Study, Stay, Safe: Immigration Rules in Thailand

Some people are not interest to study abroad because they are lazy being bothered with “immigration things”. In this article, I would like to share the “immigration things” as International Student in Thailand. Trust me! It is not too difficult and hope you will think once again to study here, come join us then.
If you want to be student in Thailand, something that you need instead of passport and of course Letter of Acceptance from you campus is a visa, a Non-Immigrant Education or Non-ED Visa. You can make this visa in Thai Embassy Office in your home country. In Indonesia, you can find one of Thai Embassy in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta. It is near Tebet Station, then take an “angkot” number 44 and stop at Mall Ambassador. In another way, you can come first to Thailand with Tourist Visa then change it to Non-ED Visa in Embassy Office in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Some immigration office around Thailand also can help you to change this kind of visa. Submit all the documents to them then they will send it to Embassy Office in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.

There are two types of Non-ED Visa, single entry and multiple entry. Single entry visa can only be used one time entry Thailand. It will be expired after 90 days since the first day you come to Thailand. If you make multiple entry, you can use it many times entry Thailand and it will be expired a year since the first day you come to Thailand. After you stay 90 days for single entry, or a year for multiple entry, then you should extend your visa. Normally, you should prepare this three documents for extending visa :
1. Transcript or Certificate of Student Status
2. Copy of your passport, the first page and the page that has blue stamp stating your first date entering Thailand.
3. Reference or statement letter from your campus
Important! You should extend your visa BEFORE its expired date. You can process it 45 days before expired date. If you extend your visa more than its expired date, you should pay 500 THB/day until the maximum 20.000 THB.

After you extend your visa, your visa will be valid normally for a year. In case, you want to go abroad two or three months after you extend your visa, you should make re-entry visa so your visa still be valid until the expired date. Example, if your extension visa valid until November 2015 then you want to go abroad on June 2015, you should make re-entry visa before you go outside. So, your visa can still be valid until November 2015. There are two types of re-entry visa, single re-entry (1000 THB per one time entry) and multiple re-entry (3800 THB for a year). If you have plans to go abroad many times in a year, multiple re-entry will be suitable for you.

Another case is if you have to study abroad for long time, such as exchange for three or four months in another country outside Thailand, then your visa will be expired when you are still outside, what should you do? There are two things, you can come back first to Thailand to extend your visa or you can make a new visa in the Thai Embassy Office in that country.

Another “immigration” thing that you should concern about is 90 days report. Remember, 90 days report is not an extension visa. 90 days report is like a statement that you have stayed in Thailand for 90 days. So, every 90 days you should report a new one even your visa still valid until a year. I repeat, renew it every 90 days! DO NOT BE LATE TO RENEW YOUR 90 DAYS REPORT! You may get charge 2000 THB. You can renew it 15 days before the deadline or after 7 days. If you first come to Thailand at August 19th 2014, then you have to report for 90 days at least at November 16th 2014. In case, if you go out from Thailand before the due date, example at October 5th, then come back before November 16th, you don’t need to do 90 days report. New 90 days report will be counted at the first day when you come back to Thailand. So, renew the 90 days report is needed when you have stayed in Thailand for 90 days. There are three ways to do 90 days report. You come to the Immigration Office by yourself. You can ask your friends to renew it for you, just bring them your passport. You also can use mail, submit all the document then addressed it to Immigration Office with new envelope and stamp inside to send your report back.

Another case, if you want to bring your family living with you in Thailand, you should ask a statement letter from you campus, then Immigration Staff will make such as “follower” visa for your family.

Anyway, since you have Non-ED Visa, you do not allow to have a job. If you work, you will get some problem with immigration staff. They said if you come to study, so you just have to study and be a good student.

What will happen if your passport expires before your visa expires? The old regulation was Immigration Staff will extend your visa in your new passport. Example, when you extend your visa at November 16th 2014 for a year then your passport expires at August 13th 2015, Immigration Staff then will stamp your extension visa until November 16th 2015. You can get the stamp of your extension visa in your new passport. But for new regulation, when you extend your visa at November 16th 2014 for a year then your passport expires at August 13th 2015, Immigration Staff then will stamp your visa extension until August 13th 2015. After that, you need to renew your passport and make a new visa extension.

Then, I would like to say “Have a nice studying in Thailand”. Hope you enjoy your life here! Immigration thing is not too difficult, just follow the rules and we will be safe. Following the advertisement that is popular nowadays in Indonesia, “Love, Life, Line”, so be a student in Thailand would be Study, Stay, Safe hahaha