Changing Non-Imm. B To Non-Imm. Ed

[Leelas]

I'm a USA national, and I'm 26 years old. I've been teaching English here for a year and a half about, and recently I decided to go back to school. I started studying a month ago, and I haven't been working since then.

My visa is currently a non-immigrant B visa. I'm wondering - do I really need to change it to an ED visa? How illegal is it to study on a B visa? Assuming this is all completely illegal and I'll be in deep water if anyone finds out, my B visa is valid for at least another year - would it be possible for me to leave the country and get an ED or tourist visa in, say, Singapore or Vientiane? What are your thoughts on this?

[Mario2008]

You can study on any kind of visa. The question is if you have a valid multi emtry non-B and leave the country every 90 days. If you do, there is no need to change anything till the visa expires.

However, if you have a 1 year extension of stay based on your work from immirgation in Thailand you now have a problem, as your permission to stay ended when you left your job. When on an extension of stay based on employment, the day you stop working is the day you have to leave Thailand. You would now be on overstay, at 500 baht a day.

[Leelas]

Okay, so suppose that's the case, if I attempt to leave the country, would they be able to tell I'm not working anymore? Seeing as one surrender's one's work permit when one finishes their job, how can they leave the country without immigration assuming overstay?

[Mario2008]

Yes, you can leave with immigration noticing it. Although they might ask you why you don't have a re-entry permit.

But suppose you get a new job, questions can be asked then about when you left your old job.