What should my husband do about overstaying his visa in Thailand while waiting for a new Ed visa?

Hi Bennent,

I would recommend you to check with school first of how long their process would be as it’s could take time especially during the new year holiday.

If the process of your school are confirm between 1-3 weeks and you are ok with the overstay fee of 500 bth per day. It’s should be best to remain and pay for overstay and school can remain using the current documents they have already prepared for you.

However, if the process is unsure of how many day/week to be able to obtain your new visa due to preparation and approval of visa documents. It’s would be best to leave country and back with visa on arrival or even tourist visa then changes it here in Thailand. This will give you and school enough time at least 4-8 weeks with an extension of maximum 30 days to process all documents/approval necessary

Please be note that you can only apply for visa on arrival or VOA for maximum 4 times per calendar year

However, in general for changes of visa type in Thailand - you would require to have at least 15 days of remaining current visa. Also, non immigrant to non immigrant visa can’t be changes in the country.

Good luck 🍀

Your situation is actually very simple :

1. As you got out of the country without a re-entry permit, the former ED visa is now OVER and you can't get back on it.

2. There is NO renewal possible from the former visa IN the country, the main reason being that you CANNIOT have 2 ED visa back to back in the country. There MUST be an EXIT (or another type of visa) in between two consecutive ED Visas.

3. As you are already overstaying, you cannot just go to your school and have them do the process again for a new ED visa without you leaving the country. Any potential short term extension to "let you breathe" , would be meant to have you leaving the country not staying there to then jump on something else AT ALL.

Side note: When you're not in an overstay situation and you renew an ED visa, your school always make you apply for it (through them) via another country (usually Malaysia, in Penang), that's an EXIT.

4. Therefore, your ONLY OPTION is to leave the country (asap, to avoid the bad look in regards to your future new ED application) and come back on a visa exemption (or another short term visa), then go back to your school and re-apply for a totally new ED visa through them..

It takes 3 weeks of a procedure to a school to get you an ED visa, so don't waste time once you come back to Thailand.

I've had 3 "consecutive" ED visas myself.

If you have any questions, just hit me up.

Take care.

When my cambodian fiancé applied for ED visa a few years back she could only apply from outwith Thailand. Came to Thialand on 60 day tourist visa and the school supplied all the necessary paperwork to apply for her ED visa at Thai consulate in Phnom Penh. Not sure if actially ok now to apply from within thailand or is yet another income stream for certain establishments.

You sure he's a researcher?

I sincerely hope you get this awful mess sorted out ASAP.

It can't be good to have an adverse stamp of any kind in one's passport.

It only costs, I believe 3k (THB), for a multi entry permit?

However one can renew a "visa" on the day of "expiry" (as it doesn't cease until midnight).

Maybe encourage your partner to set a reminder in his mobile phone calender to prevent this happening again?

Good luck to you both, Merry Christmas.

If he gets caught via a spot check then it’s a 5yr ban.

Overstay should always be avoided. Even for 2 days, it might not be a problem at first hand, however it will bite you over time.

First, see if immigration will grant extension (30 days, 7 days... whatever may be allowed)

Why can he not do a border bounce and enter on a new VOA tourist visa? Fly out to Phnom Penh... my cheapest option.

He CAN apply for an extension, it will be denied because VOA are not extendable but he'll be given an extra 7 days.

Obvious thing is to stop traveling outside Thailand until the visa situation is sorted. That’s the price for the mistake. Once he gets his new visa get a re entry permit properly.

Is it a VOA or a Visa Exemption? Has he extended it for 30 days?