Hello all,

I'm a little confused about single v multiple entry education visa's and would appreciate a little bit of guidance.

I'm going to be applying for an Education visa to attend University in Bangkok.

If I opt for the multiple-entry ed visa am I still able to apply for extensions every 90 days with a university letter at the local office like with a single entry? or is the only option to cross the border every 90 days?

I would like the multiple entry as it would allow me to stay slightly longer after my course ends, but I dont really want to be forced to border run every 90 days.

Also are all extensions for 90 days or is it possible to get a 1 year extension if attending University?

I also heard from a friend that you can possibly get a work permit or something similar on a multiple entry? Is there any truth to this?

Thanks for any advice!

Edited May 24, 201412 yr by deptel

You could get a multiple entry non-ed visa and still do the extension during the last days of any of the the 90 day entries it allows.

You will get a one year extension of stay for attending a university.

The multiple entry visa might give you an additional 90 days but you would have to do the entry just before the visa expires. I am not sure the additional 3000 baht for the visa would be worth it though.

Sorry to hijack this thread. What about the extention. Is the extention still "multiple entry", i.e. it allows you to leave and re-enter the country just as before or do you need to get a re-entry permit each time?

Thanks ubonjoe, so I could have a multiple entry visa and extend it for say 11 months and on the 12th month leave and re-enter via a land border and end up with a total of 14-15 months stay?

Sorry to hijack this thread. What about the extention. Is the extention still "multiple entry", i.e. it allows you to leave and re-enter the country just as before or do you need to get a re-entry permit each time?

The extension of stay is cancelled when you leave unless you get a re-entry permit. This can be either a single re-entry permit or a multiple re-entry permit.. Both of which will keep your extension of stay valid until its end date.

Thanks ubonjoe, so I could have a multiple entry visa and extend it for say 11 months and on the 12th month leave and re-enter via a land border and end up with a total of 14-15 months stay?

No.. A re-entry permit will keep your permission to stay valid until its end date, and any entry you get into the country is only up to the end date.

This is different from a visa which is the right to enter thailand and gain a permission to stay, with a 1 year non imm visa you can at any arrival gain a 90 day permission to stay, so arriving on its last day, gains a new 90 day permission to stay, that extends beyond the final day of the visa.

Visas let you enter.. Permissions to stay allow you to remain. Extensions add duration to your permission to stay.

Thanks ubonjoe, so I could have a multiple entry visa and extend it for say 11 months and on the 12th month leave and re-enter via a land border and end up with a total of 14-15 months stay?

You cannot extend the visa. You extend one of the 90 day permits to stay you get from the visa.

Your extension of stay would be for the remaining length of your course of study from the date your 90 entry ends.

There is a very good chance if you got a multiple entry visa it would be expired before you course finished. The one year validity starts from the date of issue.

Just out of curiosity, if someone applied to study for a university course that takes say 2 years (Master's program) or 4 years (Bachelor's program) are there no visas or extensions of stay that are given for this period? It seems from everything I've read, they only give 1 year at a time. In other countries it's standard to give the full length of the study course or even a bit longer without this whole 1-year extension mess.

Even in China if studying a language course held at a university (non-degree) your residence permit (which is a multiple entry visa) is given for one year at a time without any visa runs, reporting or other nonsense requirements. I'm not sure about degree students, but it's possible that they are getting longer term visas (though I'd need some confirmation of that as I'm not sure).

Edited May 25, 201412 yr by Tomtomtom69

You would enter on a visa (hopefully.. Tho a visa exempt stamp could be converted if you have more than 15 days I understand) and then get an extension.. This can then be extended again, annually..

This whole 1 year extension mess happens to everyone who is trying to stay legit and not do visa runs, short of PR and citizenship. Every year annual is really the best you can hope for. You will also have to report to immigration every 90 days even if you dont border run.