The Pro Language School

[I Go With You]

I see there's an add for a new language school on thaivisa. after reading the many posts about walen, I'm thinking about checking out pro. I bet they'd knock a few hundred baht off the price to beat walen. what do you guys think?

[Lite Beer]

I see there's an add for a new language school on thaivisa. after reading the many posts about walen, I'm thinking about checking out pro. I bet they'd knock a few hundred baht off the price to beat walen. what do you guys think?

Mac Walen has already dicounted his price to undercut PRO.

[bruceboy]

Will check it out.

[tropo]

I see there's an add for a new language school on thaivisa. after reading the many posts about walen, I'm thinking about checking out pro. I bet they'd knock a few hundred baht off the price to beat walen. what do you guys think?

I think it's not worth discussing. Surely you wouldn't choose a language school based solely on a small price difference.

Edited February 7, 2008 by tropo

[sriracha john]

Banner ads flashing above this thread

walen = 28,400 baht

pro = 28,500 baht

Let the Price Wars Begin...

[I Go With You]

yeah, I'm waiting for 19999 baht

[MacWalen]

This may not happen as the prices are already very cheap, they cartainly can make it 28,300 I guess.

Pro language, my good friend from upstairs has lower operating costs than the Walen School so they decided to push prices below a reasonable level and as we are their friends we follow them and will certainly continue to follow them wherever they choose to go.

I actually even visit them from time to time and talk about our schools competing on the basis of our teaching methods and not prices. If you need a reference I can tell you who I talked to but giving their names here might not be right, so nobody can say that I am making up these stories. I tried to talk to the owner but was not given the chance, I don't even know who it is, I only know it is a woman. Maybe she was not comfortable to have a chat with me.

The fact that they copied my website in its basic design and content is very sad. Such a professional and original school could come up with their own website design but it only emphasises the fact that they try to be like the Walen School just using a different teaching method.

So these are the basic facts. If you decide to visit them make sure you also give us a small chance so come in to our place for a coffee too !

Walen School, Mac

[moe666]

Tropo, I don't think it is about learning Thai, more likely the visa.

[Maestro]

moe666, the OP will definitely attend classes because otherwise immigration will not give him an extension of stay every 90 days. In that situation, with the expense for both schools being almost equal, wouldn’t you choose the school with the teaching method that suits you best, ie is least painful for you? If there is a big difference in price, somebody down on his uppers might of course willingly endure more hardship in order to save some money, but I see no indication in the OP's post that he is in such dire financial straits.

--

Maestro

[sriracha john]

Likely, for someone using this avenue primarily for its visa purposes (no real reason not to assume that encompasses the majority of "students"), and with costs being nearly equal, he'll select the school that is the least intrusive and disruptive, in terms of hours spent per week, in the "student's" life.

The competition amongst these schools (presuming the prices remain fairly stable and uniform) will hinge mainly on just how low they can get the number of required "student" hours per week and yet still meet the requirements to satisfy the visa.

As an example,

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1781466

Not sure how TV will handle the issue of competing sponsorships, but one accusing another of website design theft is an interesting one for an opening volley.

[Maestro]

Likely, for someone using this avenue primarily for its visa purposes (no real reason not to assume that encompasses the majority of "students"), and with costs being nearly equal, he'll select the school that is the least intrusive and disruptive, in terms of hours spent per week, in the "student's" life...

I originally thought that the minimum requirement was 4 hours of classes per week but I see one sponsor advertising 3 hours per week. I remember one poster mentioning that the requirement for extension of stay is even higher than 4 hours of study per week but that a certain number of hours of home study was assumed and calculated as part of the official requirement. A mystery yet to clarified by a knowledgeable source. Lets see which sponsor comes up faster with the answer

Is it really wrong to think that a person signing up for a Thai language course primarily for the purpose of getting a non-ED visa with extensions of stay in order to stay long-term in Thailand is not genuinely interested in learning Thai? The benefits of even a minimal knowledge of Thai seem quite obvious. I, for one, would be happy to understand and speak Thai much better than I can at present, even though I visit Thailand only for a few week every year.

--

Maestro

[LivinLOS]

The fact that they copied my website in its basic design and content is very sad. Such a professional and original school could come up with their own website design but it only emphasises the fact that they try to be like the Walen School just using a different teaching method.

Would adapting / plagiarizing a website be similar, better, or worse, than adapting / plagiarizing the 'Callen' name and system of teaching perhaps ??

Ring Ring.. Hello Pot.. This is Kettle.. Your Black.

[Hawkup2000]

When you pay the 28.500 at Pro you can only stay 9 months.

[sriracha john]

When you pay the 28.500 at Pro you can only stay 9 months.

Why is that?

They advertise three years?

[Hawkup2000]

In the their page it is stated: "Students who register for 180 lessons and pay the full tuition fee of 28,500 baht/course will be eligible for a 1 year ED Visa. First, students will get a Non-immigrant ED Visa for 3 months and then a 9 month Student Visa by extending it every 3 months and paying a Government fee of 1,900 baht. The school will prepare all the documents from the Ministry of Education for the students to have the Visa issued from a Thai Embassy and to get it extended at the Immigration on Sathorn road in Bangkok or at another Immigration office.

students would like to continue their studying, the school could run the same process for another 2 years.

Enjoy your Thai Language course and traveling in Thailand."

But I got 9 months in total. You certainly don´t get a 3 year visa for 28,500 baht. What they mean is that 3 years is the maximum ed visa time given on basis of studying at a thai language school.

[sriracha john]

In the their page it is stated: "Students who register for 180 lessons and pay the full tuition fee of 28,500 baht/course will be eligible for a 1 year ED Visa. First, students will get a Non-immigrant ED Visa for 3 months and then a 9 month Student Visa by extending it every 3 months and paying a Government fee of 1,900 baht. The school will prepare all the documents from the Ministry of Education for the students to have the Visa issued from a Thai Embassy and to get it extended at the Immigration on Sathorn road in Bangkok or at another Immigration office.

students would like to continue their studying, the school could run the same process for another 2 years.

Enjoy your Thai Language course and traveling in Thailand."

But I got 9 months in total. You certainly don´t get a 3 year visa for 28,500 baht. What they mean is that 3 years is the maximum ed visa time given on basis of studying at a thai language school.

oh ok, so that's the cost per year for up to 3 years.

Why didn't you get the full 12 months from them? In other words, it sounds like you could have if they offer the 3 + 9 months.

I also wonder if walen school's visa is any different.

Edited February 8, 2008 by sriracha john

[Hawkup2000]

If you get 1 year for 28.500 B the total sum of one year will be:28.500tuitionfee,edvisa total costs 8000 B, extentions 3*1,900 =42200 B Please correct me if I have missed something.

Edited February 8, 2008 by Hawkup2000

[sriracha john]

Where did you go for your visa that it cost 8000 baht?

The cost of a single entry non-immigrant visa should be 2000 baht.

About my earlier question I had about why you only got 9 months when you were eligible for 12. Was that just a personal choice to not get the remaining 3 months?

Edited February 8, 2008 by sriracha john

[Lithobid]

Just to drop my 2 satang's worth, I don't believe there are a herd of farrang jumping into thai schools just to stay in the country. I am persuing exactly that right now, and the effort, and commitment is tremendous. I can't see the Ed visa being spoiled in this manner at all, considering 80% of the student population is Korean and Japanese, not fat whitey looking for bar girls. I chock it up to Thai immigration for creating this visa law. I think it's wonderful, the legitimate Farrang can be working folk, students, or retiree's and marriages. Get's the "long term" sleeze off the beaches.

Don't get me wrong, I am sure there are people doing it, though I can't see it amounting to anymore than it happens in America, or Europe. I'd bet it's less than 5%.

Lithobid

[sriracha john]

Just to drop my 2 satang's worth, I don't believe there are a herd of farrang jumping into thai schools just to stay in the country. I am persuing exactly that right now, and the effort, and commitment is tremendous. I can't see the Ed visa being spoiled in this manner at all, considering 80% of the student population is Korean and Japanese, not fat whitey looking for bar girls. I chock it up to Thai immigration for creating this visa law. I think it's wonderful, the legitimate Farrang can be working folk, students, or retiree's and marriages. Get's the "long term" sleeze off the beaches.

Don't get me wrong, I am sure there are people doing it, though I can't see it amounting to anymore than it happens in America, or Europe. I'd bet it's less than 5%.

Thanks for the post, but at some schools in specific I would think the percentage is significantly higher. If all the posts we get from walen staff/students are any indication or at the Pattaya school whose thread was linked in Post #10. Perhaps on a general nation-wide scale, it may not be, but at some specific schools, I would venture to guess farang are in the majority... but I'm also saying that I don't think that necessarily all of them are only attending to get the visa.

Edited February 8, 2008 by sriracha john

[LivinLOS]

Just to drop my 2 satang's worth, I don't believe there are a herd of farrang jumping into thai schools just to stay in the country. I am persuing exactly that right now, and the effort, and commitment is tremendous. I can't see the Ed visa being spoiled in this manner at all, considering 80% of the student population is Korean and Japanese, not fat whitey looking for bar girls. I chock it up to Thai immigration for creating this visa law. I think it's wonderful, the legitimate Farrang can be working folk, students, or retiree's and marriages. Get's the "long term" sleeze off the beaches.

If thats the case why do you think the reduction from one year extensions to only 90 days extensions was introduced only for language classes ??

[ProLanguage]

Hello all, Pro Language here.

It normally is not our style to come and discuss our services directly on the forum, but we thought that it would be useful to the readers to have opinions from both the involved parties this time.

Pro Language has a 10 year reputation for high quality Thai language training to numerous individuals, corporates and embassies, has its own copywrited materials and its curriculums have been approved by the Ministry of Education. Therefore, what we offer is Thai courses with the advantage of ED visas, and not viceversa. To make it clear that our business is teaching and not being a visa agent, only the students who actually do attend the lessons are assisted by our school during the process of obtaining the visa and extending it for 1 year.

We would also like to clarify that we are able to provide 1 year visas (which means a total of 12 months, and not only 9 like somebody posted), for 3 consecutive one year-long courses, being 28,500B the price for each single year.

For what concerns the much awaited "price war" between Walen and Pro Language, we are now not planning to further lower our prices, as we believe that, from the perspective of a one year's course, 100 B doesn't make a real difference, and therefore agree with the Walen School that the question here is not about prices anymore but about teaching method and course outline preferences.

Pro Language

[tropo]

Where did you go for your visa that it cost 8000 baht?

The cost of a single entry non-immigrant visa should be 2000 baht.

About my earlier question I had about why you only got 9 months when you were eligible for 12. Was that just a personal choice to not get the remaining 3 months?

If a person travels to Vientiane or Penang to secure their visa, the additional costs could easily total 8000 baht.

[sriracha john]

Where did you go for your visa that it cost 8000 baht?

The cost of a single entry non-immigrant visa should be 2000 baht.

About my earlier question I had about why you only got 9 months when you were eligible for 12. Was that just a personal choice to not get the remaining 3 months?

If a person travels to Vientiane or Penang to secure their visa, the additional costs could easily total 8000 baht.

or it could just as easily cost much less depending on location and travel mode, but thanks for pointing out that hawkup's expense list included more than just the visa cost itself.

[tropo]

Where did you go for your visa that it cost 8000 baht?

The cost of a single entry non-immigrant visa should be 2000 baht.

About my earlier question I had about why you only got 9 months when you were eligible for 12. Was that just a personal choice to not get the remaining 3 months?

If a person travels to Vientiane or Penang to secure their visa, the additional costs could easily total 8000 baht.

or it could just as easily cost much less depending on location and travel mode, but thanks for pointing out that hawkup's expense list included more than just the visa cost itself.

I'm not sure if it does, it was just a wild guess. It would certainly set me back at least that much travelling to Vientiane or Penang from Pattaya.

[Hawkup2000]

I am sorry. I was assuming you were in Bangkok or Pattaya already. If you doing this trip from Bangkok the minimum cost for the visa will be like this: non vip bus bkk-nong khai R/T 900. lao visa 1300. transportation border/embassy total around 500. Visafee 2000. Then the totalsum will be 4700. But, then you will be sleeping on the street and only eating the cookie they gave you on the bus . I did mention 8000 because if someone only think "2000", he will be misscalculating.

I recommend this most useful tripreport: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...mp;hl=Vientiane

At this point I can´t answer about my 9 months since somethings wrong, because the school have comfirmed that they give 12 months. I let you know what has happened.

Edited February 9, 2008 by Hawkup2000

[LivinLOS]

We would also like to clarify that we are able to provide 1 year visas (which means a total of 12 months, and not only 9 like somebody posted), for 3 consecutive one year-long courses, being 28,500B the price for each single year.

Interesting post.. Welcome..

Am I correct in reading your comment above in that you can obtain 1 year multiple entry visa's ?? And then just90 day reporting ??

I had read it was only a single entry 90 day visa with then 90 day extensions.

Curious how you can get 1 years while others dont.

[Maestro]

...obtain 1 year multiple entry visa's ?? And then just90 day reporting ??

A “1 year multiple entry visa”, ie a multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand within one year from the date of issue, does not require “90 day reporting”. With each entry you get permission to stay for 90 days. Before these 90 days are over you must leave the country but can return again on the same day for another 90-day permission to stay.

--

Maestro

[moe666]

Maestro, hopefully people want to learn Thai but reading some of the post to this forum it appears it is about the easiest and longest duration visa one can obtain. If people use it for a visa scam, a visa for learning Thai may become harder to obtain.

[tropo]

...obtain 1 year multiple entry visa's ?? And then just90 day reporting ??

A “1 year multiple entry visa”, ie a multiple-entry non-ED visa valid for an unlimited number of entries into Thailand within one year from the date of issue, does not require “90 day reporting”. With each entry you get permission to stay for 90 days. Before these 90 days are over you must leave the country but can return again on the same day for another 90-day permission to stay.

--

Maestro

...but do these language schools (MacWalen, Pro) provide the necessary documents for a person to be able to secure a 1 year multiple entry ED visa?

Edited February 10, 2008 by tropo