What should my Filipino girlfriend consider for a border run after her education visa in Thailand?

Jan 25, 2023
2 years ago
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Does anyone have any experience of doing a border run at the end of a long term visa.?

We were told by Thai immigration at Chaing Khong that if my Filipino girlfriend went out of Thailand at the end of a one year education visa that she would not be given normal visa on entry
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The conversation discusses the challenges faced by a Filipino individual planning to do a border run after completing a one-year education visa in Thailand. Important considerations include the need for proper visa extensions, regulations for Filipino nationals, and the risk of entry denial due to scrutiny over educational visas. Participants recommend using a reliable border run agency, especially given the recent investigations into educational visas. The experience and risks associated with crossing various borders, like Poi Pet, are also mentioned.
Peter ****************
And Poi Pet is known as the most difficult land border
@Todd ********
.
Todd *********
@Peter ***************
thus my comment noting ‘notorious’. Not exactly news
Todd *********
Filipina GF also and we have left a couple of times following 2.5 year covid stay, but received written warning at (notorious) Poi Pet last week. We shall see how that plays out. If you leave at the end for border bounce, i would use an agency to ensure she gets back in
Brandon ************
So first of all, people from Philippines do not qualify for visa on arrival, they qualify for visa exempt.

Second, if she is currently on an ED extension, then she will need to cancel that with a letter from the school taken to immigration before leaving. If she does not do that, she will likely face a 20,000 baht fine in the future for failing to cancel it since she signed a document that said she would notify immigration when her situation changed, and ending studying is that.

Third, it's hard to justify being a tourist in Thailand (which is what visa exempt is) after just completing a year in Thailand. So there is a high likelihood of facing a lot of questions and possibly being denied entry.

Finally, a large investigation of illicit ED visas just finished and anyone that has one in their passport from the last 1-2 years may possibly face additional scrutiny, and likely to be questioned about their education, and if it was for Thai language they will probably be questioned in Thai a bit as well.

The best option would be to use a land border with Laos as they are known to be the easiest to do border runs, but maybe also suggest using a border run agency/company that will ensure everything goes okay.
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
thank you that’s more useful. She did cancel her visa at immigration with a letter from the language school.

We Also went to Chaing Kong border with Lao.

The immigration told us that you cannot do a border run at the end of a long term visa.
Brandon ************
@Paul *************
I would look for a border run agency. They will look at her past history and say if it's possible and price based on that. It'll all be approved before she ever even gets to the border.

She could also do a border bounce by air and use a VIP entry service from an agency. I know the owner of the group offers that at the Bangkok and Phuket airports, about 3-5,000 baht depending on past history.
Kool *******
If she doesn't have all the required 90 day extensions during that year, there is a good chance she will be refused entry.
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
Why don’t people read the question and answer if they have a useful reply 🙄
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
We’ve been together for 3 years. Problem is I prefer Thailand to Philippines 😂
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
She’s been here for a year except for a month in September when she went back to to Philippines for a funeral
Paul **************
ORIGINAL POSTER
It’s not helpful because it didn’t answer the question. She has meticulously attended school all year and done all reports on time. The language school assured us we could leave the country at a land border and be give visa exemption. This is not our experience yesterday which is why I asked for experience rather than useless opinions
Kool *******
@Paul *************
, you failed to include those details, as many false ED one year visas were issued after the covid extensions ended, with most not having the 90 day extension stamps in the passport when they tried to do land border crossings, and were refused entry until they went to the Thai Embassy in the country they were in and gotten a tourist visa then flew back into Thailand.

If immigration has good reason to believe you've been trying to live in Thailand long term without the proper visa extension they will refuse entry. You did not list her history in Thailand before her ED visa. How many covid extensions did she get? How long has she been in Thailand? Be very aware immigration looks real close, and are very versed on the loopholes people try and use to stay here.
Brandon ************
@Paul *************
How is that not helpful? It's the reality. After the huge education visa investigation that just happened, there's a high likelihood that anyone entering the country with a recent ED visa/extension will run into trouble
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