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What should I do about my expired ED visa preventing my tourist visa extension in Thailand?

tourist visa ED visa visa cancellation Thailand immigration visa extension visa overstay expat advice

Jun 6, 2025

22 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I recently relocated from Krabi -> CM. I went to CM immigration today to extend my tourist visa. But they would not extend it because my 'expired' ED visa issued in Krabi was not 'canceled'. This is the first time I've experienced this. In the past, I can't recall having to cancel long term visas. I thought they just expired and I leave the country. Lesson learned I guess. 

I would like to know what is most advisable:

a) attempt to leave the country tonight / tomorrow morning and return.

b) fly to Krabi on Monday morning and overstay 3 days

Thank you.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user relocated to Chiang Mai from Krabi and faced issues extending their tourist visa due to an expired Educational (ED) visa that had not been formally canceled in Krabi. Seeking advice, they pondered whether to leave the country immediately or to overstay for a few days. Responses from the community primarily advised against overstaying, urging the user to formally cancel the ED visa to avoid potential fines or complications with future visa entries.

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Us *****

You will need a letter from your school and cancel your ed visa. I assume you got a few ed extension. You better do it immediately. Oh you better ask them if you have to fly out of the country and fly back in.

21 days ago

Benjamin *********

Ask the school for a letter confirming cancel, then go to immigration and show the letter

21 days ago

Kool *******

Do not overstay

21 days ago

Bob **********

Never overstay you’ve already done something that can keep you from obtaining a long stay visa if you do a border bounce you’ll need a company that can get you back alone I really don’t like your chances

21 days ago

Andy *****

We don't know your visa history - so it's just a general advice: Do not overstay!

If your stamp history is not too extensive, I would recommend leaving Thailand for a few days and get in touch with the place where you had your ED visa. Let them know that you need the visa to be cancelled, and that you will come next week to pick up the printed confirmation of the cancellation.

Then you could try to get a visa exempt entry into Thailand ( if your passport is eligible) which should give you 60 days.

However, there's is no guarantee that you will be able to enter Thailand again if the IO doesn't see you as a genuine tourist.

Perhaps it would be better for you to look for a company that does a border bounce. They check in advance if you will be able to get back into Thailand.

21 days ago

Suha ********

You can cancel your ED visa simply calling to your school. I remember i called them and took only 10 seconds on the phone. Hi Pat :))

22 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

I tried that. It didn't work.

22 days ago

Reply to

Pat *********

Wannikea *********

Leaving the country won't cancel the visa, you need a letter from your school and prepare to pay overstay fine

22 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Wannikea ********

Thank you. To be clear, I am wondering if it is better to try to leave tonight and not overstay. Or if overstaying by 3 days and paying the fine is more appropriate for my situation.

22 days ago

Wannikea *********

@Pat ********

maybe leave and re-enter with visa exempt. Overstay stamps don't look good. I'm assuming your Ed visa permission to stay was dated today. Next time you need immigration office services a keen eyed IO might notice, but then again they might not.

21 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Wannikea ********

Actually my ED visa expired about 6 months ago After it expired I traveled around SEA. Now I'm on a tourist visa

21 days ago

Brandon ************

@Pat ********

that's going to be a 20,000 baht fine as it's 500 baht per day. The only possibility to avoid the fine is a new passport.

21 days ago

Nongnuch ********

@Pat ********

I doubt that you are on any real "tourist visa". You seem to have entered visa-exempt. You are on a stay permit, not on a visa. And the times when one could do consecutive visa-exempt entries one after another, have definitely come to an end. If you spent a few of the mentioned 6 months on visa exempt stay permits, you will probably be denied the next attempt for another visa-exempt entry. So beware and have a Plan B in your pocket

21 days ago

Reply to

Nongnuch ********

Adam *********

I had to cancel my ed visa before I left when I had one

22 days ago

Jeremy ********

I would definitely not go into overstay

22 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Jeremy *******

Thank you. Could you elaborate based on my situation?

22 days ago

Jeremy ********

@Pat ********

with the new TDAC and integrated computer systems, nobody knows what the future holds for overstayers…

3 years ago your situation would have never been in the system in Chia Mai but in

*********

it is…

22 days ago

Reply to

Jeremy ********

Ručman ***********

You need to cancel that visa in Krabi. Sorry 😔 you are doomed otherwise

22 days ago

Ručman ***********

@Pat ********

if you leave there is high chance they might not accept you back

21 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Ručman **********

Thank you. That is the plan. Better to overstay 3 days or better to leave Thailand tonight?

22 days ago

Brandon ************

@Pat ********

you will be able to apply for tourist extension all the way up until 20 days of overstay. They'll just fine you, stamp your passport, and then give you a retroactive extension. That means if you go 3 days overstay you'll only get 27 days from your extension because they will date it back 3 days, and you'll pay 1500 baht overstay (500 per day).

But you need to be aware that you'll also be fined for not cancelling your education extension. You'll need a letter from your school that states the last day of study, and you'll be fined 500 baht per day from that day (up to 20,000 baht)

21 days ago

Reply to

Brandon ************

Peter ******

TiT.

22 days ago

Pat *********

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Peter *****

Thank you. But I don't know what that means.

22 days ago

Adrian *******