry one year education visa, normally the authorities just grant single entry one year education visas. One place where it seems to be possible is Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
  
• 
  If I just get a single entry education visa I can still try to get a multiple re-entry permit for 3800 Baht (bring one passport photo when applying for it, a single re-entry permit would be 1000 Baht) at a Thailand immigration office.
  
• 
  The 90 day extension fee is 1900 Baht. You have to report to an immigration office every 90 days for that.
  

So are all of the above facts true and the fees still accurate?

My open questions:

• 
  Let's assume, I leave Thailand 40 days after my first entry with the one year education visa and return 20 days after that. Do I have to report to the immigration office for the extension of my visa 90 days or 30 days after my re-entry? So is that period of 90 days absolute or depending on your travel activity?
  
• 
  Should I be able to get a multiple entry visa: Will I then have to leave Thailand every 90 days or could I get an extension at an immigration office without leaving?
  

I'm curious if someone know the answers. :-) I prefer to ask you in the forum, because in my experience many Thai people don't want to embarrass you and just tell you what you like to hear, but not necessarily the truth. :-)

Thanks for your time, possibly your answers and kind regards

Frimu

[lopburi3]

An ED visa can be single entry valid for 90 days and allowing a 90 day stay or multi entry valid for one year and allowing unlimited number of 90 day stays during that period of time. Most visas will be single entry and student will extend one year at a time for full time study or 90 days at a time for part time (language type) study.

A re-entry permit only allows a new entry for the current permitted to stay period of time - it adds no time to your current stay.

All extensions of stay cost 1,900 baht. To obtain you have to meet the requirements for it.

If you have a one year visa you do not have any contact with immigration - each stay is limited to 90 days and any new entry gets a new 90 day stay.

[harrry]

An ED visa can be single entry valid for 90 days and allowing a 90 day stay or multi entry valid for one year and allowing unlimited number of 90 day stays during that period of time. Most visas will be single entry and student will extend one year at a time for full time study or 90 days at a time for part time (language type) study.

A re-entry permit only allows a new entry for the current permitted to stay period of time - it adds no time to your current stay.

All extensions of stay cost 1,900 baht. To obtain you have to meet the requirements for it.

If you have a one year visa you do not have any contact with immigration - each stay is limited to 90 days and any new entry gets a new 90 day stay.

lopburi please check this information. A one year stay is available for those at Universities. It does not require leaving the country. It does require 90 day reporting.

[lopburi3]

With proper documentation a one year extension of stay is available from local immigration office for University study (or even primary school) and stay of 90 day or more requires address reporting to immigration. This is not a visa but an extension for study.

[frimu]

Thanks for your feedback. I have now applied at a school to learn Thai and get the visa. And once I'm back in Thailand on the basis of the visa I might let you know what I learned and update the facts here.

One thing is obvious: Getting the visa just to stay and not showing up on courses does not seem to work anymore. You wouldn't get an extension after 90 days. They check that now. But I really want to improve my Thai, so that doesn't bother me too much. :-)

Cheers, Frimu