ED Visa - Any recent applicants?

[PMak]

What's the deal now with the ED Visa? Last year it was cracked down on and reduced to 6 months and daily classes. I just got an email from a TEFL Language School saying they can get an ED Visa that's good for one year, no need to leave for one year that is.

Has anyone recently received an ED Visa? What's your experience?

[ubonjoe]

There are many people that have gotten a single entry non-ed visa.

Apparently if you enroll at a language school and pay for 400 hours you can get 90 day extensions of stay for a total stay of one year from the date you entered on a single entry non-ed visa.

[Mario2008]

They probably talking about getting an ED-visa good for 90 days and then getting extensions of stay for 90 days. After 1 year you have to elave the country for a new ED-visa.

[Kitsune]

I would be very cautious with claims like these: Many schools are facing bankruptcy and advertise anything to get students.

They usually say the rules have changed- not their fault-

Ask to meet satisfied students.

Here is what a famous school put on their website to save their butt

So anything goes...

"The terms and conditions and rules regarding ED visas are subject to change without prior notice. Changes are a direct result of law."

[PMak]

Very True. Even before the crackdown there was a lot of false advertising and "mis-communication".

Here is what a reputable school (in Phuket) wrote me:

"With the ED visa, you can study Basic Thai course for 6 months and can continue Intermediate Thai course for 6 months at Phuket Immigration without another visa run. It means within 1 year, you will have to do 1 visa run. However, you will have to extend your visa (pay 1900 THB) every 3 months at Phuket Immigration. Each time, after you pay 1900 THB, they will extend your visa for 1 month and you have to go again for other 2 months.

After 1 year, if you want to continue 6 months - Advanced Thai course, you need to do visa run.

There will be 4 lessons per week. (2hrs per day/2days per week)"

Sounds like alot of time at immigration, then again it's the same amount of time as you would spend getting Tourist Visas and extensions. Minus the travel. No doubt there will be some testing at immigration. That's not uncommon, it happened before the Visa Crackdown as well, albeit staff was more relaxed about someone failing basic Thai questions.

I am still keen on hearing from recent applicants and those just starting their studies in the first 3 to 5 months to hear first hand what the conditions are like.