Crackdown on "Non-Ed" visas - don't turn up for class more than three times and face expulsion

[Megasin1]

Wow, surely it can't be difficult. I can't imagine there would be many ed visas in Thailand....their education system isn't renowned world-wide for it's amazing standards and abilities...

I would be concerned about anyone on an ed visa in Thailand, obviously it is some sort of scam.

[impulse]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.

 

Do you sense the irony in an ED visa to learn a language that's only useful in the country for which your only right to stay was the ED visa to learn that language?

 

[TEFLKrabi]

The absence rate should be a percentage not a figure like this. It should vary dependent on the length of course and number of lessons.

[natway09]

I say if they are abusing their right to be here on an "Ed Visa" good on Thailand.

[gamesgplayemail]

Anybody who is not able to pay an elite visa should not be allowed in this country !

 

 

[The Teacher]

8 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Far from being a "big joke" it seems he is at least one Thai policeman doing his job. Pity the other 229,999 can't manage likewise. 

Someone high up will soon wake up he needs putting back in his box as he will bring shame and embarrassment to all the other layabouts, freeloaders and extorters of the RTP.

Pity they aren't as diligent when it comes to major crimes, poor boys just don't cut it 

[Katipo]

8 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Far from being a "big joke" it seems he is at least one Thai policeman doing his job. Pity the other 229,999 can't manage likewise. 

Someone high up will soon wake up he needs putting back in his box as he will bring shame and embarrassment to all the other layabouts, freeloaders and extorters of the RTP.

Or, perhaps the other layabouts might just bask in his shadow doing their dodgy deals, letting him get all the attention whilst making them all (police in general) look good.

 

[mlmcleod]

25 minutes ago, gamesgplayemail said:

Anybody who is not able to pay an elite visa should not be allowed in this country !

 

 

You are the winner of the lottery!  This is exactly how the Thai government feels about foreigners.  However I find it disconcerting that so many of the miscreants they are arresting have dark skin!

[trianglechoke]

I am doing a degree, I occasionally miss classes. I have never been a criminal in Thailand. Aim for the people in Thai language schools maybe, but not us paying top wack for chula

[trianglechoke]

5 minutes ago, mlmcleod said:

You are the winner of the lottery!  This is exactly how the Thai government feels about foreigners.  However I find it disconcerting that so many of the miscreants they are arresting have dark skin!

Do you mean the dark skinned ones who were also committing crime?

[trianglechoke]

Retirement is next, anyone who doesn't have that cash in the bank upon random checks must be guilty of something

[wvavin]

These blokes could not properly enforced the traffic law and now meddling with the immigration law. Another day, another joke.

[maddox41]

I was on a ed visa for 18 months  and goimg to school was great 

Its a shame that you have people bending the rules and taking the piss out of the system .

But some not all of the students where working illegally on he  Ed visa and to be honest it's the French that where the main culprit 

In saying that the Thai immagration office for Ed extension are a  corrupt department changing your ed visa fee from 1800 b to up to 4000b pending who you get or how much the school is paying them off 

SO KHUN Big joke may be making arrests but it won't be long till  its all be back to the way it was???, as 99% of things here  always go back to same same  

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, hansnl said:

On the other hand, as I hear, see and read there is rather a lot of crime in Thailand, crime going much further and with much bigger impact on society as the misuse of Visa's.

But face it, much easier to find a few ED visa miscreants and bragging about it in a photoshoot as finding real crime, arresting real criminals and making the country a little safer.

I do agree visa misuse must be handled, but is it really urgent?

Do you really think that while these arrests were being made all other investigations throughout the country were put on hold? 

[humbug]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I'd really like someone of the police to explain what they mean when they keep arresting people for "illegal entry"

 

I'm presuming, that's not the same as overstay. But who knows?  Does it mean all these folks snuck into the country without valid entry stamps from Immigration, or had fake stamps, or fake passports???

 

It almost makes you think that Thailand's borders are like a sieve, leaving tons of folks both inbound and outbound. Say it's not so!!!

 

 

 

its just a way to charge you and then you have to prove you entered the country legally then the charges will be dropped. They will need your passport and contact immigration to confirm you entered legally. Untill that is proven they can detain you. Just one of the many ways they play the game

[HarryWho]

10 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I know that this thread will soon feature many people talking about abuse of the immigration system and how they should all be thrown out of the country. Fine.

 

A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.

 

Yes, the ED visa has been abused; no one would argue that. But, it was also a good thing sometimes.

 

Ditto.  I got a lot out of it.  I enjoyed the teachers at Walen.  My Thai GF would laugh hard when I showed her my writing samples.  Like a kid she would say.  She took pictures and sent it to her friends.  She still has them.  We played Hangman in class, fun, lots of laughs, and useful.

 

But I also saw the abuse, the guys who speak fluent Thai that didn't need the class.  Those that showed up to get the Immigration photo of them in class with a borrowed book.  And a bunch of Russians there to learn English, but they spoke English very well at the breaks. :-)

[ZeVonderBearz]

I hope he has a look at the army run self defence classes in CM. You know the ones were attendees are given an Ed visa and don't really have to attend any classes. People have to show up to certain lessons only so the army can take photos to appease immigration. I doubt anything will happen though as the army sits a little higher in the food chain. 

[Bundooman]

9 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Pesky foreigners. 

 

Once these low lifes are gone, there will reign an era of peace, harmony, honesty, understanding and an end to crime. 

 

Halcyon days, indeed lie ahead. 

 

All hail the big joke. 

Don't we all love these sneering prats on TV who, regardless of what the RTP do, they are degraded...... why don't we all produce such eloquent spunk!

[Bluespunk]

5 minutes ago, Bundooman said:

Don't we all love these sneering prats on TV who, regardless of what the RTP do, they are degraded...... why don't we all produce such eloquent spunk!

Oh, I’m all for the bib doing their job. 

 

I just doubt this man’s motivation and commitment to this ideal. 

 

 

[new2here]

I am doing a degree, I occasionally miss classes. I have never been a criminal in Thailand. Aim for the people in Thai language schools maybe, but not us paying top wack for chula

If it were me, I'd set the "bar" at attendance at "not less than 2/3" of all required class sessions...

After all, if it's a once weekly type of class - then given the relative small numbers, one (2 or 3 as the original article uses) missed class tends to represent a larger percentage... but when divided into a class that perhaps meets twice or even thrice weekly, now the same one or two missed classes translates into a smaller percentage.

So, I think setting it at something like 66% might be a good way to address it from the attendance perspective.

I would also set rules that prohibit the issuance of an ED visa for anyone who is seeking to repeat the same course, or one that is materially the same more than two times... I get it, some may not have acquired the skills the first time, so I'm open to a repeat -- but not more than one repeat.

Essentially I'm looking for "credible progress" if one seeks to use EDs as their means to stay.

It's not a perfect system-- yes, you could have someone who for example,, takes Thai I, Thai II and then Thai III... stays here for a year or so... then they enroll in Chinese I, then Chinese II and Chinese III.... another year.... and so on...

I don't think you'll even be able to root out all forms of visa abuse, but I do think it's a good thing for efforts to be made -- regardless if there are criminal elements of a higher "magnitude" that are still unresolved.



Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[recycler]

Any other study than Thai language makes you suspicious if you come to Thailand for it ;-)

[Mangkhut]

Fair enough - if you stay in Thailand on an ED-visa and dont show up at class youre not qulified for an ED-visa and youre abusing the system. And also giving a bad name to those farangs who use the proper visa on their stays.

[beowolf2012]

If you overstay your visa or have a visa there are false  given

Then you are a person there be call illegal. with other word.

You don´t have the right to stay in Thailand.

Good work from the Thai police.

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed along with replies.

[Credo]

I fail to understand how people can be so upset about this.   Do you support people coming to your home country and staying illegally or not following the guidelines under which they were permitted to enter?

 

Some years ago, they started a crackdown on some of the schools who were requesting visas for students.   There were articles about it on Thaivisa.   One school had one very tiny classroom with only a few desks and one or two teachers, but had over 400 students on the rolls with  Ed-visas.   

 

In general, Thailand is pretty easy on people remaining in the Kingdom.   

[lvr181]

19 hours ago, new2here said:

rather to have clear, objective and consistent application and enforcement of

Same as they do for road rules? 

 

You are quite right but 'history' would suggest that ain't going to happen. EXCEPT, the words consistent and enforcement probably fit in with corruption (official and otherwise)! 

[digger70]

21 hours ago, poanoi said:

study is nice if the teacher is competent,

so i estimate, based on my experience with teachers in thailand,

that its nice to study in 1% cases

Study is up to the student ,even one can study via correspondence .So what you are saying may only apply to oneself.

[lvr181]

5 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Study is up to the student ,even one can study via correspondence .So what you are saying may only apply to oneself.

So, you could come to Thailand on an ED Visa and study by correspondence? I thought you had to attend language classes.

[digger70]

Just now, lvr181 said:

So, you could come to Thailand on an ED Visa and study by correspondence? I thought you had to attend language classes.

 No I don't think so,,,,,,No I didn't say that,,,, What I am saying is that one can study if one wants to ,its up to oneself to learn Not the Teacher.I learned Via correspondence While in a other country as a Legal Immigrant.

[lvr181]

Just now, digger70 said:

 No I don't think so,,,,,,No I didn't say that,,,, What I am saying is that one can study if one wants to ,its up to oneself to learn Not the Teacher.I learned Via correspondence While in a other country as a Legal Immigrant.

Ok, I thought that was what you meant but, I think poanoi's comments were about Thailand and some of it's language teachers.