Can I get a non-O for my child?

[thaiclan]

I've "lived" in Thailand for 14 years and jumped through various visa hoops with the ever-changing regulations. I am not a retiree and do not work in Thailand.

I work in Singapore and Indonesia and usually spend 2 weeks here per month. However there now seems to be an issue with popping in and out and having no visa and each time I have arrived this year (12+ times) I get grilled about "why no visa".

I am a Brit. I have a British husband and he recently signed up for the Elite card as he is in the same position as me but doesn't hop in and out of the country like I do so needed a long stay visa.

We have 2 children. The eldest will be starting school in August at an international school (home schooled to date). I can get a Non O visa on the back of her education visa apparently. We will do this next month in Singapore.

My question here is. Will I be able to obtain a visa for my youngest child (who is home schooled). I know the education visa allows for only ONE guardian to obtain a Non O,but does anyone here know about dependents?

Unfortunately the single person Elite card does not allow for any dependents. Had we known a year ago that I would have difficulty coming and going from Thailand (as do the kids) then we would have opted for a family Elite Card.

[ubonjoe]

Only the parent of a child attending school can get an extension. There is no extension possible for the dependents of the parent.

[thaiclan]

Only the parent of a child attending school can get an extension. There is no extension possible for the dependents of the parent.

Thanks for the speedy answer ubonjoe. I thought as much....

2 questions...Is "extension"used for any new visa? Ive never heard the term used other than for extending an original visa before. In my case I shall be going from a 30 day visa on arrival to a 1 year non O. Not that it makes any difference - just out of interest.

Second question. Any idea how I can get a visa for 7 year old British child? We travel a lot so its not like she can go "under the radar". I recently brought her back from a Jakarta trip and the immigration officer told us he would let her in this time but its a "BIG problem she have no visa".

What about enrolling her in a cheap school so she could get an education visa? Although I'm guessing that attendance is going to be part of the education visa requirement too....hmmm

[ubonjoe]

In order to apply for the one year extension of stay you will need to go to a embassy or consulate to obtain a single entry non-o visa. You will need a copy of your child's passport photo page and their extension of stay stamp. Plus their birth certificate and a copy. When you apply for the first extension you will need 500k baht in a Thai bank for 30 days (90 days for the next one).

Their is no proof of attendance required for a child attending school. The school must be registered with the ministry of education to qualify.

[thaiclan]

In order to apply for the one year extension of stay you will need to go to a embassy or consulate to obtain a single entry non-o visa. You will need a copy of your child's passport photo page and their extension of stay stamp. Plus their birth certificate and a copy. When you apply for the first extension you will need 500k baht in a Thai bank for 30 days (90 days for the next one).

Their is no proof of attendance required for a child attending school. The school must be registered with the ministry of education to qualify.

Thanks Ubonjoe. Yes I have all that paperwork for my visit to Singapore next month whereby my eldest will get her Ed visa and I will get the non-o for me as her guardian. The school have prepared for me (interesting side note the MOE document I have from this school states a balance of 500k and a letter from the bank manager but does not require any length of time. I had already put 500k in when looking at another school as their MOE requirement was to have the 500k for 90 days so its either a change of policy or just different schools have different rules when dealing with MOE. Not important just some info for you as moderator here).

I am a bit confused with your reply. Do you mean I should take my youngest daughters passport at the same time and apply for single entry non-0 visa for her?

What will be her reason for her to have a non-O as she has no route on her dads single Elite Visa and no route on her mothers Non- O (only 1 guardian allowed to obtain on the back of first daughters Ed visa).

Last time I got a non-O I had to specify the reason (back then "friends and family was enough!). My youngest daughter wouldn't have a valid reason would she?....

[ubonjoe]

The MOE does not set the rules for extensions of stay it is immigration that does them.

From clause 2.11 of Police Order 327/2557 basis for extension of stay.

"(5) In the case of parents, funds must be deposited in a bank in Thailand, under the father's or the mother's name, of no less than Baht 500,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 30 days prior to the filing date"

I was referring to your non-o visa.

[thaiclan]

The MOE does not set the rules for extensions of stay it is immigration that does them.

From clause 2.11 of Police Order 327/2557 basis for extension of stay.

"(5) In the case of parents, funds must be deposited in a bank in Thailand, under the father's or the mother's name, of no less than Baht 500,000 for the past three months. For the first year only, the applicant must have proof of a deposit account in which said amount of funds has been maintained for no less than 30 days prior to the filing date"

I was referring to your non-o visa.

Thanks for this conversation Ubonjoe - much appreciated!

When I looked at the first school (an English program school not an international school) indeed there was a specification on the paperwork they gave me about 500k for 90 days(didn't mention 30 days at all).

I had made sure the funds were in the account. However, change of school choice and I noticed there was no length specification for new school and instead a "letter from bank" (which wasn't on first schools checklist). When I asked the back office about length of time they said it wasn't a requirement.

It doesn't matter at all to me, but I understand you are consistently fielding queries like mine so it's purely for your own info that I'm saying anything about it and have uploaded my most recent checklist (can't find the checklist for the first school for comparison).

Wouldn't be anything new at all that there is a variance in procedures here in Thailand :-)

But as an aside. Do you have any advise about getting a visa for my 7 year old aside from enrolling her in a school and her not attending (not that you were advising that btw!)?