Visa For A 7 Month Intern

[RumpleShrimp]

Hello,I will be traveling to Thailand In February and I'm having a bit of a problem understanding the visas.... in short... I don't understand at all.So I am posting here hoping for some assistance from you guys since the emails I send to the embassy don't seem to get replied to. (saying that there was one helpful lady who told me I would need a multi entry non-immigrant visa...and said I would need some documentation from the dive school.)

So here's the info

1. I will be in Thailand for 7 months doing my internship on Koh Tao
2. I will NOT be getting paid for my training
3. hopefully won't have to do any boarder runs if I can avoid it

Now there's category O.... B..... ED.... A......?

I am really confused as there is quite a choice of visas to chose from(I have the documentation from the diving company on Koh Tao that the embassy will require)

If some one can just help me work out what visa I require then I can move forward and further my planning for my trip.Thanks in advance~Douglas

[wayned]

I would apply for a ED. When you get to Thailand they will probably only give you 90 days permission to stay. Towards the end of the 90 days you will have to get additional paperwork from the school to show that you are still attending, take the boat to Samui. go to immigration in Nathon and extend your permission to stay for another 90 days. Other options would most likely require border runs.

[RumpleShrimp]

Wayned, thank you very much for your reply this is exactly the kind of information I was needing now I can look into this visa.

[samran]

the visa is the least of your problems.

Sounds like your 'employer' hasn't mentioned work permits to you....and you'll certainly need one.

[CharlieH]

Unless you are receiving training which would be the ED visa route same as some teachers use for their TEFL course, or to Learn Thai language which would require the school concerned to be certified.

perhaps an O Visa would be better.

You will need a work permit for any work carried out paid or unpaid. Even volunteers require a work permit.

[RumpleShrimp]

I see so the ED visa does not require a work permit, but the chances are if I am aiding the training of any other divers (after I become an instructor) I will need a work permit aswell.

You make it sound like its hard to get samran... This worries me now.

The internship is more of a course that I am paying to do but a part of becoming a diving instructor will be helping those at a lower qualification such as making sure they make a safe ascent to the surface in case of any problems... But that's the nature of diving.. Everyone needs a buddy but for the most part I will be training and learning myself so I'm not sure if I would class this as working as a volunteer or not as I wouldn't be employed I would just be a.... Student so to speak.

[samran]

I see so the ED visa does not require a work permit, but the chances are if I am aiding the training of any other divers (after I become an instructor) I will need a work permit aswell.

You make it sound like its hard to get samran... This worries me now.

The internship is more of a course that I am paying to do but a part of becoming a diving instructor will be helping those at a lower qualification such as making sure they make a safe ascent to the surface in case of any problems... But that's the nature of diving.. Everyone needs a buddy but for the most part I will be training and learning myself so I'm not sure if I would class this as working as a volunteer or not as I wouldn't be employed I would just be a.... Student so to speak.

Well what is it?

Are you doing a course to become a master diver, which you are paying to do?

Or are you doing things which others are being paid to do (though you are not). The latter will require a work permit.

WP's aren't always hard to get...though it would be in your best interests for you to ask your 'employer' if they are going to get you one as they will be the ones responsible for processing it (before you start work!). If not, then you'll be working illegally.

I'm no expert on work permits, but anecdotally I hear that diving schools amongst others are pretty lousy at getting their staff the right paperwork.

[RumpleShrimp]

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1322701309[/url]' post='4882985']

I see so the ED visa does not require a work permit, but the chances are if I am aiding the training of any other divers (after I become an instructor) I will need a work permit aswell.

You make it sound like its hard to get samran... This worries me now.

The internship is more of a course that I am paying to do but a part of becoming a diving instructor will be helping those at a lower qualification such as making sure they make a safe ascent to the surface in case of any problems... But that's the nature of diving.. Everyone needs a buddy but for the most part I will be training and learning myself so I'm not sure if I would class this as working as a volunteer or not as I wouldn't be employed I would just be a.... Student so to speak.

Well what is it?

Are you doing a course to become a master diver, which you are paying to do?

Or are you doing things which others are being paid to do (though you are not). The latter will require a work permit.

WP's aren't always hard to get...though it would be in your best interests for you to ask your 'employer' if they are going to get you one as they will be the ones responsible for processing it (before you start work!). If not, then you'll be working illegally.

I'm no expert on work permits, but anecdotally I hear that diving schools amongst others are pretty lousy at getting their staff the right paperwork.

Is is essentially the same as a dive master course just to a higher level and yes I am paying to do it.I think I should be able to use an ED visa for this?

[CharlieH]

I would say if you are paying them, then I would go the ED route as you are being trained, but they will still need to provide you with appropriate paperwork.

[Mario2008]

My understanding is that in that case you are considered a student and the work part of your training. I believe many people do courses to become a dive master etc this way.

[CharlieH]

I would have thought that the Dive school should know all about this and take care of things for you as you are paying them ? surely you are not the first to do this with them and they should be aware of what is best and paperwork needed to acheive it.

[beano2274]

Internship sounds like working.

I know many divers who do not have the correct visas or work permits, as another poster said (Samran), they are not very good at it.

If genuinely a training course, and you do no instructing at all, then ED Visa is the way forward, get the paperwork from the Dive School and apply in your own country.

[RumpleShrimp]

Well by the time I become a certified instructor I will be leaving the country as that will mark the end of my course.The reason I mentioned about helping other people is that even if you are a certified diver you have to dive with someone who is a dive master or a higher certified diver.

I have had them email me some paper work.. Some of it is a little hard to understand as its in Thai but I think I have all I need...A letter of acceptance/sponsorship of me and the companies registration documents all signed by one of the owners. I believe I need to take these to the embassy when I apply, I just didn't want to go there not knowing what I was applying for or worse yet get the wrong visa completely.

Another thing that makes my course less normal is that it is usually only 3-4months long but I wanted to spend more time and do my course at a more relaxed pace hence it being not as straight forward as it may usually be.

Thank you all for your informations it's helping a lot.

[wayned]

As I said in my first post, I think that the ED visa is the way to go especially if the company has sent you the paperwork. The definition of intern direct from Merriam Webster is: "an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field (as medicine or teaching) gaining supervised practical experience (as in a hospital or classroom)" It is supervised training and practical application of that training to insure that you have learned the processes and are capable of applying them. I got my PADI Instructors certification in California, the ocean is the classroom and your fellow divers are the guinea pigs. If you continue working after you are certified you will have to get a work permit and a Non-B visa.