Visa exemption to ED visa

[ryan15987532]

Hi all,

 

 I am arriving in Thailand in mid November. My plan is to arrive on visa exemption (30 days), extend this for 60 days (I think) before converting to an ED visa while studying Thai. 
 I’ve heard that people on STV can’t convert to an ED visa and have to leave the country. I can’t see anything saying you can’t convert from a standard tourist visa to an ED visa though. Can someone confirm my assumptions are correct? I can’t find anything official.

 

Thanks 

[Salerno]

38 minutes ago, ryan15987532 said:

extend this for 60 days (I think)

The extension is only 30 days. There is a 60 day Covid extension still available but no guarantee that will still be available after November.

 

38 minutes ago, ryan15987532 said:

I can’t see anything saying you can’t convert from a standard tourist visa to an ED visa though.

Normally you could but it hasn't been available due to Covid as I understand it (schools closed?). People have been going for "volunteer" visas to ensure long stays.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Salerno

[DrJack54]

OP, sounds abrupt, however if your intention is to use an agent to obtain the non O based on ED or volunteering OR do you actually wish to attend class in order to learn Thai. Best to state that and people can advise.

Edited October 5, 2021 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, Salerno said:

Normally you could but it hasn't been available due to Covid as I understand it (schools closed?).

People have applied for a non-ed visa at immigration. They certainly have not stopped accepting the application.

The problem to do the application is that it requires documents to prove they are formal school such a university. But many schools and agents can make arrangement to get them for a informal school such as a language school.

[QPRFC]

You should probably arrive on a 60 day visa (apply at Thai Embassy in your country) and then extend for 30 days (maximum) if required, to give you time to check out schools, decide and arrange the paperwork (which used to take up to 60 days to be approved at Ministry of Education) before you can submit at Thai Immigration.

Expect school fees for 1 year to be approximately 25k-30k THB plus 3 ED visa extensions (90 days each) at 1.9k each.

[ryan15987532]

13 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP, sounds abrupt, however if your intention is to use an agent to obtain the non O based on ED or volunteering OR do you actually wish to attend class in order to learn Thai. Best to state that and people can advise.

I intend on learning Thai. I am in contact with a language school on Koh Samui. They have advised it will take 3-4 weeks to obtain ED visa - this could be optimistic on their part. So even if I arrive visa exempt for 30 days and tourist visa for a further 30 days (thanks for correcting me), that should be plenty of time assuming all goes smoothly, although QPRFC’s suggestion of arriving with 60 day tourist visa may be safest option.
 

 I’ve just seen a video of someone not being able to switch from STV to ed visa and it worried me slightly. Just wanted to know if anyone had a definitive answer.

 

Thanks all. 

[Tropposurfer]

I studied a few years back for a year in Phuket. I have further info for you but don't wish to post here as the last time I did I was trolled and abused for stating these facts and first person experiences.

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, ryan15987532 said:

I’ve just seen a video of someone not being able to switch from STV to ed visa and it worried me slightly. Just wanted to know if anyone had a definitive answer.

You cannot change from a STV visa category ot any other type of visa. That is written in the rules for the STV.

[DrJack54]

10 hours ago, ryan15987532 said:

I’ve just seen a video of someone not being able to switch from STV to ed visa and it worried me slightly. Just wanted to know if anyone had a definitive answer.

That's correct. 

Keep in mind that someone obtaining an STV now, will hopefully be in a different situation in 9 months time. Meaning if some land borders are open at that time, the opportunity to exit and reenter would be possible

[UKJASE]

i am sure my school has not been issuing new ed visas for a long time now, as they were not allowed

 

maybe it would be good to contact a couple more schools and see if they are able to issue visas.  if they all tell you they can issue them now, then you could be pretty sure that they are available again

 

it wont be great if the koh samui school apply for you and then you get knocked back

[UKJASE]

5 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

That's correct. 

Keep in mind that someone obtaining an STV now, will hopefully be in a different situation in 9 months time. Meaning if some land borders are open at that time, the opportunity to exit and reenter would be possible

oh yea, remember that STV are 9 months now, so you have plenty of time if you cant / dont want to swap to ed visa

[freedomnow]

Is the SETV visa option going pop up suddenly this month as Thailand tranistions back to normal, or 'new normal'...that would give you 60+30

but will they revert to requiring a border hop is the question to move to ed....doubtful.

Real mess with this transition phase coming....'so many use case questions."

 

[ryan15987532]

On 10/6/2021 at 1:41 AM, ubonjoe said:

You cannot change from a STV visa category ot any other type of visa. That is written in the rules for the STV.

I understand this but can’t work out if I’ll have grief changing from either standard tourist visa or visa exempt to the Ed visa.

 
From what I can see there are only 2 language schools on Samui, I’ve gone with the best reviewed one. I will check in with the other school to ensure they’re as confident as the school I’m currently in contact with.

 

 I have seen that STV can stay 9 months now but I do want to learn Thai, and 12 months is better than 9 for me!

[ubonjoe]

47 minutes ago, ryan15987532 said:

I understand this but can’t work out if I’ll have grief changing from either standard tourist visa or visa exempt to the Ed visa.

It is not a problem with having a tourist visa or visa exempt.

It is the qualifications school you are attending. The requirements the non-ed visa at immigration is based around attending a formal school such as univercity.

See numbers 5 and 6 here. https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/03.pdf