New requirements for ED-Visa extensions in Phuket

[brianp0803]

Increased hours and possibly increased verification of attendance will significantly decrease the people looking to enter Thailand on Ed. visas.

Language schools that offer quality Thai instruction at at good prices should small effect. Many people are looking for quality Thai language schools.

Visa farms will be hit heavily. The visa processing staff will face the biggest cuts.

The teaching staff is a relatively small part of the employees at visa farms.

It will be interesting if there will be an increase of people getting married.

[ColdSingha]

will be an increase in back to back tourist visas now

[yougivemebaby]

How does this article prove official confirmation. From one school??? Sounds like a school wants students to pay more and started a rumor. I haven't heard anything official from immigration.

[ubonjoe]

How does this article prove official confirmation. From one school??? Sounds like a school wants students to pay more and started a rumor. I haven't heard anything official from immigration.

It is not immigration that is setting these rules. It is the Ministry of Education that is setting the requirements for the schools registration and to get the paperwork needed for the extensions.

The school just confirmed what has been reported on this forum.

[brianp0803]

Although difficult to guess the minds of the Ministry of Education, it seems there are different rules for different areas from a central organization.

After the tightening of the requirements for Ed visa, I wouldn't be suprised with tightening the rules on back to back tourist visa.

Hopefully followed by new visa type.

I believe there are many people contributing to Thailand but not on a correct visa.

There are also many people Thailand would be better if they leave.

I think added requirements in some areas and relaxing restrictions in other areas would be good.

[Pattaya46]

Hi. Why not publish the "new requirements as received from the Private Education Commission"?

as it seems to be the official key/source of this thread.

[ubonjoe]

Hi. Why not publish the "new requirements as received from the Private Education Commission"?

as it seems to be the official key/source of this thread.

Those are not available. We have tried with no luck yet.

[Pattaya46]

Those are not available. We have tried with no luck yet.

Ok. Thanks. We will have to wait and see... as usual.

[ColdSingha]

Those are not available. We have tried with no luck yet.

Ok. Thanks. We will have to wait and see... as usual.

would you mind keeping the rest of us updated as news comes in thanks

Edited November 17, 2014 by ColdSingha

[lavezzi]

this is going to make an ED visa (with extensions) an expensive option in Bangkok and Phuket now

Yes, instead of 25-30 000, it could be soon 70-80 000 Baht per year. It will cut down the business considerably.

Well in all honesty its been exploited by people who have ruined the true reason for the visa.

Cant see how a system full of holes could be defined exploited.

The only way could be:

1) obligation to inform school you will miss a lesson with 1h in advance notice

2) School obligation to keep a record book of the student that will miss the daily lesson

3) fine if you don't notice the school you will miss the lesson

4) Government attendance inspection and fine emission to students (payed in advance by schools) who are not present in the school and not in the record book at the moment of the inspection

5) get more than 3 fine a year and get visa revoked.

Although still not a perfect system you will get:

Inspection costs payed my fines

CONS:

all the one who can't attend the lesson for sudden problems (less than 60 min before the lesson) will be f****d up after 3 fines.

Edited November 18, 2014 by lavezzi

[brianp0803]

I suggest putting the responsibility on the school to accurately report students attendance on the official government forms provided to immigration when extending a visa.

Standard teaching concept is to keep records of student attendance.

Immigration could check reported attendance rate by school with actual observed rate on a random inspection.

Within 10 minutes of the start of class abscent students would be reported to the front desk.

If actual attendance is below 75%, then immigration would fine the school based on the discrepancy between reported rates and actual rates.

If 65% actual attendance the the school fine would equal 10% of the entire student tuition for that quarter.

There is no fine if accurately reporting attendance.

No fine for the students.

With accurate information immigration can make decisions.

If immigration feels that learning at home is ok then they will grant the extension for abscent students.

If the school enables bad behavior then natural for students to take advantage of it.

[TheMacMan]

Well, my long and sensible post has been removed, and a helpful reply to it.... i have no idea why (it wasn't off-topic or trolling)

So i am not impressed with this forum so far...

Is it forum where you can only post what is approved and free thought not allowed?

(and definitely do not have an opinion!)

Shame on you!

[CiaranO]

Dont worry on the bekow thread they sat they wont be enforcing it - go figure lol

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/777261-phuket-immigration-warns-of-education-visa-crackdown/

[simondan]

Well, my long and sensible post has been removed, and a helpful reply to it.... i have no idea why (it wasn't off-topic or trolling)

So i am not impressed with this forum so far...

Is it forum where you can only post what is approved and free thought not allowed?

(and definitely do not have an opinion!)

Shame on you!

Macman.

Its getting more and more common.

But its rarely consistently applied.

Good on you for pointing it out (although technically we are both off topic).

How boring!

[ubonjoe]

Well, my long and sensible post has been removed, and a helpful reply to it.... i have no idea why (it wasn't off-topic or trolling)

So i am not impressed with this forum so far...

Is it forum where you can only post what is approved and free thought not allowed?

(and definitely do not have an opinion!)

Shame on you!

Forum Rules

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Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person to suffer harm. It does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either in a drawing, painting, cinematography, film, picture or letters made visible by any means, or any other recording instruments, recording picture or letters, or by broadcasting or spreading picture, or by propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand."

[canarysun]

Whilst we are on the subject of Education Visas and our good friend " Ubon Joe " ( International Global Moderator ) is never far away.......

What ever happened to the " 1 year Education Visa Stamp " ? It was cool because it worked like a retirement visa and you just had to report every 90 days ( no fee ) and from what i understand also ( from my contacts in high places ) you can report at ANY immigration Office you wish in Thailand.

Are you out there somewhere Ubon Joe ... ?

Farang Jaidee

[ubonjoe]

Whilst we are on the subject of Education Visas and our good friend " Ubon Joe " ( International Global Moderator ) is never far away.......

What ever happened to the " 1 year Education Visa Stamp " ? It was cool because it worked like a retirement visa and you just had to report every 90 days ( no fee ) and from what i understand also ( from my contacts in high places ) you can report at ANY immigration Office you wish in Thailand.

Are you out there somewhere Ubon Joe ... ?

Farang Jaidee

The one year extension for language schools went away years ago at some immigration offices.

In August of this year when a new immigration order came into effect the clause for attending school was changed adding a non formal school category that language schools fall under. This change limits extensions to 90 days for one year from the date of entry to the country. After one year you have to go out for a new visa.

[PJ33]

Apparently heads of language schools in Phuket were meeting with immigration today to discuss the new rules.

Anyone hear from their school about the results of the discussions..?

[Markphuket]

Apparently heads of language schools in Phuket were meeting with immigration today to discuss the new rules.

Anyone hear from their school about the results of the discussions..?

This is not fact will know for sure tomorrow when i go to school but I've had a conversation with a friend of mine who works at one of the language school who filled me in.

As i said not 100% but what she said is yes the visa is going from 4 hours to now the 5 times a week 10 hours........... BUT also the visa is going to be cut in half from 1 years to 6 months. So guessing you can only study now for a total of 1 and a half years, instead of before 3 years.

She said something that there would be a weekly test but she was a bit vague about that.

Also i mentioned earlier in the thread but the post got deleted i dont know why that there is now a end of year test that happens at the ministry of education in Phuket on top of the all ready test you do end of year in your school. We had students in my class sit this already so know this is already happening.

She didnt know when these other changes are going to happen, but tomorrow will be talking to my school to get this all confirmed if correct and when its going to kick in.

Think is bad news for us genuine students and fewl sorry for my school who has great teachers as i can see schools closing down because of this as i won't be doing my third year if its just 6 months.

My Visa up in April so hope for some positive changes to visas by then as not going to complain and will just look most likely to Philippines instead like others here in phuket who are in the same situation.

Im sure news will get posted before, but if i get more information tomorrow i will post it here tomorrow.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Sorry to say it, but if you don't know the alphabet after more than a year of "studying", than you should not be a student in a first place. I fully understand that they close this loophole. The "goalposts" should have been moved a long time ago, and when they finally are, there will always be someone learning. The Thai alphabet is not like the Chinese. If you can't memories the alphabet in a few weeks, then you are not trying hard enough.

[ColdSingha]

Sorry to say it, but if you don't know the alphabet after more than a year of "studying", than you should not be a student in a first place. I fully understand that they close this loophole. The "goalposts" should have been moved a long time ago, and when they finally are, there will always be someone learning. The Thai alphabet is not like the Chinese. If you can't memories the alphabet in a few weeks, then you are not trying hard enough.

my school did not teach alphabet or writing in the first year

i know, bad school.. except MOE didnt think it was and had no problem granting visas to their students

so is this my fault i dont know the thai alphabet, my school's or MOE's?

[Markphuket]

Apparently heads of language schools in Phuket were meeting with immigration today to discuss the new rules.

Anyone hear from their school about the results of the discussions..?

This is not fact will know for sure tomorrow when i go to school but I've had a conversation with a friend of mine who works at one of the language school who filled me in.

As i said not 100% but what she said is yes the visa is going from 4 hours to now the 5 times a week 10 hours........... BUT also the visa is going to be cut in half from 1 years to 6 months. So guessing you can only study now for a total of 1 and a half years, instead of before 3 years.

She said something that there would be a weekly test but she was a bit vague about that.

Also i mentioned earlier in the thread but the post got deleted i dont know why that there is now a end of year test that happens at the ministry of education in Phuket on top of the all ready test you do end of year in your school. We had students in my class sit this already so know this is already happening.

She didnt know when these other changes are going to happen, but tomorrow will be talking to my school to get this all confirmed if correct and when its going to kick in.

Think is bad news for us genuine students and fewl sorry for my school who has great teachers as i can see schools closing down because of this as i won't be doing my third year if its just 6 months.

My Visa up in April so hope for some positive changes to visas by then as not going to complain and will just look most likely to Philippines instead like others here in phuket who are in the same situation.

Im sure news will get posted before, but if i get more information tomorrow i will post it here tomorrow.

Just back from school and for the people interested I can update further regarding this matter

I went into school this morning and asked them first did they attend the meeting yesterday, at first the didnt even want to acknowledge that there was a meeting yesterday, but when they understood how clued up i was about the situation they were honest and told me the following.

Schools will have to go from a 200 hour year teaching thai to now a 400 hour year and a year. They also confirmed that they believe that the visa will be cut in half from 1 year to 6 months because of the effective doubling of the hours..... This makes it a little confusing what correct 5 lessons a week as the original story or what i guess correct will be same bkk 4 lessons a week.

I could see how upset the head teacher at my school is because who i talking to she looked like she wanted to cry about how angry she is about the changes. I can understand this as i go to a good school with good teachers in my class where all the students actually turn up to lessons.

There talk they might have to set up a union to fight these changes, they talked they may have to absorb the cost and only make the course a little more expensive as they are scared to scare away the remaining or any new students.

So this is how it stands at the moment, they didnt have any time frame or date when this was going to all become official. They said at the moment they where working on restructuring the teaching syllabus per the changes coming.

Ultimately i just feel really sorry for my teachers before any thought go to myself as they can see their jobs and business are in jeopardy because of these changes.

Im at the stage it stays like this i dont think i have a long term visa option now to stay in Thailand as i was approaching starting my 3rd year of learning thai next year. But if I'm only going to get 6 months and with no real good options now long term same a lot of people i know the future gone very bleak for people like me trying to make a life here.

Will just hope something change for the better soon.