Ed-Visa-Capable Thai Language Schools In Udon Thani

[saanya]

In case it turns out to be less of a hassle, I figured I would check on this before launching into a long-winding process of obtaining an O visa and extending it based on marriage.

Are there any language schools in Udon Thani anyone knows about or actually attends, who extend their visas by way of education?

I have done so in another part of Thailand, and Udon is fairly close to where I stay. My current stamp is an extension for the 3rd year running, on an ED Visa I got back in 2008 by exiting to Penang, returning to Phuket, and extending yearly, doing 90 days reports.

I have never had to leave the country since being on it, but I assume the rules are different in other parts of Thailand. I imagine there are schools in Udon Thani, but maybe you have to get extensions every 90 days instead of doing 90 days reports, -please advise.

I am pretty fluent in Thai now, can write well, read well, and speak. But there's still a ways to go.:jap:

Edited February 14, 2011 by saanya

[hgma]

good question

may i ad NongKhai as well

i need to improve my spoken thai .

hgma

[Mario2008]

Can't help with an address. But extensions of stay based on study at a language schools are normally for 90 days at a time. 1 year extensions are only given to university students and the likes.

[jazzbo]

You might try going to the Nong Khai campus of Khon Kaen University (on the road south from and not too far from the bridge). The KK campus has non-degree granting International programs but last I checked they were not offered at the NK campus but would be worth your time to make some inquiries.

[saanya]

Can't help with an address. But extensions of stay based on study at a language schools are normally for 90 days at a time. 1 year extensions are only given to university students and the likes.

Hi Mario,

Just about every post I have written in the last 2 years you have said this. Why don't you just give up stating this over and over, you are not 100% correct and we've gone over it plenty before. :jap: :jap:

-Know any schools here or not?

[Maestro]

My current stamp is an extension for the 3rd year running, on an ED Visa I got back in 2008 by exiting to Penang, returning to Phuket, and extending yearly, doing 90 days reports.

saanya, what school in Phuket was this? Other foreigners in Phuket reading this topic might be interested in getting a one-year extension for learning Thai. Also, how much did Phuket immigration charge you for these annual extensions (I understand they sometimes apply a special tariff)?

[Benz4me]

Here in Udonthani you have AUA at Nongprajak nere Wattana Hospital, they have corses try them

Edited February 16, 2011 by Benz4me

[saanya]

My current stamp is an extension for the 3rd year running, on an ED Visa I got back in 2008 by exiting to Penang, returning to Phuket, and extending yearly, doing 90 days reports.

saanya, what school in Phuket was this? Other foreigners in Phuket reading this topic might be interested in getting a one-year extension for learning Thai. Also, how much did Phuket immigration charge you for these annual extensions (I understand they sometimes apply a special tariff)?

Maestro, just look up the major schools on Phuket and ask them, google works great in this regard. It's been shown before by a previous poster who wrote to Mario2008 or Lopburi (I forget which). He called, verified what I've been saying all along.:jap:

Naming companies on Thaivisa always backfires, one side says "you are just advertising for them" and another says "you are damaging the company by writing about it".:jap:

My original question still stands, moderators included. Do you know the names of any schools in Udon?:jap:

Try not to distract from my question and I'll place more faith that your forum is something more than a glorified ad service fed by clueless ranters. :lol:

Benz4me seems to have understood the question outright, and provided the name of AUA. : )

Anyone hear of Risol (the one with the Mickey Mouse statue standing out front?)

[saanya]

My current stamp is an extension for the 3rd year running, on an ED Visa I got back in 2008 by exiting to Penang, returning to Phuket, and extending yearly, doing 90 days reports.

saanya, what school in Phuket was this? Other foreigners in Phuket reading this topic might be interested in getting a one-year extension for learning Thai. Also, how much did Phuket immigration charge you for these annual extensions (I understand they sometimes apply a special tariff)?

extensions each year cost 1,900. sometimes it's wise when extending to get fresh photos taken for the paperwork, so those are like 200 baht nearby at the photo store. also, fill out your TM7 yourself, and directly reference the course materials. are you learning verbs, adjectives, exactly what parts of speech, writing, or conversation, what types of vocabulary, and the exact duration in classes this will take. asking for a year is fine, but try to be realistic. university courses even have start and end points, don't just request the max so you have as much time as you can get. it's school.

your 90 day reports are free. I have done a few 90 day reports where they didn't even look at the form I filled out, they were too busy, and just stamp the 90 day report slip with a date 90 days in the future and say 'don't forget to report by this date, thanks'.

[jazzbo]

AUA Udon Thani is a great school for learning English -- at least according to their's and other UT websites, it seems that they do not offer 52-week courses in learning Thai language ... only ad hoc 6 week courses when enough bodies sign-up.

[Benz4me]

AUA Udon Thani is a great school for learning English -- at least according to their's and other UT websites, it seems that they do not offer 52-week courses in learning Thai language ... only ad hoc 6 week courses when enough bodies sign-up.

Humm if you go there you will now more , the have a 3 - 4 step courses

[Tod Daniels]

OFF TOPIC:

Not to be a dissenter (given my tenuous status), but there ARE schools in Phuket which teach THAI to foreigners and which also offer the “one year / one time” extension @ 1900baht!

Months ago, I called two schools (which shall remain nameless as NEITHER are forum sponsors) and BOTH said they could get a student a YEARLY extension of stay, IF they paid for a year’s schooling up front.

Phuket seems like an entity in-and-of itself in that regard. The Immigrations Officers there are pretty open to their own “interpretation” of the rules as far as foreigners attending a “private” Thai language school.

Last time I checked (which I do once in a while), MOST private Thai language schools offer 90 day ‘extensions of stay’ for the duration of a students’ year of attendance. Then again my experience is ONLY in Bangkok, not other areas.

Not living anywhere near (nor even having visited) Phuket, I couldn’t comment more than that!

Amazing Thailand, huh?

Perhaps the forum sponsor known as ‘macwalen’ who recently opened a branch in Phuket could enlighten us all? Mac, is there any news about Phuket and students securing a "yearly" extension of stay first time outta the gate for attending a 'private' Thai language school???

Really (luv him or hate him); if there’s anyone who knows anything about ED visas, it’s Mac Walen. Single handedly he drove the price for a year’s tuition down in Bangkok at almost EVERY school out there and his school(s) have gotten more foreigners ED visas than I care to count.

Mac, while we may not see eye to eye on things; I still respect how you run your business(es)!

Note 2 the MODZ; if the last part I wrote about ‘mac’ violates ANY of the T/V forum rules, just delete it okay?

Sadly, I have NO info about schools in or near Udon. .. (Although I did suggest to Mac that he should open a school there given the number of foreigners living up-country!)

[saanya]

OFF TOPIC:

Not to be a dissenter (given my tenuous status), but there ARE schools in Phuket which teach THAI to foreigners and which also offer the "one year / one time" extension @ 1900baht!

Months ago, I called two schools (which shall remain nameless as NEITHER are forum sponsors) and BOTH said they could get a student a YEARLY extension of stay, IF they paid for a year's schooling up front.

Phuket seems like an entity in-and-of itself in that regard. The Immigrations Officers there are pretty open to their own "interpretation" of the rules as far as foreigners attending a "private" Thai language school.

Last time I checked (which I do once in a while), MOST private Thai language schools offer 90 day 'extensions of stay' for the duration of a students' year of attendance. Then again my experience is ONLY in Bangkok, not other areas.

Not living anywhere near (nor even having visited) Phuket, I couldn't comment more than that!

Amazing Thailand, huh?

Perhaps the forum sponsor known as 'macwalen' who recently opened a branch in Phuket could enlighten us all? Mac, is there any news about Phuket and students securing a "yearly" extension of stay first time outta the gate for attending a 'private' Thai language school???

Really (luv him or hate him); if there's anyone who knows anything about ED visas, it's Mac Walen. Single handedly he drove the price for a year's tuition down in Bangkok at almost EVERY school out there and his school(s) have gotten more foreigners ED visas than I care to count.

Mac, while we may not see eye to eye on things; I still respect how you run your business(es)!

Note 2 the MODZ; if the last part I wrote about 'mac' violates ANY of the T/V forum rules, just delete it okay?

Sadly, I have NO info about schools in or near Udon. .. (Although I did suggest to Mac that he should open a school there given the number of foreigners living up-country!)

Hi Tod,

-yeah, I agree, I saw you wrote this in another thread where I was differing with what Mario2008 wrote, and Maestro asked about. Both were in that thread before, and as moderators, I have yet to hear them acknowledge what either you or I have maintained all along. If you hadn't have chimed in, I'd have been alone on this yet again.

Thaivisa moderators, -can you acknowledge we are correct about Phuket please?

(dead silence, followed by detailed explanation they weren't disagreeing with what we said, just that they haven't seen this before and that it's definitely not "normal" in their experience, -even though they have never had any kind of ED visa anyways, just seeing posts makes them the experts I guess). Not to bag on them too hard, but after seeing them do this twice, it does irk me a bit that they would persist in providing misleading information when many people in Phuket could be enjoying along stay just like I did.

alas, I will end my ED visa soon. 3 years was a good run. see my next post on how rude and terrifying it is to try and do a marriage visa at Nong Khai Immigration. :o:o:bah::bah: it's the polar opposite of my Phuket ED Visa days.

[Mario2008]

I do not acknowledge you are correct about Pattaya. But also not saying you are wrong.

Experience is that a language school only gets extensions of 90 days, while they might do it differently in Phuket (and I believe a school in Hua Hin) I did not see enough reports to suggest that is indeed the case. Reports like yours are always a major source of information, but we do like to see confirmation of the reports as we don't want to give wrong information.