ED Visa Extension Report - Jan 2014 - Bangkok

[TheRascal]

Went to Chaeng Wattana for my visa extension yesterday. Thought I'd share my experience here incase it benefits others.

Arrived at 8am, already big queue snaking round the complex, doors to immigration open as expected at 8:30, a fair bit of people trying to cut the queue etc and I eventually ended up getting 43. Not ideal but last time I got 104 and was done just after the lunch break so I guessed I would be out within a couple of hours.

Seems yesterday they had less officers doing the passport checks at the end, last time they had 3 I believe, this time they had 1 and 2 trainees. The trainee on the otherside also kept forgetting to call people in (where they get 10 people in at the time for document checking) so it ended up all over the place. By lunchtime it was only up to 37.

I eventually got sorted with my passport back by 3pm and then another hour for the 90 day report. I was tested but it was very simple:

- she asked me if I could speak thai

- I said (in thai) my conversation was ok, my reading was good and my writing was ok

- She asked me to write my name, I wrote "my name is..." this seemed to impress her

- She told me if I could write "I love Thai language" in thai she would give me 3 months. I did it, 3 months no problem.

For reference, this is my second extension of my second year long ED visa and I'm from the UK.

Other nationalities didn't seem to have it quite as easy. A Korean guy had his visa cancelled and got a 7 day stamp. A Russian chap who had only studied 3 months was given a 3 month extension and then when the next officer spoke to him quickly and he didn't understand she crossed it out and changed it to two. The same happened to a Filipino lady (from 2 months to 1 when she couldn't read something they presented after she had her stamp). Three other filipinos only got 2 months, from what they were saying they don't know of any Filipinos who get 3 months, it's always 2, 1 or at worst 7 days.

The test clearly isn't standardised at all, it seems to depend on your nationality, the mood of the officer (mine was in a great mood, laughing and joking with everyone) and whatever they decide to ask - realistically I could have been given a much harder time but it was really easy but others on their first extension ever are being presented with much more complex tasks and are failing them. For anyone I'd recommend learning basic conversation regarding names, where you're from, how long you've been here, your family etc. Alphabet and writing your own name is a must too I'd suggest - almost everyone was asked to write at least their name.

Hope this is of some help.

[bbi1]

Did they ask anyone to recite the Thai alphabet in order?

[TheRascal]

I'm from the UK.

No one that day that I spoke to had been asked to do that, however the Russian chap said a few folks from his school had been asked to do that previously. I can read but I've never learnt the alphabet in order so that's something I plan to box off before my next (and hopefully final) extension.

[inbangkok]

I'm from the UK.

No one that day that I spoke to had been asked to do that, however the Russian chap said a few folks from his school had been asked to do that previously. I can read but I've never learnt the alphabet in order so that's something I plan to box off before my next (and hopefully final) extension.

Yeah, sorry, re read your post and saw you are from the UK. So at this point, immigration is just playing games and doing what they want in terms of extensions.........awesome. Glad to hear you got 3 though.

[TheRascal]

Thanks, me too - I was stressing in the run up to it as there's pretty much no way to prepare effectively.

There really should be a set curriculum all ED visa schools teach from and then tests based on how long someone has studied so you have an idea of what might come up.

[bbi1]

I'm surprised that the Korean guy got his visa cancelled with how much Thai people love Koreans & go crazy for any Korean guy lol. Was he just not able to speak or read anything?

What about the people that brought their Thai gf with them? Did they get treated easier & get a 3 month easier too? It seems that way based on an earlier post by a post by a Thai girl with a Korean bf who didn't attend classes.

[inbangkok]

Thanks, me too - I was stressing in the run up to it as there's pretty much no way to prepare effectively.

There really should be a set curriculum all ED visa schools teach from and then tests based on how long someone has studied so you have an idea of what might come up.

This would undoubtedly be the reasonable and fair thing to do. It does not seem like they care about being reasonable or fair in any way, shape, or form.

[Kitsune]

Short hair?

Green tartan flannel shirt?

I saw a farang guy laughing with the older reddish hair officer with glasses.

I got 3 months too

Edited January 23, 2015 by Kitsune

[OMGImInPattaya]

I'm surprised that the Korean guy got his visa cancelled with how much Thai people love Koreans & go crazy for any Korean guy lol. Was he just not able to speak or read anything?

What about the people that brought their Thai gf with them? Did they get treated easier & get a 3 month easier too? It seems that way based on an earlier post by a post by a Thai girl with a Korean bf who didn't attend classes.

He was one of the middle-aged balding fat ones....not a 16 year old pre-pubescent boy with neon-glow spiked hair.

[JanekS]

I went on Wednesday got 1 month only. Took all day from 9am till 4:30. I was asked few easy questions in Thai that i can answer. When i realized that they stamp 1 month only i came back to ask them why not 2 or 3 month, they were making stupid faces, not look in my eyes and said "go contact your school". Next day i had a class. It came out that all students got only 1 month that day. People from different countries. Im Polish others were from China, Korea, Japan, Israel, US, UK. Somebody from school staff said that probably its because Immigration cannot take bribes easy now, or have other ways to make extra money so boss have idea to make students coming more often so they pay more often... Whatever it is, i live in Thailand long time its not a big surprise, but still pissing me off. Changing "rules" every few months, legally ripping off people, fail to give any clear information, but when you call Thailand 3-rd country or laughing from obvious idiocy Thais are angry... If i will have to go trough this s#it every month i guess ill go to Lao get tourist Visa. Probably they give it easy now after "monumental" discovering that amount of tourist coming dropped.

Mr Upset

[inbangkok]

I went on Wednesday got 1 month only. Took all day from 9am till 4:30. I was asked few easy questions in Thai that i can answer. When i realized that they stamp 1 month only i came back to ask them why not 2 or 3 month, they were making stupid faces, not look in my eyes and said "go contact your school". Next day i had a class. It came out that all students got only 1 month that day. People from different countries. Im Polish others were from China, Korea, Japan, Israel, US, UK. Somebody from school staff said that probably its because Immigration cannot take bribes easy now, or have other ways to make extra money so boss have idea to make students coming more often so they pay more often... Whatever it is, i live in Thailand long time its not a big surprise, but still pissing me off. Changing "rules" every few months, legally ripping off people, fail to give any clear information, but when you call Thailand 3-rd country or laughing from obvious idiocy Thais are angry... If i will have to go trough this s#it every month i guess ill go to Lao get tourist Visa. Probably they give it easy now after "monumental" discovering that amount of tourist coming dropped.

Mr Upset

Was is BKK immigration? What school? Sorry to hear that.... really sucks......

Edited January 24, 2015 by inbangkok

[TheRascal]

I'm surprised that the Korean guy got his visa cancelled with how much Thai people love Koreans & go crazy for any Korean guy lol. Was he just not able to speak or read anything?

What about the people that brought their Thai gf with them? Did they get treated easier & get a 3 month easier too? It seems that way based on an earlier post by a post by a Thai girl with a Korean bf who didn't attend classes.

I didn't see what the Korean guy was asked. I believe from previous news reports that Korean's are a nationality that are scrutinised for illegally working so that could be it.

I didn't really see many guys with their gfs, I did see a few groups go in with a thai representative from their school but no idea if it helped or not.

Short hair?

Green tartan flannel shirt?

I saw a farang guy laughing with the older reddish hair officer with glasses.

I got 3 months too

No that wasn't me but I think if you get one in a good mood and have the luck of establishing a bit of rapport it definitely helps.

Congratulations on the 3 months!

Janek - that sucks, I wonder from stuff I've read previously if certain schools have worse relationships with immigration - total speculation but if rumours started that specific schools had issues with extensions to their students it would obviously be very damaging to their business.

[falkan]

Am surprised that not any newspaper picked up this corruption?! How about you guys that been affected to this tip of your local newspaper Bangkok News, Phuketwan etc etc..?

[bbi1]

I went on Wednesday got 1 month only. Took all day from 9am till 4:30. I was asked few easy questions in Thai that i can answer. When i realized that they stamp 1 month only i came back to ask them why not 2 or 3 month, they were making stupid faces, not look in my eyes and said "go contact your school". Next day i had a class. It came out that all students got only 1 month that day. People from different countries. Im Polish others were from China, Korea, Japan, Israel, US, UK. Somebody from school staff said that probably its because Immigration cannot take bribes easy now, or have other ways to make extra money so boss have idea to make students coming more often so they pay more often... Whatever it is, i live in Thailand long time its not a big surprise, but still pissing me off. Changing "rules" every few months, legally ripping off people, fail to give any clear information, but when you call Thailand 3-rd country or laughing from obvious idiocy Thais are angry... If i will have to go trough this s#it every month i guess ill go to Lao get tourist Visa. Probably they give it easy now after "monumental" discovering that amount of tourist coming dropped.

Mr Upset

What's the name of your school?

"because Immigration cannot take bribes easy now" - are they suggesting that their school was bribing immigration before?

[Julie H]

What's the name of your school?

"because Immigration cannot take bribes easy now" - are they suggesting that their school was bribing immigration before?

You sound shocked. Are you?

[gezginrocker]

The people who have been to the immigration, can you guys please write down the questions they ask? I'll go to the immigration end of February for my first ever ED extension and I'm really worried. So I'd like to be fully prepared.

The questions I assume they ask are:

-What is your name/surname?

-Where are you from?

-How long have you been here?

-What is your job?

-How old are you?

-Where do you live?

Anything else?

Thanks a lot.

[Kitsune]

The people who have been to the immigration, can you guys please write down the questions they ask? I'll go to the immigration end of February for my first ever ED extension and I'm really worried. So I'd like to be fully prepared.

The questions I assume they ask are:

-What is your name/surname?

-Where are you from?

-How long have you been here?

-What is your job?

-How old are you?

-Where do you live?

Anything else?

Thanks a lot.

In BKK IO there is no formal test.

They just say 3 months or 2 months depending if they think if they can get away with it.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Kitsune

[bbi1]

The people who have been to the immigration, can you guys please write down the questions they ask? I'll go to the immigration end of February for my first ever ED extension and I'm really worried. So I'd like to be fully prepared.

The questions I assume they ask are:

-What is your name/surname?

-Where are you from?

-How long have you been here?

-What is your job?

-How old are you?

-Where do you live?

Anything else?

Thanks a lot.

You better tell them you don't have a job & you're a student if they ask you "What's your job" & you are actually working...

[bigt116]

Am surprised that not any newspaper picked up this corruption?! How about you guys that been affected to this tip of your local newspaper Bangkok News, Phuketwan etc etc..?

Where is the corruption ? Nobody is being asked to pay a bribe, people are being given extensions on their Thai ability, (all be it at the discretion of the IO, but then extensions have always been at the discretion of the IO).

[swampdonkey]

The people who have been to the immigration, can you guys please write down the questions they ask? I'll go to the immigration end of February for my first ever ED extension and I'm really worried. So I'd like to be fully prepared.

The questions I assume they ask are:

-What is your name/surname?

-Where are you from?

-How long have you been here?

-What is your job?

-How old are you?

-Where do you live?

Anything else?

Thanks a lot.

You better tell them you don't have a job & you're a student if they ask you "What's your job" & you are actually working...

Yeah, if you tell them your working.

You will probably be fined and then deported.

The Ed visa crack down is all about working illegally

[paz]

Where is the corruption ? Nobody is being asked to pay a bribe, people are being given extensions on their Thai ability, (all be it at the discretion of the IO, but then extensions have always been at the discretion of the IO).

Here it is:

If you pay 5000 baht (this includes 1900 for the extension and 3100 for the VIP service) every ninety days, the school will take all of your paperwork to immigration and get everything done for you. You just show up the next morning, get your picture taken and pick up your passport. 90 day extension is automatic in this case. No language testing by immigration. No change in the amount of hours you spend in class each week.

[TheRascal]

The people who have been to the immigration, can you guys please write down the questions they ask? I'll go to the immigration end of February for my first ever ED extension and I'm really worried. So I'd like to be fully prepared.

The questions I assume they ask are:

-What is your name/surname?

-Where are you from?

-How long have you been here?

-What is your job?

-How old are you?

-Where do you live?

Anything else?

Thanks a lot.

As others have already said, there's no set test - it's literally what they feel like asking, they might just chat with you, they might ask questions (reports of up to 10), they might ask you to write and they might not.

Totally depends on the officer's feeling towards you, your nationality, your school, their mood on the day plus goodness knows how many other factors you can't possibly guess.

[bigt116]

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Where is the corruption ? Nobody is being asked to pay a bribe, people are being given extensions on their Thai ability, (all be it at the discretion of the IO, but then extensions have always been at the discretion of the IO).

Here it is:

If you pay 5000 baht (this includes 1900 for the extension and 3100 for the VIP service) every ninety days, the school will take all of your paperwork to immigration and get everything done for you. You just show up the next morning, get your picture taken and pick up your passport. 90 day extension is automatic in this case. No language testing by immigration. No change in the amount of hours you spend in class each week.

But that is not mentioned on THIS thread ?

[Kitsune]

well I went on the same day and on the officers desk, right in the middle of step1 section, there was a big folder named :PROLANGUAGE

Just saying