I'm traveling to Thailand to visit my girlfriend who is an American living and working in Chiang Mai. I'm traveling on a tourist visa but I would like to get my teaching certification while I'm there and stay in Thailand to teach English. Is this possible? Do I have to leave Thailand to apply for one?

What certification are you asking about ?

The common 'cert' people do is TEFL coursework. You do not need anything except legal stay in country to do a TEFL course.

if later you accept a job and your employer decides to legalize you ...

You may be able to convert to a Non-B but most employers will simply prefer you make a border run to Laos to take care of that.

Edited December 23, 201510 yr by tonray

When you find a job and get the paperwork from the employer you might be able to change your visa status in Bangkok to a non immigrant visa but most people go out for a non-b visa.

Why do most people go out for that nonB visa? What extra documentation does Immigration require from those companies for a conversion that they don't want to go through the hassle?

When you find a job and get the paperwork from the employer you might be able to change your visa status in Bangkok to a non immigrant visa but most people go out for a non-b visa.

Ubonjoe can you help answer my previous post in regards to why most companies advise people to go outside of Thailand for a nonB and are there different conditions or documentation they need to provide to Imm for a tourist visa to nonB conversion to take place?

Thanks.

Why do most people go out for that nonB visa? What extra documentation does Immigration require from those companies for a conversion that they don't want to go through the hassle?

Conversion is only done in Bangkok and it requires two trips.