Hi, with a long term plan to retire to Thailand, I want to learn Thai. I'm not interested in scamming the visa system, I genuinely want to learn how to speak and read Thai. Useful info and personal experiences appreciated. My idea is to study for a year or so, then apply for a retirement visa.

So what´s your question?

Hi, with a long term plan to retire to Thailand, I want to learn Thai. I'm not interested in scamming the visa system, I genuinely want to learn how to speak and read Thai. Useful info and personal experiences appreciated. My idea is to study for a year or so, then apply for a retirement visa.

My suggestion is to study Thai for a year or two then apply for a retirement visa.

If you are already 50 or over and can meet the financial requirements I suggest you get the extension based upon retirement now.

You can attend school with any type of visa or extension.

There're so many ways to learn Thai, for example Rosetta Stone, which you can use whenever you've got free time. 

 

        Then there're some nice girls who give basic Thai lessons on Youtube: ( couldn't find the 2 girls who seem to be professionals) but just an example: Then you'll find various free stuff online to give you the basics. Thai is a tonal language and that's not easy to get. 

 

          Once you've settled down, you'll easily find your teacher with a good reputation. The best possible way is to live in a village where nobody else is speaking English, or any other languages.

 

           Jindee Dhorn Lhrab ( Welcome). 

 

 

You could sign up with a school and apply for a Non Immigrant 'ED' visa/extension of stay, but it links your permission to stay to your studies. 

 

If you only need one year before applying for a long term visa/permit to stay (retirement) then you could get a Mulytipe Entry Tourist Visa (METV). The visa would allow you to enter as often as you want for 6 months, but would require border hops every 60/90 days. An entry just before the end of the 6 months would give a final 60 day stay that could be extended by 30 days and give you nearly 9 months in Thailand from the one visa. At the end of the 9 months you could get a Single Entry Tourist Visa (SETV) from a Thai Embassy/Consulate in a neighbouring country that with an extension would give you another 90 days. More SETV's could be obtained if required.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by elviajero

To reiterate other advice, avoid Non Ed visas and extensions of stay linked to a language school if possible. Some immigration offices are very strict in providing your 90-day extensions, and even such possible wishes as changing schools becomes troublesome. If your school loses its accreditation, you will not get your next extension. You have much more flexibility if your language learning is separated from your permission to stay.

10 hours ago, lostinisaan said:

Once you've settled down, you'll easily find your teacher with a good reputation. The best possible way is to live in a village where nobody else is speaking English, or any other languages.

 

This would hold true after the OP has learnt the basics, but would be a nightmare for someone without a single word of L2.

Edited October 5, 20169 yr by muzmurray