Hello everyone,

I took a gap year from my engineering studies in France and came to Thailand on a tourist visa. Then I found an interesting internship in a Thai company. My school back home approved it, I produced the company and school papers and made a 3-month ED visa in Singapore.

Now the visa is going to expire in two weeks and unexpectedly from what I read on this forum I cannot extend it (on the embassy website and in Singapore they told me I could go to Bangkok immigration). So I would like to know what options are possible to continue my internship in Thailand (4 months remaining).

- Is it really impossible to get 3 additional months at Bangkok immigration ?

- Is it possible to get one or several one-month extensions instead there ?

- Can I go abroad and get a second ED visa ? Same question with a Business visa

Some more options that came to mind, purely theoretical and just for information:

- Could a Thai language school do this extension since they may know the right persons ?

- In case of overstay, is it easy to re-apply abroad (cf. third question), what if I don't find any solution ?

Thanks,

Pierre

My school back home approved it, I produced the company and school papers and made a 3-month ED visa in Singapore.

Sure its an Ed visa ? typically for an internship one would be on a B visa and work permit, whether paid or unpaid

You will not be able to get any extension at immigration since your internship is not through a local university registered with the Ministry of Education.

You could get another single entry non-ed visa with supporting documents. Not sure Singapore would do another one but suspect the embassy in Vientiane would.

You will not be able to get a non-b visa without a work permit application being done.

A language school would not help unless you were enrolled in a course of study.

Overstaying is not something I would not advise you do do.

My school back home approved it, I produced the company and school papers and made a 3-month ED visa in Singapore.

Sure its an Ed visa ? typically for an internship one would be on a B visa and work permit, whether paid or unpaid

ED visas are often issued for internships. Vientiane's requirements for a ED visa lists a internship as a basis to get one. A work permit is not required.

You will not be able to get any extension at immigration since your internship is not through a local university registered with the Ministry of Education.

You could get another single entry non-ed visa with supporting documents. Not sure Singapore would do another one but suspect the embassy in Vientiane would.

You will not be able to get a non-b visa without a work permit application being done.

A language school would not help unless you were enrolled in a course of study.

Overstaying is not something I would not advise you do do.

Even a one month extension would be impossible ? I heard that in any situation you could do get one more month just by asking (maybe it's an exemption though). By the way I brought the language class topic because I heard that they know immigration officers and if you are polite enough with them they can provide assistance (without being enrolled). At least there is no need to go out of the country, which is good. (I am just thinking it might work with programming or IT schools too)

And about the most reasonable option (doing a second ED visa), is there a risk that it does not work this time ? (it worked the first time with the documents I presented in Singapore). Is Vientiane the best place to do it ? (I have seen this city name showing up in threads here but I don't know why this one in particular)

Thanks

You will not be able to get any extension at immigration since your internship is not through a local university registered with the Ministry of Education.

You could get another single entry non-ed visa with supporting documents. Not sure Singapore would do another one but suspect the embassy in Vientiane would.

You will not be able to get a non-b visa without a work permit application being done.

A language school would not help unless you were enrolled in a course of study.

Overstaying is not something I would not advise you do do.

Even a one month extension would be impossible ? I heard that in any situation you could do get one more month just by asking (maybe it's an exemption though). By the way I brought the language class topic because I heard that they know immigration officers and if you are polite enough with them they can provide assistance (without being enrolled). At least there is no need to go out of the country, which is good. (I am just thinking it might work with programming or IT schools too)

And about the most reasonable option (doing a second ED visa), is there a risk that it does not work this time ? (it worked the first time with the documents I presented in Singapore). Is Vientiane the best place to do it ? (I have seen this city name showing up in threads here but I don't know why this one in particular)

Thanks

There is no extension possible for a non immigrant visa entry unless there is a reason for it. Only tourist and visa exempt entries can get a 30 day extension.

To get an extension for attending a school requires supporting documents from the Ministry of Education and they will require enrollment in the school to get them.

Vientiane is often mentioned because it is nearby and has a good track record for issuing visas. Their requirements are listed here: http://vientiane.thaiembassy.org/upload/pdf/Visa/Non-%20ED%20&%20O.pdf

You will not be able to get any extension at immigration since your internship is not through a local university registered with the Ministry of Education.

You could get another single entry non-ed visa with supporting documents. Not sure Singapore would do another one but suspect the embassy in Vientiane would.

You will not be able to get a non-b visa without a work permit application being done.

A language school would not help unless you were enrolled in a course of study.

Overstaying is not something I would not advise you do do.

Even a one month extension would be impossible ? I heard that in any situation you could do get one more month just by asking (maybe it's an exemption though). By the way I brought the language class topic because I heard that they know immigration officers and if you are polite enough with them they can provide assistance (without being enrolled). At least there is no need to go out of the country, which is good. (I am just thinking it might work with programming or IT schools too)

And about the most reasonable option (doing a second ED visa), is there a risk that it does not work this time ? (it worked the first time with the documents I presented in Singapore). Is Vientiane the best place to do it ? (I have seen this city name showing up in threads here but I don't know why this one in particular)

Thanks

The only extension available to you would be of 7 days during which you must leave the country.

Some(most) of what you have heard is undoubtedly illegal and you would be unwise to to follow up such "options"

You could attempt to obtain another Ed visa or if that fails you could get a tourist visa.

Do what ever you can but not Overstaying!! From experience

Okay guys, thanks for all your answers so far. I keep Vientiane option to get an ED visa there (or tourist in case it doesn't work).

But are you guys sure that I can do two ED visa in a row or a new tourist visa ? (I already did a tourist visa last year in Paris plus a 1-month extension and two 1-month exemptions before my 3-month ED visa)

In the mean time, I am going to try to contact IT or Web private schools. Apparently they provide both classes and internships and they are approved as a Thai institution, so I'm going to check if I can get enrolled with them with my current internship to get the extension here.

No problem to get another ED visa or a tourist visa with the history of visas and exempt entries you have.

I had the same problem. I got an 6-months ED visa in my country for a internship of 6 months.
I went to Laos to get a new visa. I requested another ED visa but I got the B visa. Anyway, I gave all the documents they request for an ED visa AND a copy of the ID card of the person of the company who signs the invitation letter (this doesnt appear in the required documents in the webpage).

Also they say that you can only get 2 visa this way. The third would be rejected.