What should I do about my expiring Ed visa in Thailand and switching to a COVID visa?

Ed Visa COVID Visa Visa Extension Turkish Passport Visa Rules Immigration Amnesty Period Language School Options Muay Thai Visa Volunteering Visa

Sep 1, 2020

4 years ago

İzem ********

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hi everyone,

I am in a complicated situation and feeling a bit lost, would very much appreciate your help! 

I am on Ed visa expiring on 14th October. I got a letter from my embassy about covid situation to request an extension. I went to chaeng Wattana today. Officer said, that I should get a letter from my school to cancel my ed visa and switch to covid visa. So it's not going to be an extension as I hoped. Officer suggested me to come back again between 20th to 26th September to issue this. However I asked my questions there, I couldn't get much of an explanation, probably caused by miscommunication. 

Is my visa going to be cancelled on a date that papers were stamped for or is it going to be cancelled on the day I go to Chaengwattana? Because if it's gonna get cancelled on the day I go there, on the dates she suggested me to come back I am losing about 3 weeks from my visa, which I'd love to preserve if possible but I don't know how long the process may take, how long before I have to do it... In the other hand if I leave this process to last few days to use my visa more and somehow end up getting rejected I definitely couldn't arrange a trip back to Turkey in a few days :S (I am a Turkish passport holder.)

My other question is how long this covid visa is? Is it 3 months or only a month?? Or even if it's for a month is it easy to keep extending it? How does it work? Ideally I would like to stay in Thailand until March or February, which is not much actually after my visa runs out in mid October.

If I could follow up Level 3 with my language school, paper work could have been much easier but it's quite expensive and I am not in a financially comfortable place at the moment. I heard about Muay Thai visas, are there any cheap options? Or I heard about volunteering visas but couldn't learn much about it yet, do you know how do they work?

Thank you so much if you read this so far! <3 I know it's way too long! :'( 

ANY SUGGESTIONS??? 

Much obliged! 🙏😇🙏

*Just a photo of me giving you guys my puppy eyes for help👇😄

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TLDR : Answer Summary

The user is seeking advice on switching from an expiring Ed visa to a COVID visa in Thailand. They are concerned about losing time on their current visa if it gets canceled when they visit Chaeng Wattana and the duration and extendability of the COVID visa. They are also inquiring about alternative visa options like Muay Thai and volunteering visas, expressing that financial constraints make continuing their studies difficult.

Tod *********

and we wish good luck to the O/P in what ever it is they're trying to do. Next time you don't need to post a selfie in a mask, just ask your question

Good Luck, (y)

4 years ago

Emre ********

Many other people would have the same situation, maybe they would have extend the amnesty of stay once again. I would wait and see while you have time.

4 years ago

Somchit **********

My school has advised me to wait for an announcement from the government which they believe will happen within two weeks from now. Things could very well change.

4 years ago

Somchit **********

I'm probably the one missing something. Here's my situation. I entered Thailand on an ED visa on the 25th of January and have been extending my stay every 90 days. My current course (intermediate Thai) will be over by mid October at the same date as my current extension expires. My school isn't offering a 3 month course which I assume mean that I can't get a reson to extend a third time. The thing is that I'm not sure that the school want to help or if they're giving me good advice as they are currently full and have recently been making a killing on jacked up prices for new ED visa holders. As I've understood the rules, Im not allowed to change to another school unless I get a new visa.

4 years ago

Somchit **********

@Benjamin *****

I'm a student.

4 years ago

Somchit **********

Benjamin Hays I hadn't seen that announcement before. Does that mean that my current visa will be extendable past the usual 12 month limit?

4 years ago

Somchit **********

@Benjamin *****

Yes

4 years ago

Reply to

Somchit **********

James ********

@Somchit *********

🙏🙏🙏

4 years ago

Somchit **********

@James *******

Thanks for your advice yesterday James🙏🙏🙏

4 years ago

Reply to

Somchit **********

Mikkel *******

Just to add to what

@Benjamin *****

said. If you are actually still studying up until 14th October, you're good until then, then just go a week or so before to immigration, with a letter from your school saying you will stop studying on the 14th October. That will give you time to get ready to leave. Or apply for another type of extension if you have a valid reason. As he pointed out you are not on a visa, but an extension of stay. As soon as you stop studying, that extension is no longer valid. If that's the case, you are already on amnesty, and would under normal circumstances be in overstay and potentially trouble. But they have waived the fines for that until 26th September. Letting you stay until then.

4 years ago

Reply to

Mikkel *******

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Is my ED Visa still active after switching to COVID extensions, and what are the implications of canceling it?

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