valid ED Visa, applying for a tourist visa

[hadock]

Hello,

i have a valid ed visa, ending 07/2015. Next month i go back to my home country for a few weeks, and will appyl for a tourist visa, as i want travel more around in thailand.

Is this a problem. Does the ED visa has to be canceld first?

Thank you

Alex

[ATF]

Has this got anything to do with the ED Visa thread?

[Mario2008]

If leaving through air there have not been reports of checks if the ED-visa has been cancelled. It will be cancelled when you lave without a re-entry permit.

Only at some land borders do they check if the ED-visa is cancelled.

[ubonjoe]

If you have a valid multiple entry non-ed visa they may not issue a new one. Why get a tourist visa if you still have a valid visa?

[hadock]

sorry, forget to mention . Yes, i have a multi entry ED Visa. I visit language school now for 6 month. After i come back from my home country i will travel around in thailand for a while.

Going to the south and north for a couple of weeks. So i can´t attend classes anymore.

Thank you

Alex

[Mario2008]

Your visa remains valid, even if you no longer study. So there is no need to get a tourist visa, you can come back on the ED-visa.

[YaiJung]

Your visa remains valid, even if you no longer study. So there is no need to get a tourist visa, you can come back on the ED-visa.

So are you recommending he lie to immigration? Aren't ED visa holders required to attend class X amount of hrs per week?

If I were staying here on a ED visa I would be more than a little stressed out about getting back into Thailand, especially after reading the horror story that was posted this morning by the French guy.

OP, I think you have the right idea. A tourist visa sounds good for your needs and is the honest way to do it. You should have no problem getting one in your home country. Much less stress on the way back to Thailand too. I can't imagine sitting on a long-distance flight, hoping to enter on a ED visa at the moment.

[Mario2008]

I do not recommend lying to immigration. His visa is still valid.

The case where you referring too was a case in which the person was suspected of working illegally. But yes, it might be safer to cancel the visa and apply for a tourist visa.

Cancelling the visa is best be done by the issuing authority, in essence to cancel the visa at the consulate where it was gotten and there get a tourist visa.

[markbkk201399]

I do not recommend lying to immigration. His visa is still valid.

The case where you referring too was a case in which the person was suspected of working illegally. But yes, it might be safer to cancel the visa and apply for a tourist visa.

Cancelling the visa is best be done by the issuing authority, in essence to cancel the visa at the consulate where it was gotten and there get a tourist visa.

I'm in the same boat as the OP, well kind of, My situation is im on currently on a 12 month extension of stay based on a ED visa which I got threw an agent last December. I dont go to school. The visa is real, got receipts from imigration and been flying in and out of Thailand at least 6 times this past year without ever been questioned by immigration at the airport. I have a multiple re entry permit and my extension of stay expires in April 2015, After reading all the horror stories these couple of months of people on the ED I decided that I just dont want to take the chance of getting questioned at the airport and being kick out of Thailand. I'm legally married to a Thai and the only reason I didn't have an O visa based on marriage is because I didn't have the required 400k in the bank for two months before as at the time,one year ago the easiest option to stay in Thailand was an ED visa. As I sot of things can happen in a year as at the time agents and immigration were making a fortune on ED visas as the one I used was doing at least 20-30 ED visas a week.

Now that I have the necessary funds for an O class visa based on marriage, I am a bit concerned that if I plan to travel by air to any neighboring country to get an O visa will I have any problems in embassy or consulate getting it as my ED visa doesn't expire till April?.

[ubonjoe]

Since you mention having 400k baht in the bank you could possibly change the reason for your extension to one based upon marriage but you would need a letter from a school to cancel your extension based upon attending school.

If you wanted to go out for a non-o visa you would have the problem of having a valid multiple re-entry permit when you re-enter the country. Again you would need to cancel your extension to have your re-entry permit canceled.

The embassy or consulate would issue the visa since you don't currently have a valid visa you have an extension of stay.

[markbkk201399]

Since you mention having 400k baht in the bank you could possibly change the reason for your extension to one based upon marriage but you would need a letter from a school to cancel your extension based upon attending school.

If you wanted to go out for a non-o visa you would have the problem of having a valid multiple re-entry permit when you re-enter the country. Again you would need to cancel your extension to have your re-entry permit canceled.

The embassy or consulate would issue the visa since you don't currently have a valid visa you have an extension of stay.

Thanks for your feedback, but the problem is since I dont go to any school as I got my visa from an agent at the time I wouldn't be able to get a letter. How can I cancel my multiple entry permit.? Can I go to immigration and tell them I want to change my visa? If I dont put my re entry permit on my arrival card will my ED visa and reentry permit be canceled?........I dont want to go that rout as I rather have O visa in my passport before I enter Thailand.

[ubonjoe]

Since you mention having 400k baht in the bank you could possibly change the reason for your extension to one based upon marriage but you would need a letter from a school to cancel your extension based upon attending school.

If you wanted to go out for a non-o visa you would have the problem of having a valid multiple re-entry permit when you re-enter the country. Again you would need to cancel your extension to have your re-entry permit canceled.

The embassy or consulate would issue the visa since you don't currently have a valid visa you have an extension of stay.

Thanks for your feedback, but the problem is since I dont go to any school as I got my visa from an agent at the time I wouldn't be able to get a letter. How can I cancel my multiple entry permit.? Can I go to immigration and tell them I want to change my visa? If I dont put my re entry permit on my arrival card will my ED visa and reentry permit be canceled?........I dont want to go that rout as I rather have O visa in my passport before I enter Thailand.

Perhaps you could contact the agent about producing a letter. It would need to dated for the date you want to cancel your extension and get anther one which could be a 60 day extension to visit your wife.

You could try going out and getting the visa and then be sure immigration does not use your re-entry permit when you enter the country.