Phuket Immigration warns of Education Visa crackdown

PHUKET: Any foreigners staying in Phuket on an education visa but do not attend classes will have their permits to stay revoked and they will be deported, the Phuket Immigration chief warned today.

“We are now keeping a close eye on people staying on education visas,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sunchai Chokkajaykij.

“We have to make sure that those people are actually studying, not just staying here long term on the pretense that they have enrolled in a course.”

Immigration officers will co-ordinate with language schools throughout Phuket to identify any students who consistently fail to attend classes, Col Sunchai said.

“We will go after foreigners who never come to class. Those people are likely to be breaking the law,” he said.

However, Col Sunchai added that his office will not be enforcing a mandatory minimum number of hours that any foreign student must attend each week.

“That depends on the school offering the course,” he said. “They can set up their own class timetable.

“But the schools know which people enrolled in their courses are genuine students – and which ones are not.”

— Natthaphol Wittayarungrote