Can Any School Help Me Get An Ed Visa Renewal?

[JomtienEats]

My situation is that I've already been in Thailand for 1 year studying Thai on an Ed visa. Now I want to study something else, but the range of subjects covered by approved Ministry of Education schools is pretty limited. I've seen only Languages, Computers, Cookery and Muay Thai. I'm wondering if can sign up with a non-MoE school for lessons in say massage or meditation, and then use paperwork from that school to get the Ed visa renewed. Possible?

[Tod Daniels]

Umm, I'd hafta say nope, in fact HIGHLY improbable.

You post you've been here a year studying Thai via an ED visa. Am I correct in thinking you were going to Thai Immigrations and securing 90 day extensions of stay every 3 months during this last year?

If the answer to my above query is YES, and you WERE in fact going the 90 day extension route; somewhere in the "pile 'o paperwork" your school provided you every 3 months were documents from the MOE saying you are enrolled in a school which is registered with them. The ONLY reason you were getting extensions in the first place is because of that fact.

Now, you could, enroll for another year in a private language school, study Thai (or any language really) and then study something else too. There's nothin' in the rules prohibiting that being done at all.

Conversely, although you don't mention your nationality; you could send an email to a Thai consulate or embassy in your home country; see if you could enroll in a non-MOE approved school to learn something here, and wing it on back there and secure a year-long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-ED visa, if they'll do it. You'd hafta "run-4-the-border" every 90 days, but with a visa like that you can get almost 15 months in-country!

Some Thai consulates and embassies are less critical in the issuing of visas like this. (However NONE of the ones in S/E Asia will do it. )

Good luck. ..

Edited May 5, 2011 by tod-daniels

[JomtienEats]

Thanks Tod for your detailed answer!

Yes - I've been getting the extension every 90 days with the 2inch bundle of paperwork.

Interesting idea about the multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-ED visa - I might look into that option, but the whole beauty of the Ed visa for me is that I get to avoid the travelling. Weird for someone in Thailand, I know, but I just don't like travel.

I'm wondering now if it is possible that a lot of smaller places are already MOE-approved as a matter of course, but just not advertising the heck out of the Ed-Visa option. I'm thinking of massage/yoga/meditation type places.

[jdinasia]

Thanks Tod for your detailed answer!

Yes - I've been getting the extension every 90 days with the 2inch bundle of paperwork.

Interesting idea about the multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-ED visa - I might look into that option, but the whole beauty of the Ed visa for me is that I get to avoid the travelling. Weird for someone in Thailand, I know, but I just don't like travel.

I'm wondering now if it is possible that a lot of smaller places are already MOE-approved as a matter of course, but just not advertising the heck out of the Ed-Visa option. I'm thinking of massage/yoga/meditation type places.

I would assume that any of the types of programs you are looking for that taught in English AND were recognized by the MoE would certainly advertise. The problem is that they would all likely be "short-course" and not a good option for long-term stays.

There are real schools like Payap University that have International programs if you qualify and can pay their fees.

[tombkk]

I would think that you need to sign up with a MoE-approved school to get a non-ED visa. I'd be surprised if any consulate issued a non-ED visa based on a letter issued by a fly-by-night school. If so, I'd open a school tomorrow, for the sole purpose of extracting money from foreigners who need visas.

Please do let us know the outcome. Use your sense of reason before paying any money to the non-approved school for issuing the letter that will "surely" be good to get you the visa.

[Tod Daniels]

While only anecdotally related to the O/P's post;

I know of an American who wrote a letter to an honorary Thai consulate in the US on his own company's letter head, stating he would be coming to Thailand to explore business opportunities. He went on to say, while he was here he would be enrolling in a private Thai language school to further the objective of business opportunities and therefore was requesting an ED visa.

He was NOT enrolled in a school at the time, nor did he possess ANY documentation normally provided by the school or MOE.

Quite surprisingly, his request was approved and he was issued a year long, multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-ED visa. Now this was from an honorary consulate in the US (which will remain un-named). But I saw the visa in the passport with my own eyes when I ran into him at a private Thai language school I was scoping out (which is NOT an MOE approved school as they cater to business clientele and don't fool with ED visas at all).

So, it CAN happen, but it sure don't usually work out like that, not by a long stretch.

Even given the O/P's stated "adversity to travel", they're out nothing emailing consulates around where ever it is they come from, and seeing if any of them will meet their needs. Some consulates have a much more lenient interpretation of how the rules read in regards to issuing visas. Then again, some don't. .. ...

Edited May 6, 2011 by tod-daniels