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What are the best visa options for my family to stay in Thailand for one year while I am on an ED visa?

ED VisaTourist VisaVisa ExtensionsVisa RunsNon-O VisaDependent VisasChildren's VisasMulti-Entry VisaVisa Application ProcessImmigration Guidance
Feb 11, 2018
7 years ago
Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
EDITED: Some great ideas so far, but still looking for best and safest option for my family to be in Thailand for 1 year.

ORIGINAL POST: My family will be coming in on different visas. Me on ED visa. Husband and 2 kids on 60 day tourist visas. Plan is for all of us to stay for a year. Husband needs to come and go so can use this time as visa runs. Kids are babies so I’m told don’t need visas. Are we going to have a problem going through immigration together or should we split up? Any guidance much appreciated.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is seeking advice on the best options for them and their family to stay in Thailand for one year, considering different visa types. They have an ED visa for themselves, while their husband and kids are on short tourist visas. Discussion includes the possibility of their children being added to their visa, the requirement for dependent visas, and various suggestions like obtaining a Multi-Entry Tourist Visa for the family. Some comments reiterate the complexities around the visa types and border runs, expressing concerns about travelling with young children.
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Tod *********
@La***
, okay, until you know whether the school you're attending will or won't help with sponsoring your family on Non-O visas and extensions you're just guessing on what to do.

If the school won't do it, your options are limited.

Get everyone 6 month METV <-multi-entry tourist visas which you could wring almost 9 months of stay in country out of with border bouncing (yep, if the kids are on this type they'd need to border bounce to be legal) .

Get your spouse a 6 month METV and let the kids overstay.

Those are the only real options you have if the school won't help you secure dependent visas and extensions based on you being a student.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you. Just received an e-mail from the school. They won’t allow me to sponsor my husband so he’ll need to get a MTV. Regards the children, will immigration be ok them coming in on a standard 30 day tourist visa?
7 years ago
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Laura *****
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Terary **********
Stuff the kids in a suite case - no one will be the wiser. You may have troubles getting them out of Thailand when the time comes - but worry about that then.. You may not even want them anymore when they're that big.
7 years ago
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Molly *********
You should be able to get your kids on a visa that follows yours. I have friends in this group who have done this. My family and I have different visas because our marriage is not recognized in Thailand (same sex couple). So I am on my own ED visa, my wife has a work visa and non-O for one year, and our two kids follow hers. What I can say about that is that the first 90 days I was on tourist visas and extension. I was happy to not have to take the kids on border bounce and visa run trips as they are tedious in general. If your husband can do those on his own and the kids can follow your visa it will be a bit easier.
7 years ago
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Molly *********
Shannon Meade, do your kids follow your education visa?
7 years ago
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Molly *********
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Kurt ********
Looks like your spouse and children are eligible for a non immigrant visa based on your ED visa. Where are you applying for the ED visa? They will tell you exactly what you need to supply (marriage certs and birth certs) for the dependent visas.
7 years ago
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Marly ***********
yes your kids can get nonO based on your ED but you need to tell your school and ask for a letter from the school stated your minor children will accompany you in thailand. the docs for them are simple: letter from school, birth certificate, passport and visa fee.. but need to check with thai embassy of your location thou..(not sure about your husband)
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
I guess it will be UK as this is where we’re applying from
7 years ago
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Kurt ********
@Laura ****
 once you know where you can reach out to them or check their website for specifics.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kurt *******
 good point. Don’t know.
7 years ago
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Kurt ********
@Laura ****
 Your school doesn't issue visas, do you know which embassy they will be sending you to?
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thai school, Koh Phangan
7 years ago
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Kurt ********
@Laura ****
 I read the opposite. Where are you applying for the ED visa?
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
After a quick google search, looks like this isn’t an option for someone on ED visa. Only for those with business or retirement visas. I’d love to be wrong though.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
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Henry *********
Wait for someone more expert, but can dependants be added to Ed visa extensions?
7 years ago
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Tom ************
If you all are coming from UK, why not get the 6 month Multi Entry Tourist Visa. Can work for 9 months if timed right
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Robert ***********
 I'd rather not go into the details of my children, thanks anyway. Appreciate your input.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Robert ***********
 Would rather not if we could avoid it.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
I'm wondering if an admin could wade in here? Thanks
@Tod ********
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kurt *******
 only from a childcare perspective, we don’t have anyone to look after them.
7 years ago
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Kurt ********
@Laura ****
 why would they need to accompany you on your border run? Once they enter the country they could stay indefinitely. They cannot overstay because they are a minor.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Kurt *******
 thanks. However they’d need to accompany us on our border runs which isn’t ideal.
7 years ago
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Henry *********
Children can overstay, if they overstay! They receive an overstay stamp in their passport, however as
@Tom ***********
 has explained they are too young to be fined or banned.
7 years ago
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Kurt ********
@Laura ****
 children can enter on visa exempt and they can never overstay as they are too young so they wouldn't need to do any border runs.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tom ***********
 that’s something we’re trying to avoid with young children. Might not be a flyer but I’ll look into it. Thanks again.
7 years ago
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Tom ************
I believe so but best wait for one of the admins on this page to verify. The only difference it makes being a child is that there is no fine for overstay (age dependant). That would total 3 'border bounces' (can do same day return to BK) and 1 'visa run' (which would take a few days) totalling 4 trips
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tom ***********
 also, to make it work for 12 months, how many border runs is that? 2?
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks again. Do you know whether we’d need to get the METV for our children too? Or would we be able to get them a standard 30 or 60 day tourist visa?
7 years ago
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Tom ************
Credit:
@Robert ******
. On the Visa there is the Enter Before date. If you enter just before or on that day you will get 60 days Admitted to Stay. These 60 days can be Extended once at local Immigration with 30 days, makes a total of 270 days out of this visa. You don't have to go back home, just leave Thailand at a border, stamp out, stamp in/out neighbor country and stamp in Thailand.
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tom ***********
 interesting. Hadn’t thought about this option and don’t know anything about this so will look into it now. Thanks.
7 years ago
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Tom ************
Nope, but a short couple of days trip to a neighbouring country to get a new 60 day single entry tourist visa ( of which can be extended in the country for 30 days, once) at the end of the METV would cover them
7 years ago
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Laura *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thank you. We’d like 12 months ideally. Is there a way we can make that visa work for longer?
7 years ago
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Laura *****
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Amornrat **********
no problem if you come in together. For the record, everyone need to be legal in Thailand, either on a visa or visa exempt, just for kids below 15years there is no fine, in case you not want to leave the country.
7 years ago
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Amornrat **********
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