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How do I cancel an expired ED visa in Thailand?
Mar 30, 2026
a month ago
Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTERPrevious ED visa cancelation
I have read that if in the past you had an ED visa you need to cancel it even if it expired, to avoid issues getting a DTV
How do you do that? Just go to immigration and ask? What documents are required?
Thank you
I have read that if in the past you had an ED visa you need to cancel it even if it expired, to avoid issues getting a DTV
How do you do that? Just go to immigration and ask? What documents are required?
Thank you
TLDR : Answer Summary
To cancel an expired ED visa in Thailand, it's essential to obtain an official cancellation letter from the school that issued the visa. You have two options for cancellation: either visit an immigration office in person, bringing the cancellation letter and your passport, or exit the country, which may automatically cancel the visa. It's advised to ensure this cancellation is processed properly to avoid complications with future visa applications, particularly for a DTV. There may be costs associated with this service if handled by the school, although cancellation through immigration is generally free.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
- Take the basic DTV Qualification Test to see if you're eligible for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).
- For immediate assistance, contact Thai Visa Centre directly via LINE at @ThaiVisaCentre or Email them.
- Explore recent discussions by using the DTV Visa tag in the search box at the top of the page.
- Join the Thai Visa Advice Facebook Group to ask your questions, and get advice from others.
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Jamie *********
School owner here 👋. An ED visa has to be registered as cancelled at immigration for it to be properly closed off, otherwise you may not be able to get another long term visa until it's done. Exiting Thailand without cancelling the ED visa will void it, it won't register as a cancellation. It's easy to cancel, the school just needs to write a cancellation letter for immigration, take the letter with your passport to immigration, and they'll cancel it for you. For what it's worth, we don't charge anything for the cancellation letter, nor should immigration, but many schools do. Good luck 👍
CharmingRa***********
@Jamie ********
May I ask what I should do if the school fails to provide the cancellation letter properly?I have been waiting for nearly 20 days without receiving it, and I had to leave the country to avoid overstaying.
Jamie *********
It's difficult because the letter does need to come from the school who provided the ED visa in order to properly cancel it. I often find that a polite visit in person usually gets the best results. Could someone go on your behalf?
Markus ********
@Jamie ********
WHO says this? since you are the owner of a school you can certainly show an official document as proof from immigration (i want to see it in THAI, not english) where it clearly shows that an ED visa must be canceled with a letter. Post it here so everyone can benefit from it. I personally called immigration and asked them the same question and they said you can either go to the immigration office and cancel it OR(!) fly out and thats totally fine. I also had an ED visa, asked my school and they as well said there is no need to cancel it.Jamie *********
@Markus *******
Chiang Mai Immigration has made it pretty clear to us in the past, it's also quite a well known fact amongst school owners/managers. We've successfully processed several hundred ED visas and DTVs over the last few years, both with Chiang Mai Immigration, and with several Thai embassies around the world, so quite a lot of experience to draw from. I appreciate you may have been given a piece of information, but this is something my school works with on a daily basis.Markus ********
@Jamie ********
okay and I can tell you that several hundred people did NOT cancel their ED visa and still got a DTV or other visas. Great that chiang mai immigration made it clear to you, then you must have a document that you can show as proof. Show me an official statement from a thai embassy where a cancellation letter of an ED visa is required and where a departed stamp was not enough. Since you have a lot of experience it should be easy to get an official statement. As far as I know embassies don't provide the reason why a visa was rejected so you must have some secret insider knowledge. Please enlighten us.Jamie *********
@Markus *******
If you want written rules from immigration, you should go and get them from Chiang Mai Immigration yourself. I've given you my legitimate take as a reputable school owner, you're ignoring it. Impolitely asking/telling me to show you immigration's rules, whilst wrongly assuming that all their working rules are actually "written" for public access. Simple answer, do it yourself. You're too rude to bother dealing with any further. Hopefully others reading these comments can benefit from the information.Markus ********
@Jamie ********
what did i ignore? All i told you is to prove your statement with an official document which you obviously don't have. If you really want to help here then get something official. All you say is "based on experience" "in the past" etc but this is all hot air. Get me something from an immigration lawyer or whatever then we can discuss. And yes i did contact immigration and got completely different info than you. Also my school said a cancellation is NOT needed. Or do you think only your school follows immigration rules? :)Reply to
Markus ********
Reply
Marc ********
I thought ED visa you still need a re entry visa?
So if one dosn't have said visa is it not possible just leaving the country and it gets cancelled automatically?
So if one dosn't have said visa is it not possible just leaving the country and it gets cancelled automatically?
Marc ********
@Robert ******
does not answer my question🤷♂️Robert *******
@Marc *******
Okay, if you sign without reading and understanding, why you want me to type it all out for you.YOU do not want to read and use your own terminoligy,, why would I bother
Marc ********
@Robert ******
I read it but it basically only only sais if you change your mind you have to cancel it.But not answering me if you need a re entry permit or not. And if so would you need a re entry permit in the first place if it will not get cancelled by exiting the country anyway🤷♂️🤡
Robert *******
@Marc *******
WOW, change your mind, how did you made that up?You can buy the Non Immigrant ED visa in two different scenario.
1 Outside Thailand and than it is a SINGLE entry visa, which can be used once to get 90 days of stay and will be stamped USED, no need to cancel it later.
2. Inside Thailand as a NON entry visa, you get a new 90 days of stay.
NO need to cancel the visa if you leave.
IF you want to travel and keep the 90 days alive, you use a Re-Entry Permit, sitill no need to cancel your used and invalid visa.
NOW the problem start.
IF you visit Immigration for an Extension of Stay, one of the documents you sign is the one I showed STM2.
With this form you sign you understand and acknowldge the rules and regulations.
Marc ********
@Robert ******
if you have an ordinary Retirement Visa Non O I believe is the name you need a re entry permit if you leave. If you leave without having one the visa will be automatically cancelled. So my question was is it not the same with ED?But you come up with some other stuff🤦♀️🤡
Robert *******
@Marc *******
Again, try to read:1. Change of reason for visa extension upon this permit was granted.
The subject is education, that can change, now you start to compare with retirement, or as the Thai rules are older than 50 years of age .
So, do you think by leaving Thailand, you can get younger than 50 years of age?
IF not the reason for visa extension upon this permit was granted did not change.
Marc ********
@Robert ******
all that nonsense big text instead of just telling me if the 1 year ED visa needs a re enty permit or not. And yet you still can't give me a clear answerReply to
Marc ********
Reply
Cui ******
The agent told me that if I cancel myself, I'd have to go to the immigration office twice, but if I pay 5000 Thai baht, the school can handle it for me。😁😆I've chosen to pay, so I think you can just pay 5,000 Thai baht directly to the immigration office through your agent.
Robert *******
@Cui *****
Immigation does it for FREE, you school need to pay their staff.BUT why do you give your passport to a school and not Immigration?
Cui ******
@Robert ******
😆😆This is just a trick by the agents, the school, and the immigration department.This is a collusion of power and corruption. I'm just an ordinary person who follows the rules.They're the ones who make the rulesCharmingRa***********
@Cui *****
could you share me your agent ? because I got trouble for not having cancellation letterCui ******
CharmingRaspberry1772 Everyone I know is Chinese，You should find someone who speaks the same language as you
Robert *******
@Cui *****
Reading your comment you follow the instructions of agents and school, not the rulesReply to
Robert *******
Reply
Greg ********
@Cui *****
The guy is asking about an already "expired" ED visa ie he had one in the past. Not one that is currently "Live" ie active.Cui ******
@Greg *******
Mine has expired too, but the Thai immigration rules are messed up.😆😂No one knows what the immigration department is thinking。But they can charge extra for one more step, that's allGreg ********
@Cui *****
I can believe it. Its not just immigration though. It is the schools and agents all doing dodgy deals to get around the system. I remember having to pay a fee to cancel a Retirement Visa at an Office so I could get an exemption to apply for a B.Reply to
Greg ********
Reply
Robert *******
WOW. some people really love to type nonsense.
Lets start at the beginning.
What do you call an ED visa?
1. Are you still in the first 90 days you got at entry of at conversion at Immigration?
2. Did you visit Immigration and applied for a NEW stamp with the text "Extension of Stay permitted up to xx/xxx/xxxx"
IF option 1, you can leave as the Visa is Single Entry and became invalid/used at entry.
If option 2, you signed the form STM2, so you need to get a letter from your school to state the last day of following the course, visit with that letter the same Immigration Office and cancel your stay based on changing conditions.
You need to bring your passport.
Be aware your permission to stay in Thailand is the same last day of going to school, so cancel in advance to have some time to leave the country before that date OR apply directly for a new Extension of Stay, pay 1.900 Thb and when NOT approved you will get 7 days to pack your bags and leave this country.
Lets start at the beginning.
What do you call an ED visa?
1. Are you still in the first 90 days you got at entry of at conversion at Immigration?
2. Did you visit Immigration and applied for a NEW stamp with the text "Extension of Stay permitted up to xx/xxx/xxxx"
IF option 1, you can leave as the Visa is Single Entry and became invalid/used at entry.
If option 2, you signed the form STM2, so you need to get a letter from your school to state the last day of following the course, visit with that letter the same Immigration Office and cancel your stay based on changing conditions.
You need to bring your passport.
Be aware your permission to stay in Thailand is the same last day of going to school, so cancel in advance to have some time to leave the country before that date OR apply directly for a new Extension of Stay, pay 1.900 Thb and when NOT approved you will get 7 days to pack your bags and leave this country.
James ********
@Robert ******
correct ✅ thank you for your helpful reply with steps, if required, to cancel the Ed Visa.Reply to
James ********
Reply
Markus ********
are you on an extension of stay or a real visa? i called immigration myself because here is a lot of wrong info on this topic and they said there are two options: 1. you can go to the immigration office and cancel it but then you need to leave on the same day 2. you can just fly out and get the departed stamp. Then its automatically cancelled. Read posts from Tod Daniels as well
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3/SIn_Ci******
Same advice I was told
Reply to
SIn_Ci******
Reply
LongTimeLivi************
You need to contact the school and get an official letter from them they cancelled your Ed Visa/Extension. They can't just let them expire and not report to Immigration. Potential fine for the school if they didn't report even if it expired. At least that's what the school explained to me.
Dany ********
i didnt cancel it. was not necessary. 🤷♀️
James ********
@Dany *******
it's required if you are on the extensions of the Ed Visa.Dany ********
@James *******
if you say so… wasnt a problem for me when i exited and got the DTVMarkus ********
@James *******
Immigration says otherwiseJames ********
@Markus *******
if you say so... but that's not correct.Markus ********
@James *******
not ME said that, immigration said itReply to
Markus ********
Reply
CharmingRa***********
Seriously need Cancellation letter from your school
Reply to
CharmingRa***********
Reply
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