Hi,

we're a Norwegian family of four, aged 29,28,4 and 1.

We came to Koh Tao two months ago, to do the Scuba IDC internship, which takes at least 7 months. Our dive shop was happy to help with all the necessary papers for our visa application before leaving Norway, and when presented to the embassy in Oslo, we were told to come back in a week to pick our visas up.

The thing is though, that we applied for a multiple-entry 12 month Education Visa, as we were advised. But when we picked up our passports, we suddenly had single-entry "B" visa for us, and non-immigrant "O" visa for the kids. Seeing how much trouble we went trough to get them (several visits to the embassy, a lot of time and money), we didn't want to complain, but asked politely about the multiple-entry visas. They told us that we could get that in Thailand...

Now it's almost a month until our visas expire, and we're really unsure of what to do.

Could we apply for new student visas? Would that seem strange, given that we came in on "B" visas? And where could we do that? As we're here with two small kids, we don't want to do the overnight bus visa runs, probably best to leave by plane and stay somewhere for 3-5 days when we're out moving anyways. Oh, and do we need licence of marriage, kids birth certificates and all that again?

This all seems so confusing, and although googling and reading forums is useful, for us it just makes us more confused...

Appreciate all help!

Clearly the school did not provide all the necessary documentation to enable ED visas to be issued. The embassy did you a favour by issuing the "B" visa. However you are now in a predicament.

Unless the school is able to provide the required paperwork it is unlikely that you are going to secure an ED or B visa in a nearby country. It is also unlikely that an extension of stay could be obtained from immigration unless, once again, the correct paperwork is provided by the school.

Someone else may have other ideas but it would appear your best and only option would be to apply for double entry tourist visas in Laos.

Wish you well

They gave you wrong info when they told you could get visas here. The only thing you could get here would be extensions of stay and that is not likely unless the dive shop/school meets the qualifications.

You will not be able to get a multiple entry visa at any nearby location.

Visas for your children are not a concern because children under the age of 15 do not pay overstay fines.

Your only choice probably will be to get tourist visas for the remainder of your stay.

You could overstay for the rest of your course and both you and your wife would have to pay the overstay fine which is a maximum 20,000 baht your children would not be charged for overstay only trouble with this is that if you were stopped by the police and found to have overstayed you could be thrown in jail and deported so it would be very risky especially as you have young children I suggest a border run every now and again would be the better option good luck with whatever you decide

Thank you everyone for your answers!

I'm quite sure all papers are in order, but we'll do another check with the dive school as soon as the manager comes back. We got the feeling that a student visa for diving isn't normal in Norway at all. We're not a diving nation, and I've read that this is way more normal in Sweden. That might be why we didn't get the appropriate visa. We are planning to stay here to at least the end of this year. The kids are in kindergarden, and we're making great progress. So we don't want to overstay and risk anything about our stay here.

If the papers are in order, what do we need to do to apply for a student visa once more? Do we need to leave the country and apply somewhere else? And you said there is no multiple entry visas available in any nearby location - where is the nearest embassy that we could apply for one? We have no problem flying out for a few weeks to just be sure that we could stay here for a year + .

From what I read, tourist visas (monthly visa runs), isn't sustainable in the long run. And it would be a big hassle to drag our kids along on monthly trips to other countries as well. Would prefer any other option, if possible...

Feels like swimming in the dark here, so appreciate all help!

The dive scool should be bale to tell you if you cna get extensions of stay.

Normally you should be able to apply for a 1 year extension/ or 90 days extension of stay on your current non-B, so no need to get a new visa.

If you do need a new visa, you could go to any neighbouring country, but the school will be able to tell you where they have the most success.

If the diving school can provide the correct documentation a 90 day ED visa could be obtained from

Laos. This would subsequently allow , again with the correct paperwork, a 90 day extension of stay to be applied for at the local immigration office. Such an extension can be repeated again but only if

the school provides the correct paperwork.

Would suggest a very direct discussion with the dive school manager.

You would not have a problem staying the remainder of the year on tourist visas. You could make a trip to Vientiane Laos and get two entry tourist visas that would give you about 6 months of stay. Each entry is for 60 days that can be extended at immigration for 30 days.

The nearest location you could get a multiple entry non-ed visa would probably be Australia.

If the diving school can provide the correct documentation a 90 day ED visa could be obtained from

Laos. This would subsequently allow , again with the correct paperwork, a 90 day extension of stay to be applied for at the local immigration office. Such an extension can be repeated again but only if

the school provides the correct paperwork.

Would suggest a very direct discussion with the dive school manager.

If the dive school/shop could provide documents to get an extension of stay they would not need to go out for a ED visa. Their entry on the non-b visa entry could be extended based upon going to school. All that is required for an extension is a non immigrant visa entry the police order does not specify a class of non immigrant visa for any extension of stay.

Thank you for that clarification Joe.

Interestingly I was just talking to the owner of a dive "school" here in Phuket. He tells me that as far as he is aware non of the local diving establishments are involved in securing visas of any type.

Edited February 25, 201412 yr by olddoc

Thank you for that clarification Joe.

Interestingly I was just talking to the owner of a dive "school" here in Phuket. He tells me that as far as he is aware non of the local diving establishments are involved in securing visas of any type.

There have been many discussions about it.

They can't supply the the Ministry of Education registration documents because they are not registered as a school..

Uncivil post removed.

embassies are pretty much useless... even my wife stated we were married , etc... the info they gave, was a shock when i went to immigration the first time, thinking to do a 90 day report, easy in & out, and it seemed i had to leave the country within 7 days.... info given at my embassy was crappy crap crap useless & wrong.. anyway, that was many many years ago...

embassies should give the link of TV forum

Edited February 25, 201412 yr by belg

Find a lawyer in koh tao or go to penang consulate every two months for tourist visa if you are a couple with children im sure they will give you enough to complete your education but do not renew your visa for 30 day extension just keep going back every two months or do a few border runs in between.

I always go to Penang. Have done so for some years. I still don't know where the Consulate is. It is cheaper to pay someone to do it than pay 4 taxi trips. Also instead of the 2 days you get it back a couple of hours later.

PS I forgot. I only ask for a 2 month visa. Perhaps they can give you longer. I only know for myself. I fill in the same form that I do before leaving home and I pay the same amount of money.

Kids are in school right? Surely ed visas can be procured for them and the parents can ride off the back of the kids visas?

Kids are in school right? Surely ed visas can be procured for them and the parents can ride off the back of the kids visas?

The children's school would have to qualify for the extensions. Considering the children's ages I would guess the school probably would not qualify.

Then each parent would need 500K baht in the bank for their extensions. Only one parent per child can get the extension.

Per above, have seen cases where kindergarten was not considered a school by immigration.

Thank you so much everyone for great answers!
Seems like a good topic to discuss! We've talked to the dive shop/school, as well as seen a travel/visa agent. We found a solution that suits us well, as we are able to get a 12 month multiple-entry ED visa after the expiry of the non-immigrant B visa. The reason is above me, but as they said - we've already got non-immigrant status. Would be a lot tougher if we came in on a visa on arrival I guess.

I've read up on the kids' visa, and they're going to just overstay. Seems a bit risky, but from what I read there's nothing to worry about...

Thank you again for all the help, this was a lot easier than I thought, and it's good to know there's still lots of options available!

I don't know where they say you can get the multiple entry visa. There is no nearby embassy or consulate that I know of that will issue them.

Perhaps they are talking about an extension of stay at immigration (it is not a visa) but that will not be multiple entry unless you apply for a re-entry permit.

Perhaps the OP will be kind enough to inform us about the final outcome?

It would be interesting to know where the "visa" comes from and what paperwork is required to support the application.

Similarly if an extension of stay is obtained it would be helpful to know on what basis such an extension is granted and again what paperwork is required.

Finally I would be interested to know if the OP will be required to personally attend an Embassy/Consulate/ Immigration office to obtain the "visa"/extension.

Edited February 26, 201412 yr by olddoc

If getting from a Travel/Visa agent it might not be legal.

So check very carefully.

Thank you so much everyone for great answers!

Seems like a good topic to discuss! We've talked to the dive shop/school, as well as seen a travel/visa agent. We found a solution that suits us well, as we are able to get a 12 month multiple-entry ED visa after the expiry of the non-immigrant B visa. The reason is above me, but as they said - we've already got non-immigrant status. Would be a lot tougher if we came in on a visa on arrival I guess.

I've read up on the kids' visa, and they're going to just overstay. Seems a bit risky, but from what I read there's nothing to worry about...

Thank you again for all the help, this was a lot easier than I thought, and it's good to know there's still lots of options available!

sounds like the dive shop and visa agent are blowing smoke up your bottom....

Thank you so much everyone for great answers!

Seems like a good topic to discuss! We've talked to the dive shop/school, as well as seen a travel/visa agent. We found a solution that suits us well, as we are able to get a 12 month multiple-entry ED visa after the expiry of the non-immigrant B visa. The reason is above me, but as they said - we've already got non-immigrant status. Would be a lot tougher if we came in on a visa on arrival I guess.

I've read up on the kids' visa, and they're going to just overstay. Seems a bit risky, but from what I read there's nothing to worry about...

Thank you again for all the help, this was a lot easier than I thought, and it's good to know there's still lots of options available!

sounds like the dive shop and visa agent are blowing smoke up your bottom....

Yes, I have to agree, this sounds really, really fishy to me.