I went today to change my tourist visa to non B (teacher) visa.

Everything seemed fine until they saw my PGCEi certificate.

 I was quoted this (which is also in the immigration website):

 

 6.6 The Applicant’s educational degree certificate, not less than Bachelor’s degree (must be translated into Thai or English and certified by local or overseas Embassy or Consulate of the foreigner and by the Legalization Division, Ministry of  Foreign Affairs of Thailand) (For more information, please call 0-2575-1056-9), academic transcript and evidence of TOEIC scores.

 

My PGCEi is not less than a Bachelor's degree, the PG means post graduate.

Has anyone else had this problem?

There also seemed to be some confusion as to what I need to do or show immigration.

The lady at immigration wasn't clear, my school spoke to her and were no clearer and the British Embassy just provided me with a "certified" copy of my PGCEi certificate.

 

Time is running out and I am getting the run around.

Any experience or input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

What about your degree certificate?  Just show them that.  I don't understand this at all.

No problem with my degree and masters, but they didn't / don't,  recognise / understand PGCEi is post graduate.

I don't have a degree in education, but MoE accepts another degree plus PGCEi.

So it's part of my certificates package. 

But what is the relevance of it?  Once you get your visa, you will enter the waiver system.  You only need a BA of any kind to qualify for the first stage (non-B).  Can you not just remove it from your package?  

It has to be from one of their reconised universities. Nottingham is one for online PGCEs. Where's yours from?

From Nottingham.

Used it to get my teachers licence with no problems.

good enough for MoE and MoL but not immigration. 

 

New this month from immigration

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/service_73

school just included all they were asked to.

 

 

4 minutes ago, park said:

New this month from immigration

Not new. It has been a requirement to apply for a nonimmigrant visa for some time now.

It is not a requirement to apply for an extension of stay.

It is not required to apply for non-b visa at nearby embassies and consulates.

1 hour ago, park said:

the British Embassy just provided me with a "certified" copy of my PGCEi certificate

 

It seems to me that the reason the immigration office did not accept your PGCEi certificate was simply because it was not certified as per their requirements. If the "certified" copy you got from the Britsh Embassy has a signature of an embassy or consular official, take it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs and have them certify the signature of the embassy or consular official. This is how this certification process usually works.

A PGCEi, PGCE, Grad. Dip. Ed./ TP or any equivalent is not a degree certificate as stipulated in the Immigration regulations and therefore rejected as such.

I still don't understand this.  The OP has provided everything required as detailed in the posted regulations from above.  His MA and PGCEi should be academic (chortle).

8 hours ago, Slip said:

I still don't understand this.  The OP has provided everything required as detailed in the posted regulations from above.  His MA and PGCEi should be academic (chortle).

OP's story is missing something. Either OP didn't bring his BA/ BSc or MA/ MSc or the aforementioned degree certificate wasn't certified by his embassy.

Why did he not just certify the Bachelors Degree, as that is what they are looking for. Looks like his school admin. are not on the ball.

Page 1.pdf

Page 2.pdf

Just went through the process this week. From what I am told, Immigration only cares about you BA or BSc, not any Masters, PGCE, TEFL, etc. Get the Bachelors certified by the embassy then Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Pay an extra 60 baht at the Ministry to get the documents mailed to you or you will have to make a return trip).

Good luck

15 hours ago, park said:

No problem with my degree and masters, but they didn't / don't,  recognise / understand PGCEi is post graduate.

I don't have a degree in education, but MoE accepts another degree plus PGCEi.

So it's part of my certificates package. 

to get ur nonb for working all you need to have is a bachelors degree..the pgce is secondary to that.....if you have the original bachelor degree...do not complicate the process by adding in degrees they do not understand...just use your bachelor degree

The fact that something is done after graduation doesn't mean that in all regards it's superior to what was done at an undergraduate level, and it isn't even proof that you've got a degree. I taught someone who had the postgraduate certificate from Scotland's UWS (then Paisley) in Alcohol and Drug Studies, but closer inspection revealed that he'd blagged his way onto that, and didn't have an undergraduate degree. My PGCE in Higher and Further Education came after a degree, but nobody could know that Strathclyde University only accepted degrees which the Thais would accept, so the PGCE doesn't prove anything. 

Seems everybody's saying the same thing here: TMI (To Much Information) My Mom would say: KISS (Keep It Simple S) :)