Non O to Ed visa for high school farang kid. Cost and Where to do it?

[Cloudsgirl]

My son in Grade 8 has been studying a well-known high school course online. After four years, he has become bored and lonely and wanted to go to a normal school. I have enrolled him at a school in Nakhon Si Thammarat, where we live, in their English programme.

However, a visit to immigration there left me even more confused than when I started.

All I want to know is:

1) his non O visa expires on the 30th November so should I be going OUT to do the change from Non O to Ed? I already know that from the bulletins here visas can be changed over inside Thailand after the 1st December 2014. I don't want anymore trouble with overstays, even for a day. as my school on two occasions had more important things for me to do that to take my son out for his non O and thus I have two overstays on his visa already, albeit not huge overstays.

2) If it can be done inside of Thailand, does that 14 days left on your visa thing apply?

3) If the 14 days applies in this case, then I guess he needs to go to Penang....but I am unable to accompany him personally. I can take him to Hatyai and I know the travel agent whose driver is trustworthy and will drop him right at the agent I have in Penang, and whom my son and I know well and trust, who will take him to the embassy and help with everything. However,some people are telling me I HAVE TO accompany him as I am his parent.

Can anybody shed light on any of my questions here, please?

[SlyAnimal]

To the best of my knowledge, he doesn't need to change, unless you were planning on leaving Thailand and so he needed a visa which wasn't linked to yours.

However, if you did need to change, we'd need a little more information on specifically what visa/extension he's on.

As from the sounds, I assume he's on a Non-O (Multiple Entry)?

As opposed to a Non-O (Single Entry) which has then been extended?

And I assume his visa is linked to yours as a dependent?

If you do want to change, and are currently on a multiple, then he'd need to either leave the country or go to Chang Wattana Immigration in Bangkok. You can change his visa there now, the upcoming change in December just means that there will be offices in 3-4 other major centres which can also process changes (In addition to BKK).

[Cloudsgirl]

SlyAnimal, thanks for your reply. He is on a single entry (valid 3 months) Non O. I thought we'd have his school things sorted out by now and was advised by people to do a Non O initially for 3 months (Sept - Nov) and then change over during that time. However, the school took its time and I am still waiting for one more piece of paper, a stamped certificate of acceptance as a student, due on Tuesday this week.

I am not sure if I can still go to Bangkok though, since it is a single and not a multiple Non O. It is due on the 30th as I mentioned before.

Any advice?

[spetersen]

We went to Venitiane in Laos last week from Pattaya for the same reason .You have to let the school were hi is going to attend do the all the paperwork (2000 bath) takes about two weeks, then we booked the trip with a Visa company here in Pattaya , Hotell food tranportation , it cost us about 17000 bath but the whole family went and it was a nice experience. Dont go on Monday to many people at the embassy . Price for the child is about 6900 bath

[spetersen]

We went to Venitiane in Laos last week from Pattaya for the same reason .You have to let the school were hi is going to attend do the all the paperwork (2000 bath) takes about two weeks, then we booked the trip with a Visa company here in Pattaya , Hotell food tranportation , it cost us about 17000 bath but the whole family went and it was a nice experience. Dont go on Monday to many people at the embassy . Price for the child is about 6900 bath

[SlyAnimal]

As he's on an O visa, not an extension, you'll need to get a new visa at an embassy rather than an extension.

You'll then need to get a 1 year extension before your 90 day visa expires.

If he qualified for an O visa, I'd assume that he could also qualify for an O extension, which might be easier as you could just go straight to the immigration office. But I'll admit, I have no experience/knowledge about the requirements of a dependent (Other than they must be under, I think, 18.)

Although based on the timeframe you've mentioned (And the efficiency of schools), you might get caught short on time to get the necessary documents for either an Edu visa or an O extension. So you might need to just do a borderrun for him on either visa exempt/tourist or a 2nd O.