Hi,

I study Thai classes on the weekend, I am not on a ED visa, but a lot of my classmates are. The manager of the school has said a few immigration officers turned up saying they will only give 60 days extensions unless each student pays 5,000 baht every 90 days.

The school told them no way they can do that and pay 5,000 for just 30 days more.

This happen this week, anyone else this has happened too?

I was on a ED visa until about 6 months ago, lucky I am not now.

its old news http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/793667-changes-to-ed-visa-extensions-jomtiem-immigration/

where are you ? pattaya ?

you can pay 1900 for extension then you get 15 days and officers visit your school and check if you attend classes, if you are then you get remaining 75 days

if you miss class and they check on you they will cancel your visa

if you pay 5000 its hassle free, and they not check on you

Edited March 6, 201511 yr by Hostile

And corruption continues as usual in the so called Land of Smiles.

the whole point is, they give you recip for 1900

they charge what they should not

wheres moneys goes

etc

Yes I used to pay the 1900 Baht as I jumped on the ED visa when I left my last job for about half a year. I was just told this a few days ago by one of the managers at the school who I was having a drink with.

Thought I would just let people know what is going on.

Also i am in Bangkok

Yes I used to pay the 1900 Baht as I jumped on the ED visa when I left my last job for about half a year. I was just told this a few days ago by one of the managers at the school who I was having a drink with.

Thought I would just let people know what is going on.

Also i am in Bangkok

Whoa! So the plot thickens. Looks like it's spreading to BKK too.

But no worries! If you look in the Thailand News section, the general has reiterated that he is indeed on a warpath against corruption...... Lol

What school are you at?

Edited March 6, 201511 yr by inbangkok

It's not a new rule.

It's your school being targeted by immigration, for whatever reason (one could be refusing to pay increasingly bigger bribe).

The the ED visa as we know it is over, they want to whiz as much money as poss before the whole thing collapses.

It's not going fast enough for their liking, so they ask for more money.The more money they ask the faster it will end.

The school is telling you it's a rule,but it's not, it's THEIR given rule.

Please say the name of your school so potential students can avoid it.

Immigration should institute a 50 question Thai vocabulary test... You have to pay 100 baht for each wrong answer...

Love the idea of the 50 question Thai vocabulary test. In Thai script of course. With ever increasing levels of difficulty commensurate with the applicant's time in Thailand! It is time this education visa loophole abused by so many is plugged tight. The first four items of vocab for beginners, with spaces to make it easier, can be,

Edited March 7, 201511 yr by ubonjoe
Removed Thai language. Only English is allowed.

It's not a new rule.

It's your school being targeted by immigration, for whatever reason (one could be refusing to pay increasingly bigger bribe).

The the ED visa as we know it is over, they want to whiz as much money as poss before the whole thing collapses.

It's not going fast enough for their liking, so they ask for more money.The more money they ask the faster it will end.

The school is telling you it's a rule,but it's not, it's THEIR given rule.

Please say the name of your school so potential students can avoid it.

Thats every school man. I know ppl in different schools in pattaya and they all same...

Immigration should institute a 50 question Thai vocabulary test... You have to pay 100 baht for each wrong answer...

I study english. Not apply. Thank you

I do not think immigration of Westerners in Thailand is a big issue for the Thai government. How many Westerners are there here living full time? Difficult to say right? But travelling around the country, I see very few. Centers like bkk, pattaya and phuket sure. Big expat communities. If there were a million of us, one in 60 would be Western, so I think a small number.

I remain amazed at amazing Thailand immigration officers.

Teacher at a large language school in central BKK (not one known for being a visa mill) said they were now losing a million baht a month due to the cost of their location and very few new students signing up and very few old students renewing.

We recently renewed our ED visas in Pattaya, and was told by our school of the two-tier system (for want of a better term). It was as described above - pay 1,900 baht for a 15 day visa, they'll check to see if you're in class (disrupting the class in the process, but mai pen rai), then they'll add on the other 75 days. Alternatively, pay 5,000 baht and they'll just give you the 90 days no questions asked. It also required an overnight stay, whereas before it was processed same-day.

Thankfully, this was our final renewal, and we will not be continuing with an ED visa. The good are lumped in with the bad (which probably outnumber good students 2-to-1 or 3-to-1). The bigger schools have had little incentive to offer proper education, just a pipeline to a visa, and the students are the ones that get punished for it.

If you're sincere and coming to learn Thai, the price will be the same for you - just don't skip classes! Everyone else, it's a convenience fee - meet me offline and I'll share my opinion on how corrupt it is...

And corruption continues as usual in the so called Land of Smiles.

Corruption begets corruption. All the "students" who have stayed here on ED visas and extensions without any genuine interest in studying or who do not bother to show up for classes created the problem in the first place. Those people who genuinely want to study are paying the price. The reason some "students" may be willing to pay Baht 5000 is because they couldn't survive an actual inspection of their school or any scrutiny of their attendance record.

If your sole purpose is to learn Thai, universities and language schools that offer instruction in Thai exist in most western countries. If you want a way to game the system and stay in Thailand without the bother of qualifying for most long-stay options, go for the Thailand Elite Privileged Entry and you can sit on the beach or visit the bars without any worry for 5 years.

Corruption like dancing the Tango requires at least two to work.

And corruption continues as usual in the so called Land of Smiles.

Corruption begets corruption. All the "students" who have stayed here on ED visas and extensions without any genuine interest in studying or who do not bother to show up for classes created the problem in the first place.

You've got it the wrong way around. It's the Immigration department which allowed people to stay on Education visas without attending classes which created the problem in the first place.

Regulations must be enforced - people will not self regulate for some "greater good". Loopholes will be exploited. They still exist - they're just getting harder to find and cost a bit more now and the immigration officers have decided to profit from them (loopholes) instead of closing them. They want people to play the game.

Edited March 7, 201511 yr by tropo

It's not a new rule.

It's your school being targeted by immigration, for whatever reason (one could be refusing to pay increasingly bigger bribe).

The the ED visa as we know it is over, they want to whiz as much money as poss before the whole thing collapses.

It's not going fast enough for their liking, so they ask for more money.The more money they ask the faster it will end.

The school is telling you it's a rule,but it's not, it's THEIR given rule.

Please say the name of your school so potential students can avoid it.

Thats every school man. I know ppl in different schools in pattaya and they all same...

The OP said he was in BKK and so am I.

I still get 3 months for 1900 and so does students in Pattaya branch of my school.

Sorry you picked the wrong school

And corruption continues as usual in the so called Land of Smiles.

Corruption begets corruption. All the "students" who have stayed here on ED visas and extensions without any genuine interest in studying or who do not bother to show up for classes created the problem in the first place.

You've got it the wrong way around. It's the Immigration department which allowed people to stay on Education visas without attending classes which created the problem in the first place.

Regulations must be enforced - people will not self regulate for some "greater good". Loopholes will be exploited. They still exist - they're just getting harder to find and cost a bit more now and the immigration officers have decided to profit from them (loopholes) instead of closing them. They want people to play the game.

No you are wrong, the problem is not people not attending school.

In fact immigration could not care less about who is attending or not.

All they want is to get the numbers down

People not attending school still do get away with it mostly because they can learn thai by other means (girlfriend), and the ones who do attend school don't get 3 months extension.

But immigration does not give a damn about fairness, their mission is to lower the ridiculous number of ED visa in THL, and won't stop cracking down before they reach their target.

And corruption continues as usual in the so called Land of Smiles.

Corruption begets corruption. All the "students" who have stayed here on ED visas and extensions without any genuine interest in studying or who do not bother to show up for classes created the problem in the first place.

You've got it the wrong way around. It's the Immigration department which allowed people to stay on Education visas without attending classes which created the problem in the first place.

Regulations must be enforced - people will not self regulate for some "greater good". Loopholes will be exploited. They still exist - they're just getting harder to find and cost a bit more now and the immigration officers have decided to profit from them (loopholes) instead of closing them. They want people to play the game.

No you are wrong, the problem is not people not attending school.

In fact immigration could not care less about who is attending or not.

All they want is to get the numbers down

People not attending school still do get away with it mostly because they can learn thai by other means (girlfriend), and the ones who do attend school don't get 3 months extension.

But immigration does not give a damn about fairness, their mission is to lower the ridiculous number of ED visa in THL, and won't stop cracking down before they reach their target.

No, you are wrong. They're particularly interested in profiting from this loophole. Read the title of the thread again.

No, you are wrong. They're particularly interested in profiting from this loophole. Read the title of the thread again.

Immigration targeting ED holders 5000 baht fee for 90 days

That does not mention ppl not attending.

And if it was, it would be wrong.

How do I know?

Dozens of hours spent waiting at Chaeng Wattana with nothing else to do than to observe what's going on and who gets what.

What have you got?

Is there anywhere in this thread post from a person who claims to have personally paid an immigration officer 5000Bht for an extension of stay ?

If so point me to the post .

Thanks

Is there anywhere in this thread post from a person who claims to have personally paid an immigration officer 5000Bht for an extension of stay ?

If you were a corrupt IO, would you rather receive the money from the resentful foreigner, or from a Thai school owner ?

Or you can say - there is no corruption going on here.

Teacher at a large language school in central BKK (not one known for being a visa mill) said they were now losing a million baht a month due to the cost of their location and very few new students signing up and very few old students renewing.

It's no mystery that immigration is trying to get rid of a large chunks of ED visas holders and consequently schools.

As previously said attendance has nothing to do with it, thank you for pointing that out.

It's just reaching a target number.

They could just close many schools, that would be more efficient but it would not get them any money.

Instead they bleed schools dry and fill up their pockets ... clever.

Edited March 7, 201511 yr by Kitsune

Is there anywhere in this thread post from a person who claims to have personally paid an immigration officer 5000Bht for an extension of stay ?

If you were a corrupt IO, would you rather receive the money from the resentful foreigner, or from a Thai school owner ?

Or you can say - there is no corruption going on here.

The answer is BOTH, and they do.

The answer is BOTH, and they do.

Actually I think nzexpat is technically correct, IOs are not touching money from foreigners. They can be greedy, but not stupid.

Edited March 7, 201511 yr by paz

The answer is BOTH, and they do.

Actually I think nzexpact is technically correct, IOs are not touching money from foreigners. They can be greedy, but not stupid.

They don't care,they get away with it anyway : Hostile in Pattaya paid 3000 thb for 3 months.

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Is there anywhere in this thread post from a person who claims to have personally paid an immigration officer 5000Bht for an extension of stay ?

If you were a corrupt IO, would you rather receive the money from the resentful foreigner, or from a Thai school owner ?

Or you can say - there is no corruption going on here.

All I see is pages of unsubstantiated rumour!

All I see is pages of unsubstantiated rumour!

What would be the gain from lying?

Or you expect that a stamped receipt is given for bribes ?

Seems there is little or no evidence for "corruption" unless such behavior is actually linked to specific "schools" who undertake to secure extensions on behalf of "students" . Maybe these "schools" should be investigated for "corruption" ?

Not one report (unless I have overlooked it) of an individual , applying for an extension, being asked for an un-receipted 5000Bht !