I am currently working in Thailand on a non-B visa and have a valid work permit.

However, I think I will be more effective if I can read and write Thai, so I plan to resign and study Thai for a year.

Reading through the forum and browsing the web, I think that after registration at a recognized Thai language school, I should be able to get an ED visa, without a problem.

However, it is not clear to me whether I need to leave the country to get the ED visa, or whether I can ask the immigration bureau to change my current non-B visa into and ED visa.

Grateful for your suggestions

Not entirely sure I understand the question.

If you are working and have a non immigrant O visa and a work permit, then there would be no problem studying (evening school for example) on that visa.

If you are planning to stop working, then no, you cannot convert your non-o visa to the non-ed visa.

You'll have to enroll in a school, they will prepare the paperwork, then you leave the country, apply for visa and return.

On return you'll get 90 days, which you can extend every 90 days as long as you keep going to school (for a 1900 Baht fee every time).

Do note that in general it will not possible to hold/get a work permit while on a non-ed visa.

Oops, just re-read your post and see you'll plan to resign.

Plan early to get the paperwork from the school in time, so you can leave Thailand on the day you resign to go get the non-ed visa (assuming you have an extension of stay based on work permit).

Basically to be able to do a visa conversion, you should qualify for a 1 year extension based on that new visa status. The ED visa only allows 90 day extensions (and not a full year in one go), although you do not need to leave Thailand to get them.

Unfortunately you will need to leave the country to apply for the ED visa.

Walen School

www.thaiwalen.com