The new extension rules for people studying

[lol69]

fake ed visa users are no longer wanted. you are not welcome here anymore,

[ColdSingha]

The question is whether just the right to be able to stay in Thailand worth 100k+tax per year or not. By the way, does anyone has info about universities offering international evening classes for adults here that give degree of some short? Some of those curriculums cost 40-50k per semester. I'd rather study there and get something "real" once if I have to pay more.

8 hours per week + travel time to and from school + the immigration check-ins + the added expense and the headache of it all, just to learn Thai, makes no sense unless someone REALLY wants to learn Thai. Like you said, you could learn something else, something of real value, and be able to extend it past the 18 month limit (if I understood that correctly).

what 18 month limit?

Before you had a 3 years course time allowed to study Thai and off you go, back to your country, although we could extend again if you wanted to further your studies.

Now since we are studying twice the amount of hours,the course finishes in 18 months instead of 3 years

i thought ED visas were extendable up to 10 years at least thats what all the adverts i see for language schools have been marketing in my area

study thai and get long stay visa 1-10 years

?

[Pattaya46]

I don't know anyone on an Ed visa studying a non-Thai language. When I looked into it I couldn't find any info on it, every school's website only seemed to process the Ed visa for Thai courses. I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

When I was a student at Excel Language Centre, facing Big C South Road at Pattaya, there where Russian students on ED Visa studying English, and a few Farangs studying Chinese on ED Visa too. Just search on Google.

[lol69]

What on earth did we do to the Thai Army so that there are so angry at us?

they want their country to have real students and real tourists. if you are not either one the writing is on the wall for you now

[ColdSingha]

does indeed appear to be a direct response to the "visa mills" out there, those schools marketing easy visas in return for fulfilling the basic requirements of immigration law (or worse)

[jspill]

do Thais even go to school 8 hours a week?

[mataleo]

But you can still learn other languages in Thailand, if you choose to do so. Here in Pattaya I have seen schools offer English, German, French, Japanese, Chinese and Russian classes.

I don't know anyone on an Ed visa studying a non-Thai language. When I looked into it I couldn't find any info on it, every school's website only seemed to process the Ed visa for Thai courses. I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

They do other languages.

U will not get tested at border i guess

[mataleo]

ED Visa is not meant to be a way to learn a language so that you can stay in the country. Imagine how many people would go to UK if all they had to do was learn English a few hours a week for the rest of their lives.

You think it's to much hassle to use to just stay in the country, but that is the whole point. They want genuine language learners, nit people learning it just as a way to stay here. So they have succeeded if you and others are put off.

Why on earth would ANYONE learn a useless language like Thai, if they were not planning on staying in the country? It's a totally useless language outside of the magical borders of the country.

Thanks for learning Thai, we can see you are now fluent. Now get the hell out of here, falang. Unless of course, you want to shell out 500k on an Elite Card, or have a baby with a flip flop wearing prostitute, or start a business and hire 4 Thais to sleep all day. Be thankful we have provided you so many options to use your new learned language.

Dont need baby. Marry is enough

Theres non prostitutes girls as well...

Edited August 12, 2014 by mataleo

[kriswillems]

Why on earth would ANYONE learn a useless language like Thai, if they were not planning on staying in the country? It's a totally useless language outside of the magical borders of the country.

Thanks for learning Thai, we can see you are now fluent. Now get the hell out of here, falang. Unless of course, you want to shell out 500k on an Elite Card, or have a baby with a flip flop wearing prostitute, or start a business and hire 4 Thais to sleep all day. Be thankful we have provided you so many options to use your new learned language.

Your analysis is perfectly correct, Thai is a useless language if you don't plan to live in Thailand.

Nobody forces you to study Thai.

So, if you've no real visa and reason to stay in Thailand you better not come here and you better not study Thai.

PS. Those that believe getting married is cheaper than getting the 500K elite card, better think again ...

Edited August 12, 2014 by kriswillems

[mataleo]

I don't know anyone on an Ed visa studying a non-Thai language. When I looked into it I couldn't find any info on it, every school's website only seemed to process the Ed visa for Thai courses. I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

When I was a student at Excel Language Centre, facing Big C South Road at Pattaya, there where Russian students on ED Visa studying English, and a few Farangs studying Chinese on ED Visa too. Just search on Google.

http://www.tlslanguageschool.com/ed-visa

They do english russian ...

[ColdSingha]

ED Visa is not meant to be a way to learn a language so that you can stay in the country. Imagine how many people would go to UK if all they had to do was learn English a few hours a week for the rest of their lives.

You think it's to much hassle to use to just stay in the country, but that is the whole point. They want genuine language learners, nit people learning it just as a way to stay here. So they have succeeded if you and others are put off.

Why on earth would ANYONE learn a useless language like Thai, if they were not planning on staying in the country? It's a totally useless language outside of the magical borders of the country.

Thanks for learning Thai, we can see you are now fluent. Now get the hell out of here, falang. Unless of course, you want to shell out 500k on an Elite Card, or have a baby with a flip flop wearing prostitute, or start a business and hire 4 Thais to sleep all day. Be thankful we have provided you so many options to use your new learned language.

Dont need baby. Marry is enough

Theres non prostitutes girls as well...

as we're generalising i think they only "go" with the young fellas..

[Kitsune]

i thought ED visas were extendable up to 10 years at least thats what all the adverts i see for language schools have been marketing in my area

study thai and get long stay visa 1-10 years

?

Some schools (like a famous sponsor here) make you exit the country and reapply after 3 years, which is the equivalent of a level (beginner/intermediate/advanced)

[kriswillems]

If you think about getting married for the visa, you better think again.

The 500K elite card is way cheaper!

[jspill]

When I was a student at Excel Language Centre, facing Big C South Road at Pattaya, there where Russian students on ED Visa studying English, and a few Farangs studying Chinese on ED Visa too. Just search on Google.

Thanks, this seems harder to find in BKK from my googling. Pro language doesn't do it, Language express no mention of it

Walen BKK has Chinese but no Ed visa as yet http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727615-walen-school-of-chinese/

[ColdSingha]

If you think about getting married for the visa, you better think again.

The 500K elite card is way cheaper!

my life is much cheaper as a family man and with 2 incomes to share

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Okay if they make the language requirement 8 hours a week in class.

Just do way less homework to stay up as I do on the 4 hour requirement. I probably do 10 hours of homework per week now.

A lot of students in my classes are mentally fried already after 2 x 2 hours.

Just makes the retirement visa that much more attractive.

Go screw the Thai language. I can get by already with basic reading and speaking/listening skills.

[TheRascal]

When there used to be threads about visa issues there would always be certain people popping up saying ED visas were the answer. Now there are real questions to be answered and they should be best placed to answer them they are nowhere to be seen... shame really but I guess there are no sales to be made.

[Kitsune]

Okay if they make the language requirement 8 hours a week in class.

Just do way less homework to stay up as I do on the 4 hour requirement. I probably do 10 hours of homework per week now.

A lot of students in my classes are mentally fried already after 2 x 2 hours.

Just makes the retirement visa that much more attractive.

Go screw the Thai language. I can get by already with basic reading and speaking/listening skills.

Not everyone is 50 or has 800K in the bank ...

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Okay if they make the language requirement 8 hours a week in class.

Just do way less homework to stay up as I do on the 4 hour requirement. I probably do 10 hours of homework per week now.

A lot of students in my classes are mentally fried already after 2 x 2 hours.

Just makes the retirement visa that much more attractive.

Go screw the Thai language. I can get by already with basic reading and speaking/listening skills.

Not everyone is 50 or has 800K in the bank ...

sure if not eligible for the retirement option then continue to do the language option but the students are going to act more like Thai students and just be seat warmers and not do much homework.

If your going to make me go to twice as much school and probably pay more also then I want to learn AT school and not spend my valuable free time with homework.

Schools will offer more breaks and do less teaching in the hours anyway to prevent student burnout.

This is why Thailand is among the worst in SEA when it comes to learning english.

[bertty]

fake ed visa users are no longer wanted. you are not welcome here anymore,

I would hazard a guess that old guys who married young Thai women, because they couldn't get a girlfriend in their own country might be next.

I hope I'm not alone in thinking I'd rather see a student walking down the road with a bag of books under his/her arm on the way to school.

Rather than a fat bald headed unshaven guy in a t-shirt that doesn't fit with a young Thai bride on his arm that can not understand a word they say to each other.

One looks perfectly normal, the other turns many a peoples stomach.

[bertty]

DP

Edited August 12, 2014 by bertty

[ColdSingha]

fake ed visa users are no longer wanted. you are not welcome here anymore,

I would hazard a guess that old guys who married young Thai women, because they couldn't get a girlfriend in their own country might be next.

I hope I'm not alone in thinking I'd rather see a student walking down the road with a bag of books under his/her arm on the way to school.

Rather than a fat bald headed unshaven guy in a t-shirt that doesn't fit with a young Thai bride on his arm that can not understand a word they say to each other.

One looks perfectly normal, the other turns many a peoples stomach.

Thailand.. making old folks happy for 30 years

[Julie H]

When I was a student at Excel Language Centre, facing Big C South Road at Pattaya, there where Russian students on ED Visa studying English, and a few Farangs studying Chinese on ED Visa too. Just search on Google.

Thanks, this seems harder to find in BKK from my googling. Pro language doesn't do it, Language express no mention of it

Walen BKK has Chinese but no Ed visa as yet http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/727615-walen-school-of-chinese/

Did you call Pro Language & ask? Stop posting misinformation if you have no idea what you are talking about

Anyone with ED visa concerns should contact a language school, Mr McWalen is a good man & i highly recommend his language schools.

Learning Thai (& other languages) is still easy with Walen

[Kitsune]

Okay if they make the language requirement 8 hours a week in class.

Just do way less homework to stay up as I do on the 4 hour requirement. I probably do 10 hours of homework per week now.

A lot of students in my classes are mentally fried already after 2 x 2 hours.

Just makes the retirement visa that much more attractive.

Go screw the Thai language. I can get by already with basic reading and speaking/listening skills.

Not everyone is 50 or has 800K in the bank ...

sure if not eligible for the retirement option then continue to do the language option but the students are going to act more like Thai students and just be seat warmers and not do much homework.

If your going to make me go to twice as much school and probably pay more also then I want to learn AT school and not spend my valuable free time with homework.

Schools will offer more breaks and do less teaching in the hours anyway to prevent student burnout.

This is why Thailand is among the worst in SEA when it comes to learning english.

First you need to integrate that every year, when reapplying you might not be allowed back in the country and lose everything as every immigration officers are now able to use their discretion to decide who gets in and they start doing so. Have bad luck/an officer having a bad day/ or just not liking your face and it's over.

Secondly you need to be able to afford the extra costs of trips/visa and schools.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

^^ it makes the retirement visa route a whole lot more attractive.

Park some funds and reclaim 20 hours of free time per week and stop learning an antiquated language that is slowly going extinct.

Thailand should standardize on what civilized societies have agreed that English is the world standard.

Week in and week out spending 8 hours in class plus transportation, plus time and expense at immigration, plus visa trips plus homework plus paying money for the priviledge is going to discourage most people including myself.

It's their desired policy to increasingly discourage Thai studies.

Go with it.

Edited August 12, 2014 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[madmonk888]

Okay if they make the language requirement 8 hours a week in class.

Just do way less homework to stay up as I do on the 4 hour requirement. I probably do 10 hours of homework per week now.

A lot of students in my classes are mentally fried already after 2 x 2 hours.

Just makes the retirement visa that much more attractive.

Go screw the Thai language. I can get by already with basic reading and speaking/listening skills.

Not everyone is 50 or has 800K in the bank ...

sure if not eligible for the retirement option then continue to do the language option but the students are going to act more like Thai students and just be seat warmers and not do much homework.

If your going to make me go to twice as much school and probably pay more also then I want to learn AT school and not spend my valuable free time with homework.

Schools will offer more breaks and do less teaching in the hours anyway to prevent student burnout.

This is why Thailand is among the worst in SEA when it comes to learning english.

First you need to integrate that every year, when reapplying you might not be allowed back in the country and lose everything as every immigration officers are now able to use their discretion to decide who gets in and they start doing so. Have bad luck/an officer having a bad day/ or just not liking your face and it's over.

Secondly you need to be able to afford the extra costs of trips/visa and schools.

Do we have any evidence of not being allowed back due to the discretion of the IO even if you have the right paperwork / documents ? This is a serious point and could affect everyone ! If the officer is having a bad or just not liking your face is it over ? Can you appeal ? Can you ask to see their superior ? Do you have to return to your country or can you ask for a 30 day stamp ? Does this mean no one can leave the country and guarantee their return it is now "pot luck" . Is this what you are saying ?

[sixlegs]

fake ed visa users are no longer wanted. you are not welcome here anymore,

I would hazard a guess that old guys who married young Thai women, because they couldn't get a girlfriend in their own country might be next.

I hope I'm not alone in thinking I'd rather see a student walking down the road with a bag of books under his/her arm on the way to school.

Rather than a fat bald headed unshaven guy in a t-shirt that doesn't fit with a young Thai bride on his arm that can not understand a word they say to each other.

One looks perfectly normal, the other turns many a peoples stomach.

100% agree. Those people do much much worse to the image of Thailand than the from now on to be qualified as suspicious "criminal" ed visa people.

ED visa was a good option for foreigners who could not get WP because of the outdated labor law. Those people are educated with successful online business that provides constant cash flow. I really can't see what harm they did so that now they have to be get ridden of. I admit, I'm in this category but I would gladly apply for sole trader status and pay taxes as foreigner online business owner if such concept existed here. There is no way I'd taken away jobs from Thais as my business has nothing to do with Thailand. I could pay the 500k for elite but the sole allowance of staying simply does not have that value.

As the visa options fades away step by step me and the alikes have to leave eventually and the stink fat old chap who married a teenager prostitute out of a bar and who would be nothing in his home country stays here and shares his wisdom and paints a beautiful image of himself and Thailand.

[kriswillems]

If somebody is really interested in studying Thai he would study much more than 4 hours per week.

The kind of student that studies the minimal amount of hours just to get a visa for Thailand is here for the wrong reasons (not for studying).

In that way, the old, fat, bold guy with the young Thai bride is much more respectable that the fake student.

[Kitsune]

Do we have any evidence of not being allowed back due to the discretion of the IO even if you have the right paperwork / documents ? This is a serious point and could affect everyone ! If the officer is having a bad or just not liking your face is it over ? Can you appeal ? Can you ask to see their superior ? Do you have to return to your country or can you ask for a 30 day stamp ? Does this mean no one can leave the country and guarantee their return it is now "pot luck" . Is this what you are saying ?

Evidences as such I don't know but here I read a few reports about people with new ED visa application being refused entry at airport or borders.

Are they all lying ? Even moderators seem to agree it could be true. Some guy said he was refused because he could not understand what the officer asked him because he talked too fast...They say the immigration officers are now "using their discretion" that means anything can happened the guy does what he likes.

I personally did a border run recently and talked to a manager of a visa run company and he confirmed that officers are now acting as they please, and some have refused ED visa to come in whilst all their papers were all in order, the school legit, etc, just because.

If they just THINK you are not a "real" student for whatever reason that might be look/attitude or even just don't like your face or their wife pissed them off that day, and they are in a bad mood, they can deny you entry, they don't have to give any justification to anyone and there is nothing you can do. It's that particular immigration officer's discretion. Even his superior cannot intervene.

So your house, your furniture, may be your pets, partners and life here are gambled each year.

[kriswillems]

That's why it's a good think that they increase the minimal number of hours to 8.

If somebody studies 8 hours per week the chance that he's a real student is much higher.

The reason immigration officers are looking for fake students is probably because there are so many fake students ?

Edited August 12, 2014 by kriswillems