ED to Visa Running?

[monk213]

So I have been reading through the threads and boy are they clamping down on things. I do go to school, I can speak Thai really quite well but my reading and writing is not as great as my speech. The fact that there are no rules on how they test people at immigration and it all depends on the officer is something I find out of order, they do not take into account time spent learning, what courses you have been learning and that each person advances at a different rate. You could end up with some grumpy so and so at immigration one day who just has it in for you and that's that, but that is another topic entirely.

Anyway, if I were to start doing back to back tourist visa runs, something I have stayed away from due to all the stigma, what would I need to do exactly? I am familiar with going to Laos and sorting out an ED visa, but what documents would I need to get a double entry visa at Laos and how would I go about doing it? Also, am I right i thinking that this is now not frowned upon by Thai immigration?

I am not cashed up and never have I said I was, so the elite care is kind of out of the question at the moment, even if I had the money I don't know if I would spend it on something like that just to keep my a55 in a country for 5 years anyway.

[Markphuket]

Just to let you know i am in the same boat as you, I've been on ED visa but like you i planning to move over to a double entry visa. Plan to continue my thai lessons but not at the frequency of 5 days a week hence the decision to change.

But I'm kind of worried about that route also now because in theory the double entry visa its going to be a much cheaper and easier visa to use then the education visa. Because the costs are cheaper and the amount of paper work that goes along with it much less.

Will this be cracked down on also is my worry as i would believe a lot of people will now move over to this type of visa from the educational visa.

Ultimately i think i would be for the first time since I've been living here abusing the system as i would be using a tourist visa for studying thai, and not for actual tourism.

So hope someone can answer your question for both of us

Edited December 1, 2014 by Markphuket

[monk213]

Just to let you know i am in the same boat as you, I've been on ED visa but like you i planning to move over to a double entry visa. Plan to continue my thai lessons but not at the frequency of 5 days a week hence the decision to change.

But I'm kind of worried about that route also now because in theory the double entry visa its going to be a much cheaper and easier visa to use then the education visa. Because the costs are cheaper and the amount of paper work that goes along with it much less.

Will this be cracked down on also is my worry as i would believe a lot of people will now move over to this type of visa from the educational visa.

Ultimately i think i would be for the first time since I've been living here abusing the system as i would be using a tourist visa for studying thai, and not for actual tourism.

So hope someone can answer your question for both of us

Quite honestly I have learned more Thai outside of the classroom than inside it, I find mixing with Thai's on a frequent basis helps a lot, but of course reading and writing is another matter. Where I study the 5 day lesson plan has not yet been imposed, I am not sure if it will but that will be another great reason to stop, and with all of this change the tuition fees must rise also right?

You can take private Thai lessons and not be breaking the law, I think that is correct anyway..? If they do then decide to start clamping down on the double entry like you said (which is likely), the it is probably best to leave, which is what they want. They seem to be on self destruct mode right now, Thailand does't have enough feet to shoot themselves in put it that way.

[Somtamboopala]

Can this be confirmed? Though back to back visa excempts have been clamped down on. Is it possible to get back to back double entry tourist visas in Laos? I too am looking for another route.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Somtamboopala

[ubonjoe]

You can get back to back 2 entry tourist visas in Laos. From most reports 3 or 4 is the limit.

[Somtamboopala]

Thanks again Ubonjoe!

[bbi1]

You can get back to back 2 entry tourist visas in Laos. From most reports 3 or 4 is the limit.

After that people need to go to another country, or do they need to spend some time outside Thailand before Laos will issue another double entry tourist visa?

[ubonjoe]

Just go someplace else for a tourist visa to break the chain of visas from the same place.

Perhaps Bali for a 3 entry.

[Robert24]

@Markphuket: I don't think you are abusing the tourist visa requirements if you attend some language lessons. Ultimately important is that you are not working, you are visiting Thailand as a tourist and you may take some Thai language lessons along the way. Nothing wrong with it. Although it's not a long term option for staying in Thailand. You can consider as well an ED visa from a public school, i.e. University. Plenty of courses available for foreigners and universities seem to be more accepted than the private language schools.