ED visa extensions samui immigration

[nathan christian]

I will be attending a language course in Koh Samui, 200 hours. Can anybody tell me what visa extension Samui immigration give. Do you have to extend every 90 days for the year, ie 4 extensions per year, or do they give longer. I've heard of some provinces giving 1 year extensions, not sure if Samui is one of them,Thanks

[Rooo]

Moving to visa section for more qualified response.

[nathan christian]

Cheers Rooo,

did ask in visa section but some not sure of Samui immigration extensions so thought would try Samui forum hoping lots already attend language courses and may know through doing it.

Thanks

[ubonjoe]

I was going to move it back but your post is still on the Samui forum so you will still get answers from there and be redirected to here.

[nathan christian]

Ok Thanks mate. Amother question I had, not sure if you will know. I have a house full of belongings in KL, With the education paperwork/visa, do you know if I can transport all my belongings to Thailandi tax free, everything is used, not new.

I did send a full container initially from UK to Malaysia and didn't have a problem as my wife is Malay and was returning to her country from UK. Not sure if it will be as easy sending them all to Thailand. Wondered if the Thai ED visa would be enough to allow this.

[ubonjoe]

In order to get duty free you need a work permit.

[nathan christian]

Oh dear, that does complicate things. I did check out storage prices in KL but it was around £1,500 per year. I intend to stay in Samui for 3 to 4 years, so would be looking at around £4,500-£6,000 in storage fees. What a bummer.

Looks like I might have to go down the work permit route in order to bring my belongings, more expensive and more hassle for the work permit but cheaper in the long run as I wouldn't have to pay for 3-4 years storage in KL.

That looks my ED visa plan has just died a death.

The plot thickens.

Back to the drawing board.

Thanks mate, you've been really helpful.

[ubonjoe]

You should check with a customs broker. For used personal goods the duty will not be all that high.

[nathan christian]

Ok, will do that now. I intended on using a company to drive from Kl to samui with all my bits, not sure if that's possible but will find out. Contacted Allied Pickfords for a quote but they would only ship them by sea to Bangkok, then on to Samui at a cost of £4,500. Don't know where they get their prices from, it only cost £3,800 to ship to Malaysia from UK.

Thanks a lot,

Something else for me to consider.

It's certainly not easy, all I want to do is bring my belongings and family to Samui for a few years, bit sick of KL, thought life by the beach might be nice for a few years.

No surrender, where there's a will there's a way.

cheers

[LivinLOS]

A broker can usually work wonders.. One on Phuket used to be able (for only a few 100 quid) guarantee the container would not be opened and inspected..

A buddy used it to smuggle in a pinball machine because they are illegal here.. Put its description as 'illuminated furniture' simply to take the piss if I recall.

[nathan christian]

This time i want to send my bits overland, just hire a company to drive a truck across the border, seems most agents here in KL want to ship or air freight.

I guess your mate shipped his container. "illuminated furniture" very creative. Do I contact a malaysian customs broker or a thai one, or both

[Suradit69]

If you find a shipper in KL willing to truck your things into Thailand and who has had experience doing such things, then that company will almost certainly have a broker in Thailand with whom they have a working relationship and that broker would have to be available to clear the things at the point where they enter Thailand.

Just hiring a truck to head north on a wing & a prayer will hit a hurdle when it reaches the border since Thai customs will need documents and destination information before admitting the truck. One advantage to shipping by air or sea is that there are bonded customs warehouses at the ports of entry where your goods can wait for clearing. The clearing agent will probably need to have your passport in hand to do anything since customs will want to look through it ... not a photocopy.

At a land border, if there are customs approved warehouses, your goods would probably have to be off-loaded and then after they are cleared you'd need to hire someone to truck them to their final destination. Again, if you find someone in KL experienced in such things he will know what can or cannot be accomplished.

[nathan christian]

Thanks for info, makes sense. I have contacted a couple of agents in KL, just waiting for a response. It sounds like it won't be easy. I just thought they must be loads of trucks passing through that border every day. So if they can do it why can't I. Probably sounds a bit naive, guess I'm being a bit optimistic.

I did get some quotes to ship to Bangkok,then onto Samui. About £4,500. Really don't know where they get them prices from.

Hopefully I will be able to do it but I'm not counting on it. I wouldn't just rock up to the border with a van full of goods.

Looks like I need a work permit to get it tax free as well. Was told with an ED visa i would be taxed and I have no idea how that would pan out.

Seems a bit of a ballache, only other options are sell the lot or store it, the latter being the only feasible option. That also is not cheap, around £1,500 a year.

Thanks for the advice,