The situation was a bit different than usual.  They had 3 stations.  One to check documents, one to pay and the final one was a testing station.

 

The third immigration officer looked over my documents, found I was an ed visa and then asked me in Thai if I could speak Thai well. 

 

She asked me in Thai:

What do we do at my lessons?

Why do I want to study Thai?

Do I have Thai friends that I practice with?

Can I write?

How good is my school?

 

Anyway I can speak well so all went fine and she seemed pleased. 

 

I'm American and this is my third year on an education visa.

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by jarrcbb

I was at CW the other day to extend my ED visa and did not see that testing station.

I was at CW the other day to extend my ED visa and did not see that testing station.

Are you first, second or third year? 

Since Ed Visas are available for all different things it seems strange that they are trying to ask everyone if they speak Thai. Maybe it is only if you say you are learning Thai but some other posts have suggested this is not the case. Interesting to see what happens.

You would think that the name of the educational institution would be a give away. You would hope that people studying other things at least get this basic level of Thai language skills to be able to answer some basic questions. It would be worth it just to talk with the locals or know what the locals are talking about you.  You would also hope that this testing would be conducted by the education department rather than the immigration department because then they could have a look at the level of the student, number of years in the country.

Don't pretend to be too smart or they won't give you a visa next time if you already speak Thai too well ! Better play dumb...

 

I'm learning cooking, will I have to make a cake ? :-)

 

 

Edited August 5, 201411 yr by thairastawoman

You would think that the name of the educational institution would be a give away. You would hope that people studying other things at least get this basic level of Thai language skills to be able to answer some basic questions. It would be worth it just to talk with the locals or know what the locals are talking about you.  You would also hope that this testing would be conducted by the education department rather than the immigration department because then they could have a look at the level of the student, number of years in the country.

 

'You would also hope that this testing would be conducted by the education department rather than the immigration department because then they could have a look at the level of the student, number of years in the country."

 

The purpose of the questioning is not the same as an educational achievement test for grades or placement and I'm pretty sure you don't have to be with the "educational department" to discern whether someone has claimed to be a student for 1 or 2 or 3 years. It's just a very fundamental check to see if someone has spent the time in Thailand acquiring some Thai language skills or just warming a bar stool the whole time. The supposed point of learning conversational Thai is to be able to converse with a Thai ... even a Thai immigrations officer.

For people on ED visa e90 day extension, you will need documents from the institution in which you are studying to confirm that the study us still on going. It doesn't take a brain surgeon (luckily in some cases) to see what you are studying, whether thai language, thai boxing, etc. so it's reasonable to say that the people being tested for language proficiency are the ones that have produced letters and transcripts from a thai language school.

Don't pretend to be too smart or they won't give you a visa next time if you already speak Thai too well ! Better play dumb...

 

I'm learning cooking, will I have to make a cake ? :-)

 

 

 

No cake.  But you could be asked about the ingredients in traditional Thai dishes, curries, chili pastes, etc.

 

 

'nuff said

 

 

~

 

Don't pretend to be too smart or they won't give you a visa next time if you already speak Thai too well ! Better play dumb...
 
I'm learning cooking, will I have to make a cake ? :-)

 
No cake.  But you could be asked about the ingredients in traditional Thai dishes, curries, chili pastes, etc.
 
 
'nuff said
 
 
~

 

Not a lot of help if the cooking school is teaching on a non-Thai curriculum. I mean we have Norwegians on ED's to learn English in Pattaya so why not?

At least the OP was accomplished enough to jump comfortably through those rather large hoops but after three years, I would have thought them to be less than challenging. Unlike the mid-30's chap from another thread who, after two years of ED's, didn't understand the questions, couldn't write the Thai alphabet and ended up writing things in phonetic Roman. "Khor thawt krahp, mai loo luang" sort of stuff. Truly cringeworthy... but he go the extension.

I think the random 'skills test' are the local Immigration officers having nothing better to do and having a bit of a jape. Maybe better bring some crepes or other sweet 'khanom' type creation just in case.

Since Ed Visas are available for all different things it seems strange that they are trying to ask everyone if they speak Thai. Maybe it is only if you say you are learning Thai but some other posts have suggested this is not the case. Interesting to see what happens.

On my second entry on ED visa nobody bother to ask me one question. However when I was leaving last time ...officer asked me the reason of long staying probably notreading my passport correctly...but when i answer in Thai that i am learning Thai ...he just asked me when i come back with the smile...