Student re-entry that doesn't speak Thai?

[Rob4]

Hello.

We have a non ED for Thai language, extended 3 times for overall 9 months of stay.

We left Thailand with a re-entry stamp valid till 2 January 2020.

2 weeks after we left(1 December) we have to come back just for a single night - to take an onward flight to Europe.

 

We do not speak Thai at all, and I wonder if we are going to be asked something when coming on this re-entry stamp?

 

I am worried to get a refusal and lose our very expensive onward flight.

 

thnx.

 

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

We do not speak Thai at all, and I wonder if we are going to be asked something when coming on this re-entry stamp?

I am worried to get a refusal and lose our very expensive onward flight.

They don't care about stop-overs.

Re-entry or VISA waiver on arrival will be fine.

 

Even if they held you in detention, it's only be until your flight left.

[Genericnic]

So, "studied" Thai for 9 months and don't speak Thai at all? Sounds like someone was using ED visas for an extended holiday. For once I hope immigration refuses entry. Even the worst Thai students I have seen can do basic Thai after 9 months if they have applied themselves. 

 

David

 

[Rob4]

@BritManToo thanks a lot, what do you mean by "they don't care about stop-overs" ?

Do you mean that showing this flight ticket won't "impress" them, or the opposite - that it might

makes them believe us - that we are going to leave ?

 

(we arrive at evening, and the next flight is leaving in the morning after)

Edited November 26, 2019 by Rob4

[clearance]

My friend is pulled over in DMK on re-entry with ED visa. And they tried to speak Thai to him. He got in after paying some "fee".

[ubonjoe]

If you qualify for a 30 day visa exempt entry leave the visa space on the TM6 arrival card blank and request that you be stamped in visa exempt instead of using the re-entry permit.

[Rob4]

@ubonjoe thanks, that's what I thought, but 2 things:

 

1. They can't miss the big re-entry stamp on our passports and might ask why don't we use it ?

2. Another 30 days might be a problem because we had 30 days on February,  then in April an ED visa, which might be too much of a stay.

 

I just have a bad feeling and wonder if they allowed to simply refuse letting us getting our next flight even if it is in the same day.

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

@ubonjoe thanks, that's what I thought, but 2 things:

 

1. They can't miss the big re-entry stamp on our passports and might ask why don't we use it ?

2. Another 30 days might be a problem because we had 30 days on February,  then in April an ED visa, which might be too much of a stay.

I just have a bad feeling and wonder if they allowed to simply refuse letting us getting our next flight even if it is in the same day.

You can request they don't use the re-entry permit.

Showing your ticket out of the country the next day should eliminate any problems.

[bbi1]

We do not speak Thai at all, and I wonder if we are going to be asked something when coming on this re-entry stamp?

 

I am worried to get a refusal and lose our very expensive onward flight.

 

How is it humanly possible not be able to speak some Thai after 9 months of studying at a language school? I managed to pick up some decent Thai after being at one for 9 months! Did you fail all the language school exams they gave you?

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, clearance said:

My friend is pulled over in DMK on re-entry with ED visa. And they tried to speak Thai to him. He got in after paying some "fee".

Did your "friend" offer or the IO requested a bribe? Was that really your "friend" that paid a bribe or was that really you? It's ok, you can admit that on this forum as you're anonymous.

[clearance]

3 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Did your "friend" offer or the IO requested a bribe? Was that really your "friend" that paid a bribe or was that really you? It's ok, you can admit that on this forum as you're anonymous.

IO requested the bribe, telling my friend (yes, it was not me) to pay "fine" for staying in Thailand to long (he has TR visa before ED visa).

[EricTh]

6 hours ago, Genericnic said:

So, "studied" Thai for 9 months and don't speak Thai at all? Sounds like someone was using ED visas for an extended holiday. For once I hope immigration refuses entry. Even the worst Thai students I have seen can do basic Thai after 9 months if they have applied themselves. 

 

 

I have met quite a few students in my Thai class who attend the class once a month or every two weeks. They are on education visa.

 

The school doesn't care about the 80% attendance and it's just a visa mill.

 

They did learn some Thai during class but after one or two months, they forgot everything taught.

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by EricTh

[EricTh]

3 hours ago, bbi1 said:

 

How is it humanly possible not be able to speak some Thai after 9 months of studying at a language school? I managed to pick up some decent Thai after being at one for 9 months! Did you fail all the language school exams they gave you?

Not all Thai schools give exams, they just give you some homework and you can let your Thai girlfriend/boyfriend do the homework for you or just disappear during the exam.

[Caldera]

19 minutes ago, clearance said:

IO requested the bribe, telling my friend (yes, it was not me) to pay "fine" for staying in Thailand to long (he has TR visa before ED visa).

Out of curiosity, how much was your friend asked to pay?

[roath]

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You can request they don't use the re-entry permit.

Showing your ticket out of the country the next day should eliminate any problems.

Technically, you should have a letter from your school confirming you completed the course and should have cancelled the ed visa after completion (which doesn't cancel teh extension already granted but prevents you from obtaining a further extension) before leaving the country. There is as likely to be an issue with why you aren't at school as why you aren't speaking Thai, as if you are on holiday from school, it is recommended again to have a letter from the school saying that there is a recess or that there is some other reason why you aren't at school. So better to avoid any of these issues by going for VEE as Ubonjoe has suggested

[Rob4]

So how exactly do you "not using" your re-entry ?

On the airplane I fill the TM, and ask the 30 days?

And what if the officer ask about the school? ( btw the school already finished, it never fit exactly the visa dates)

Can I have another 30 days even I had one on February ? 

 

Is there any complication where they can just say "you don't take your next flight" ? (showing an onward flight doesn't mean too much these days and they know you can easily book and cancel).

[ubonjoe]

26 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

On the airplane I fill the TM, and ask the 30 days?

You could put one day as your intended length of stay since that is what your are wanting according to your ticket.

As I wrote before you will leave the space for a visa number blank.

26 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Can I have another 30 days even I had one on February ? 

Yes

 

29 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Is there any complication where they can just say "you don't take your next flight" ? (showing an onward flight doesn't mean too much these days and they know you can easily book and cancel).

I am not sure the officer would even think about that.

[Sterling]

I dont mean to hijack the question but is there a price difference between a real legit Thai language school where I'd actually be going to class and trying to learn Thai vs a Thai "language school"/visa mill?

 

I'm actually serious about learning Thai and would like to be able to quickly sort out if a school is legit or not.

[ubonjoe]

14 minutes ago, Sterling said:

I'm actually serious about learning Thai and would like to be able to quickly sort out if a school is legit or not.

I would say comparing the cost for tuition would be an indication of how legit they are are. The more expensive ones would be more legit than those that are half the cost for example.

[bbi1]

46 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You could put one day as your intended length of stay since that is what your are wanting according to your ticket.

As I wrote before you will leave the space for a visa number blank.

Yes

 

I am not sure the officer would even think about that.

If you put one day on the arrival card, would they only stamp you a one day in the passport or still stamp 30 days?

[Sterling]

14 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I would say comparing the cost for tuition would be an indication of how legit they are are. The more expensive ones would be more legit than those that are half the cost for example.

Thats EXACTLY what I was thinking. What are some ballpark rates for legit Thai language schools?

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

If you put one day on the arrival card, would they only stamp you a one day in the passport or still stamp 30 days?

It would still be 30 days.

[chuang]

Don't blame the immigration for having all the rules.. Can't speak thai . No

[Rob4]

Well according to our school manager which is my friend, Thai now simply reject new students with rich visa history because people (like us) are miss-using it. Prices can range from 21-35k THB, 9 months, not including extensions (ferries/hotels/flights/fees) every 3 months. To take a continuing course he said, is impossible today if you don't speak the language fluently because they test each and every one.

 

We miss-used it because we needed a Thai visa, and I feel totally fine with it, and to explain why, it is required to have some amount of IQ which some don't have because they feel some sort of ownership over Thailand and don't like that others find ways to live there also, but I can only simply say that if a person register to university in his home-town and will not attend classes, nobody would have any moral problem with it, and it is logically exactly the same in Thailand, you paid, you lazy to come, you did it for friends/visa/degree/you parents/etc. but whatever - lets fight ! ????

 

[DrJack54]

30 minutes ago, Rob4 said:

Well according to our school manager which is my friend, Thai now simply reject new students with rich visa history because people (like us) are miss-using it. Prices can range from 21-35k THB, 9 months, not including extensions (ferries/hotels/flights/fees) every 3 months. To take a continuing course he said, is impossible today if you don't speak the language fluently because they test each and every one.

 

We miss-used it because we needed a Thai visa, and I feel totally fine with it, and to explain why, it is required to have some amount of IQ which some don't have because they feel some sort of ownership over Thailand and don't like that others find ways to live there also, but I can only simply say that if a person register to university in his home-town and will not attend classes, nobody would have any moral problem with it, and it is logically exactly the same in Thailand, you paid, you lazy to come, you did it for friends/visa/degree/you parents/etc. but whatever - lets fight ! ????

 

Let's fight what?

Putting aside the continual under 50 vs over 50. If you read many many threads over a long period you would find LOT of over 50 on extensions are giving younger group advice about best ways to extend your stays. I'm one of them that does try give an idea or 2 re that.

The Ed visa to learn Thai has been seriously abused since forever. I note that a poster above states "really wants to learn Thai". Good on him, sounds genuine to me. 

However it's clear the Ed visa loop hole has limited life span. I recall years back folk getting onto Thaivisa bragging about never attending a class and passing tests they clearly could not. Stating it's easiest way to stay in los.

[Rob4]

I think Thailand is amazing, after being all over the world, but its time to get over it because it is not possible anymore, and they don't want us there anymore. They show it in any way possible.

 

We already have another way to stay there forever without a course, but I got tired of lies.

 

The world is big.  

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, Rob4 said:

To take a continuing course he said, is impossible today if you don't speak the language fluently because they test each and every one.

I can well imagine genuine Thai language students making next to no progress in the narrow time frames now expected of them by immigration. A few reasons:

 

1. Poor teaching methods that put way too much emphasis on tonal pronunciation and formal structure, and very little on useable conversation. I've had a few friends here who couldn't make head or tail of the material they were presented with by schools they were attending.

 

2. Learning a second language is no small accomplishment and takes a lot of time, all the more so for someone older. I can speak conversational Thai quite well, but it took years, and for the first couple I was hopeless at it until I figured out a system of learning that worked for me. I never attended a school for this but I speak much better Thai than many people who did, especially those who were only there for a year or less. 

 

3. The immigration officers assessing people's language abilities are mostly monolingual and have no clue about the time taken to acquire conversational fluency in a second language, nor the teaching methods of the schools people are attending. School attendance and progress reports should be what immigration assessments are made on, nothing else. And if schools are abusing the system, crack down on the schools, not the badly taught students.