I'm getting dizzy

I had stopped visiting Thai Visa's forum 'CMU fails to provide visa documents' (this forum is up to page five at present), because 1. I  have received my visa support document and 2. it was stressing me out big time.

Read the whole page or forum for that matter. I don't want to get into a quote fest here, but the proverbial is still hitting the fan!

This morning I received an email from Friend (click to read older posts relating to Friend). Even though Friend has their visa stamped in their passport, they asked for an update from the director of IUS, the same 'person at the top' (PATT) I spoke to a few days ago. IUS is a subcontractor, working for CMULI. It appears that the new director of CMULI does not want foreign students attending their campus anymore and merrily refused to stop signing any visa support documents. This has left many students hanging precariously, without visas and are now overstaying.

Not a funny predicament to find yourself in, especially since the penalties have been changed or rearranged. It seems that Thai Immigration will be imposing jail sentences for those who are in the Kingdom, illegally, for 42 days or more. All overstayers will be fined 20,000 Baht as usual.

Even if Friend's visa is stamped snuggly in their passport, that doesn't secure them for the whole year.

Now the Youtube video I found two weeks ago, makes complete sense, as there is no evidence of farang students.

Stray's TEFL course is in the same boat. I have emailed the 'PATT' for a please explain. Even though he assured Friend that our One Year Thai Language courses are still being held, I am feeling very uneasy about the whole situation. I pointed out that combined we have already invested AU$1300.00. If we submit our visa applications to the Thai Consulate we could lose our fees of $450.00, because they're NON refundable.

Again, on Thai Visa, one comment states that IUS is honouring any refunds of 40%, however, CMULI is not dishing out their share of the remaining 60%.

The 'PATT' appears to be an OK sort of guy and if he had any hair at the beginning of this debacle, I'm sure he doesn't have a skerrick left now.

Plan B is looking more and more likely. Apply for a 60 day tourist visa with an outbound flight to Laos. That will give me ample time to find and arrange my course, then apply for our visas outside of Thailand.

Why? Because I flatly refuse to part with any more money from the comfort of my lounge chair (sign up for a course at a different language school) and I have always wanted to go to Laos....or back to Vietnam, or China.

(I wish this was all over, I'm running out of pretty pictures of Chiang Mai)

Total Visa costs - applying within Australia

OUR Visa costs for the (Thai) Non Immigration Visa, applying within Australia. This visa covers the first 90 days, at which time a visit to Thai Immigration is required, to apply for an extension. Presently that cost is ฿1,900.

*The information below pertains to Stray and I, you should follow any instructions that are applicable to your situation and as advised by your relevent organisation. Prices are in Australian dollars and are per person.

Passport photos - $10.00 - $15.00 (only 2 required)
Express Postage - $9.00
Police Check - 'Name Only' (a Blue Card could also acceptable) - $43.00
Our local police advised that the Thai Consulate often rejects their checks and for us to apply directly with the Australian Federal Police. Application form available online. Approximately a 15 working day turn around, from the time they receive it.

Non Immigrant Visa - Multiple Entry - $225.00. Information on the Thai Consulate website, where you can also download the application form. This form is different to that on the Sydney consulate's site.

Registered postage with proof of receipt - $? - not sure, as we will be taking ours in personally. I called the consulate today and they advised that if all our documents were in order,  it would only take one hour to process.

Total - around AU$292.00 each

Note - on the visa application form downloaded from the Brisbane consulate it asks for a guarantor, both local and in Thailand. A guarantor in this case refers to your next of kin. List them accordingly, or not, if you don't have one.

Now we wait for Stray's police check to arrive. I don't need one but applied anyway, just in case. He'll need his, because his TEFL will hopefully lead to a job teaching children. I called the AFP today and they advised that it was still being processed.

And here we go again...

14th September

By this evening, I couldn't stand the suspense any longer. I phoned my 'person at the top' and got straight through. Although giving me a completely different explanation to what I have been told or read, said he thought that my visa docs had been sent and that I had been contacted by CMULI. No!!!!

He called me straight back saying that he had spoken to the over worked girls at the office and asked them to fax the Thai Consulate in Brisbane, ASAP, and that I would be forwarded a copy.

He also offered me a discount and a bit of a deal on our accommodation. A very nice bloke and fellow Aussie...but, I have worked with salesmen before. I do empathise with his situation... somewhere between a rock and a hard place, but I have five weeks to secure an ED visa or make alternate plans and have to be selfish at this stage.

Speaking of alternate plans, I had emailed the Walen school an enquiry asking:

I understand that I have to organize my ED visa from outside of Thailand and would be prepared to do so. But, If I arrive on a 30 day tourist (exempt) visa from Australia, the Thai Consulate states I must have an outbound flight booked. If I were (really) planning on staying for one year, how would I explain no outbound flight?

Also, the banner on your site says 'free ED visa', does Walen pay for my visa?

This was there response...two days later:

Normally, if you have non-immigrant visa such as ED, you will be able to travel abroad with a one-way ticket. If you are afraid that the immigration officer will reject that, I would recommend you to buy a promotion return-ticket (short-period ticket) to save your cost.


If you enroll for a 180-lesson Thai Group Course with our school, we will provide the authorized paperwork (official letters) for you @ free of charge. For any other government fees, you would need to pay by yourself.

No disrespect to the Walen school (I may end up there) but I wish ALL language schools would stop this false advertising...none of them pay for your ED Visa.

At about 2.00 am (I couldn't sleep!) I emailed the girl at the CMULI office, requesting confirmation of the above.

15th September

It's 5.30 pm here and still not a peep. I have just sent a polite (จ่ายเย็นเย็น ) text to the person at the top. Within a few seconds I recieved a reply asking for my date of birth...promising?

Now two hours later, I'm publishing this post...oh, and learning how to say Far Eastern University in Thai, because the Language Institute is definitely moving there, from the CMU campus.

The view from the highest point in Thailand

Feedback on the visa situation

The debate is still raging, questions still be asked and suggestions being given, over at Thai Visa in the forum CMU Fails to provide visa. No definitive answers yet.

However, I received a reply from the person (I'll just call them friend for now) who commented on Thai Visa regarding their concerns obtaining visa docments from CMULI.

Friend too has been looking for answers and had this to say:

'Three weeks ago I enrolled for the one year Thai course starting November. Before registration I asked them several questions and I always got valuable answers within one day. So I could not see any reason why I should not take this course. Unfortunately things changed rapidly right after I sent the money. My emails were ignored, nobody picked up the phone for days, fax did not work. All this is far from normal even if I consider this is Thai-business.'

Friend also found that:
 

• Most comments about CMULI on ThaiVisa have been positive up until recently.
• The website Retire on 550 a month still has a big recommendation of CMULI on their page, but underneath in RED writing is this - NOT RECOMMENDED- contact us for details

• Details given by Retire on 550 a Month  to friend were “We have worked with CMU for several years now and found that they are disorganized, confused, think about their own welfare over their clients and do not do the job that is expected of us or our clients.”

An explaination. Friend had managed (after much effort) to contact someone 'at the top' of CMULI and was told that 'Thai Immigration had a suspicion that CMU was “selling” ED-visas to farangs not attending the courses and stopped all visas to students from CMU, not only language students. Many existing students have now illegal residence permit status as their visa could not be extended. It was a mess. Besides that there was a relevant change in administration staff at CMULI and the new employees are just not yet familiar with the daily business. Up to now they have a backlog of some 200-300 students waiting for their visa paperwork so the staff is completely overstrained. This might be why I got not answers to my emails.

Now there was a inspection at CMULI by Thai Immigration and they agreed that all documentation is correct and Visa will be issued again starting next Wednesday, 8. September.'
Friend was 'guaranteed that the course in November will be running and I will get the visa papers by end of next week (he would put my name somewhere on the top of the backlog). And of course I get a full refund if my Visa is refused.'

All of this may not be the most comforting news, but it is good to know what exactly is going on...just incase I have to change tack. CMULI is still advertising their four Thai Language courses as including a one year visa.

Using the one year visa as a draw card is a little ambiguious. In the CMULI FAQ section you will find:

What are the visa fees?

The first visit to the Thai embassy or immigration will cost 1,900 Baht.

I think in most cases, with other schools also, that the visa costs are NOT included and appears not at CMULI either, even though most give you the impression that they are, in their advertising.

Some Learn Thai course providers clearly outline what is required regarding the ED Visa and assistance/support. AUA  spells it out in black and white, well blue and pink actually.

Perhaps more information should be given to foreigners on the ins and outs of the costs and procedures! Call me crazy, but, in my book visa docs does not equal a visa or its costs.

One of the other 'feelers' I sent out came back with positive feedback regarding CMULI, but perhaps is unaware of the current dilema. He has been heavily involved with Learn Thai courses in Chiang Mai for many years and once taught at CMU.

There were positive comments on Thai Visa regarding some of the teachers and course at CMULI, which was refreshing. No matter where you decide to learn or which course is undertaken, the consensus seems to be that the success of the teachings/learnings is largely due to the quality of the teacher and the dedication of the student, not so much the institution.

Me, I haven't heard back from CMULI, but didn't expect to having only sent my email on a Friday night and today is only Sunday. I too will be contacting the 'person at the top' later this week, if I do not receive a reply regarding my visa documents.

A little obsessed about the whole visa thing you might say, well maybe, but I leave the country in 6 weeks and need to get this sorted soon. No matter the outcome, I'm still looking forward to learning Thai at CMULI or elsewhere.