Do I need to cancel my education visa extension before returning to Bangkok on a tourist entry?

Piotr Tamulewicz the staff at the Embassy are administrative who do not work for immigration department, thus you would be ill advised to rely on their advice.

And the fact they said your extension is single entry clearly shows they don’t know what they are talking about. The VISA is single entry, the extension of stay is not the VISA.

The choice is totally yours, you have been given the correct process to follow, with the consequences of a fine should you not.

Cancellation is free and needs to be done at the immigration office (not airport)

Piotr Tamulewicz yes, providing they don’t fine you for overstay on the days you have been back without cancelling it...but if you do it as soon as you return you will be fine

Joe D Greene ok so based on your logic, once you leave Thailand your extension of stay is cancelled - so then there would be no reason to cancel something when you return as it’s cancelled - based on your opinion.

Then please explain why immigration still needed to cancel my previous ED extension of stay AFTER I returned from Australia on a new tourist visa ?!

You can see the stamp on the bottom is dated 26 April (the date they cancelled it), but it was back dated to 10 April - the day I left Thailand.

Why would Immigration need to cancel my extension after I returned, if as you say it was already cancelled?!

It’s because they do require it to be cancelled regardless of departing Thailand...and whilst they could have fined me for a few days, they let me go with a warning!

@Joe **********

wrong, Piotr don’t listen to him as he won’t pay your fine - just follow cancel it after you return as soon as you can, with 24-48 hours and you will be fine.

You enter Thailand on your new visa normally, and then go to the main office of immigration.

You will be entered on a 30 day Visa Exempt

I say that it is not proper but the extension is cancelled. Ammends likely have to be made at immigration but it is cancelled

@Joe **********

sorry but you are perfectly wrong. People have and are being fined.

Tod or Robert - you want to explain to this nice man 🙂

Glen Shkolar There is nothing special about an Ed Visa Extension versus any Extension that must ordinarily be cancelled such as a B Visa - leave without an Reentry Permit while on a B Visa Extension or O visa Extension (retirement)... and the Extension is cancelled. Not properly done but it is cancelled. Ed Visa Extensions are not Magic

@Joe **********

you have no idea what you are talking about lol

@Glen ********

not so

Joe D Greene WRONG again

An extension of stay based on ED can only be cancelled with a letter from the school and in person at immigration

People have been fined after returning to Thailand on a new visa. When they go to do an extension on their new visa or have any contact with immigration - it’s then the immigration will notice the previous extension was NOT cancelled and they can and do fine you 500 Baht per day up to the maximum of 20,000 baht.

There is a big stamp you get that shows you cancelled the extension - if you don’t have that stamp then was never cancelled!

@Glen ********

not so

Leaving Thailand without a Reentry Permit most certainly cancels any and all single entry visas and Extensions of Stay

@Piotr ***********

I said you go to immigration AFTER you arrive back in Thailand...so it would be the main office in your area AFTER you arrive

Piotr Tamulewicz no you have to go to the main office, not airport

Printed letter from email is fine...I did it that way too

Ben Bogaerts yes most people refer to visa when often it is actually an extension of stay, and you said “...you don’t have anything anymore...” which was incorrect because it’s very likely he is on extension of stay which must be cancelled.

for a visa as well as extension of stay? the OP talked visa initially

Get a letter from your school cancelling your study dated the day you left Thailand and take it to immigration ASAP when you return. If you do it within 24-48 hours of arriving back in Thailand then should be ok.

@Ben *********

WRONG - an ED extension of stay must be cancelled in person at immigration with letter from school before you leave Thailand.

Leaving the country does not automatically cancel an extension of stay - and even if you return on new visa you can be fined up to 20,000 Baht for overstaying on the previous extension of stay because it was not cancelled.

if you flew out without a re-entry permit you don't have anything anymore, so you cancelled it by doing that