Ed Visa, Any Options Other Than Language Studies?

[CMSteve]

May have just been a bad choice of words. I read it as a "FYI" or something to be weary of.

To clarify though, the ED Visa is valid until the end date, but any Extension of visa, ends when the reason for extension has ended. Meaning, if you are on a visa(1st 90 days) you get the full 90 days even if the schools cancels classes and refuses to sign any more visa forms. However, if you are passed the original visa (after the 1st 90days) your permission to stay ends when the class ends or when the school decides to cancel classes.

OP -

CobraSnakeNecktie's advice is pretty sound. If you were looking to progress further down a field of specific study, you would not be asking for any school other than language. In this case, it may be better to goto a language school to get your visa(and ease getting around for that year) and look for something that suits you more.

One issue I've hear with ED visas is technically they expire the date the course finishes (might have 7 days grace?)....

Why is that an issue? The ED Visa is granted for an educational entitlement, so why should it continue after the educational course (whatever it happens to be), has expired? No more education, no more ED visa. Seems perfectly reasonable to me, unless I'm missing something here?

Aitch

[richard10365]

The last word I got from the Intensive Thai department at Payap University is it is possible to study for 5 months (Mon-Fri 9am to 12pm)and then stay in Thailand without studying for another 7 months.

The Intensive Thai department said visas are initially issued for 3 months for the initial enrollment. 90 days later this visa expires and Payap will take your visa and get it extended for 9 more months(This is included in the cost of the tuition). You still are responsible for the 90 day reporting requirements.

For example,

You enter Thailand on 1 Jun, 2011 with your 90 day nonimmigrant education visa.

Enroll for 2 consecutive terms

Term 1 goes from 6 Jun to 1 Jul.

Term 2 goes from 11 Jul to 8 Aug.

64 days

Enroll for 2 more consecutive terms

Term 3 goes from 22 Aug to 16 Sep

However, on 30 Aug your visa expires. Payap gets your visa extended about a week before for an additional 9 months (277 days)

Term 4 goes from 26 Sep to 21 Oct.

After term 4, your visa extension does not expire and according to the Intensive Thai department at Payap, you are free to do what you want until it does in Jun 2012.

At the end of May 2012, enroll for 2 more consecutive terms (Terms 5 and 6) and repeat the process.

For more info on the Intensive Thai academic calender at Payap University, click here.

[Loaded]

Richard,

Your posts often come across as (free) advertising for Payap University. Even the paying advertisers don't spam as much as you.

The last word I got from the Intensive Thai department at Payap University is it is possible to study for 5 months (Mon-Fri 9am to 12pm)and then stay in Thailand without studying for another 7 months.

The Intensive Thai department said visas are initially issued for 3 months for the initial enrollment. 90 days later this visa expires and Payap will take your visa and get it extended for 9 more months(This is included in the cost of the tuition). You still are responsible for the 90 day reporting requirements.

For example,

You enter Thailand on 1 Jun, 2011 with your 90 day nonimmigrant education visa.

Enroll for 2 consecutive terms

Term 1 goes from 6 Jun to 1 Jul.

Term 2 goes from 11 Jul to 8 Aug.

64 days

Enroll for 2 more consecutive terms

Term 3 goes from 22 Aug to 16 Sep

However, on 30 Aug your visa expires. Payap gets your visa extended about a week before for an additional 9 months (277 days)

Term 4 goes from 26 Sep to 21 Oct.

After term 4, your visa extension does not expire and according to the Intensive Thai department at Payap, you are free to do what you want until it does in Jun 2012.

At the end of May 2012, enroll for 2 more consecutive terms (Terms 5 and 6) and repeat the process.

For more info on the Intensive Thai academic calender at Payap University, click here.

[mager]

OK, I think I made up my mind.

My first choice will be to try and get ED visa based on learning muay thai. If this will not be possible, I will just go for language school.

Does anyone have information on how to obtain ED visa based on learning muay thai?

Thanks.

[richard10365]

Richard,

Your posts often come across as (free) advertising for Payap University. Even the paying advertisers don't spam as much as you.

The last word I got from the Intensive Thai department at Payap University is it is possible to study for 5 months (Mon-Fri 9am to 12pm)and then stay in Thailand without studying for another 7 months.

The Intensive Thai department said visas are initially issued for 3 months for the initial enrollment. 90 days later this visa expires and Payap will take your visa and get it extended for 9 more months(This is included in the cost of the tuition). You still are responsible for the 90 day reporting requirements.

For example,

You enter Thailand on 1 Jun, 2011 with your 90 day nonimmigrant education visa.

Enroll for 2 consecutive terms

Term 1 goes from 6 Jun to 1 Jul.

Term 2 goes from 11 Jul to 8 Aug.

64 days

Enroll for 2 more consecutive terms

Term 3 goes from 22 Aug to 16 Sep

However, on 30 Aug your visa expires. Payap gets your visa extended about a week before for an additional 9 months (277 days)

Term 4 goes from 26 Sep to 21 Oct.

After term 4, your visa extension does not expire and according to the Intensive Thai department at Payap, you are free to do what you want until it does in Jun 2012.

At the end of May 2012, enroll for 2 more consecutive terms (Terms 5 and 6) and repeat the process.

For more info on the Intensive Thai academic calender at Payap University, click here.

I do monitor this website for Payap so I am probably online more than the paying advertisers. When I see comments that might concern the university I comment on them to make sure the right information is available to people who might be interested in Payap or higher education in Thailand. Payap is part of Chiang Mai and there are people who want to know about Payap. I help with that. My comments about Payap will always be more positive than neutral.

I am not sure how you personally define spam. I had to look it up (SPAM) to see if what I am doing is spam or a smart business practice. I think the latter. I have been censured by ThaiVisa before because I did over do it with my enthusiasm for Payap so now I am careful not to do it again.

[CMSteve]

I personally have no issue with you telling everyone about Payap, within reason. However, I think you/Intensive Thai Dept @ Payap should be more careful on how you advertise the use of the visa extension. The extension is technically finished when the classes are finished. If no one gets caught, good on ya, but if someone gets hit with a 20K overstay and jail time because they stayed 6 months after the classes finished....

Richard,

Your posts often come across as (free) advertising for Payap University. Even the paying advertisers don't spam as much as you.

The last word I got from the Intensive Thai department at Payap University is it is possible to study for 5 months (Mon-Fri 9am to 12pm)and then stay in Thailand without studying for another 7 months.

The Intensive Thai department said visas are initially issued for 3 months for the initial enrollment. 90 days later this visa expires and Payap will take your visa and get it extended for 9 more months(This is included in the cost of the tuition). You still are responsible for the 90 day reporting requirements.

For example,

You enter Thailand on 1 Jun, 2011 with your 90 day nonimmigrant education visa.

Enroll for 2 consecutive terms

Term 1 goes from 6 Jun to 1 Jul.

Term 2 goes from 11 Jul to 8 Aug.

64 days

Enroll for 2 more consecutive terms

Term 3 goes from 22 Aug to 16 Sep

However, on 30 Aug your visa expires. Payap gets your visa extended about a week before for an additional 9 months (277 days)

Term 4 goes from 26 Sep to 21 Oct.

After term 4, your visa extension does not expire and according to the Intensive Thai department at Payap, you are free to do what you want until it does in Jun 2012.

At the end of May 2012, enroll for 2 more consecutive terms (Terms 5 and 6) and repeat the process.

For more info on the Intensive Thai academic calender at Payap University, click here.

I do monitor this website for Payap so I am probably online more than the paying advertisers. When I see comments that might concern the university I comment on them to make sure the right information is available to people who might be interested in Payap or higher education in Thailand. Payap is part of Chiang Mai and there are people who want to know about Payap. I help with that. My comments about Payap will always be more positive than neutral.

I am not sure how you personally define spam. I had to look it up (SPAM) to see if what I am doing is spam or a smart business practice. I think the latter. I have been censured by ThaiVisa before because I did over do it with my enthusiasm for Payap so now I am careful not to do it again.

Edited April 12, 2011 by CMSteve

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Lanna Thai is the largest camp in Chiang Mai.

I think on their website they suggest you can get a single 90 day ED visa depending on the consulate you use. I think that might be conservative to not over promise. Choosing the right consulate to apply and offering the proper supporting doc's then a multi is possible IMO. I have never heard how they do their paperwork so really can't recommend anything. Maybe somebody else on here has tried. Most people just a few tourist visa's when visiting there. They for sure see people get chewed up and quitting training so probably roll their eyes when a newbie thinks they are going to train there longterm.

Much bigger Muay Thai scene is Phuket area with more professional schools.

If your new to combat sports the Thai sparring norms are fairly gentle compared to some other combat sports. If you have never trained in fighting then your in for a shock to your system but the people are pretty cool and generally don't have to worry much about ego's and insecure bullies treating you like easy meat. Just don't have any attitude in a muay thai camp.

[folium]

My, my boys you are touchy! Personal abuse and rude comments on the profile page, what a pair of charmers!

Anyway, what I was trying to say was that it would pay to be careful what you say/write on Thaivisa and Richard from Payap just underlines the point that this forum is very visible and accessible. If Payap has someone monitoring it, who else does? When Guitarman got busted the other day I believe the Immigration boys were carrying a printed off page from Facebook. If they are capable of working out FB they can probably also peruse the delights of TV.

Most people (even me...) game systems to make life more bearable. Rather like tax avoidance and tax evasion the rules re immigration can and do move and electronic forums are now regularly monitored by efficient government organizations to find out what people are up to.

Not paranoid, just being practical.

[JomtienEats]

Thank you everyone for all of the information.

What I'm still looking for is actual institutes who offer year long programs along with handling the ED visa issues. Something like the language schools, but for something other than language studies.

Does anyone have information on such institutes?

Hi Mager,

I'm looking for something similar. I've been in Thailand one year on a Ed visa (Thai language), and want to study something other than language now.

I'm aware of one school in Jomtien that offers the Ed visa for a cookery course. I think there are other schools in Pattaya that offer courses in computers and software. I'm more interested in something that includes exercise like Tennis or Yoga. Muay Thai seems like an option, but I don't like the idea of sparring, although other gentler martial arts would be of interest.

Sounds like it is possible that if you sign up for a course, a school might be able to help with extensions even if they are not MoE certified. I think it is also possible MoE certified schools might consider adding a course if an individual applied for private lessons or a group approached it with an interest in a particular couse of study.

What things are you interested in studying - maybe we could form such a group?

[richard10365]

I hate to reopen this thread because I spoke to soon but I feel it is the responsible thing to do.

I did talk with the Intensive Thai department face to face to confirm the information I got on the phone. I am learning for certain questions, face to face is better than the phone when talking with Thai people.

The head of the department basically said the information I posted here about study for 5 months and do nothing for 7 months is wrong. I do apologize for that.

She said I should talk with the person who handles visas for more details. I went to talk to him and he said because of the problems with another local university that had major problems with immigration last year, students need to always be enrolled in class. They cannot take a 7 month break or they will be reported to immigration.

I apologize for the confusion.