Hi all,

I am currently in Thailand helping out at a marine conservation project. I came here at the beginning of December 2008 and spent 3 months here as a volunteer, i then travelled in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia for 3 months and then returned for 3 months. I then travelled back to England and got a 1 year educational visa which was backed by the dive company the project uses, under the guise that i was doing my open water up to divemaster padi courses and it would take more than 3 months, this was granted and i have just over 3 months left on this. The marine conservation company i am helping are not registered in Thailand so any kind of work permit is out the question, so i would like to know if i could get another ED 1 year visa or if any other 1 year visa is available to me. Also i would rather not travel all the way back to England to do this as its so expensive and would like to know if i can get it from somewhere closer.

Thanks for any help.

Such a visa is not likely to be approved in the local area. Believe you already know your at risk of jail/fine/deportation by working here.

Some people seem to be awarded an ED-visa while following a course at a diving centre and if you continue a course you could get another Ed-visa from the consulate in Hull.

But as Lopburi pointed out, you would still be volunteering without a work permit, which is illegal.

Such a visa is not likely to be approved in the local area. Believe you already know your at risk of jail/fine/deportation by working here.

Hi Lopburi3,

I realise i will not get a visa granted locally, i am also fully aware of the legalilities of working without a visa, as my message said "i am helping out" in other words i am a volunteer, this means i give up my time to help others, i do not get either a wage or any kind of cash gift and completely fund my own stay here.

If you have any real information for me it would be very appreciated

Lee2506

Your working regardless of pay or not is illegal. On an EN visa entry even more so. And you need to be aware of that.