Can I convert my son's Ed visa to a Non-O visa while in Thailand?

@Shelley *******

Unfortunately at present , many agents are struggling for cash flow .

Advertising to keep the money coming in , knowing they will have to refund or maybe not , later .

@Shelley *******

I paid for an Ed visa 2 weeks ago from a company advertising. They stated at the time that they were 99% certain Ed visas would be available soon. Yesterday they refunded me.

@Shelley *******

yes and they only refunded me 75%. They kept 25% for the paperwork they prepared, although I’d agreed with the charge previously.

@Jay ****

did u pay as well as some extra money (around 10k bath) to IO to extend the visa without leaving the country?

@Jin ****

No, only have to pay when they confirm they will issue it.

@Shelley *******

, not to sound rude, but it sounds like you are using your son so you can get a long term visa extension to stay in Thailand...lololol. Immigration does know all the tricks, and loopholes. Something is up, that they do not consider correct, or they would issue you a guardianship extension no problem. Did you enter Thailand originally with the intention of your child going to school here, or was that an afterthought. With him technically not needing a visa extension, as you say, they know something is up.

@Shelley *******

, but you are using a dodgy way to get a visa extension. That is what you do not see, but immigration does.

@Shelley *******

, at this time, because of this virus, lots of people are looking for any way they can stay in Thailand, instead of returning home, and everyday immigration sees people trying to use different loopholes to do just that. Lots of people did border runs to do it, had multi-entry visas that required them to leave every 90 days, and now they can't. There are lots and lots of people trying to stay anyway they can, and lots of the ways are questionable, like why would you get your child a visa they do not need, unless it was only so you could stay long term instead of returning home. These are the things immigration is seriously looking at right now, because of this virus. They have given everyone ample time to return home. You came here as a tourist, but now want to stay, for whatever reason, and are trying to use your child, that does not need a visa extension, to do it. That is what immigration is questioning, even though they will not say it directly. They basically are seriously wondering why you did not take your child home to start school. That is why they are being so hard on you. Like I said, not to be rude, but that is what is going on with immigration.

@Shelley *******

, a valid reason for staying, there are many. Work, legally volunteering, retirement, although you are not eligible for that, opening your own business, going to school, but that is only good for three years, except in special circumstances, and marrying a Thai national. The way you do it legally, at your age, is with an Elite visa, if none of these other options fit. Thailand is nice, but the government is very very fussy about who they want to stay, and why. What allot of people do not understand about the ED visa extensions that are being sold is, you are still required to go to school, and every 90 days you must get it extended using the documents the school gives you to prove to immigration that you are in fact going to school. If you miss one of these required 90 day extensions then your visa expired, and you are on overstay. The same type of thing applies to volunteer visas, at 90 days, and with the fact you must also, to be legal, have a work permit, and to get that you must present all the documents from the organization that is legally registered to hire volunteers. These initial visas everyone is buying, are technically legal, for the first 90 days, as they are legally stamped by an immigration official, but after this 90 day period, people are in for a real surprise, if they aren't going to school, or actually volunteering, and miss that first extension date. Basically what immigration is telling you, and they are correct, is that inside the country you can not get a type O guardianship visa extension on a tourist visa/amnesty, without getting it initially at a Thai embassy out of the country. You must be on a visa category other than tourist. If you get an ED visa extension stamp in your passport, then you are no longer classes as a tourist, and they can issue you a different long term extension, without leaving the country at this time, but you must do it before the first 90 days expires, or you will be in big trouble if you are not going to school. Normally this is not the case, but because of this virus, and the borders completely closed they are making exceptions, but not at every immigration office.

@Steve ******

the only time I’ve been shot at was in Phnom Penh.

@Dan *******

only time I’ve been mugged was there too 😱

@Dan *******

ha ha me too, must be fairly common

@Chris ******

Dan doesn't want to share his story apparently. Can you at least share yours?

@Nick *****

, yes easy late night bar, drunk policeman, 6 shots fired thinking it was funny scaring the only 2 farangs

@Chris ******

where was he aiming? Or did he just shoot in the air?

@Nick *****

over our shoulders shooting bottles from the bar

@Dan *******

hope you recovered quickly!

@Dan *******

you can't just mention it and not tell us the whole story

@Nick *****

no honestly, I really can’t. It’s on a par with the time I nearly had my organs removed by a gang in Barcelona.

@Dan *******

oh look, we've got a James Bond here😃

@Steve ******

you didn't mention the money to be deposited for your quarantine and tests in order to enter Cambodia???

@Bob *********

I'm not talking about now. We all should have taken our lifes and money there years ago 😑

@Steve ******

she's talking about now

@Bob *********

I'm not

@Steve ******

thanks for the help