Hi there!

I've decided to become a PADI Scuba Instructor and I want to start my course in June.

The course itself is about 8 months total before I am Instructor and therefor I wonder:

I have talked with my current instructor about the different VISAS that I can apply for.

We think that I should first of all try to apply for an non-immigration ED MULTIPLE visa.

I am currently living in Sweden and have been reading alot about there thai-languge schools BUT the only offer you the non immigrant ED visa which means that I have to study Thai if I am not wrong?

My second opinion is to apply for a triple entry visa and after the visa is fully used I visit cambodja or laos for a new visa?

I am sure that this is a common question (or is it?!)

Have been searching the net for some good answers so I thought I'd try my luck here aswell.

I hope I can get some answers.

/Christoffer

ED visas are not limited to learning Thai. If the school is approved, you can apply for the visa in Sweden, but the school must supply all of the paperwork for your application and will most likely require that you pay for the entire course in advance. Getting the paperwork from MOE does take some time. If they issue a multiple entry visa, which is very doubtful, you will still be required to leave the country every 90 days.

If you get a triple entry tourist visa you can get almost 270 days in Thailand with 2 border runs and 3 30 days extensions (cost 1900 baht each). The trick is to get the visa just before you leave for hailand and use the last entry on the day the visa expires which gives you 90 more days (60+30).

I would recommend thr triple tourist, since it doesn't tie you to that particuler dive school if you are not happy with them.

Good morning Christoffer,

More explanations about the Non ED visa.

As Wayned said, Non ED visas are not restricted to learning Thai, you can, for example, learn Thai cooking too .

There is no "multiple" entries for Education Visas ! When you get a NON ED, it is valid 3 months. After this period, you will have to apply at the immigration office in Phuket town for an extension of 9 months.

NEW as from this month, you will be granted only 30 days while they "study" your file and see if your school has all the necessary paperwork ready for you. They also come and shoot photos at the school (yep, Thai people love photos ). After the 30 days, you will be granted (or not) the extension. With Non ED visa, you won't have to do any visa runs outside Thailand.

This said, I am very surprised that you are planning to stay 8 months in order to complete your Instructor training.

At most, you should be done in less than 3 months, if you are starting from near scratch (Open water diver).

There are Instructor Development Courses (IDC) and exams (IE) every month in Phuket and the whole training takes 15 days.
A Divemaster training should be done and dusted in less than a month time.

Rescue, EFR, Advanced and even some specialties need barely 10-15 days of training.

So the easiest for you would be to simply get a multiple entry tourist visa. Simple, cheap and doesn't need any paperwork.
And as Wayned pointed out, you will not be tied to any specific dive school, and this, trust me, is a good idea

Oh, by the way, I live in Phuket, I am a PADI Master Instructor and worked for many years in the diving business here, in case you are wondering

Cheers

There is a multiple non-ED, but it is increasingly difficult to get.

Interesing news about the 30 day under consideration in Phuket and they coming by at the school.