Concerning the Thai Education Visa

The Thai Education Visa allows students studying on ministry approved
schools to live in the country while they complete their studies. The
ED visa is a sub category of a Thai non-immigrant visa. Students on an
ED Visa can live and study in Thailand for periods of time from a few
weeks to several years, provided they remain enrolled in an
appropriate course, such as a Thai language course. Schools that offer
appropriate courses must be approved by the Thai Ministry of Education
(MOE) and include; language schools, colleges, and universities.To
obtain an Ed visa a student must first enroll in an MOE approved
school and course. The school is required to present a receipt of
course payment, student enrollment forms, photos and copies of your
passport to the Ministry of education to prove that you are a bonefide
student. The MOE will then issue a letter indicating that you are
enrolled in a suitable school.The student/applicant then takes this
form, together with other documents provided by the school (such as
copies of its education license and a letter confirming enrollment) to
a Thai Embassy. Since embassies re located out of Thailand, you can
only apply for your ED visa outside of Thailand. Citizens fo most
countries can do this from any country, and neighboring countries like
Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia are popular places. However the citizens
of some countries, such as China, Pakistan and Iran, can only apply
from their own country.




Regardless of which embassy they apply from all applicants must submit the
form in person, and fill in the form provided by that embassy. They will
need to bring the documents provided by the MOE and the school, as well as
their passport, photos and application fee.Here it is worth noting that
your passport should have several blank pages and several months left on
the expiry date, or the embassy may not issue the visa. The embassy is
also quite within its rights to ask for additional information. And though
it is quite rare, they can ask for proof of means of support, or indeed
any documents they consider necessary to the situation. They may do this,
for example, where the applicant has an unusual travel history or has
overstayed in the past.The applicant typically drops the passport off one
day and picks it up the next, generally dropping it off in the morning and
picking it up in the afternoon. Although this can vary depending on the
embassy in question.It is the responsibility of the student to personally
make the visa application and to ensure they follow all Thai laws and
procedures relating to the visa application. Though various agents
recommend other methods (such as pick up/drop off services), we strongly
advise students to follow the legally mandated processes, and in our
experience this is also the easiest and most cost effective way in the
long run.When you get your visa back from the embassy it will have an
official visa sticker in it, indicating the type of visa and person to
whom it is made out. You can then enter Thailand on the visa. However the
process is still not finished,. You need to visit the school within a few
days so that they can confirm you status with the MOE, and you must then
visit an immigration office. You will need to do this every ninety days,
but you will not need to leave the country for the life of the visa, or
its extension.




If you need to leave Thailand, you should obtain a re-entry permit from
immigration or your visa will be invalid when you attempt to return.
Getting a reentry permit is easy to do, and its worth checking the opening
times of the immigration office at Bangkok airport as its possible to get
your re-entry permit at the airport.The process of obtaining an ED visa
may appear complex but with an experienced school will guide you through
it smoothly. Once you have the visa you should, of course, attend all
classes, however, schools are not currently required to report attendance.
There is speculation this may change in the near future, therefore
students are advised to enroll in reputable schools.Finally, be aware that
in all countries, immigration requirements processes can change rapidly,
so you are advised to do further research or talk with a reputable school.

from Language Express - Thailand web: languageexpress.co.thLanguage
Express is a Bangkok based language school specializing in English,
Thai and exam preparation courses for the IELTS, TOEIC, GED and SAT
exams.Every year more than 1200 students take a Language Express
course, at their state-of-the-art campus in the centre of Bangkok's
business district. The school is fully approved by the Ministry of
Education, and the two directors each have twenty years experience in
language education.Students enrolling in the full time Thai Language
course are eligible to apply for a Thai Education visa.