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wayne1523
Joined: 02 Apr 2010
Posts: 100
Location: Toronto, Canada
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 Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:36 pm Post subject: Thai Visa Question |
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I'm a Canadian citizen, currently in Taiwan and applying to study at Payap University in Chiang Mai this upcoming October. I have a question about the student visa. The university said if they accept me, they will issue me a student visa letter, which I would have to take to the Thai embassy in Taiwan to apply for a temporary 3-month student visa before going to Thailand where I would get the actual long-term student visa. I prefer not to do this as the Thai embassy in Taiwan is in Taipei and Taipei only, which I'm really far from.
1. My question is, because I have a Canadian passport, can I just come into Thailand with a tourist visa (how much is that?) or "whatever-days exempt visa", and then afterwards apply for the student visa in Thailand?
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2. I'm also going to be looking for work in Chiang Mai. Would I be able to get a work permit and ARC and just ignore the student visa altogether and still study?
Much appreciated, thank you. |
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EFL Educator
Joined: 17 Jul 2013
Posts: 988
Location: Cape Town
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| Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 1:32 am Post subject: |
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Hi there
Since you plan to come to the LOS to study and teach English (work) in Chiang Mai my advice is get a Tourist Visa which can be converted into a student visa and or non-immigrant B visa which you will legally need in order to work. Good luck! |
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surendra
Joined: 09 Feb 2012
Posts: 82
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| Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 4:02 am Post subject: |
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Hi,
I MIGHT be coming to Thailand in the near future. Of course the great Tomtopazz answered my questions before, be he suggested getting the non-immigrant B visa before coming. Are you allowed to transfer from a toursit visa to the non-immy B visa in country? |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 6:07 am Post subject: Re: Thai Visa Question |
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| wayne1523 wrote: |
1. My question is, because I have a Canadian passport, can I just come into Thailand with a tourist visa (how much is that?) or "whatever-days exempt visa", and then afterwards apply for the student visa in Thailand? |
Tourist visas are something like $30 US for a single entry and $60 for a double entry. Single entry visas give you two months, double entry visas give you two months then you take a quick trip to Tachilek Burma by bus and re-enter for another two months.
| wayne1523 wrote: |
| 2. I'm also going to be looking for work in Chiang Mai. Would I be able to get a work permit and ARC and just ignore the student visa altogether and still study? |
Sure why not? Except that a lot of people that teach in Thailand will take language classes just to get a student visa rather than having to go through the crap of trying to get a work permit and do border runs for tourist visas. |
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wayne1523
Joined: 02 Apr 2010
Posts: 100
Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2013 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks guys.
http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/changes-visa-exempt.php
According to here, with a Canadian passport I can travel without a visa (a visa exemption). Anybody here tried this visa-exempt route before they actually looked for work within those 30 days? Do they really check the return plane ticket exiting from Thailand before those 30 days? I travelled to Taiwan on a visa-exempt. They said they would check the return ticket, but never actually did. Experiences, anybody? |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 1:57 am Post subject: |
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Canadians, Americans, British etc. can enter on a 30 day transit stamp. However those 30 days go quickly. You might as well get the visa it will make it a lot easier on you. Why be looking for a job or have a job and have to make a visa run earlier than later? You have to pay for the visa runs to get a visa after 30 days and they cost money. If you enter Thailand by land rather by air you only get 2 weeks. So you might as well get the visa, 2 months, border run, 2 months then a 30 day visa extension at immigration, much easier. Also once you have the job you have to have 30 days on your visa to start the process to be employed legally.
As far as an ongoing ticket, I have only been asked once by immigration out of all the times I have been here, and I didn't understand what they were asking for so they dropped it and let me pass anyway. The worst that can happen is they'll make you buy an online ticket, but not likely. |
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Aristede
Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 180
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| Posted: Thu Aug 08, 2013 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| wayne1523 wrote: |
Thanks guys.
http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/changes-visa-exempt.php
According to here, with a Canadian passport I can travel without a visa (a visa exemption). Anybody here tried this visa-exempt route before they actually looked for work within those 30 days? Do they really check the return plane ticket exiting from Thailand before those 30 days? I travelled to Taiwan on a visa-exempt. They said they would check the return ticket, but never actually did. Experiences, anybody? |
I've never been asked for proof of ongoing travel by Thai immigration. Unfortunately, some airlines DO make an issue of this. Last year in Chicago, Cathay Pacific wouldn't let me board without it, so as a desperate last minute solution I purchased a costly Bangkok to Hong Kong refundable ticket at the counter.
Once in Bangkok, I immediately went to the airline's local office for a refund. It took them about six weeks to process this (though removing it from my account it the first place took only seconds).
One quick solution is to get a ticket from Bangkok to someplace like Phnom Penh, which is relatively cheap. Make sure of course that the date is before your visa expires. IMO, it is worth the peace of mind. |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 6:42 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Aristede"]
| wayne1523 wrote: |
Thanks guys.
http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/changes-visa-exempt.php
I've never been asked for proof of ongoing travel by Thai immigration. Unfortunately, some airlines DO make an issue of this. Last year in Chicago, Cathay Pacific wouldn't let me board without it, so as a desperate last minute solution I purchased a costly Bangkok to Hong Kong refundable ticket at the counter.
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Then add Cathay to other airlines Korea Air and probably Asiana that will force you to buy another ticket at the last moment. Pathetic, the other airlines for instance China Air make you sign a waiver. |
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