Curious about how I might be able to stay in Thailand longer. Here are my details.
US citizen.
Came to BKK in late April on 30 day Visa on Arrival. Towards the end of the 30 days, I got the 30 day extension at immigration. I stayed about 25 of the 30 allotted extra days before returning home to the USA in June.
I enjoyed my first trip and wanted a longer trip. I applied for the METV in Los Angeles and received that. I came back to Thailand in July and have until mid January on my current METV.
I feel that if it were possible, I'd like to stay beyond that. Just haven't gotten to do everything I wanted to do. I was thinking that an ED Visa would be the way to go.
I was wondering about the likelihood of being approved or denied for an ED Visa since I will have been here for more than 6 months of 2019. I also wondered about the proper timing of the ED Visa application. Should I wait until my METV runs out in January? Should I go out of the country in 2019, then apply for the ED Visa in the first few weeks of 2020? Any difference?
Am I making a big deal of nothing? Might any answers given today change by year's end? Just looking for the best plan.
In addition to the above visits I came to Thailand in December of 2014 and 2018 for 1-2 weeks.
Thanks and gratitude for your help!
TLDR : Answer Summary
A US citizen currently in Thailand on a METV is seeking advice on extending their stay beyond the current visa expiration in January. They previously extended a Visa on Arrival and highlighted their experience visiting Thailand multiple times. Comments suggest that while it's possible to extend the stay by exiting and re-entering the country before the METV expires, applying for an ED Visa may be risky if the intent is solely to prolong the stay without genuine educational purposes. Some responses encourage considering an Elite Visa for longer stays, while others emphasize the increasing scrutiny on visa applications for long-term stays without proper justification.
