Can I do a border run on an Ed visa to get a tourist visa in Thailand?

Mar 20, 2020
5 years ago
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi am in right in thinking that if I do a border run on an Ed visa a week before it expires in the hope of getting a fresh 30day tourist visa I'm just gonna come back in on the Ed visa I left on? In other words they won't turn an unexpired Ed visa into a tourist visa upon arrival?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is inquiring about performing a border run on an Education (ED) visa before it expires to obtain a 30-day tourist visa. Comments clarify that a border run cannot convert an unexpired ED visa into a tourist visa upon re-entry. Instead, the ED visa will be marked as used, and users must ensure their extension is canceled before leaving the country. They should consider obtaining a new visa suited to their needs.
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks for the advice, it's very helpful. I will miss today for a visa run, so will just have to look into getting the medical insurance and certificate in the meantime and monitor situation
Wannikea *********
Not that I love having a ton of stamps in my passport, but possibly immigration and should notify ED visa/extension holders of the cancellation requirements
Tod *********
nope, it is your passport, your stamps and your responsibility to know what to do.

Even clueless schools here will tell you just stamp out and it causes a LOT of problems down the road because you didn't cancel your ED extension OR your B extension BEFORE you left.
Tod *********
News flash, you're not on ANY VISA. You got a 90 day Non-ED visa you stamped in on it (meaning it was USED), you got a 90 day entry stamp and you've been getting EXTENSIONS OF STAYS from the immigration office on it. <- that is NOT a visa and extensions don't cancel when you stamp out.

You need a letter from your school stating you are no longer studying, you take that to the immigration office they cancel the extension and you can leave the country.

I don't know ANY land border still open that will let you stamp out on a valid extension of stay on an ED visa that wasn't canceled.

AND you're not getting any tourist visa :/ Remember you BUY tourist visas at a thai consulate in another country you don't get them at the border :O

What you're wanting is to get a free 30 day visa exempt entry stamp at the border.

I don't think they'll let you stamp out of the border on that extension

Sadly this was something you should have dealt with earlier in the week when you could have gotten the letter from your school (even though they're closed they still provide them to students) and gone to the immigration office to cancel this extension...
Paul ********
ok. the reason i ask is that i have an ed extension that will end in June. so even though it ends in June, I ALSO have to cancel it through the language school/local immigration office?
Paul ********
sorry if tangential... but is the normal process for the end of an extension to simply leave the country a day or two before the last day of the extension?
Benjamin ******
Let's straighten this out:

>Hi am in right in thinking that if I do a border run on an Ed visa

What is an "ED Visa"? There are two separate things that people call an ED visa:

1. The single entry ED Visa that is valid for 90 days

2. The extension of stay based on being a student.

If you have the sticker, there's nothing else you need to do. If you have the extension of stay, it needs to be canceled before you bounce.

>in the hope of getting a fresh 30day tourist visa

Thailand has never sold a 30 day tourist visa. That's a 30 day visa exempt. You can get "unlimited" of them by flying in, or two of them in a calendar year by land. Each visa exempt can be extended by another 30 days at your local immigration office for 1,900 THB

>I'm just gonna come back in on the Ed visa I left on

When you enter on a single entry ED visa, it should be stamped "used" or "void" or something like that. The only way to return is to get another visa, or come back in on a visa exempt.

I highly recommend getting a visa that's valid for your purpose though. Changes are occurring, FAST!
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Cheers mate
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
It can be before I was just concerned I woudn't be put on a tourist visa, if you get me. I haven't cancelled this visa yet. No time as I might bounce tomorrow to avoid insurance n medical certificate
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Yeah Thai language course
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
April 2 is the end of the 9 month course.
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Ok thanks here it is
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hi Benjamin does this help?
Michael ********
If you need the 30 days, then get the ED cancelled first, but as Robert says it cab only be used for 1 entry anyway....not sure where you would border bounce though......options are slim..
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I thought Cambodia is open
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Yeah it's a single entry visa. So if I leave n come back without a the rentry permit it will cancel anyway and I can get the tourist visa?
Bobby ********
What's your "permitted to stay" date in your passport?
George *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
April2
Robert *******
Take a look at your ED visa, on the sticker there must be the text: No of Entries and underneath the letter S. On entry in Thailand they stamped the sticker used and maybe a stamp with day of entry. You can not use it again, sorry

Looks like this example:
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