Hey

My 24 year old niece came to Thailand to study Thai ( she has a master and wants to take a sabbatical year)

She arrived four months ago on a a tourist visa, visited some schools and opted for AUA ( Chamchuri Place )

She was told that she had to go out of the country to apply for a three month ED visa ( which was granted ) and that, this visa would be renewed ( re issued, extended... ) for three months prior to the end of the first visa: a simple voit to the immigration office would settle the matter

Last week she asked the AUA to provide her with the necessary documents but: " really sorry, rules have changed, you should have applied for the extension within fourten days of your arrival"

It was added " but don't worry, AUA will issue a letter which you will take with you to Singapore and present with your ED visa application at the Thai Embassy " and " there hasn't been any trouble with that route ...so far "

i was quite upset when I learned of it, as I know that Sinapore doesn't have the reputation of being a cool place to apply for a visa.

I am also comcerned by the fact that she will have TWO visas issued in four months and that a third one will be refused

These are my questions:

Should she:

1) go to Singapore with the letter ?

2) why Singapore ? Wouldn't any Thai embassy accept the application if the paperwork is done?

2) apply at another reputable school ( Wallen? ) which can do their job correctly before taking the school fee?

3) go out ( which country ? ) and apply for a tourist visa

4) a single or a double?

5) In that case are there any risks for the visa to be denied based upon the two previous one?

6) if denied, will she be able to travel back to Thailand and spend the 15 days granted upon arrival, before returning to EU, where she is from?

Thanks for any constructive thoughts and remarks

Edited March 22, 201511 yr by alyx

Your niece (if she is a degree qualified graduate) should have opted for a University course not something based in an informal language school.

I would suggest she re-focuses away from "language schools" and considers what some of the universities offer.

Singapore is not a good place to obtain a visa . Your niece would be best advised to seek a double entry tourist visa in Vientiane (Laos) which would provide the time for her to properly research her options.

Thanks

I did tell her that Vientiane was a better option: still, I am wary of the two previous visas she has in her passport

I didn't know about the University

Would you be kind enough to elaborate ?

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Thanks
I did tell her that Vientiane was a better option: still, I am wary of the two previous visas she has in her passport
I didn't know about the University
Would you be kind enough to elaborate ?

The previous visas are not an issue unless obtained in Vientiane.

Do a quick Google search of Thai Universities !

Start maybe with one of the best

http://www.muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/

Edited March 22, 201511 yr by nzexpat

Great

So many thanks

Hopefully, other posters will come up with more....

Getting a non-ed visa in Singapore is not possible unless studying full time. They require a bunch of hours to get one.

She will not have a problem getting another ED visa in Vientiane.

Thanks

Do you reckon that getting a double entry and then enroll an University program ( as stated above she already has a Master ) might be a better / easier route( not say more interesting maybe ) than the three month ED visa "extension" initially planned?

As in, is the double visa easy to get, according to the latest reports?

Vientiane and Savannakhet both do 2 entry tourist visa without any problem.

Thanks again

She has decided to go to Vientiane ( depending on train availability ) tomorrow as, with Thai and Lao holidays, it might be risky ( time wise ) to delay

She will ask for a double entry ( I haven't discussed further the matter with her but I will advise her to search for a University upon her return )

The first tourist visa she was granted with was issued in France

The second (ED) was done in Vientiane

Do you think this is the viable route ? ( of course, whatever the outcome, I won't hold anyone responsible blue for their more than welcome replies ? )

She will not have a problem getting a 2 entry visa in Vientiane.

University studies will be less problematic than attending a language school.

Thanks again

She has decided to go to Vientiane ( depending on train availability ) tomorrow as, with Thai and Lao holidays, it might be risky ( time wise ) to delay

She will ask for a double entry ( I haven't discussed further the matter with her but I will advise her to search for a University upon her return )

The first tourist visa she was granted with was issued in France

The second (ED) was done in Vientiane

Do you think this is the viable route ? ( of course, whatever the outcome, I won't hold anyone responsible blue for their more than welcome replies ? )

AIR ASIA flies from DON MUANG (Bangkok) to UDON THANI (1 hour south of the Thai/Laos border) in the morning, shouldn't be more than $50 to fly there and there is a mini-van from UDON THANI airport to NONG KHAI, 200-300 baht if I remember correctly, you can get off at the border or in the centre of NONG KHAI. There are plenty of cheap okay hotels in town, not so many near the border, but make sure to get to the border early in the morning, 6 a.m. is a good time.

Thanks again

She has decided to go to Vientiane ( depending on train availability ) tomorrow as, with Thai and Lao holidays, it might be risky ( time wise ) to delay

She will ask for a double entry ( I haven't discussed further the matter with her but I will advise her to search for a University upon her return )

The first tourist visa she was granted with was issued in France

The second (ED) was done in Vientiane

Do you think this is the viable route ? ( of course, whatever the outcome, I won't hold anyone responsible blue for their more than welcome replies ? )

AIR ASIA flies from DON MUANG (Bangkok) to UDON THANI (1 hour south of the Thai/Laos border) in the morning, shouldn't be more than $50 to fly there and there is a mini-van from UDON THANI airport to NONG KHAI, 200-300 baht if I remember correctly, you can get off at the border or in the centre of NONG KHAI. There are plenty of cheap okay hotels in town, not so many near the border, but make sure to get to the border early in the morning, 6 a.m. is a good time.

Or take Lao or Bangkok Air any day of the week straight to Vientiane for 6000B round trip and skip the trains, mini vans, border crossings at the crack of dawn and excessive travel time in nearly the hottest month of the year. Land at 10:30 go to the hotel accross the street from the Thai consul and relax until 8:30 the next morning in comfort. Drop off your app, next day afternoon checkout walk to get your visa, grab a cab to the airport and be back in BKK in 2 hours instead of a burning heap of twisted minivan on the side of a road half way to Ubon.

Do you think this is the viable route ? ( of course, whatever the outcome, I won't hold anyone responsible blue for their more than welcome replies

Check answers #9 and #11 by ubonjoe above.

Edited March 23, 201511 yr by paz

Do you think this is the viable route ? ( of course, whatever the outcome, I won't hold anyone responsible blue for their more than welcome replies

Check answers #9 and #11 by ubonjoe above.

Already, but that was before I realised that she had already used the Thai embassy at Vientiane.

Anyway, she has booked her train and leaves tomorrow

I'll keep you posted about the visa

Thanks to everyone for their precious advice

Already, but that was before I realised that she had already used the Thai embassy at Vientiane.

You mentioned that in posting #10, and ubonjoe answered in #11:

She will not have a problem getting a 2 entry visa in Vientiane.

I think she needs to change schools. First of all she didn't need to leave Thailand to get her ED visa. The school should have supplied her with 5he proper documents to obtain it. The only 5ime you need 15 days left on your visa is when you are changing from a tourist visa to an ED visa. At 5hat time if you don't have the days you pay for an extension a5 immigration. That is what I had to do, and I just had to renew my ED visa. When I went to immigration I had one day left on it. First ED visa 3 months, second one 6 months.Kasem Bundit University offers a BA in Thai language. Somebody posted they had no problem with the school providing the paperwork and getting their visa.

I think she needs to change schools. First of all she didn't need to leave Thailand to get her ED visa. The school should have supplied her with 5he proper documents to obtain it. The only 5ime you need 15 days left on your visa is when you are changing from a tourist visa to an ED visa. At 5hat time if you don't have the days you pay for an extension a5 immigration.

Immigration does not do anymore visa conversion for the purpose of studying Thai privately.

Thanks to everyone

Just to let you know that she got a double entry this afternoon

It gives her some time to study the best path