Question 1

Where do I apply for an Education Visa?

Accepted Answer

Thongsook College students are required to apply for their Education visa at Immigration Division I in Bangkok.
It is highly recommended to enter the Kingdom on a 60-day Tourist Visa rather than receiving a 30-day tourist stamp upon arrival.
Creating a complete set of Visa extension documents requires assistance and official records from the President's office, the Registrars office and  Finance. All of which can take one week or more. 
Immigration also requires that the current visa have 5 or more days remaining. If a visa has less than 15 days, the visa holder must exit the country and re-enter on a new visa. here is a minimum of 15 days remaining on an exising  visa and apply for a new tourist visa in a neighbouring country

If ones visa does expire, they have the option to overstay a maximum of seven days at 500B per day, or exit the country and re-enter on a new tourist visa.

Question 2

I want to register for the BA TESOL but my tourist visa expires in june. How early can I receive my Education Visa once I've enrolled in a program?

Accepted Answer

The college will begin preparing Education visa documents for students who have received official notification of acceptance from the Faculty of International Programs and who have completed course registration and paid all related fees for their first semester.

Question 3

How long is my visa valid for?

Accepted Answer

The original Education visa stamp is valid for 90 days , after which time students are required to apply for visa extensions. 
Thongsook College will provide extension documents to students who have completed their previous semester's courses and have registered and paid for their upcoming courses.
​Thongsook Students receive the following extension stamps
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Six months- must register and show proof of payment for 18-21 credits in semesters 1 or 2
90 days - must register and show proof of payment for 12-15 credits in semesters 1 or 2
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Immigration does not count courses studied in Semester 3 when determining the extension. However, the Ministry of Education requires that students complete a minimum of three credits in Semester 3.
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Students who study less than 12 credits in either semester 1 or semester two do not qualify for an Education Visa.
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Provided the student maintain the minimum course requirement and continues to pay all tuition fees as is required, the Education Visa remains valid until the College Academic Board approves graduation. Once approved, a student has 24 hours to leave the country and re-enter on a new visa.

Question 4

My visa expires on July 31st but I have a trip planned from July 14-August 7th. How early can I extend my visa?

Accepted Answer

Visa extensions can be processed 30 days from the extension expiry and no time is lost.
 
For example, if your visa expires on July 31st and you go to immigration on July 7th to extend, the new stamp will be dated August 1st.

Question 5

What happens if my visa expires?

Accepted Answer

Students can extend a visa that has expired no more than seven days. However, they are subject to a 500thb penalty per day that must be paid before receiving a new extension. 
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Students who have overstayed their Education visa by more than seven days are required to start the visa application process over again by exiting the country, paying the overstay fee and re-entering on a tourist visa.

Question 6

I registered and paid for 18 credits next semester so why did immigration only give me 90 days?

Accepted Answer

Visa Extensions are always at the discretion of the immigration officer. Immigration may reduce the length of your visa for the following reasons: 
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Filing your 90 day report late
Extending your visa late
Inappropriate dress

Question 7

I want to take a trip outside Thailand but I'm worried that my visa is single-entry and that I will need  to re-apply when I come back in

Accepted Answer

Re-entry permits are available at Immigration Division I or, from the airport at the time of departure.
If purchasing the re-entry permit at the airport, it is recommended to check the hours the re-entry counter is open, mainly if it is early morning or late night flight.
It is also suggested to obtain the necessary paperwork in advance and to have passport size photos taken in advance. The cost of re-entry is 1,000B.

Question 8

I was on an Education Visa while I was studying a Thai language course but then immigration came out with a new rule saying students in my language centre no longer qualify for an Education visa. If I enrol in Thongsook College, what guarantee is there that immigration continues to allow me to study at your college? "

Accepted Answer

Immigration has made big changes to the Education visa in the last year and have eliminated many courses that they felt were abusing the Education Visa. 
Although the changes have been felt by many, they should not have come as a surprise as immigration has been communicating to the schools, announcing their plans and advising educational centres on what is acceptable practise for those who have International Students.  
 
At the bottom of this post is a translated letter we received from The Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) a few months ago, which quite clearly states that they are now working with the immigration to ensure that all public and private schools with International Students, from Matyom to university, will be visited by immigration to ensure their focus is on Academics. Those schools whose prioity appears to be profit over education will be closed. 
 
The Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) has sent out a formal announcement regarding the updated policy for all Language Schools, Public and Private Institutions, and Higher Education Institutions in the Kingdom of Thailand.
The new policy, announced on September 15th 2017, is as follows;
The Ministry of Immigration will collaborate with Office of Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) and Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC), to control and monitor educational institutions that employ and provide services to international staff and students.
All Institutions that are providing services to International students are now required to provide the Ministry of Immigration with a Power of Attorney document. This document costs 100 baht and is to be paid directly by the student to the institution.  
FINES:
Institutions
If an institution is found to operate out of the stipulated educational purpose regulation issued by the Ministry of Immigration, the educational Institution license will be revoked immediately and a fine of up to 1,800,000 will be issued.
Staff or Student
Alongside the institution, if a staff or student has been found to have conducting illegal activities, a fine of up to 400,000 will be issued.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All institutions are required to create a database profile of each International student containing the following:
- The number of International students by country.
- The duration of each students stay in the country for study purposes.
- The number of times each student has been in the country.
This information needs to be up-to-date and available upon request.
INTERNATIONAL STAFF
All three regulated commissions of the Ministry of Education, OBEC, OPEC, and OHEC, will create a database of International workers in educational institutions verifying:
work permit status
visa applications
educational qualifications
personal information
All three Commissions (OBEC, OPEC, OHEC) will collaborate with the Ministry of Immigration, Work Permit Office, Ministry of Labour, and other related authorities to ensure the enforcement of Immigration laws and to prevent illegal immigrants and the misuse of visas.

EDUCATION VISA FAQ's

For more details about Thongsook College education Visa's, please read our policy page