I was talking to a fellow from an eastern European country who has just spent the last year in Thailand on an education visa studying English. In fact he was just about to leave for Laos last Thursday to try to get a second visa for another year.

We hear about those education Visa holders who are attending Thai language schools being tested regarding their ability to speak Thai but I doubt there would be that many immigration officers who are themselves able to judge any difference in a students English language ability over a 12 month period? And in fact this would apply equally to all the other languages that people seem to study in these language schools.

I am just curious whether this represents a possible chink in the armour of the Thai Immigration Department regarding education visas?

Edited May 30, 201511 yr by Asiantravel

A common misunderstanding,

ED visa = study Thai language only = officer can check your effort.

You can study Muai Thai e.g. (Thai boxing).

Don't want to think about officer check your Muai Thai skills

A common misunderstanding,

ED visa = study Thai language only = officer can check your effort.

You can study Muai Thai e.g. (Thai boxing).

Don't want to think about officer check your Muai Thai skills

Here is one of many examples of language school saying you can study any language

" It doesn't matter what your native language is or how old you are, you can still learn to speak, read and write Thai or any other language of your choice! Currently, the two most popular languages to learn are Thai and English. "

http://www.thegeniuslanguageschool.net/

Study English in Thailand...... ROFL

I believe there are a limited number of languages you can study, simply because you have to get a school that is certified by the Ministry of Education to teach those languages.

Yes, it is possible for people to get an ED visa for studying English. I know people who are doing this (all East Asians), but I hear that immigration is not allowing western Europeans to do this. I don't know what would happen if an eastern European would try to get an ED visa for studying English.

I know people who have completed the 3 years allowed for studying Thai, and have switched to studying Chinese, Japanese, or English. I don't know of language schools offering other languages that qualify someone for an ED visa.

There is supposed to be a test when extending the visa, which is done at one of the Ministry of Education offices. The test in Thai is a ridiculous joke (just a very simple interview), and for the one in Japanese, if you even get asked anything, it's like, "Tell me the word for 'cat'." There is a written test prior to that interview that the school is supposed to give you, but that is done on the student's own time, so I don't image there are many people who are taking the test honestly.

I really wish it were possible to get an ED visa to study Thai for longer than 3 years, and I wish they would actually test people appropriately. The current system is of course abused (i.e., people getting a visa to study Thai or whatever, but never going to class and never studying), and as a consequence, they have wrecked it for the rest of us who would like to study and follow the rules as they were intended.

If we are talking Bangkok immigration office (where "language tests" are taking place), you don't get away by studying something else, you get 2 months like everyone and 3 months if you pay bribe.

English students get 2 months at Chaeng Wattana and their English is better than the officer.

I got 2 months studying Japanese and no one can speak Japanese.

I remember doing a search about this in my early days of being in Thailand.

Sorry, I can't post any links or back it up. But i remember reading that to get an ED to study English, you couldn't be from a native English speaking country.

Why at Thai immigration they expect E/D students to be able to read in Thai after 6 month of thai language study?

Most thais even after 12 years of their school/college with english in their curriculum are unable to speak it?

Why at Thai immigration they expect E/D students to be able to read in Thai after 6 month of thai language study?

Most thais even after 12 years of their school/college with english in their curriculum are unable to speak it?

Yes they do, but even if you do read and write after 6 months you don't get 3 months extension, you get 2.

If you don't, you get less (1 month or less)

If you want 3 months, you pay the bribe. Then it's all smile and no question asked.

I remember doing a search about this in my early days of being in Thailand.

Sorry, I can't post any links or back it up. But i remember reading that to get an ED to study English, you couldn't be from a native English speaking country.

So the guy I mentioned in my original post from an Eastern European country would definitely qualify.

The irony is though that his spoken and written English is already very good so for him this is a doddle while the immigration officers would be blissfully ignorant of this fact

Edited June 1, 201511 yr by Asiantravel

I remember doing a search about this in my early days of being in Thailand.

Sorry, I can't post any links or back it up. But i remember reading that to get an ED to study English, you couldn't be from a native English speaking country.

So the guy I mentioned in my original post from an Eastern European country would definitely qualify.

The irony is though that his spoken and written English is already very good so for him this is a doddle while the immigration officers would be blissfully ignorant of this fact

This Is Thailand............

I remember doing a search about this in my early days of being in Thailand.

Sorry, I can't post any links or back it up. But i remember reading that to get an ED to study English, you couldn't be from a native English speaking country.

Must be true, I'm Dutch and I have an ED visa (study English) in Thailand.

I can speak Dutch, English, German and a bit Thai. Plenty of foreign studies left LOL

Edited June 1, 201511 yr by kathmandu