Ed Visa Question Plz.

[jabenna]

Hi,

I move to Thailand in June and am in the final stage of enrolling on a CELTA course after which I hope to find a teaching job/volunteering placement. My language school advises students just to get a tourist visa, however my partner's 'change advisor' at his office, told me to get an Ed visa. I was originally thinking about getting a triple entry tourist visa from the Hull Consulate, to allow me time to complete my course and start looking for jobs afterwards (3x60day entries).

I understand that because I am undertaking study I should get on the Ed visa. However, I cannot find a document on the consulate's website which details the allowed length of stay with the Ed Visa. Is it 90 days or is it just for the length of my course? If it is for the length of my course and not 90 days, I actually arrive in Thailand 3 weeks prior to my course commencing. Does this early arrival cause problems in itself?

After completing my course I wish to find a job and get a Non-Imm B or to start a long-term volunteering placement with a Non-Imm O visa. Are there any rules/time-scales that need to be adhered to when swapping from my Ed (if it is indeed an Ed visa I get and not a triple entry tourist) to a Non-Imm B/O visa?

Finally, we have one-way tickets to Bangkok. The Hull consulate advises that as long as you have a visa that's been applied for (I take it means as long as you don't just get the stamp for 30 days tourist arrival), a one-way ticket is OK but sometimes not. Elusive Thai wording? Does anyone know if Emirates allow you to fly with one-way tickets on an Ed visa, just on the off chance to save me ringing them?

Thank you in advance for your advice and help,

J

[lopburi3]

1. You can study on a tourist visa.

2. An ED visa normally requires school paperwork to obtain and can be single or multi entry (valid for one year of 90 day stays). None allow stay longer than 90 days without exit. Only an extension of stay from Immigration would do that.

3. You can not obtain work permit on ED visa so leaving country to obtain proper visa will be required later.

4. As long as you have a visa airline should allow travel.

[jabenna]

1. You can study on a tourist visa.

2. An ED visa normally requires school paperwork to obtain and can be single or multi entry (valid for one year of 90 day stays). None allow stay longer than 90 days without exit. Only an extension of stay from Immigration would do that.

3. You can not obtain work permit on ED visa so leaving country to obtain proper visa will be required later.

4. As long as you have a visa airline should allow travel.

Many thanks lopburi3. I will go for the triple entry tourist. when I do then find a job, to then get a B visa, do I have to leave The Kingdom to obtain it? Is it only extensions which are issued inside Thailand? Which place is closest to Bangkok which would let me apply for a B visa?

J

[lopburi3]

Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia are the most common places to obtain visas. Some employment might allow change of visa status for 2,000 baht from Immigration but for most people it is a trip to a Consulate for the first non immigrant B visa and then extension of stay later.

[jabenna]

Thanks again.