Visas

Getting a visa in Thailand, like in any other country, can be time-consuming. Our team is happy to offer support and advice every step of the way.

Panyaden will assist in providing the paperwork necessary to obtain a student visa for your child once enrolled at Panyaden International School. Please note that the authorities often change visa requirements without notice. Make sure you stay up to date.

BEFORE ARRIVING IN THAILAND

You will need to apply for a Non-Immigrant “ED” (commonly known as Non-ED) type visa for your child(ren) before arriving in Thailand. Parents will need a Non-Immigration “O” (commonly referred to as Non-O) visa. These Non-Immigration visas are obtained at the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country or country of residence. The initial visa will be valid for 90 days but can be extended once you are in Thailand.


Each extension is for one year. These one-year extensions will be repeated indefinitely while studying at Panyaden International School.

Note: Usually, the guardian accompanying the child will be given a Non-O visa. For families with two children or more, both guardians are eligible for Non-O visas.

NON-IMMIGRATION VISAS

The list of documents required varies from one consulate to another, and it is essential to check with them first to ensure that you have everything you need. We are happy to offer guidance wherever we can, but with more than 30 nationalities represented at school, we cannot stay current on each country’s evolving regulations. The school will issue the necessary paperwork once you have received an acceptance email from the school and paid the first term’s school fees.

Note: Once you have entered Thailand, you are not allowed to leave the country without getting a re-entry permit. You can apply for a re-entry permit at the local Immigration Office in Chiang Mai.

AFTER ARRIVING IN THAILAND

Upon arrival with a Non-immigrant visa, the immigration officer at the airport will grant you a 90-day stay. To extend the visa to a one-year Non-O visa, you will need to open a Thai bank account with a minimum 500,000 THB deposit and submit a notarised birth certificate of your child in English or Thai. The deposit has to be in the account for at least 30 days before you apply for your first one-year visa extension, which must be done before the expiry date of your Non-Ed and Non-O visas. If it is your second or subsequent year applying, the deposit of 500,000 THB must be in your account for at least three months before applying for your extension.

The application for a one-year visa extension cannot be made more than 45 days before the visa expires, and you will need a letter from the school to confirm your child’s enrolment status at the school. This is then taken to the Immigration Office in Chiang Mai, together with the other necessary documents.

NOTIFICATION OF RESIDENCE FOR FOREIGNERS

According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, “House owners, heads of household, landlords, or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the Kingdom legally, must notify the local Immigration Authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national.” After reporting, you will receive a document from the Immigration Office called TM30. Please keep this document with your passport. You will need it when you apply for your next re-entry permit or do your 90-day reporting at the immigration office.

90-DAY REPORTING

Holders of a Non-Immigrant ‘ED’ and ‘O’ visa must report their current address to a Thai immigration office every 90 days. If you are not in Thailand on the date your 90-day reporting is due, you do not need to report your status. Your 90-day reporting will begin again from day 1 on the day you re-enter Thailand.

RE-ENTRY PERMIT

It is highly advisable that you apply for a re-entry permit once your one-year visa has been granted. Re-entry permits allow you to re-enter the Kingdom multiple times for the duration of your one-year visa. A fee of 1,000 THB for a single re-entry permit or 3,800 THB for a multiple re-entry permit.

Note: If you travel out of the Kingdom without a re-entry permit, your one-year visa will automatically be cancelled.

Note: If you have two children at the school, then two guardians can apply for an extension, but you will need to set up two separate bank accounts, each with a deposit of 500,000 THB.

DOCUMENTS REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIAL ‘ED’ AND ‘O’ VISA

Requirements for the initial visa can vary depending on which country you are coming from; therefore it is best to contact the embassy/consulate to obtain the required documents and send a request to us with the documents and the information listed below:

  1. Student passport (photo page)

  2. Student birth certificate

  3. Location of the embassy where you will apply for the visa (will be indicated on the letter)

Note: Allow the school at least 30 days for our admin team to prepare your documents. This is because the school must request paperwork from the Ministry of Education (Government Office) to support your request.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VISA EXTENSION

After you enter Thailand, the school will provide the paperwork necessary to extend your visa upon request. Please submit the passport and TM30 (Notification of Residence for Foreigners, usually reported by the landlord) for the extension to the admissions office or through the online form or QR code. Issuing paperwork takes up to 5 working days to complete after all required documents are received. The extension can be done at the Immigration 45 days before the visa expiration date.

VISA CANCELLATION

The Thai Immigration Office requires all Non-Immigrant visa holders to cancel the visa extensions by the last day of school. The student/guardian visa becomes invalid once the student withdraws from the school, even if the visa expiry date is several months later.

Students/guardians are advised to prepare to leave Thailand within two weeks after the last day of school. In addition, all students/guardians must submit their original passport to the Visa Officer two weeks before their departure date or two weeks before the last day of each term, whichever comes first.

The Visa Officer will prepare a letter requesting that the student/guardian visa extension sponsored by Panyaden be cancelled as the student has withdrawn from the school.

  • The student and parent will then go to Thai Immigration and get a visa extension cancellation stamp in the student/guardian’s passport. Students/guardians who fail to cancel their extension of stay before they leave the country will not be allowed to request an extension of stay in Thailand when you visit Thailand in the future. Panyaden does not issue any backdated letters.