Non-Imm ED Visa

[STUDMEYER]

Hi Everyone,

Confused as everyone else is likely over the contantly changing visa landscape since the crackdown.

I called the embassy in Vancouver Canada and they told me the following:

- I must enroll in a school first to get an ED VISA

- An ED VISA can NOT be issued for studying Muay Thai, or Scuba Diving etc.. It has to be a real school

- The ED visa will NOT be a multi-Entry 1 year visa as previous

- The ED Visa will be 90 days single entry, to extend it i must report to immigration and get it extended with proof of studies

Can anyone else confirm what the actual situation is? I have friends who just got their ED visas in September through the embassy in Australia, and they were told "no problem, scuba dive, study thai, rock climbing" its all good and got their 1 year visas with no issues.

Thanks for your input

Regards,

SM

[ubonjoe]

They might of been in touch with one of the honorary consulates Australia.

Vancouver is a official consulate and has the same rules as the embassy in Ottawa.

Perhaps you should contact, Edmonton, Toronto or Montreal that are honorary consulates.

[davejonesbkk]

Getting the visa isnt the problem its getting the 90 day extension later at the immigration offices in Thailand that is the problem and they are changing the rules all the time and can do as they please. Its highly unethical actually as the embassies and consulates still get to earn money from the fees and couldnt give a damn that people are unaware that the '1 year' course they signed up for can become meaningless in a heartbeat.

[nasa123]

When you apply ED visa in the schools must have a plan for you 5 days a week for two hours, and they also set up time like 9:00 to 11:00. The reason is that Emigration they come and check if you are in school and they take a picture of you, They have checked me 3 times now with picture of me and one Officer from Phuket Emigration.

And they are very serious now, and when you go for stamp your 90 days you most have the rent contract where you live + copi of Id card from the land lord + copi off the House book (Blue Book) if you don't have that you don`t get a 90 days or 1 Year visa. And when you finish 1 year ED visa you most take a big test if you don`t past you finish not new ED visa (New rules in Phuket) The problem here in Phuket it`s 46 language schools and all are not schools (Money)

Best Regards

Bjorn

[bbi1]

And they are very serious now, and when you go for stamp your 90 days you most have the rent contract where you live + copi of Id card from the land lord + copi off the House book (Blue Book) if you don't have that you don`t get a 90 days or 1 Year visa. And when you finish 1 year ED visa you most take a big test if you don`t past you finish not new ED visa (New rules in Phuket) The problem here in Phuket it`s 46 language schools and all are not schools (Money)

Best Regards

Bjorn

Why would they need any of this?? Seems strange...

Also never had to take any tests after 1st year ED visa either, this is in BKK. Maybe it's a Phuket thing with many fake language schools there??

[STUDMEYER]

This is pretty close to what I was told from the Vancouver embassy. The biggest issue is that the visa is only a single entry visa, not a multi-entry.

Anyone have experience up in Chiang Mai?

When you apply ED visa in the schools must have a plan for you 5 days a week for two hours, and they also set up time like 9:00 to 11:00. The reason is that Emigration they come and check if you are in school and they take a picture of you, They have checked me 3 times now with picture of me and one Officer from Phuket Emigration.

And they are very serious now, and when you go for stamp your 90 days you most have the rent contract where you live + copi of Id card from the land lord + copi off the House book (Blue Book) if you don't have that you don`t get a 90 days or 1 Year visa. And when you finish 1 year ED visa you most take a big test if you don`t past you finish not new ED visa (New rules in Phuket) The problem here in Phuket it`s 46 language schools and all are not schools (Money)

Best Regards

Bjorn