Education Visa

[acoustic25]

a few questions for you!

im currently trying to find a decent language school in bkk but im not sure what to do first

do i need to get a ED visa before i go? or just get one at the language school,

should i just go over with a 30 day tourist visa straight off the plane then find my school? or should i get a non immigrant 'O' visa? just not sure what to do, and i know from experience that the visa system in thailand is very daunting at times

any help would be greatly appreciated

thank you

khop khun maak

jay

[lopburi3]

You can not obtain an ED visa without paperwork which it appears you do not have. But you should have a visa to be sure they let you board the aircraft without a return/onward ticket within 30 days. If you can obtain a non immigrant O visa do so. If not a tourist visa will do (not the visa exempt 30 day stay you called a visa). Once you have paperwork you can make a trip out to obtain the ED visa.

[pinar]

found TLS Language school with branches in BKK, Pattaya ... on the net:

[sorry not i'm not allowed to post the link, google for : tls thailand]

someone has experience with the TLS Language School, 22k for a 1Year + course sounds good ?

thanks

[Tod Daniels]

Most private thai language schools take between 2 and 6 weeks to process your paperwork, as the time is in waiting for the Ministry of Education to provide support documentation (although some offer 'express service' for an additional 'fee'. Then with that paperwork in hand, you to leave the country and secure an ED visa at a neighboring thai consulate or embassy.

Arriving here and using the 30-day-visa-exempt stamp (which as the name clearly says is NOT a visa) would not be advisable as you'd be cutting it pretty darned close time-wise.

As tourist visas are free at the moment; why not ask for a single entry tourist visa from a thai consulate in your country. Going that route would let you stay here 60 days and could (if needed) be extended inside the country for an additional 30 days.

Certainly that's enough time for even the slowest thai language school to process your paperwork and give you the necessary documents from the Ministry of Education to go get your ED visa outside the country.

You could also email or call a thai consulate in your country and ask them if they'll issue you a Single Entry Non-Immigrant-Type ED visa as you're planning on attending thai language school when you arrive in Bangkok. Several students I know got them from honorary thai consulates in the US without ANY supporting documentation! They typed a letter themselves stating they were going to attend thai language classes and were issued Single Entry Non-Immigrant Type ED visas. (Please note; I'm NOT saying it will work; only that I HAVE seen proof that it did work for some people, and your mileage may vary) Contact the consulates in your country to see if this is an option.

If you’re in the US and one consulate says no, don’t hesitate to call or email another one, as you are NOT obligated to use the honorary consulate closest to you. I would totally stay away from the Thai Embassy in DC, as it is staffed and run by thais, who sometimes are less than user friendly than the honorary thai consulates for the same services.

To answer your original question; I'd be really hesitant about showing up on a 30 day visa exempt stamp and thinking you're going to both find a school, pay the tuition, and get your documentation back in that very limited time frame. Remember a 30 day visa exempt stamp can ONLY be extended for an additional 7 days for emergency situations.

Good luck. ..