Three months ED visa stamp in Patong ?

[Rigo29]

Hi guys,

I've gotta go to the immigration office to have my passport checked every three months (even though I've got a 1 year ED visa... don't ask me the logic in that).

Anyway, can I go to the Patong's immigration office to do that or do I have to go to Phuket Town ?

Thanks

[LivinginKata]

Everyone with one year extentions has to make the 90 day report (notification of address). Can do at Patong Immigration, but make sure your landlord has registered you with Immigration, or you might need to have take the form signed by your landlord.

[Rigo29]

Well for what I've understand it's not the 90 report. It's a stamp that I should get and pay 1900THB.

I'll go there tomorrow and we'll see

Thanks !

[LivinginKata]

Well for what I've understand it's not the 90 report. It's a stamp that I should get and pay 1900THB.

I'll go there tomorrow and we'll see

Thanks !

In that case I expect you need to go to Phuket town office. Not sure if Patong handles anything relating to Ed Visas.

[skatewash]

In that case I expect you need to go to Phuket town office. Not sure if Patong handles anything relating to Ed Visas.

Yes, for extensions of stay related to long term visas (such as non O - ED) you must go to Phuket town. The Patong office is limited to 90-Day Reports, Re-entry permits, and certificates of residence. Patong does extensions of stay (30 days) related to short term visas (Tourist) and visa exempt entries, but the longer term stuff is reserved for Phuket town.

Years ago ED Visas in Phuket actually were extended for a whole year (at least according to the outdated advertising on language school websites). That's certainly what I expected when I arrived here on an ED Visa. Upon arrival my school readjusted my expectations to be that I would get only 90 days for my first extension and then get the remainder of the year (180 days) for my second extension.

What actually happened when I went to Phuket town immigration the first time is that I got an "under consideration" stamp in my passport instructing me to report back in 30 days. Apparently that meant that I had been given in effect a 30 day extension, although I didn't know that at the time. I was nonplussed at this turn of events to say the very least. I was not very impressed with my incredibly shrinking ED Visa (30 days is not 365 days, heck, it's not even 90 days). My school didn't make me feel any better by telling me they had never seen anything like that before, as all the office staff gathered around to look at the scarlet letter in my passport. So I spent the next 30 days wondering what I had done wrong.

Upon returning to immigration in 30 days I did receive a new stamp extending my permission to stay to a full 90 days. This same process was repeated for the next two years ("under consideration" first and then 30 days later receiving the full 90 day extension of permission to stay). The 1,900 Baht I expected to pay for my year long permission of stay was now going to cost me 4 times as much. Between 90 day reports, report back dates, and extensions of permission to stay I was going to be practically living at Phuket town immigration.

The one bright spot I can recall is the time when I went for my regular 90 day request for extension of permission of stay and not only did I not receive the dreaded "under consideration" stamp I actually received a 180 day extension. I was never able to figure out why the female IO did that for me, or why all the other Immigration Officers only saw fit to give me 90 day extensions (always with the silly report back in 30 days rigmarole). Maybe I got the extra 90 days for being a hansome man. Probably not.

Over the course of time, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't about me. I didn't piss anyone off at immigration. Other students at my school were subjected to the same extension process. Immigration didn't hate me, they hated the ED Visa/Extension of Stay. Luckily, I was able to transition to an extension of stay for purpose of retirement. So far that status has lived up to its billing. Visit immigration once each year and receive a full 365 day extension of stay for 1,900 Baht. Of course, there is still the 90 Day Report, but that can be done in Patong, by mail, or soon online. I just hope they don't mess around with the Retirement rules like they did with the Education rules. Knock wood.