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Can we apply for our daughter’s dependent visa at the same time as our education visas in Thailand?

Feb 18, 2025
4 days ago
Orçun ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
My wife and I enrolled in a language school in Chiang Mai, the school applied to the Ministry of Education for us and our documents arrived 45 days later. Now they will apply to the immigration office for an education visa and our visas will be issued in 21 days, but we have a 4-year-old daughter and we will apply for a dependent visa for her, the immigration office said that they will give our daughter a dependent visa during the first extension (i.e. during the first 90-day report after receiving the education visas). The school says that after my wife and I receive our visas, we have to go abroad and come back again for our daughter, there must be a mistake here, can't the 4-year-old child apply at the same time as us and get a dependent visa? Since she cannot act independently of us, how will she go abroad and come back? If If we wait for our first visa extension, this time our daughter will have to stay in the country illegally. In this case (if she remains illegal), they say she will not be able to get a dependent visa. Please help.
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TLDR : Answer Summary
A user in Chiang Mai is confused about the process of applying for an education visa and bringing their 4-year-old daughter into the visa system. They were informed that their daughter must wait until they have completed the first extension of their education visas before applying for her dependent visa, which raises concerns about her potentially overstaying her visa if they cannot apply simultaneously. Responses clarify that the daughter must wait for her parents to receive their visa extensions, but she can remain in the country without penalties as children under 15 do not incur overstay fines.
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Wannikea *********
Just to emphasize that you'll need to buy a re-entry permit after you get your extension inked in your passport.
Tod *********
I think you misunderstand how the process works.

You and your wife get the ED 90 day visas, then after that you get the extension of stay when that 90 days runs down

AND THEN

you can have your daughter apply for the in country 90 day Non-O visa based on being the child of a parent enrolled in school here for 2000baht

She can't get the 90 day Non-O until YOU get your extension based on education.

The good news is there's no overstay fine for a child under 15, and they can't be banned when they're under 18.

So just let them overstay until you get your ED extension (after you got the 90 day Non-ED) and then bounce out and back with them to get on a NEW visa exempt entry so they can start the process of applying for the in country Non-O visa

You're lucky that the school can even offer that service because MANY schools do not offer visa support for children/family of their ED visa students.

Just wait it out, that's how the process works.

Nothing will happen to her on overstay, I know foreigners with children here on many YEARS overstay, there is no exposure to them or the parents

You just clear the overstay by exiting/re-entering to get on a new entry stamp so you can start the visa process for them once you can do it
Orçun ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thank you 🙏🙏
Tod *********
@Orçun **********
I would say follow the time line that immigrations told you and it should work out fine. IF that school offers visa support for dependent/family of ED visa holders you shouldn't have an issue

The biggest one is waiting until you have your first extension, getting a re-entry permit and then bouncing your daughter out/back to get a new free entry stamp

Once you do that you can begin the in country process of getting them the Non-O visa based on family of a person on long term ED visa/extension

Sincerely good luck with it, (y)
Orçun ***********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
thank you very much sir🙏
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