Questions About Education/Edu Visas In Chiang Mai

[Jelopi]

I am looking for a good school to attend in Chiang Mai, at first this will probably be to learn Thai.

I have these questions:

1. Is there a maximum time limit I have in a course? I heard that there was, and that they were cramming what you had to learn into a smaller time frame than usual because of people taking advantage of the EDU visa. Is this true?

2. What are a couple of good schools in Chiang Mai to learn from?

3. Another expat said that he was set on this Walen Language School as it has great reviews, but then he said he found THIS one which is apparently significantly less pricey. Has anyone gone to either of these schools? Are they good?

[elektrified]

I would go with Payap over the other one you mentioned. I think it is considered to be more reputable IMHO. Payap is a University not a private language school.

[NancyL]

Jelopi, it really depends upon your objectives and limitations:

1. How many hours per week can you devote to classes and studying? The Payap course is much more intensive.

2. What part of town where you be staying? Payap and Whalen are on opposite ends of Chiang Mai.

3. How much flexibility do you need in scheduling? Whalen is more flexible; the Payap classes meet every morning -- no other options.

With regard to a question about how long you can keep getting an Ed visa -- it really depends upon how much progress you're making. You can engage in serious study of the Thai language/culture/history for years and would probably continue to receive an Ed visa provided the Immigration officers were convinced you were a serious scholar.

P.S. don't worry -- MacWalen will be along shortly and this serious inquiry will degenerate into the mud-slinging of a every other "best place to study Thai" thread on this forum.

[HappyInCM]

I've gone to (in this order) Walen, Pro Language, and Payap. I've also sat in at AUA 2 times.

In short, I recommend Pro, AUA and Payap.

If you are very serious ) go to Payap - about 8K a month and 3 hours class a day (mon-fri) + 1-2 hours homework.

If you are pretty serious, go to AUA.

If you want to learn Thai but are doing other things, go to Pro Language - maybe 20 or 25K a year with Visa (plus visa and extension fees).

If you just want the visa, go to the cheapest reputable school. Walen and Pro and a number of others in CM fit this bill.

Pro may be the best as they do the Visa and do a good job of teaching thai as well. If you get a better price I wouldn't be surprised if they do price matching but I don't know.

[DowntownAl]

I've gone to (in this order) Walen, Pro Language, and Payap. I've also sat in at AUA 2 times.

In short, I recommend Pro, AUA and Payap.

If you are very serious ) go to Payap - about 8K a month and 3 hours class a day (mon-fri) + 1-2 hours homework.

If you are pretty serious, go to AUA.

If you want to learn Thai but are doing other things, go to Pro Language - maybe 20 or 25K a year with Visa (plus visa and extension fees).

If you just want the visa, go to the cheapest reputable school. Walen and Pro and a number of others in CM fit this bill.

Pro may be the best as they do the Visa and do a good job of teaching thai as well. If you get a better price I wouldn't be surprised if they do price matching but I don't know.

I've been at Pro for around 2+ months now and can actually go to a ta-lat (Thai market) and buy my food using only Thai, sit down in a pub and order in Thai too (choo Leoooo yai khrap), pretty good if you ask me. They handled the visa paperwork perfectly, I was in and out of the Thai embassy in Vientiane, zero problems. Course cost 23,000 baht for 180 hours (the minimum required for an ED Visa) 2 - 3 hour classes per week until 180 hours reached (around 32+ weeks or so including Thai holidays). Excellent teachers who teach you paasaa thai you can use on the street. I'm outta here before whathisname shows up with exciting new business opportunities.

[andvari26]

I concur with Downtown Al, I just finished a one year Ed Visa course at Pro Language, I have no hesitation to recommend it, I did a course prior at CMU - also good but short in time & issues re Visa`s now I hear. A friend who is fluent in Thai & reads & writes fluently also did Walen., 3 years is the maximum you an do an Ed Visa as he just ran out of time, got to leave the country & get a new start. Two of my classmates at Pro had done Walen & spoke disparagingly of it as the focus is on reading Thai - not talking / speaking - wrong way around IMO.

[Jelopi]

Jelopi, it really depends upon your objectives and limitations:

1. How many hours per week can you devote to classes and studying? The Payap course is much more intensive.

2. What part of town where you be staying? Payap and Whalen are on opposite ends of Chiang Mai.

3. How much flexibility do you need in scheduling? Whalen is more flexible; the Payap classes meet every morning -- no other options.

With regard to a question about how long you can keep getting an Ed visa -- it really depends upon how much progress you're making. You can engage in serious study of the Thai language/culture/history for years and would probably continue to receive an Ed visa provided the Immigration officers were convinced you were a serious scholar.

P.S. don't worry -- MacWalen will be along shortly and this serious inquiry will degenerate into the mud-slinging of a every other "best place to study Thai" thread on this forum.

I can devote mornings if that is what it takes to go to Payap, but my boyfriend on the other hand will be working ALOT so he needs something more flexible, he wants something just a couple of days a week. But that being said, I might just go to a different school than him. I have been told though in the forums before that you can hire someone to come and teach you at your place. That would be better for us most likely too, but are there any reputable "companies" that do it?

If I found a company that taught me from home, would I still be able to get an ED visa from that? It would work better for our schedules and also I am a slow learner so it would be good for that too.

We want to be on the western side of Chiang Mai.

[Jelopi]

I've gone to (in this order) Walen, Pro Language, and Payap. I've also sat in at AUA 2 times.

In short, I recommend Pro, AUA and Payap.

If you are very serious ) go to Payap - about 8K a month and 3 hours class a day (mon-fri) + 1-2 hours homework.

If you are pretty serious, go to AUA.

If you want to learn Thai but are doing other things, go to Pro Language - maybe 20 or 25K a year with Visa (plus visa and extension fees).

If you just want the visa, go to the cheapest reputable school. Walen and Pro and a number of others in CM fit this bill.

Pro may be the best as they do the Visa and do a good job of teaching thai as well. If you get a better price I wouldn't be surprised if they do price matching but I don't know.

Hmm Pro Language sounds better for us. And it looks like it's in the area we want to be in.

Can you please briefly explain the process of how you enrolled? Was there a waiting time till you could start? Like did you have to wait for a semester to start?

You have to apply and fill out all the papers and THEN get the EDU Visa right? So it would probably be best if I went there on a tourist visa and then change it to an EDU visa once the course starts?

[Jelopi]

I've gone to (in this order) Walen, Pro Language, and Payap. I've also sat in at AUA 2 times.

In short, I recommend Pro, AUA and Payap.

If you are very serious ) go to Payap - about 8K a month and 3 hours class a day (mon-fri) + 1-2 hours homework.

If you are pretty serious, go to AUA.

If you want to learn Thai but are doing other things, go to Pro Language - maybe 20 or 25K a year with Visa (plus visa and extension fees).

If you just want the visa, go to the cheapest reputable school. Walen and Pro and a number of others in CM fit this bill.

Pro may be the best as they do the Visa and do a good job of teaching thai as well. If you get a better price I wouldn't be surprised if they do price matching but I don't know.

I've been at Pro for around 2+ months now and can actually go to a ta-lat (Thai market) and buy my food using only Thai, sit down in a pub and order in Thai too (choo Leoooo yai khrap), pretty good if you ask me. They handled the visa paperwork perfectly, I was in and out of the Thai embassy in Vientiane, zero problems. Course cost 23,000 baht for 180 hours (the minimum required for an ED Visa) 2 - 3 hour classes per week until 180 hours reached (around 32+ weeks or so including Thai holidays). Excellent teachers who teach you paasaa thai you can use on the street. I'm outta here before whathisname shows up with exciting new business opportunities.

Sounds great!

So just to clarify, you went in and did 2-3 classes per week to speak decent Thai now? Wow, that's really good.

Can you choose however many hours you want to go in for or is it based around that structure? Just wanting to make sure I fully understand it all.

So even if it is an EDU visa you still have to leave the country to get it cause Vientiane isn't in Thailand, correct?

[Jelopi]

I concur with Downtown Al, I just finished a one year Ed Visa course at Pro Language, I have no hesitation to recommend it, I did a course prior at CMU - also good but short in time & issues re Visa`s now I hear. A friend who is fluent in Thai & reads & writes fluently also did Walen., 3 years is the maximum you an do an Ed Visa as he just ran out of time, got to leave the country & get a new start. Two of my classmates at Pro had done Walen & spoke disparagingly of it as the focus is on reading Thai - not talking / speaking - wrong way around IMO.

Wow that's good to know I would much rather speak before learning all the reading. You can always ask someone what something says when you know how to speak it anyways. I agree that is the wrong way around. Thanks for the advise.

[DowntownAl]

I've gone to (in this order) Walen, Pro Language, and Payap. I've also sat in at AUA 2 times.

In short, I recommend Pro, AUA and Payap.

If you are very serious ) go to Payap - about 8K a month and 3 hours class a day (mon-fri) + 1-2 hours homework.

If you are pretty serious, go to AUA.

If you want to learn Thai but are doing other things, go to Pro Language - maybe 20 or 25K a year with Visa (plus visa and extension fees).

If you just want the visa, go to the cheapest reputable school. Walen and Pro and a number of others in CM fit this bill.

Pro may be the best as they do the Visa and do a good job of teaching thai as well. If you get a better price I wouldn't be surprised if they do price matching but I don't know.

I've been at Pro for around 2+ months now and can actually go to a ta-lat (Thai market) and buy my food using only Thai, sit down in a pub and order in Thai too (choo Leoooo yai khrap), pretty good if you ask me. They handled the visa paperwork perfectly, I was in and out of the Thai embassy in Vientiane, zero problems. Course cost 23,000 baht for 180 hours (the minimum required for an ED Visa) 2 - 3 hour classes per week until 180 hours reached (around 32+ weeks or so including Thai holidays). Excellent teachers who teach you paasaa thai you can use on the street. I'm outta here before whathisname shows up with exciting new business opportunities.

Sounds great!

So just to clarify, you went in and did 2-3 classes per week to speak decent Thai now? Wow, that's really good.

Can you choose however many hours you want to go in for or is it based around that structure? Just wanting to make sure I fully understand it all.

So even if it is an EDU visa you still have to leave the country to get it cause Vientiane isn't in Thailand, correct?

When you go in they will give you a schedule of course times and dates. I chose Tues and Thurs night 5-8. convenient for me. They have Mon-Wed, day time alternate days etc. So you can pick the one that suits you best. You can pay for additional individual lessons (I heard a guy in my class bought 20 hours private lessons for 7000 baht) Your best bet is to go in and talk to them, take in a sample class and see what's what for you. To get an ED Visa you MUST leave the country and get it from a Thai Embassy. Vientiane is the easiest, closest and cheapest, nice little town for an overnighter as well. I paid the 10,000 and started my course the next day. It took about 3 weeks for the paperwork to grind through and then I paid the remaining 13,000 baht. They do all of it including taking your picture if you don't have a couple of visa pics in your pocket, they get you sign everything etc. They will hand you an envelope with everything required to present to immigration in Vientiane. Smooth as glass.

And no, I don't speak decent Thai yet, I can struggle through making basic purchases and the like and there is a growing confidence in using the word I know, but, I'm only 1/3 of the way through, there is much work to be done yet. Have a look here: http://www.prolangua...rse-chiang-mai/ and then just go there and talk to them.

[MacWalen]

Happy to hear that there are many quality schools in Chiang Mai. Wish you all the best guys. Walen is still happy to sponsor this great forum.

Walen School

[bangkok blue]

I would love to find somewhere that offered a Chinese course and include and ED visa.

[richard10365]

I think Payap and Walen are good choices.

I've never sat in Walen classes but I have been to their school and they appear quite organized. Walen students can also take advantage of their profit sharing program. Mac Walen can give you more info on that.

Payap demands a bit more attention and time from the student. I have been to their classes and the teachers are extremely nice but at the same time, very serious (and fun) about their responsibility to teach time. They have amazing patients. Those reason might explain why some people refer to Payap as the school for serious students.

[jacktrip]

'pro language' chiang mai has Japanese and Chinese as well

[lannarose]

Payap demands a bit more attention and time from the student....They have amazing patients.

Is Payap one of those teaching hospitals? This is Thailand...even the patients are amazing.

[richard10365]

Payap demands a bit more attention and time from the student....They have amazing patients.

Is Payap one of those teaching hospitals? This is Thailand...even the patients are amazing.

Since you asked...

http://ic.payap.ac.th/

Payap University, established in 1974, is a private institution founded by the Church of Christ in Thailand. Payap is a founding member of the Association of Private Higher Education Institutions in Thailand, and an active member of the Association of Christian Universities and Colleges in Asia, as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning.

Undergraduate

Payap is a Liberal Arts and Pre-Professional School offering 22 Thai language undergraduate degrees in 12 departments (faculties):

• Accountancy, Finance and Banking
  
• Art
  
• Business Administration
  
• Communication Art
  
• Economics
  
• Law
  
• Music
  
• Nursing
  
• Pharmacy
  
• Science
  
• Social Science and Humanities
  
• Theology
  

And four international undergraduate degrees (English language):

• Information Technology
  
• International Business Management
  
• International Hospitality Management
  
• English Communication
  

Graduate

Payap offers the following Master's degrees programs.

Thai Programs (Thai Language):

• Master of Accountancy
  
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  
• Master of Divinity (MDIV)
  
• Master of Arts in Music
  
• Master of Law (ML)
  

International Programs (English Language):

• Master of Arts in Linguistics
  
• Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (MA TEFL)
  
• Master of Business Administration in International Business (MBA)
  
• Master of Divinity
  
• Doctor of Philosophy Program in Peacebuilding