Hey, obligatory long time lurker first time poster.

I'm coming to Thailand in July and want to spend 3 or 4 months learning Thai right from when I arrive. Would it be best to apply for a course asap and get the visa before I go?

Also is there a cool down period or something similar with the ED visa as when I have finished taking Thai classes I'm considering attending university next spring. I couldn't find an answer for this.

Thanks!

What do you mean by "a cool down period" ?

You could do the short course of study you plan on doing with a tourist visa entry. A ED visa is not needed to attend school. You would save some money by not enrolling in a school just to get a non-ed visa.

There is no restriction studying now and doing it again next year.

What do you mean by "a cool down period" ?

I mean if there is a period of time before you can apply for another ED visa

What do you mean by "a cool down period" ?

I mean if there is a period of time before you can apply for another ED visa

There is none.

You could do the short course of study you plan on doing with a tourist visa entry. A ED visa is not needed to attend school. You would save some money by not enrolling in a school just to get a non-ed visa.

There is no restriction studying now and doing it again next year.

Thank you very much for both answers! I had heard somewhere that you need an ED visa for any amount of studying but further research proves that wrong. I've found some short courses now, thanks.

One advantage to getting a Thai Ed Visa in your home-country, is that you may be able to get a 1-Year Multi-Entry Ed Visa, which would allow you to avoid having to obtain additional 90-Day "permissions to stay" at Immigration.

Those immigration visits may involve "testing" of your Thai language skills by Immigration Officers, though some schools offer a ~$100 per 3-Mo "fee" to your school to "handle" the 90-day extensions for you.

If it were me, I would definitely get a Multi-Entry Ed Visa before coming to Thailand.

You could do the short course of study you plan on doing with a tourist visa entry. A ED visa is not needed to attend school. You would save some money by not enrolling in a school just to get a non-ed visa.

There is no restriction studying now and doing it again next year.

Hi ubonjoe, quick confirmation. u say, there is not restriction on thai edvisa, if doing so sequentially, maybe if all paperwork, appropriate school is in order?

You could do the short course of study you plan on doing with a tourist visa entry. A ED visa is not needed to attend school. You would save some money by not enrolling in a school just to get a non-ed visa.

There is no restriction studying now and doing it again next year.

Hi ubonjoe, quick confirmation. u say, there is not restriction on thai edvisa, if doing so sequentially, maybe if all paperwork, appropriate school is in order?

Not sure what you are asking but Ubonjoe said nothing about sequential ED visas.

So you can get a Thai ED visa to study Thai in Thailand for 1 year. However you are not allowed to work, thus having no income.

To do this you would need quite a large amount of savings. Has anybody done this before who can share there experiences to me please?