Dear expats, i have an iranian friend who needs advice; his ed visa is running out and he has two options:
1)pay 18k and get another 6 monthd extension, although he will stay here only till feb
2) visa run to nieghboring countries, to change for tourist visa (would be his second tourist visa, the other one from jan this year)
The problem is the iranian passport is quite weak, so he is afraid of the visa run. Any advice, any place recommended for visa run? Thanks!
TLDR : Answer Summary
An Iranian expat in Thailand is facing a decision as his education visa (ed visa) is about to expire. He can either pay 18,000 THB for a six-month extension, or he can attempt a visa run to neighboring countries to apply for a second tourist visa, which may be complicated due to his passport's perceived weaknesses. Community responses suggest that Iran is not on the Visa on Arrival list, making border runs problematic, and that obtaining a tourist visa might require strict documentation, potentially being too risky. Many comments recommend that the safest option is to opt for the extension instead of risking a visa run.