I am thinking of taking a year off work to upgrade my Thai language skills. I can speak fearly well, but I never learned to read and write.

Do anyone know an institution that gives lessons and also qualifies for a non immigrant visa.

Do I have to study at one of the universities to get a visa, or can I join on of the many private language schools in Bangkok.

Cheers

go to AUA, American Alumni Association, enroll for a one year course and they will get u guess what?>> a one-year ED visa.

have fun

go to AUA, American Alumni Association, enroll for a one year course and they will get u guess what?>> a one-year ED visa.

have fun

Do you have any idea of the cost for a one year course?

Does the visa get cancelled if you miss classes?

go to AUA, American Alumni Association, enroll for a one year course and they will get u guess what?>> a one-year ED visa.

have fun

This is an interesting idea. I just had a look at the website (http://www.auathai.com/visa_information.html), and here's what is required:

"1. Your name as shown in your passport.

2. Your passport number.

3. Your present mailing address.

4. Fax number if available.

5. Planned date of arrival to study full-time.

6. Number of months planning to study full-time.

7. Location of Consulate where you wish to apply.

Send this information to us via e-mail, fax, or post and we will process the letter for you. Once you have the letter from us, you may apply for an "ED" Visa at any Thai Consulate or Thai Embassy. When you arrive in Thailand, you may bring your passport to us in order to process a student visa which can be valid for up to one year and renewable for a maximum of one year. (Student Visas are only issued to students who are full-time. In our program, that means you must study 30 hours per week.)"

30 hours per weeks is a lot of studying... But how long would the initial "ED" visa be good for? What's to stop someone from just getting that visa, then never attending any classes?

30 hours per weeks is a lot of studying... But how long would the initial "ED" visa be good for? What's to stop someone from just getting that visa, then never attending any classes?

I attended Union language school many many years ago and they were insistent that you attended as they maintained they were regularly checked by immigration to see if students whom they had assisted to get visas were actually attending. To the point where they claimed to inform immigration if you no longer subscribed for tuition as fees were due on a monthly basis.

An 'ED' visa is a Non Imm visa so is 90days. I would assume though if the course is for longer than 90 days you would extend it in country (thats where their help would be needed)

To the OP have you seen this list of language schools in Thailand

Edited February 27, 200719 yr by Mahout Angrit

you may apply for an "ED" Visa at any Thai Consulate or Thai Embassy.

Unless the embassy is in Phnom Penh.

Had hel_l of a job getting my Ed visa there even though I had all the paperwork in order.

He even wrote on my visa that it was the last time I could apply there.

You get the 90 day ED visa and just before it expires get down to Suan Phlu Immigration and they give you an extension stamp which is valid until a year from the original date of issue of the visa. My teacher came with me and I just sat there although they did ask me some basic questions in Thai probably just to ascertain that I was actually studying.

go to AUA, American Alumni Association, enroll for a one year course and they will get u guess what?>> a one-year ED visa.

have fun

Do you have any idea of the cost for a one year course?

AUA programs are 200 hours per programme at 18000 baht, and if you are going to study at AUA on a student visa, you will have to study full time, which under their rules means 30 hours or more per week.

I am sure AUA will also keep records for immigration to detail who is keeping to their fulltime student visa or not!!!

yes the schedule is correct. it's 6 hrs a day, five days a week amounting to 30 hours weekly. they arranged for my one-year ED within 2 weeks.

since i'm not really a morning person i missed morning classes on a regular basis due to the effects of amber liquid and nookies. yes they do check attendance but i was never cautioned for any absences at all.

that was in 1996 though. i don't know if they enforce the rules on a stricter basis these days.

The thing is AUA as a special way of teaching which may not appeal to you, which would be bad if u sign for 1 year.

The thing is AUA as a special way of teaching which may not appeal to you, which would be bad if u sign for 1 year.

I agree

best to go to one class and just see if you like the style

I read the AUA site, what exactly is there style like ? no written materials and stuff, is it like.. some type of group discussion thing? or how does it work? Sounded really hands on

yes hampstead is right. some ppl dont like their teaching methodologies. when the concept was first described to me by a friend i was like "no no no not for me". anyways i went for a few trial lessons and within a few hours i found out that they're highly effective, although unconventional. i signed up the next day and that was that.

also at the time, 1996, my primary objective was to learn the lingo. the one-year visa extension was more like an added benefit.

these days some ppl may view it as an easy way to circumvent current visa regulations.