Hi all,

I've just been reading through this website as I just traveled to Phnom Penh to apply for an ED visa and have been denied. I'm hoping someone can provide some help/clarification on this problem!??

I arrived in Thailand a couple of months ago with the intention of studying Thai for 6-12mnths and then working.

My Thai school gave me "documents" : a 1 page letter on their letterhead + a copy of their license. They told me to take this to an embassy outside Thailand and apply for the ED visa. This would be granted for 90 days and when I got back, they would take care of everything else from there.

So I'm here in Phnom Penh, however the consulate denied my application as they require a letter from the ministry of education. I don't have anything from the MoE, and when I called the school today they told me that there is nothing required from the MoE and they cannot help me. The only thing they said was that Phnom Penh is not good, it's better to goto Singapore. Well thanks...

So what is this letter from the MoE? Is it required or not required? Why does the embassy ask for it and my school claim it's not required? Will I have the same issue in Singapore? And why did my school make me wait 2 weeks for the 'letter' if they only printed it themselves??

Cheers

Rob

I am hoping you have not paid this "school" money up front !

Someone with more knowledge than me will be along but I suspect the MoE letter is required .

Believe the letter confirms you are a student at a recognized school, some consulate in the region seem to require it some not.

Well i sound strange for me...

I am on my 3 years of ED-Visa, and every year when i apply for a new school year, it have taking MoE 8-6-5 weeks to approve my paper work...

And i get many papers from MoE and school when i do need to go to Immigration every 90 days..

When i got my first paper to take outside Thailand to get my ED-Visa, i got like 16-20 page of paper, MoE paper saying i being Approve, and from school, have information about the school, where it was, map to get there, what level of Thai i was going to study, how many times pr week, how many hours and so on...

I do hope you only pay a small fee up front as it "normal" to pay the rest of the money after getting your Visa, and have in your contract you get your money back - XXXX if you don´t get your ED-Visa..

I don´t know if it help to go to Singapore, but wish you well mate...

I haven't paid them too much up front... but that isn't my main concern here.

It seems that pretty much every school website I visit explains that they will submit your details to MoE and then give you a letter from the MoE which you take to the embassy to get your visa. I also have friends also studying and they have now also confirmed that they took a letter from the MoE.

So what's up with this school? Are they super dodgy? (No I don't want to name them here....at least not yet).

Put it down to experience !

You will now have to address your visa situation if you wish to pursue your original ambition.

Returning from Cambodia via a land border will only provide you with a 15 day visa exempt entry (30 days if you return by air). You could also ask for a tourist visa whilst still in PP. That would give you 60 days (extendible for another 30 days )

Armed, as you now are, with valuable knowledge, will enable your asking the "hard" questions of any language school which you might be considering.

Edit

I would counsel against going to Singapore they are sticklers for adhering to the "rules" and you would likely be rejected.

A school can get the MoE letter only if it is approved by the MoE. Could this perhaps be the problem? There is no harm in asking here if other members are studying at a particular school and have received the MoE letter from this school for the purpose of applying for a single-entry non-ED visa at a Thai consulate. Incidentally, I believe that this MoE letter is usually addressed to an individual Thai consulate, which means that either the school should recommend to you the consulate or you should tell them your preference in advance.

I know your situation and can't offer any help only positive thoughts.

I have been refused Non B's 3x for reasons the schools (employers) should have been aware of the documentation necesssary both for the visa and the extensions.

The latest being that the directors signature on one of the copies was longer than on the others.

Once missing a directors I.D. card front and back and signed.

All of this at my expense.

FYI, when they denied my ED they also said I couldn't have a tourist visa either. So I've got a month to sort it out with the school.

In your opinion which embassy is best to head to next?

Try your luck in Laos.

 

A school can get the MoE letter only if it is approved by the MoE. Could this perhaps be the problem? There is no harm in asking here if other members are studying at a particular school and have received the MoE letter from this school for the purpose of applying for a single-entry non-ED visa at a Thai consulate. Incidentally, I believe that this MoE letter is usually addressed to an individual Thai consulate, which means that either the school should recommend to you the consulate or you should tell them your preference in advance.

 

Both Phnom Penh and Vientiane consulates (and perhaps others) now required a copy of the school's manager ID card with manager's signature on the copy for Ed Visa applications.

So after discussing this with the school I get the impression that they are just lazy (at my expense). They can request a letter, but it takes 1 month so they don't bother. They just recommend that students goto Laos. When I asked why they let me goto PP without the letter they just argued saying that they always recommend Laos or Singapore. I could go on but as you know its more or less pointless.

I just got off the phone with Singapore and they were very clear that without a letter from MoE they would not approve the visa. The website of the Laos consulate says the same thing, although I've been unable to contact them by phone to confirm if they are following the rules or not.
http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/vientiane/en/consular/consular_check/

However with only 27 days left... if it does take a month to get this letter I'm in a difficult position. Does anyone have any firm information on Laos?

I went to Laos this week and got the visa without any paperwork from MoE. Just a letter from the school and their license.

And the OP wishes to remain with this "School"?

A move to a more reliable, better managed and legal establishment would appear to be advisable.

NB A tourist visa giving a 60(extendible to 90) day stay would solve the immediate problem.