landmonsun

To add, I think it's fine to take classes for years and get ED visa's for years like you have. I'm sure it takes a decade of classes to get truly, comfortably fluent and conversant in a tonal language so different from one's own. But what I don't understand is how you actually got worse. Even if you just paid the school to get the visa, and didn't attend classes, you're in Thailand! You live in one big Thai language classroom!

Come on man...you are in Thai country, taking years of classes, and you are 'rusty'? You should be practicing Thai every day!

I'm not usually one to side with the hard core conservative guys on here, but if I live in a country for going on a decade I would show my appreciation to my adopted culture and learn the native language. I would practice it every day and not expect everyone to speak to me in English.

I guess I just don't see how it was humanely possible to LOSE thai speaking ability while one is in Thailand.

Since when is being one of the top ten tourist destinations in the world 'barely a blip on the tourist radar'?

Here's a link:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewbender/2013/06/07/bangkok-tops-the-worlds-10-most-visited-cities/

Okay then. So tourism is no small amount at all...almost 10% is considerable indeed.

Again Bangkok had the top spot for a year for air arrivals. Higher than Paris, London, New York. Most of those arrivals were tourists.

I heard facts are better than speculation.

http://www.bot.or.th/English/EconomicConditions/Thai/genecon/Pages/Thailand_Glance.aspx

To be fair:

Manufacturing

38.1

13.8

Wholesale and Retail Trade

13.4

15.3

Transport, Storage and communication

10.2

2.7

Agricuture

8.3

39.1

Construction and Mining

4.3

6.6

Other services *

25.7

22.5

The hotels and tourism aspect of 'other services' could be over 20%, second to manufacturing (exports as I said).

Bangkok isn't one of the top traveled to cities in the world for people there in the manufacturing business but rather tourists and expats.

Tourism, after exports, is the largest contributing industry to the Thai economy or so I have been led to understand.

Does this mean that the Thai MOE will not accept a Thongsook BA in TESOL for work permits? 

DC Voravat was duplicated on the Hua Hin forum. Everyone was relieved. However, I can confirm that the immigration/police stance here is that you MUST carry your original passport with you. People are being stopped and fined. Photocopy and/or Thai driving licence is not an option.

My son, who lives on the Bkk side of Samut Sakhon was stopped only yesterday. The policeman was very agressive and demanded his passport. The many types of photo ID he had was not accepted. 2,000 baht fine but finished up giving a backhander to proceed on his way.

A lot of sense from DC Voravat but it's not carrying any weight.

So kind of you to create an account so that you can share such detail.

 

Because we wanted to LIVE IN THAILAND NOT CHINA!

Ok rant over but really it's about where we want to live not about money. I'd rather teach in Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam than China.

 

 

I am torn about this right now. Everything about teaching in China looks better, except that it isn't in Thailand. 

Hong Kong would be my ideal city to base myself out of. It has incredible scenery, diversity, and quality of living. But it is also one of the top five most expensive cities in the world.

 

I could be happy in BKK, KL, maybe even Guangzhou or Shanghai, though the latter gets too cold for me in winter. Not sure I'd like to settle in Jakarta or many other places in SE Asia though. They seem a bit slow for someone used to a global city. I like Tokyo but again, the winters would wear on me. 

 

I do like San Francisco and L.A. but too expensive. NYC is grand but again too cold. 

If you have a visa you can travel on a one way ticket.

Great! This will save me money. Thanks.

What are you going to study and where?

You can not change to an ED visa from the 30 day visa exemption. You will need to leave.

I have not decided yet, in contact with a few schools.

I suggest you get a single entry tourist visa that will give you a 60 day entry that can extended for 30 days instead of just a 30 day visa exempt entry. This would give you more time to find a school and even start your studies. It can take 2 or 3 weeks for the school to get the documents for the ED visa at a nearby embassy or consulate..

Another important point is that you may need to show a flight out of the country within 30 days in order to board you flight if you don't have a visa.

Thanks for your reply. So my consulate website says I need the following for a tourist visa:

equired documents :

• Your actual Passport

(Passport or Travel Document must not expire within 6 months and contain at least ONE completely empty visa page).

• 1 copy of Passport

(The page(s) shows your photo , name , date and place or birth and the expiration date of passport)

• 1 application form [ Download ]

(completed and signed by the applicant. Parents can sign for the minor).

• 2 photos

(Passport photo, 2” x 2”, color, front-view, taken within 6 months, and write your name and last name on the back of each photo).

No mention of round trip ticket. Then could I potentially arrive on a one way ticket?

Hello all,

I am planning to go study in Thailand, not as an excuse to stay, as I have not been there in years. I would rather study in my home country but the cost of living is high and in Thailand I can study and live on savings while here at home I would have to go into debt to finish college.

So what's my best approach? I would rather arrive in Thailand on a visa exempt and then square away my ED visa while there than deal with it before I leave. But if it's better to get it here, I would do that.

Would I have to leave Thailand to get the ED visa or can I stay in Bangkok and get it there? Sorry if these seem like old questions but I have ready many threads here and gotten conflicting reports and opinions.

Thanks